A group of residents from the Langa community in the Western Cape are sewing their way to a brighter future.
The residents were part of a 3-month skills transfer initiative, the Sinakho Women and Youth Development Programme. The group of fifteen received training and mentoring on all aspects of garment manufacturing, sales and distribution from the skilled staff at the leading SA fashion creation business, House of Monatic.
The Industrial Development Corporation( IDC) contributed by providing the graduating students with sewing kits to help start the next phase in their lives.
Nedbank helped fund the initiative.
‘Skills development programmes like this deliver far more than just training,’ Lindiwe Temba, Executive Head of Corporate Social Investment at Nedbank explained, ‘they also encourage the participants to truly believe in themselves and their abilities and give them the confidence to build their lives and sustain their families', she said.
The founder of the Sinakho Leadership Support and Skills Development Centre ,Zella Phahlane, told us why she started the programme.
“Out of a little mini research that I did in terms of why there is a high rate of crime and why people are being trapped in poverty. It’s because people don't have jobs, that leads to a high rate of crime. We decided to come as a group to start an organization to upskill young people in sewing, pottery, leatherwork and food technology”
The organization was established in 2011 and started operating in 2013. Their first batch of graduates were in 2015 and this year they had their second batch.
The intake of the sewing school ranges from 20 -25 pupils. The pupils are charged a fee but if someone who is interested cannot afford it a plan is made.
The organisation's first graduates have started a co-op and have started their own businesses.
They currently have a contract to manufacturer jewelery bags for Cape Union Mart.
Lindile Gcame one of the Sinakho instructors said that sewing has always been in his family. He became involved at Sinakho in 2015.
“This graduation should not be the end. You must continue and be creative and come up with different things. Make your dreams come true,” he said as a parting message to his graduates.
Sewing a positive future
A group of residents from the Langa community in the Western Cape are sewing their way to a brighter future.
The residents were part of a 3-month skills transfer initiative, the Sinakho Women and Youth Development Programme. The group of fifteen received training and mentoring on all aspects of garment manufacturing, sales and distribution from the skilled staff at the leading SA fashion creation business, House of Monatic.
The Industrial Development Corporation( IDC) contributed by providing the graduating students with sewing kits to help start the next phase in their lives.
Nedbank helped fund the initiative.
‘Skills development programmes like this deliver far more than just training,’ Lindiwe Temba, Executive Head of Corporate Social Investment at Nedbank explained, ‘they also encourage the participants to truly believe in themselves and their abilities and give them the confidence to build their lives and sustain their families', she said.
The founder of the Sinakho Leadership Support and Skills Development Centre ,Zella Phahlane, told us why she started the programme.
“Out of a little mini research that I did in terms of why there is a high rate of crime and why people are being trapped in poverty. It’s because people don't have jobs, that leads to a high rate of crime. We decided to come as a group to start an organization to upskill young people in sewing, pottery, leatherwork and food technology”
The organization was established in 2011 and started operating in 2013. Their first batch of graduates were in 2015 and this year they had their second batch.
The intake of the sewing school ranges from 20 -25 pupils. The pupils are charged a fee but if someone who is interested cannot afford it a plan is made.
The organisation's first graduates have started a co-op and have started their own businesses.
They currently have a contract to manufacturer jewelery bags for Cape Union Mart.
Lindile Gcame one of the Sinakho instructors said that sewing has always been in his family. He became involved at Sinakho in 2015.
“This graduation should not be the end. You must continue and be creative and come up with different things. Make your dreams come true,” he said as a parting message to his graduates.
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