Enterprising New Business In Thembalesizwe

Two young men from Aberdeen have seen a gap in the market and started a cleaning business.
Lunga Klaasen and Alfred Gouws are operating a car wash service on a spacious property on the main road into Thembalesizwe. They had been unable to find jobs, and were determined not to have to resort to crime. Many local companies have helped them with donations of cleaning materials to start them off, and business is doing well. The men are also willing to clean cars at customers’ homes or work, and can complete a full professional valet service in about an hour.

Sensibly, they have started off in a small way, but their dream is to expand and be able to offer a full house – cleaning service, including carpets and upholstery. Any donations to help this would be much appreciated. Job creation for others is also a goal - to keep the children off the streets - and already they have one school pupil who helps out at weekends.
Sizamo Okuhle Cleaning Service can be contacted on 082 626 3129 or 078 545 7840. Let’s hope that the community of Aberdeen will support these young men and help them to realise their dreams.

Article By: Sue Shaw

Enterprising Embroidery Project in Aberdeen

Four unemployed youngsters recently approached the Department of Social Development with the dream of starting an embroidery business in Aberdeen. The Department officials were impressed by the youngsters’ commitment and vision, and have invested almost R20 000 in giving them a helping hand.
Justice Dikana and Bongisizwe Jantjies were born in Aberdeen, and attended Aberdeen Secondary School. Neither boy completed matric, with Justice leaving school at the end of grade ten, and Bongisizwe at the end of grade eleven. Both admit to not working to their full potential at school, as they found little to interest them in the formal school curriculum. One of Bongani’s grade eleven teachers remembers him as “intelligent and capable – but never in class”!
Justice spent two years working at casual jobs in Beaufort West and here in Aberdeen, but with no formal skills or training he was frustrated at the lack of opportunities. Bongani left school in 2009, and by his own admission, had no motivation to try to find work, so spent the first half of this year unemployed and hanging around the town.
Phindiwe Mgabile and Lungiswa May both passed matric, in 2008 and 2009 respectively, but again with no work experience, were unable to find jobs.

A few months ago these four friends came up with the idea of starting an embroidery business, as this service was not available locally at that time. The Department of Social Services liked the idea, and have provided them with a brand new R14 000.00 machine, and also arranged tuition for the youngsters.
Mr Chris Terblanche, of Stitchcraft Singer in Port Elizabeth, spent five days in Thembalesizwe training the group, and he was full of praise for their enthusiasm, and the speed at which they picked up the necessary skills. He has also very kindly agreed to help them establish their business by providing free ongoing support in the way of computer backup and accessing supplies.
The Department also lent the group an old computer, but they really need an updated model to be able to work more efficiently. A basic “starter kit” of material and threads was provided for them, but this will not last for long.
So far they have completed a few small projects, including monogrammed serviettes for a local guest house, t-shirt embroidery, a jacket for a member of SAPS, and a soccer badge. They are able to embroider names and basic designs on clothing and other items, and with Terblanche’s help, are able to digitize a picture that a customer provides, so that it can be stitched. They are also willing to work with customers to design individual personalized logos.
The group have named their fledgling business Siyakhula, which means “we are growing”. It is hoped that they will grow and indeed flourish, and it is very encouraging to see such determination from these young people.
Examples of their work can be seen at the Aberdeen Heritage Archive and Tourism Bureau.Siyakhula can be contacted on 078 083 1525 or 082 481 2800.

Article By: Sue Shaw

Asikhule Upholsterers Opens its Doors

Loyiso Skosana (40), Derek Lamont (40) and Goodwill Spayer (31) have recently been the beneficiaries of another project initiated by the Department of Social Development in Aberdeen.
These three men from Aberdeen, like many others, have worked in different areas on various contract jobs over the years. On returning to their home town, they were unable to find employment. They were identified as potential skilled workers, and, backed by funding from Social Development, have received a month’s training from Camdean Corporation of Alice in upholstery.
They have been taught the basics of furniture design, as well as repair techniques. At their workshop/showroom in Thembalesizwe, they have some examples of their design work, which are both attractive to look at and well made. Customers are able to order lounge suites in a variety of designs, with a choice of fabric. At this stage the men are able to complete an order for a three piece suite in a week, provided that they have the fabric in stock. They can also repair car seats, and cover chairs in protective plastic.
So far they have completed many repair jobs, and have their first custom-made order – a fine achievement in their first month. As they become more well-known, they would like to increase the size of their business and be able to employ others, passing on the skills and opportunities that they have received. The men would also love to learn more skills, and be able to offer other items of handmade furniture.
Their work can be seen at the old Clinic in Thembalesizwe, next to the Community Hall. For more information please contact Loyiso 074 655 4255 or Minaiza 073 744 7687.

Article By: Sue Shaw

Craft Market And Book Sale

All book lovers, bargain hunters and market fans should diarise Saturday 4th December, when Aberdeen Books & Crafts will be hosting their final Village Market for the year.
The market will take place on the shady stoep of the Bookshop and under the shade of the syringa trees, with, as always, something for everyone. Many handcrafted gifts will be available, as well as several food stalls.
The Bookshop itself will be slashing prices on all secondhand books, some by as much as 50%! The scrapbookers will not be neglected, as several items in the craft shop will also be discounted. For those who would like to find out more about scrapbooking, there will be a display featuring some of the pages created by the Happy Scrappers during the year.
There are still a few stalls available, and prospective stallholders are asked to contact Sue at the Bookshop on 083 794 2262 as soon as possible.

The Luxolite's Mission For 2011

The Luxolites comprise the past pupil's association of the Luxolo Intermediate School in Aberdeen. Their Project Mission for 2011 is to raise more funds so that we can implement an after-school homework class. It was deemed extremely important to realise this goal as we believe that if a patter of attending homework classes while at primary school is established, there is a good chance that the learners will continue to attend when they reach high school level. Through these classes, it can also be established which learners need specialised assistance or who are experiencing learning difficulties. Some of the children who attend might not know how to read, even at the ages of 10 and 11. The school is unable to provide these children with the support and additional assistance that they need. This can only be achieved with skilled community members/volunteers who can work with the children. We are also painfully aware that many children with learning disabilities often come from conflict-ridden family backgrounds which inhibit them from achieving at school. These learners are at high risk of experiencing social dysfunctionality and of becoming potential offenders. It is thus vitally important that we provide the support these children need at the soonest possible convenience.
During the course of 2011 homework clubs will be established and carefully monitored to assess their achievement in terms of improving the children's ability to cope at school. The area co-ordinator acts as a liaison between parents and the school since it has become clear that many of the parents are illiterate or had bad school experiences themselves and were thus unable or unwilling to engage with the school about their childrens' achievements and problems. The children will be provided with basic stationery at the homework clubs (we are in a process to find a sponsor to supply with the basic stationery). Records will be kept of attendance at homework classes and of the children's school results in order to be able to correlate and monitor changes in attendance with performance at school.

Click here to read more about The Luxololite Project and what you can do to help...