Young community caregivers with a dream
HAVING a dream for a better tomorrow is what motivates a group of young women from the rural heart of eMzingazi outside Richards Bay.
Since initiating their club, Women Dreaming Ahead, in February last year, they continue to rise to community challenges.
Most joined the group to escape the negativity, which seems to be sweeping through the community, which is fraught with drug abuse and teenage pregnancy as well as crime owing to unemployment.
Together with community structures such as Mpilonhle and the Soul City Institute, they also target issues related to education and health as well as women and child abuse.
‘Most women don’t work and this group helps them understand that their life is not over and they can still have a purpose in life,’ said life skills coach Fikile Mthethwa.
Passionate community caregivers
Not only do the Women Dream Ahead group empower one another and conduct community awareness campaigns, but they also look after the frail and elderly through their pensioner project.
Through this they take care of a number of pensioners in the area, visiting them regularly and cooking and cleaning their houses.
These bright youngsters also collect food parcels and clothes for disadvantaged families and hope to expand their community caregiving with the aid of a number of projects.
Among these are a bead work project and a drama club.
They wish to get sponsors and grow the bead project to ensure financial stability.
They currently conduct their discussions and projects in a small room at Lungelo Youth Development Centre, but they hope to one day have their own venue which will assist them to sustain their projects.