Nineteen women from Ward 60 have signed up for an employment programme that was introduced to the constituency last week.
Ward 60 includes parts of Athlone, Lansdowne, Mowbray, Rondebosch East and Sybrand Park.
The Women for Change project was launched at the Range Road Hall in Kenwyn, on Tuesday March 8, by the City’s social and early childhood development department in conjunction with the government’s expanded public works programme.
It will give the 19 unemployed women a job for the next four months, earning R200 day, according to ward councillor Mark Kleinschmidt. They will be working at schools as crossing guards, Covid-19 screeners and assistant trauma counsellors.
The women will get training on a range of issues, including substance abuse, bullying, domestic violence, rape, financial development, disaster-risk management, foetal alcohol syndrome, wellness-and-health promotion, solid-waste management, self-defence and leadership
“I am proud of the Women For Change participants for availing themselves to be trained in the various competencies, and wish them well in this project,“ he said.
The programme was launched in June 2016 by the City’s social development and early childhood development department.
The Women For Change programme also runs in Hanover Park, Manenberg, Athlone, Bonteheuwel, and Heideveld.
Lansdowne resident Fatima Daniels said there should be a Women For Change programmes in all wards to tackle a variety of social ills, and the youth could learn a lot from the programme, especially about teenage pregnancy and moving from primary to high school.
“This is a programme much needed in our area. If everyone works together, we can better our communities. Working together is better than small programmes being run all over.”
The programme would empower women, said mayoral committee member for community services and health Patricia van der Ross.
“Women are thus able to gain skills and be of value to their communities where they often face multiple challenges,” she said.
Lansdowne resident Dawn Abrahams said women had been chosen for the programme because they had strong characters and provided care and love for their communities.
“This programme will definitely help residents and unemployed women to up-skill themselves and help earn a living while providing a service to the community which is much needed,” she said.