Short description

A programme that provides sustainable and meaningful jobs for people with disabilities in Pretoria.

Need

Disability cuts across all sectors of society. It can be a barrier to development and a cause of poverty. Disabled people have been largely marginalised from mainstream development and are typically among the very poor in developing countries. With little support they have fewer opportunities to escape poverty. A disabled person with no education has a 60% likelihood of being in the lowest income category, versus 44% for non-disabled people. Due to a lack of awareness and information, stigmatisation remains a problem for many disabled people, especially the mentally disabled.

Overview

Employment Solutions has run employment creation projects for persons with disabilities since 1991, rendering services to major companies and government including Heunis Steel, Bosal Africa, Powertech Transformers and Gauteng Department of Health. On average the organisation provides employment to 130 people with disabilities at any given time.

The people included in the protective workshop benefit personally by learning various new skills, socialising and gaining the confidence to be effectively integrated into society. They also received additional income to supplement their disability grants, putting them in better financial positions.

At the workshop, Employment Solutions’ staff completes tasks according to their skill and capacity. In addition to client contracts, Employment Solutions runs two shops which market and sell high-quality crafts handmade by 30 people with severe and/or multiple disabilities. While the shops are not yet covering their running costs, the market response has been very positive in the first 18 months of operation.

Employment Solutions is involved in the continued development of welfare organisations with disability in the Northern Gauteng region. This is achieved by the Jacaranda Forum Project which is a monthly meeting at which training and skills development is focussed on the development of upcoming grass roots organisations. The self-help groups participating in this forum are helped with the production of crafts, which are also sold by Employment Solutions at their shops.

What we like about this organisation

  • Employment Solutions’ business goal is to be self-sustaining and not dependant on unreliable grant funding. By acting as a supplier to a range of companies, Employment Solutions is not only providing sustainable employment to people with disabilities, but also proving that people with disabilities can be effective contributors to the labour market.

What difference can your money make?

  • R10 000 will pay for print material for the disability awareness campaign
  • R250 000 will be used to purchase a heavy duty bakkie used in the recycling project
  • R750 000 will sponsor 30 people with disabilities to receive skills training and working experience

Volunteering opportunities

  • Experts in business processes and operations management, productivity, LEAN principles
  • Life skills training in the areas of financial self-management and HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention
  • Website development for online sales