Fifty unemployed women, living in council rental stock in Woodlands, are due to participate in the City of Cape Town’s Women for Change programme.
A total of 130 unemployed women, living in council rental stock in area south, will be taking part in a six-month Women for Change programme, facilitated by the City of Cape Town’s social development and early childhood development department.
The programme encourages women to take ownership of their communities and gives them the tools to do this.
Seventeen women from Woodlands completed a two-day first aid course at Wolfgat Environmental Education Centre in Tafelsig on Wednesday April 17 and Thursday April 18.
The women were randomly chosen from the Sub-council 23’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) database.
They had previously volunteered in their community, were identified and placed at different community organisations, non-government organisations, non-profit organisations, schools, early childhood development (ECD) centres and facilities.
The EPWP aims to identify and help address safety concerns in their environment; log service requests related to the upkeep of their building and surrounding streets, including littering, dumping and the removal of graffiti; provide home-based care services to the elderly and frail; and identifying individuals at risk of social challenges like truancy, substance abuse, domestic violence and linking them with the relevant services.
The programme was first called the Women in Rental Stock project, which empowers women to make a difference in their homes and suburbs.
It received more than R29 million during this financial year and will provide employment opportunities to women in all four City areas.
It was launched in June 2016 by the City’s social development and early childhood development department.
Joan Woodman, councillor for Ward 75, said the residents needed learning opportunities and experiences to empower themselves.
“I am sure this head start will benefit many of our women and even give them the opportunity to be permanently employed, where they are placed,” she said. “I wish them well in all their future endeavours.”
