NEWS 3
Be the change you wish to see
By
Tanya Olckers
Non-profit Umphakathi empowers South African youth through practical learner programmes .
Judith ’ s Paarl is a suburb that is squeezed up between Bezhuidenhout Valley and Troyville . To the west of the suburb , the familiar Jozi skyline juts out , pouring noise and busy-ness into the streets that lead out from it .
Just over four kilometres to the west of Judith ’ s Paarl stands a statue to Mahatma Gandhi , close to where he once had his law offices in what is now called Gandhi Square . “ Be the change you wish to see in the world ,” is a paraphrased quote attributed to Gandhi .
In Judith ’ s Paarl , though , they are putting Gandhi ’ s words into practice through a remarkable empowering initiative called Umphakathi , which seeks to provide learners with hands-on work experience , skills development as well as digital literacy .
Hands-on training is provided .
Umphakathi ’ s skills village is alive with the sound of youth at work . Circular saws screech , the crackle of welders can be heard , and the sound of hammering provides a rhythmic beat . And while this is going on , a gentle murmur comes from the kitchen upstairs while learners busily prepare meals .
These grade 10 and 11 learners from surrounding communities converge on the skills village during school holidays and weekends to take part in skills development programmes . They learn anything from carpentry and hospitality to welding , and of course , plumbing . School leavers who are on the work experience programme will spend a year here .
Upstairs at the skills centre , which is part of the skills village precinct , learners have constructed a bathroom . They have done all the work from the tiling all the way down to installing the sanitaryware and piping . Learners are responsible for the planning , the sourcing of materials and the installation .
They get real-life experience , too . Umphakathi partners with companies that can assist with on-the-job experience and there are eight or nine projects on the go , offsite , that learners are involved in . Any money that they receive from this work is funnelled back into Umphakathi .
Much of the organisation ’ s activities are funded by founder Gerard Ohlson de Fine himself . Learners get to participate and learn for free as well as receive free meals during the day . However , mentors who offer their time and expertise need to be paid and materials need to
Images supplied by Umphakathi
Learners at the skills centre .
The idea behind Umphakathi is to prepare young people for the workplace and to provide them with the experience they need in order to find work once they leave school . These vital skills – and the portfolio of work that the kids are able to build during their time on the programme – increase their chances of employment .
Ohlson de Fine states that the organisation ’ s mission is to break the cycle of no experience means no work , and no work means no experience . With the skills and knowledge the learners gain from Umphakathi , they can confidently display the experience that they have gained . Still , they need funds to continue to do what they are doing , and it ’ s Ohlson de Fine ’ s vision to have several Umphakathi hubs all over South Africa .
be acquired for the various programmes and projects . Continued on Page 6
June 2024 Volume 30 I Number 4 www . plumbingafrica . co . za