KaBokweni pastor uplifts community through his NPO
Howard Thwala opened his heart to helping the unemployed youth to acquire skills.
Izimele Outreach non-profit organisation (NPO) has empowered many young people from the underdeveloped villages of Ermelo and Thembisa in KaBokweni.
The NPO was founded in 2019 by Pastor Howard Thwala, with the objective of reaching out to the most vulnerable communities in aid to combat the social ills that such communities live with.
Thwala said his motivation to start the organisation was the lack of education that most young people struggled with. “Many of the youth in these areas did not finish school and lack skills which in turn makes them unemployable, while some do not have guidance and end up abusing substances and experience teenage pregnancy.”
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He explained what the Izimele Outreach NPO is all about. “We facilitate skills development and training for unemployed youth. This way they are able to make a living for themselves and not rely entirely on social grants. We help victims of gender-based violence receive counselling and help them find their voice.
“Moreover, we have campaigns to create awareness against teenage pregnancy, substance and alcohol abuse, and bullying. We also promote the culture of reading in local schools by donating reading books to learners,” Thwala said.
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He works closely with various stakeholders that help the organisation fulfil its mission. “The vision of the NPO is to help more underdeveloped communities in Mpumalanga. We are in this world to help one another, ” Thwala said.
