Empowering rural South African youth with the John Lewis Partnership Foundation

News

Author: urbanriver

Published: 11 November 2024

In December 2023, with support from the John Lewis Partnership Foundation’s Employability Fund, WasteAid started a project designed to create sustainable livelihoods for youth in rural South Africa working in the informal waste recycling sector.

For rural South African communities high youth unemployment and unmanaged waste are significant challenges. Mpumalanga, a rural eastern South African province embracing the southern half of Kruger National Park, encounters the same problems with waste and unemployment as many communities. With 45% of young people out of work, many turn to informal waste collecting from unsafe dump sites, a job that is poorly paid and socially stigmatised.

Increasing skills to boost income

Working with the John Lewis Partnership Foundation’s Employability Fund, we’ve expanded our ‘First Step Recovery’ programme to two new communities in Mpumalanga providing training, mentorship, resources, and an enabling environment to transform waste into a valuable resource for income generation.

The programme has enhanced the skills of 100 reclaimers and artisans through training and mentorship. We have provided resources that enable reclaimers to professionalise their business and boost their incomes. Finally, we have created an enabling environment by working with local councils to encourage education around waste and recycling.

Groups trained through the programme have seen significant increases in their income and collections, with over 7 tons of recyclable material diverted from illegal dumping or burning.

Working Together

 

Creating sustainable growth

By focusing on training in waste management and business management, we are empowering people to boost their own income. Zanele, leader of a newly registered business reflects, “I’ve increased my income from R2000 to almost R10,000 per month. Now we’re officially registered we can apply for funding from the municipality. My wish is to open a buyback centre to grow my business and create more jobs.”

Zanele’s business group have achieved a 460% increase to their income and have secured business agreements with a local guest house and taverns. Another group saw a 395% income boost and formally registered as a cooperative.

A total of 80 waste collectors have completed the Wastepreneur training, covering waste management, business and financial literacy, cooperative and self-development themes. Trainees were often tackling these subjects for the first time, as Thokozile shared, “I learned how to manage my money. Before, I spent without planning. Now, I am starting to make small changes and save.”

Training

Additionally, 20 youth artisans who participated in an upcycling course learnt to create marketable products from paper, plastic, and other waste materials. Nonkululeko was particularly moved by the realisation that waste materials, often seen as useless, could be turned into beautiful products. This has inspired her and others to continue experimenting with waste materials and improve their craft beyond training.

 

Upcycling

Promoting safe working conditions

WasteAid is supporting waste collectors by providing essential resources that will improve working conditions and boost collection capacity. Resources including:

· 80 sets of protective gear,

· 10 trolleys,

· 160 bulk bags and

· 8 compactors.

 

Cleaning Up

Collaborating with local and provincial government bodies such as DARDLEA and the Thembisile Hani District Municipality, WasteAid organized community engagements attended by over 330 community members, ward councillors and the executive mayor, to promote recycling, source separation and reduce open dumping and burning. WasteAid has established two aggregation bays and six recycling drop-off points across the communities, making it easier for waste collectors to store and sort materials. As Aminah Aphane from the municipality stated, “We know the future lies in young people; we want them to get into recycling, selling, and making money out of it.”

One participant remarked, “For the past year, I was embarrassed to talk to my family about my work, but I now feel proud to explain what I do. I am an entrepreneur.”

Training

As the program concludes, WasteAid’s partnership with the John Lewis Partnership Foundation continues to provide youth in Mpumalanga with essential skills and conditions to grow, positioning them to scale their businesses and create positive change in their communities.