Thabang Primary SGB takes initiative to solve unemployment for their school's unemployed parents in Dobsonville through skills development and entrepreneurship
With unemployment reaching crisis proportions in a county at war with itself, it’s encouraging to see how unemployed parents are tapping into their skills to create a shift to offset the escalating crisis.
Thabang Primary SGB is taking on the unemployment crisis head on and is on a mission to provide solutions that create opportunities for the parents of the school to learn skills and create a revenue stream.
Thanks to a partnership with Sari for change which is a social economic enterprise, Thabang Primary hits the 2020 school year with a focused plan to create opportunities for at least 20 parents set to start a skills training incubation hub at the school.
Chairperson of Thabang Primary SGB, Shadi Mogole has rolled up her sleeves to offer training in sewing and uniform making. With the high rate of unemployment, Shadi felt that the confidence and participation from parents were at an all time low
What started off as a beading workshop agreed between the principal of the school and Rayana Edwards, a business leader of Partners for Possibility and founder of Sari For Change in June 2019, is turning out to be a fully fledged manufacturing hub for more than 20 unemployed women in 2020.
As entrepreneurs in Sari For Change's network rallied together after the beading workshop, they were able to purchase a sewing machine and over locker with the idea of uniform making and to provide manufacturing of fashion products.
Mom of Two, Shadi saw the opportunity to take ownership of a project that could yield returns on their labour and newly learned skills through partnerships. This offered parents a more engaged presence at the school, access to develop skills and an opportunity to earn whilst being in proximity to their kids at the school. Thanks to Sari for Change who offered Shadi, a retainer for volunteering to teach basic skills as she worked in clothing production in her previous employment. The ladies quickly pushed for more hand beading classes and slowly started earning off their labour by making basic bags for Sari For Change to be used as packaging.
To move forward the hub is in need of sewing machines, over lockers to cater for the class of 2020 training programme starting the end of January. This manufacturing hub based at the school proves that with dedication and a shared vision, the ills of our communities can be tackled with meaningful collaborations.
JT Comms with their EC Africa network of entrepreneurs have also joined the call of sharing the Thabang Primary school's story by providing much needed PR.
Shadi and her ladies aim to produce uniforms, tracksuits and sportswear for Thabang Primary and the surrounding schools. In reaching their goal of producing thousands of uniforms whilst utilizing the school spaces, they are leading the way in communities feeding into entrepreneurship and strengthening the relationships between the SGB, the teachers and the students.
As this is a non paying school, the kids are provided with one meal a day. The success of this hub can restore the dignity to a mom who will afford a packed lunch for her child.
"Our aim was to help our parents as this in turn helps our learners. These parents are been given a skill that cannot be taken from them and they will show the community what can be achieved.
We will need extra sewing machines, saris, cotton and a basic training kit for all of the women who will be joining the project." said Bertha Ramantsi school principal of Thabang Primary
Although the intention is to impact unemployment, we want to ensure that volunteers can also give of their time by coming forward and teaching a skill to these parents to further equip them.
“We would be honoured to have others join this journey of impacting this sharing economy through donating fabrics, sewing machines , help fund this training centre or partnering with us in entrepreneur training and business workshops. This is based on the power of collaboration and we welcome all those who want to play a role in our sharing economy.” says Rayana Edwards
For media interviews and enquiries or access to high res pics please contact JT Communication Solutions – media@jtcomms.co.za or (011) 788 7632
Issued for Sari For Change supported by JT Communication Solutions powered by Mindshare and ECAfrica
About Sari for Change
Sari for Change is the brainchild of fashion designer and change agent, Rayana Edwards, who wanted to do more than just give birth to a new fashion line. With 28 years in the fashion industry and drawing on her travels in the Middle East and various African countries, Rayana realised that the secret to any new idea is to have a unique selling point. Rayana identified the Sari as a fabric resource and the opportunity to repurpose the six metres of fabric. Her initial call for saris was made through the Art of Living, a foundation by the Indian spiritualist Sri Sri Shanker. Members were asked to contribute their saris to this development initiative that could uplift others out of poverty in South Africa. From that beginning, Sari for Change has grown into a project that’s a unique fashion business as well as training and mentoring programme.
About Mindshare
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Entrepreneur Connect Africa #ECAfrica, is founded and powered by JT Communication Solutions to use digital disruption as a positive enabler to support entrepreneurship. We are a Movement of entrepreneurs driven by shared business challenges and experience, with a desire to impact change and birth solutions that will positively drive entrepreneurship for African entrepreneurs in a global market.
Launched in 2014 as an online conversation to test how we can build digital ecosystems to connect with African entrepreneurs. This is a progression that is organically growing and shows that the ecosystem is evolving from a highly reactive network and grounding itself as a proactive movement through the strength of the collaborative network where entrepreneurs can :-
About JT Comms
JT COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS is a dynamic, 100% black owned media agency established in 2004, rooted in Africa with a global reach. The agency’s core business offering includes media relations, publicity, communications, reputation management, crisis communication, event and marketing solutions amongst others.
JT Comms continues to constantly evolve, remain organic and successfully scale its operations to a 360-degree digital agency and is a conduit in producing effective and relevant African content that’s definitive and packaged for digital penetration. The agency has launched new innovations such as hosting “Business Master Classes” and launching an online TV station, which hosts diverse projects such as ECAfrica, Bunnies in the Burbs and Amplifying African Excellence. JT Comms significantly differentiates itself from its competitors by being relevant and providing tailored solutions and a resource for media players in sourcing African content.
