Organisation celebrates 20 years
A non-profit organisation from the Moot opened its doors in 1999 to employ 70 people with disabilities.
A non-profit organisation recently celebrated its 20 years’ existence.
Employment Solutions for People with Disabilities from the Moot opened its door in 1999 to employ 70 people with disabilities.
Today they employ 150 people.
“This outstanding organisation managed to keep afloat for 20 years during difficult economic times. This is truly something to celebrate,” said Nicolene Steynberg from the organisation.
One of the workers made a speech at the festivities.
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“In my personal life there have been many days of pain and loneliness,” the worker said.
“What helped me through it was the friendly greeting from our CEO, Ilze Meintjes, every morning when I walked in at Employment Solutions. She always asked me how I was doing. That relieved my pain and darkness and meant so much to me.”
Steynberg said: “I just thought what an unbelievable difference it would make if everyone took notice of people with disabilities around them, what a difference it would make just by greeting them.
“And Ilze Meintjes was able to do it so well.
“To be able to take care of each and everyone’s salvation in this organisation for 20 years, to make people feel worthy and make them a part of the community, even on a commercial level with the products and service the organisation provides to the outside world.”
She said people with disabilities became a part of mainstream life by earning a monthly income (allowance) for the work that they do.
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“Founders realised 20 years ago that people with disabilities find it difficult and almost impossible to work in the open workforce and started a secure workshop,” she said.
“They work really hard in this workshop: the whole aim is to get contracts in to generate real income.”
They teach their beneficiaries how to work and to earn an income but in a secure environment.
“It is something to experience how dedicated they are and how worthy they feel every day,” she said.
Steynberg said people with disabilities who take part in the secure workshop, mainly come from negative situations and their disabilities marginalise them even further.
“Most of them attended schools for learners with special needs, but don’t have a lot of exposure to a real work environment,” she said.
“Employment Solutions thus stimulates real work environments and provides specific support systems.”
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