A NON-PROFIT dedicated to equipping special needs, vulnerable, and mainstream teens, and young adults with practical skills, has officially opened its doors in Winklespruit, aiming to turn potential into opportunity.

Also read: Non-profits work together to serve Amanzimtoti community

Based at 16 Murray Smith Road, The Duncan Centre for Life Skills Development was started by Stephen and Ettiënne Frost who were soon joined by former teachers, Robin Opperman and Jackie Sewpersad. The Frosts saw the need to start a training centre to equip special needs young adults and enable them to learn skills in a safe environment that they could use to either find employment or be self-sufficient. Over the years, they observed that special needs people often suffer when their parents die as they do not have any skills they can use to sustain themselves.

“What happens to them after that is what we are trying to avoid. I have an autistic brother who got lost in the system and we don’t know where he is because he could not take care of himself,” said Stephen.

The Duncan Centre offers programmes in arts and crafts, home economics, and gardening, with future programmes in computer and social media and basic DIY.

Ettiënne explained that the centre offers a three-year programme, with an optional fourth year.

Also read: LISTEN: NPO removes barriers for the disabled through sport

“In their third year, they choose the master programme they want to specialise in. In their third or fourth year, they can start building their CV,” said Ettiënne.

Opperman, who is the centre’s director of operations as well as a creative arts instructor, said the handiwork created by the students is of high quality because they pick the skill almost immediately after being taught. They have made dazzling ornaments, stitched fabric pumpkins, bead and wire spiders, and paper flowers, all with recycled materials.

“If you run a shop, you can say ‘We need this number of pumpkins’, then we can give that order to one of our students so they can generate some money for themselves. As a non-profit organisation, we want to attract funding. We hope to go to big corporations and ask them to sponsor some students for a year because some parents can’t afford the fees,” said Opperman.

The learners that spoke to the SUN, Khethi Mchunu and Rehaan Kalipersad, said they are enjoying learning how to do different new things and acquiring new skills.

For more information, The Duncan Centre can be contacted on 062 002 1896.

Do you have more information pertaining to this story? Feel free to let us know by commenting on our Facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.