One of the key challenges South Africa currently faces is the skills crisis, coupled with crippling youth unemployment and the ‘brain-drain’ phenomenon. The uNowanga / St John South Africa Project aims to make a tangible difference in the lives of the youngsters, the people they will be caring for and ultimately South Africa.
During the project launch held at Glenshiel in Westcliff, it was revealed that 16 young South Africans aged between 18 and 29, and from diverse backgrounds, will spend the next year learning to speak fluent German.
“The youths will do this while gaining practical work experience in the healthcare sector before heading to Germany to embark on an exciting three-year programme enabling them to become fully fledged nurses. This fully funded programme comes at no cost to the youngsters participating,” said business development manager at St John, Chris Martin.
He added that upon completion of the programme in Germany, participants will return to South Africa with a nursing qualification that will enable them to lead the ‘brain-gain’ for our country and the healthcare sector in particular.
The uNowanga programme is the brainchild of Maximilian Matschke and his team of ‘solutionists’. In partnership with the internationally renowned first aid and healthcare non-profit organisation St John, the project aims to tackle youth unemployment in South Africa and the lack of care workers in Germany. By the year 2030, Germany will have vacancies for an estimated 300 000 caregivers. At the same time, half of the South African youth are unemployed.
The name uNowanga is taken from the African languages isiZulu and isiXhosa – it means the white stork. The white stork is a migratory bird travelling between Southern Africa and Central Europe depending on the season. They bring good to the countries they visit. The participants of uNowanga will be doing the same.
Details: The Priory for South Africa of the Order of St John 011 646 5520
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