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"Bake for profit"
and beat unemployment
Popular TV actress Lillian Dube (centre) and Miss SA Heather
Hamilton with guests at the opening of the Bake for Profit kitchen
at the Cato Manor Technical College.
With about half of all South African adults unemployed
and not enough jobs to go around, many people are turning to self-employment
as a solution. Now there is a training course - "Bake for Profit"
- aimed at providing people with an opportunity to start their own
businesses.
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The Cato Manor Technical College has incorporated this 10-week
course into its programme and residents can now enroll. The ‘Bake
for Profit’ course, which has been developed by Snowflake flour,
combines theoretical training with practical application, with the
emphasis on empowering people to become self-sufficient.
No experience needed
Explains ‘Bake for Profit’ project manager Luiza Rigutto: "The
advantage of our course is that students are self-employed after
completing the first day of the course. We are not looking for people
who have previous training, experience or skills. The course is
developed to provide participants with the skills they require to
run a business successfully and profitably.
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It includes a basic outline of finances and money management, which
help the student to establish profit margins, thus preventing them
from selling at a loss."
On-going support
After graduation there is on-going support for students in the form
of motivational talks, additional training sessions to upgrade their
baking skills as well as talks on how to secure bank loans to expand
their businesses. An added advantage for participants is that they
receive starter kits so that they can start baking immediately.
People who are interested in the course, should contact KZN ‘Bake
for Profit’ co-ordinator, Tholi Mlaba, on 261 8528 or 082 594 0783.
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Challenges
of Home Ownership
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A knock on your door
Residents
of KwaMasixhawulane are being reminded of the old days when a knock
on your door sent shivers down your spine. You couldn’t be too sure
who was at the other end. Was it a policeman coming for you or was
it your neighbour come to beg for sugar. These days a knock might
mean someone from the electricity department has come to inspect
your electricity meter.
It seems the Durban Electricity Department has sub-contracted the
inspection of meters to various contractors, which is fine. But
what raises our eyebrows is the modus operandi of some of these
agents. They do not carry any equipment, nor do they produce any
identification which might serve to ease some of the nervous tension.
When they knock on your door and introduce themselves to you, you
must just believe what they say.
Here is a situation. One of my neighbours has had three different
people claiming that her meter had been tempered with " but
they have different reasons for coming to their conclusion. Fortunately
my neighbour refused to let them disconnect her electricity until
she saw proof of identification, or until the electricity department
sent one of their staff to investigate. But in the process her meter
was taken for proper inspection.
This behaviour elicited some curiosity in me. I phoned the Durban
Electricity Department and was assured that indeed teams are doing
the rounds. But they said that residents should insist on seeing
some identification before they let anyone inspect their meters.
So next time there’s a knock on your door and you open it to find
an agent of the Electricity Department, insist on seeing his/her
identification. Take his/her name down.
If you are not satisfied, visit the Durban Electricity Department
at 1 Jeff Taylor Crescent or phone 300 1114 to make sure the person
at your door is in fact authorised by the Electricity Department
to read the meter.
You see, it’s not like the old days. Things have indeed changed.
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Cato Manor residents have been participating in
a home ownership education project which is being run for new
and prospective home owners.
Evening classes are held at the Umkhumbane Multi-Purpose Centre,
Thursday classes are held at Mayville Primary School, and a variety
of learning groups meet in people’s homes in Cato Crest, Old and
New Dunbar, and Nsimbini.
The "Seliyabuya" housing advisors who conduct these
classes have had to contend with boisterous church services nearby,
and invasion by disgruntled community leaders. They have to deal
with some participants who believe "our people’s time"
means coming and going at any time, and they even helped catch
a thief who pickpocketed R300.
But they have used these challenges to teach people who head households,
both young and old, men as well as women, new problem solving
and decision making life skills and how to deal with change. Their
objective is to help new home owners come to grips with the obligations
of new citizenship and community, and to raise their environmental,
consumer and gender awareness.
The courses cover the following topics:
Module One : The Challenges of Ownership in the City (Land and
Housing)
Module Two : Services, Infrastructure and Local Government
Module Three : Affordability (Includes Budgeting)
Module Four : Maintenance
Module Five : Living in the City (Human Settlements Development)
These classes have been an eye opener for many. One participant
said: "I learned about partnership with local government,
and how it can help improve communication with communities."
Others come because they are battling with a number of problems
which relate to water, or because they lack finance or the know-how
needed to extend their houses. If you have recently acquired a
house, or expect to do so soon, in Cato Crest Greenfields, the
Booth Road area, Nsimbini or Chesterville Incremental, and would
like to participate in the home ownership education classes, contact
the Seliyabuya Housing Advisors at the Wiggins Housing Support
Centre from Mondays to Thursdays between 12 noon and 2 pm.
From July home ownership education classes will be run for people
living in the Chesterville Bond houses, Wiggins Umkhumbane and
the Fast Track.
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Cato
Manor Remembers June 16
Grand opening
for Bellair Shopping Centre
631 traders apply
for space at Bellair market
Seen Around Cato
Manor...
Advertise in IZWI...
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