MEC Khoza unveils massive skills project to train Wentworth youth
Delivering her speech, MEC Khoza said the opening of the centre was going to assist a great deal in fighting social ills in the area.
A beacon of hope was ignited in the community of Wentworth as MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza, officially handed over the monumental Wentworth Youth Development Centre on Tuesday, October 12.
The ceremony, which was part of Social Development Month, was an important milestone for the community, as centre will provide necessary skills for young people who live in the area.
The centre came about as a result of a community initiative led by the late Pastor Victor Smith, whose church was affected by drug lords. The centre meant the fruition of the dream of Pastor Smith and that of the community of Wentworth. Delivering her speech, MEC Khoza said the opening of the centre was going to assist a great deal in fighting social ills in the area.
“The main driver of most social ills is drug abuse. As a society, we need to join hands and fight drug abuse together. The construction of the Wentworth Youth Development Centre will ease the burden of drugs and substance abuse in the community, which then opens doors to all social ills,” she said.
The Wentworth Youth Development Centre is situated at 50 Hornsea Avenue and services both wards 66 and 68. It was constructed as a response to the social ills and challenges faced by the community of Wentworth and surrounding areas.
The centre provides vocational skills training, life-skills sessions, sports, recreation, cultural activities, access to information through resource centres and a safe space for the youth to network.
The department has forged a partnership with eThekwini Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College, which provides skills development programmes.
Vocational skills are acquired through a six-month programme (two weeks of life skills, two weeks entrepreneurship, two weeks computer lab training and three months of trade training such as assistant chef, electrical training phase two and garment making).
The Department invested over R47 million towards the construction of the Wentworth Youth Development Centre. Khoza commended young people for taking a keen interest in community development.
“This centre has a responsibility of improving the livelihoods of youth through provisioning of youth empowering services such as vocational skills training, life skills sessions, sports, recreation, cultural activities, access of information through resource centres and a safe place for youth and other stakeholders to network.
“We are pleased with the work done by the NPO led by young people in the area of Wentworth which is eThekwini South Youth in Business that operate within the community and run the programmes at the centre.”
Led by their matriarch, the Smith family was also present to witness the opening of the centre. MEC Khoza reaffirmed the government’s commitment to change the lives of the poor.
