See our latest updates on the new Thembalitsha Foundation blog!

Thank you for being a loyal supporter and friend of Themba Training and Thembalitsha Foundation! We have recently streamlined all of our blogs into a single website for all of the projects so you can keep up with all things Thembalitsha in one place: thembalitsha.blogspot.com. If you are interested in following our new combined stream, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your up-to-date e-mail address in the "Follow By E-mail" field. And if you still want to view project-specific content, you can choose a project from the drop-down menu at the top! All of our old posts from this blog have also migrated there as well in a full archives.

We hope that this new platform will be incredibly easy for you to use and also show you the full scope of the exciting happenings here at Thembalitsha! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at any time - we love hearing from our supporters.

We look forward to sharing more of this journey with you!

xx
Team Themba

New Class, New Project Manager, New Year

Our graduating Class of 2014

Frances with two of our TT sewing instructors

Themba Training began 2015 with a joyful Graduation of the 2014 MBA Students on 4 February. Congratulations to our students on their amazing progress - we can't wait to see what you do with your newly acquired skills! Along with our 2014 graduates, the teachers and students took some time to say goodbye to Frances Fuchs, who has been the project manager at Themba Training. Frances' investment in the project is undeniable and we know she will be sorely missed. But we are happy to still have her in the Thembalitsha family as she moves to be the manager of Mama Themba! We also want to welcome on board Portia Motjuwadi who has been active in Themba Training for several years and is stepping up as Project Manager.

The new, all-female Class of 2015 kicked off on the 9 Feb with 20 new students. Welcome, ladies! We're overjoyed to have you joining us for the microbusiness training this year. And this class will hopefully be able to take advantage of our newly spruced up Computer Room, awaiting Internet connection from Telkom. This addition of technology will allow our students to learn the in's and out's of computers and typing and help them to be fully equipped for business in the 21st Century!

Course 3 of 2014 kicks off!

Exciting things are happening at Themba Training.

Our courses are now geared towards Women's Empowerment and our 12 week course covers 4 levels, namely business entrepreneurship, sewing training, computer training, as well as a life skills component. We are happy to be offering safety training as a part of our course to our students.

On 15 September, 18 women started the third and final course for 2014. We wish them all the best and lots of success during their course!

Graduation and upgrades

On the 31^st of July we celebrated the culmination of the second Women’s Empowerment sewing training course. 12 women and 1 man graduated and we are very proud of our students. It was also a gigantic honour to host our board members for a part of our celebrations.

Here Ncedeka, an ex-student encourages the graduates with her success story.

We were hugely blessed by 20 visitors from the US as a part of the #10Days mission tour to South Africa. These volunteers arrived by bus to spend two days working very hard at upgrading our TT facility. Our computer lab is ready and awaiting the computers that will be moved from Bellville to Mfesane during August.

Our premises are spotlessly clean, everything neatly sorted to start our trade business with our students. Thank you #10Days!

Celebrations on graduation day!

On 26 May the first intake of students for our sewing training graduated to huge fanfare! It was a celebratory, happy occasion for our women's empowerment project in Crossroads.

Funiswa (trainer) on left and Frances (right) with a student

Patson (trainer) on the left with Patiswa and Francois Patiswa is a success story, she attended the business training as well as the sewing training and is already earning an income through TT business initiative. Hard work and dedication pays off!

Sewing project sparks great interest.

The current training course which started the first week of Feb and ran over 10 weeks has now ended with a tremendous success rate. Of the 15 women who started the course, 13 completed the full course. Of those 13 women 9 are attending the small business training as well, which would give them the necessary skills and business knowledge to start their own ventures. Upon doing a random test of the sewing ladies, I found their skill to be excellent. I was impressed by how the students could design something, cut, pin and sew it according to my specifications. All commendation should go to Funiswa, our excellent seamstress and teacher.

We have started beading as well. We intend starting a small business, creating opportunities for the women who attend our classes with outstanding results. Our ultimate aim is to produce keepsakes and gifts for corporates to give their clients. The first of our customers is Bosom Buddies, who hosts a fundraiser in May, for which we are producing the keyrings with the Thembalitsha logo as shown on the picture. This has given us the opportunity to retain another woman, Phatiswa, who will be responsible for the beading aspects of our project, as well as assist Funiswa.

There is so much favour on this project, so much positivity and pleasure in meeting wonderful women who want to learn and be financially independent. There is also many business opportunities on the horizon, which can possibly make this project entirely sustainable, which of course in NGO speak, is like gold dust.

Themba Training Women's Empowerment

Women bear almost all responsibility for meeting basic needs of the family, yet are systematically denied the resources, information and freedom of action they need to fulfil this responsibility.

In our experience, we have found that women are denied access not by political discrimination or isolation, but by circumstance. We get to these circumstances by a combination of a wide array of factors: social, cultural, religious and many more. We believe that although the average South African woman might be aware of her rights, she is simply not empowered enough to speak out.

Women's empowerment is a passion and priority for us at Thembalitsha. We believe that empowering the woman to be financially, physically and emotionally independent is fundamental to her (and by extension the family’s) well-being. It is with this in mind that Themba Training has launched the new sub-project, focusing on the woman, skills training and business training as well as emotional and civil support.

Our sewing training course spans 10 weeks and is combined with the small business training. The first course is coming to an end and has been tremendously successful with full attendance throughout the course. Places for the second course starting in April has already been filled with a waiting list for course 3 already opened.

Workshops on gender equality are being designed and since the emotional welfare of the woman is as important as the physical, we believe that our holistic approach will benefit many women of Crossroads/Khayelitsha.

When women are supported and empowered, all of society benefits.

TT Women's Empowerment business class filled to capacity

Partnering with Bosom Buddies

In a previous blog we mentioned moving into new premises (still at the Mfesane complex) and hoping to work more closely with Bosom Buddies. This has now happened! We are enjoying the new facility and the good news is that we have teamed up with Bosom Buddies and moved all the sewing equipment to Mfesane. In December we appointed Funiswa Siqongana  (a former TT student) to head up the sewing project. Funi has a “dual” role in that she will be producing items for BB, and at the same time training women in sewing. We’re hoping to expand this, and not only equip women to sew, but do it in conjunction with the Micro Business training and equip them to run effective businesses. There has been much interest in the sewing project and I was not surprised to arrive in Crossroads early in February to find a room full of women!

A further dream is to secure contracts with businesses/organisations who will enlist our sewing project to produce items needed by these businesses or for the marketplace. This will enable this project to be self-sustainable and offering a measure of employment

At the end of 2013 we had to say goodbye to our major sponsor – FSAA (Finnish South African Association). For 7 years FSAA supported us financially and in other ways, and obviously it was sad to see this partnership come to an end. We remain grateful for the support and friendship we had with the Finns.

This blog is about Patson Musabayane.

Patson is one of a kind. Not many like him. He is a true entrepreneur and leads the micro business training courses we present at Mfesane in Crossroads, Cape Town.

Patson was born in Zimbabwe, approx. half a century ago (very old!). He became a victim of the crisis that took place in Zimbabwe post 2000 and moved to South Africa in 2007. The Zimbabwean crisis split his family apart, and on top of it he then had to endure the evils of the xenophobic attacks in 2008. This is when he met Adrian Lange and was introduced to Themba Training. Adrian spotted Patson’s gifting and since then he has been the “anchor” trainer in our programme with hundreds of students passing through his classes.

I have had the pleasure of sitting in on some of these classes. They are full of humour. Much interaction. Dramatic. Full of life, lots of action. At times I am confused as to why he addresses certain subjects, but then I notice the response from the audience. He pushes the right buttons. Jokingly he refers to himself as an amaKwirikwiri (the appellation used in the townships to talk about foreigners). He has learnt the local language (Xhosa) but at times uses wrong words, pronunciations. The class finds this funny. We all laugh as they correct him.

“So what about the Somalians?”

“They must go!”

“Oh so you want to chase them away? What about the Nigerians, the Zimbabweans, Congolese, Pakistanis? Will you chase them also? Musa ukwenza. No, don’t chase them away. Observe them, learn from them, and acquire their business and entrepreneurial skills”.

Patson misses Zimbabwe. I see the longing in his eyes when we talk about fishing. Immediately he is transported to the Eastern Highlands. To the Nyanga mountains. Maybe that is why he enjoys taking the students (every weekend) to sell on the Boland farms in the Ceres district.

For 5 years Patson has lived on the premises at Mfesane in Crossorads where we present our classes. Mfesane has been a haven. It is secure. The students come and go. It is very convenient. We have been informed that he has to vacate end of December. Not easy when you are an amaKwirikwiri. We have built this project around Patson, built it around him staying at Mfesane. So it is a challenge. A challenge we will have to overcome.

Patson – a valued Thembalitsha Foundation colleague.

Francois Heunis

Project Manager

On the 14^th of October 28 of our students graduated. This was surely one of the most exciting and colourful graduations in the history of Themba Training. I believe 4 things contributed to the success of this event;

1.         Patson and his students

The interaction between Patson and this group of students, plus between the students themselves has been very encouraging. This group also represented an older age group than most of our previous classes. A number of the students were born in the 1940s and should be preparing for retirement. This is the furthest thing from their minds as they simply cannot afford this luxury. The prospect of finding employment at this age is almost nil, therefore establishing micro businesses is the only way to put bread on the table.

2.         New premises

We held the graduation in the large training room which forms part of the new facility we will be moving into at Mfesane on the 1^st of November. It is a great improvement on anything we’ve ever had in the townships. We will be partnering with Bosom Buddies and use the facility also for other training, with a sewing project (linked to business training) our first new venture.

3.         Visitors from Finland

        23 Students from the University of Aalto in Helsinki (Finland) also joined us on the 14^th. They were visiting South Africa to study projects involved in assisting micro-business owners (entrepreneurs) with special interest in micro-financing. Their presence at the graduation added that “something extra”. To bring even more colour to our event 8 young people from America popped in as part of a general tour visiting the various Thembalitsha projects.

4.          It was difficult to drive around in Crossroads/Philippi with 23 blond Finns visiting various businesses so in the end Patson organised for a number of our students to bring their businesses to Mfesane. We were blessed with a beautiful day and passers-by were surprised to see shops erected overnight outside the training facility. This provided the students from Aalto the opportunity to interact with and interview our students.

2013 has been a year of contrasts for Themba Training. We have enjoyed good news stories, yet at the same time have faced challenges, and had a few sad news stories. Sadly, at the end of August we said goodbye to two of our trainers. 

Malibongwe Nduku joined the Thembalitsha staff more than 5 years ago and has become much loved and respected in the Foundation. For most of this time Mali was involved in our micro business training courses. In 2012 we established the PC training center in Bellville (near main bus/taxi rank) which came under his leadership. We are very proud of what we managed to establish but have not been successful in creating sufficient interest. In the many years Themba Training has been involved in the townships we have literally had hundreds of requests for computer training. However we were not confident establishing such a facility in the areas we operate due to security concerns, therefore the move to Bellville. We offered our courses at very little cost but discovered people were not prepared to travel to attend them. This surprised us as it never surfaced as a potential issue when we did our canvassing. We have had to go back to the drawing board, but due to lack of funds Themba Training is no longer in a position to employ Malibongwe.

Lionel Padayachee joined Themba Training (also as a micro business trainer) in 2009. In 2012 we mandated Lionel to establish a Security Training Academy. We are very proud of the way in which he enrolled for and passed the many courses to obtain full SETA accreditation as a facilitator and monitor. However, the Foundation has not been able to produce a certificate required for us to register as an accredited SASSETA training facility. This has been a tremendously frustrating experience for us. Our objective was that this project would be self-sustaining but as we can no longer provide the necessary financial support we have had to call it a day.

Both these men have become my good friends. I have huge respect for them and pray that wonderful doors will open for both of them. Having to let them go has been a big blow to us.

Our small business training in Crossroads continues. Currently we are running two very successful classes and will share some good news stories next month. We have also obtained new training facilities in Crossroads and are in advanced discussions with some of the other Thembalitsha Projects to present training courses and other services at this venue. So amongst the sad news, there is also good news and much hope.   

Francois Heunis

June News

A large percentage of the people signing up for our micro business training courses list Grade 11 as their highest education achieved. Approximately 30% claim to have passed Matric (Grade 12). However this is not a reliable statistic as we do not request copies of certificates, and simply ask students to complete a form. We have discovered many write down “matric”, meaning they got to matric but never passed it. They are the product of a system which pushes people through the grades, only to come crashing down when attempting to pass the national Grade 12 exam.

It is indeed sad to notice the lack of basic writing skills and mathematical ability with those who supposedly passed Grade 11. It is also interesting to note the obvious difference in basic educational ability between those from countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi. The majority of the “foreigners” who attend the courses end up as our top students. The lack of the most basic education remains one of our greatest challenges. Often it feels that what we are doing is helping adults who simply will never “catch up” – the damage was done when they were in their early formative years.

At Thembalitsha we are fully convinced that one of the best ways to serve and bless South Africa, is to do something about early childhood development (ECD). Report after report published has identified this as one of the root causes of many of the challenges we face in this nation. The findings paint a very sad picture.  The majority of learners in poor schools start falling behind required literacy and numeracy levels in their first year, and by the time they end the “foundation phase” in grade 3, many have effectively dropped out and will predictably fail to master the curriculum in later years.   This is the main reason why around 50% of children drop out of school before they reach matric.
There are many variables at work, including children’s home circumstances. But a primary reason for education failure in the foundation phase is this: A large proportion of South African teachers can’t teach, and many won’t make the effort required to do so. Most are also agreed that the problem is not just what happens in Foundation Phase teaching or thereafter - BUT IN FACT WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE children arrive at formal school. The formative years – 1-6 are of critical importance. If children are not taught certain things and in certain ways – they will NEVER recover. Traditionally this is where the home played a key role – but many children now spend these years in crèches or playschools.

A number of the women who attend our micro business courses run crèches. Looking after children whilst their parents are at work (or looking for work) can generate reasonable income for many. However most of these brave women have no teaching skills. At Themba Training (together with some of the other Thembalitsha projects) we would like to do something about this and train staff at crèches to different skill levels. So watch this space. By helping the teachers, we will help our children, and therefore bring hope to our nation.

April News

We all know, when output exceeds input, life is tough.

When your personal needs (for survival), and the needs of your dependents, exceed your income, life is tough.

This is the reality of life for most who attend our micro business training course. Life is tough.

We help our students set up micro businesses, or assist them to make an existing business more effective. We celebrate with them when good profits are generated, but for many the profit is consumed by the demands to simply survive. Many do not re-invest into their businesses, and many simply do not save anything at all. This remains a key challenge and an issue which we have discussed and analyzed numerous times.

I am therefore excited about the 4 MBA students from the University of Stellenbosch who have chosen our project for study, analysis and comment. I am especially interested to see their reactions when they come into contact with “township economics”. I am interested to discover whether their advanced studies will help them help us, as we work hard to find solutions for some of the unique challenges micro-entrepreneurs are faced with in Cape Town township life. Watch this space!

We have completed training the first two groups for 2013, and are now busy with the long process of mentoring. The attached photo shows Patson mentoring students at a fellow student’s business. This young man built a wonderful structure next to a very busy road and opened a “restaurant” & take-away business. However he is facing challenges and Patson used this opportunity to present a workshop, asking for input from the others to suggest ways to improve this business. The suggestions were varied and interesting! The session ended with the business owner serving lunch to all at a reduced price! This included barbequed chicken feet – a popular delicacy for many South Africans.

February News

A number of years ago a friend of mine, who pastors a church in a community where alcohol abuse is rife, made the following comment; “January is panel-beating month for us”. He then explained that so many people in the community fall apart during the Christmas/New Year holiday time, spending too much, drinking too much etc. that January is then spent putting people together again (hence “panel-beating”). At Themba Training January is also a bit of a “panel-beating” time for us. Many of our students, who own micro-businesses, spend too much money in December. Numbers participate in the traditional annual “trek” to the Eastern Cape where families expect them to entertain and buy gifts. They then return to Cape Town with no money, and spend the next month trying to sell to people who are in exactly the same situation as they are.

During January the decline in numbers of regular traders and their little shops is obvious when driving around the townships where we operate. The only ones occupying their usual spots are the fruit & veg traders. The requests for money can be overwhelming and January remains a challenging month for the Micro MBA training side of our project. We have received a new intake of students at our facility at Mfesane, Old Crossroads and once again Patson will entertain many with his unique style of teaching!

At our Bellville premises Malibongwe has continued with the PC classes. We are starting the year with 2 classes doing the Introduction to PC course. We have been supported by Global BPO and Jana Loock ,in particular, has been an absolute blessing. She has put together a very professional, high-class training manual and we are so grateful for her support.

We have now (hopefully) submitted the final forms for Themba Training to be a fully accredited SASETTA training provider. Lionel is itching to start his Security Training classes. Please pray with us that this last hurdle will be crossed in record time!

Finally – Malibongwe became a dad! Liam (little boy, weighed 3.6kg) was born 23 January. Hopefully he will be as good looking as his mom!

December News

After the crash :-(

November 2012 has been a very eventful month for Themba Training, with the main item of news a car accident.

Most Fridays Patson accompanies our students to sell their wares on the farms in the greater Boland district. Not only is this a lucrative exercise for our students, but also gives Patson the opportunity to mentor them in the art of selling. On Friday evening ,16 November, Patson and four of the students were returning on the N2 from Grabouw when another vehicle slammed into the bakkie at high speed. Three of the students had to be rushed to hospital, two were discharged within days and another spent 15 days in hospital with a badly damaged leg. The attached photo shows the damage to Patson’s bakkie. It is a miracle that no one was more seriously injured and we remain grateful for God’s protective hand in this.

The bakkie was loaded with bags of clothes and pillows/cushions which are sold on the farms. I believe these items absorbed much of the impact and provided great protection. Unfortunately the bakkie was not insured and the person who caused the accident has “disappeared”.  This is a big set-back for us as the bakkie has been used on a daily basis in all we do in the Micro Business Training part of our project. We are seeking legal advice but are not very confident it will lead to a satisfactory outcome. Please pray for doors to open and for us to secure another vehicle asap.

Regarding our Computer Training courses – Malibongwe has pulled out all the stops to advertise the courses and we are looking forward to starting “with a bang” in the new year.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for your interest and support!

October News

Patson - It's a bit chilly!

At the end of last month Patson and I had the pleasure of visiting Finland. We were invited by FSAA (Finnish South Africa Association) who are our main sponsors. Only two of us were invited and unfortunately Lionel and Malibongwe could not fit into our suitcases! The main purpose of the trip was to speak at a conference and also to meet those who for a number of years have faithfully supported Themba Training. We wined and dined with ambassadors, church leaders and a number of very interesting people. Patson found Helsinki “too much cold” but I really enjoyed the city.

FSAA did exceptionally well in extending amazing hospitality and our days were action-packed with visits to government departments, leaders in the educational sectors, church leaders and others. We also enjoyed an evening with “important people” including the South African ambassador to Finland. I found it especially interesting as I was introduced to a few men who were very involved during the 60-80’s in the struggle against apartheid. Some of them became personal friends of exiled ANC leaders and a few even fought in Angola against SWAPO. I was introduced to a part of South African history which those of us who lived through those years knew very little about.

Sadly our partnership with FSAA will come to an end towards the end of 2013. FSAA always regarded this as a short-term project, then extended it for 3 years (2010-12) and have agreed to support us for another year. We remain very grateful for the friendship we have enjoyed with “the Finns”. It is humbling to visit a nation and meet people who care and have demonstrated this care for a nation “very far” from their own.

On our return we had a few days to prepare for another graduation, and on the 09th of October a further 40 people received certificates and celebrated successful participation in our Micro Business training course. The majority of these trainees are now being mentored and many have seen definite improvements in their micro businesses.

June News

On Thursday afternoon, 14 June, we had much fun at our graduation ceremony in Crossroads. Thirty Three students who form part of the Consol Glass sponsored Empowering Breadwinners Project completed our Micro MBA course and received their official graduation certificates. The group consisted of old, young, some just starting and others with established businesses.

At these graduation ceremonies the best clothes come out of the cupboards, some dressed in evening gowns, beautiful hairstyles, cameras clicking, much singing, and much celebration. Patson, with Amanda Nortje and David Rajh’s help, handed out certificates to students proudly wearing gowns. We have also introduced a new award and handed 6 certificates of excellence to students for “exceptional performance and dedication”. We then served a meal to crown what is a great achievement for these aspiring entrepreneurs.

Approximately 70 students have already received training during the first half of 2012. We remain grateful for every bit of information, help and hope we can pass onto the many people who desire to operate as successful entrepreneurs in the informal business sector of South Africa.
 
We have seen progress at our new facility in Bellville and hope to start the first of our computer classes in July. Malibongwe is heading up this part of Themba Training and we are looking forward to the day when our first students have graduated from the Basic Introduction PC course – right through to the advanced Microsoft Office Specialist course.

March News

Big news at Themba Training is that we will be moving into new premises on the 1st of May. A company in Bellville (GlobalBPO) has decided to partner with us and have made these premises available. They are also greatly assisting us with the rental payments. The house has been re-zoned with business rights, has excellent facilities and security. The great plus is that it is within short walking distance from the Bellville rail/bus stations and taxi rank. Many people in Cape Town regard this area as the hub of the city.

Currently 2 of our trainers are hard at work writing exams and qualifying to present the new courses we plan to start in June. At the new facility we will offer:

Three PC Courses
1. A basic computer skills course
2. A more advanced course (by Skillwise) with official accreditation
3. The MOS (Microsoft Specialist Course). This course comes with Microsoft’s International backing and accreditation. Obtaining this certificate greatly enhances an individual’s chances of securing employment.

Security Courses
We plan to offer the PSIRA level E and D courses – and eventually include levels C to A. We all know the security challenges faced in South Africa and the need for good security. We are convinced our courses will help many to find employment.

We are continuing with our Small Business Training and plan to offer this course at multiple venues.
We would appreciate any help we could get in obtaining computers. Not only for our students but also so we can start a PC library. Many people do not have regular access to PCs and our dream is to loan PCs to students during their time of training. This will obviously give them the opportunity to practice!

February News

Graduation Time

The first half of 2012 is a very important, challenging and exciting time for Themba Training. Firstly, we have had to find new premises in Crossroads, and at the moment renovating and upgrading one of the buildings at the Mfesane Complex in Old Crossroads. We are excited about it as we will have 3 rooms in which to offer our training.

We will continue with the Micro MBA course training entrepreneurs/small business owners in the Gugulethu, Crossroads, Nyanga, Phillipi suburbs. We have also been invited to offer the course in Langa. In 2011 we decided to widen the training we offer and are currently preparing much for the launch of the new computer and security training courses we plan to start within the next few months.
We will offer 3 computer courses – ranging from a very basic PC Introduction course, to a more advanced course which has official Seta accreditation. The course is based on simulations meaning that learners are performing the procedures whilst learning. The course was developed by Dr Robin Stead from the University of Cape Town. Whilst individuals could purchase the software and successfully complete the course without tutoring – we believe our target market will most definitely require assistance.  The “queen” of our courses however will be the MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist Course). The following is a direct quote from the MOS website:

“Earning a Microsoft Office Specialist certification can help you differentiate yourself in today's competitive job market, broaden your employment opportunities by displaying your advanced skills, and result in higher earning potential”.  

At the moment Malibongwe Nduku (one of our current Micro MBA trainers) will present all three these courses. Mali holds a B.Com in Information Systems and is well qualified to lead this part of Themba Training.

We are excited about the introduction of these PC courses and are fully convinced it will grow from strength to strength. Many organisations offer these courses – but do it for profit. We exist to serve the poor communities and will offer course at very affordable rates. We would value any PC donations. Not only do we require these for our training, but would like to place PC’s in many homes which would obviously enable our students to practice!

We are also in the process of establishing a security guard training academy – but more about that next time!

July News

1 April this year I, Francois Heunis, joined the Themba Training staff as project manager. I have enjoyed getting to know the four musketeers (staff) – John, Patson, Lionel and Mali. We really are a rainbow nation team! Sadly John will be leaving the team in August.
During the first 6 months of 2011 we have continued to train small business entrepreneurs – using the Micro MBA course. At the end of May we had much fun at the Mfesane venue in Old Crossroads as we celebrated with those who successfully graduated. Patson and Mali have already started training the second intake of students for the year.
In August Lionel will train a group of about 16 men (between ages 18-25) from the Salesian Institute in Green Point Cape Town. The Institute exists to train young men who were either in prison, have no homes or live on the streets. They offer training such as carpentry, metal work etc. – many of these men won’t find jobs unless they start their own little businesses. So it is perfect for the kind of training we offer. They have two intakes of 30+ every six months – and our hope is therefore to do this training on an ongoing basis twice a year.

We have many plans for 2012 on the table. Apart from equipping people to successfully run their own micro businesses, we now want to expand our training to include preparing individuals to be more ‘marketable’ when seeking to jobs. Our plan is to start basic PC literacy Junior Bookkeeping courses. We have already identified the individual who will offer this training. Malibongwe Nduku  graduated from UWC with a BCom Information Systems and will be heading up both courses.
Many organisations offer training in Basic PC skills or in Bookkeeping, but it is simply not affordable for many of the poor. Our ongoing aim is to make our training affordable and therefore offer it for free or at minimal costs/fees. Those who partner with us make this possible.
One day I walked into one of Patson’s training sessions unannounced. The question of “Somalian shopkeepers” was raised. For the next 30 minutes Patson presented his class with a brilliant lecture on tolerance and learning from others, not hating or driving them away. On my way home I thought, maybe they did not learn about stock taking today. But at Themba Training they did hear that God expects us to value and honour fellow humans.