01 Mar Bridging the gap from school to future employment

Working with like-minded NPO’s, the private sector and local government, ROOtZ will provide a safe place with a variety of educational services and activities in the informal Philippi Village.

Services catered for include:

• Aftercare (Grade 1-6)
• General and post-secondary tutoring
• Skills development and access to economic opportunities
• A career and resource centre, and a
• Tuckshop.

Project leader Elzmari Strydom says that the key to success is involving the community.
“A meaningful upliftment programme needs the benefactor to get involved and use the vast business skills and resources at their disposal to make sure that the project is sustainable. This however does not mean riding roughshod over the community – it needs an integrated and synergetic approach involving the sponsor and community. There is often a wide gap between corporate understanding and the reality of depressed communities. One has to understand community dynamics and realities, recognising that their desire to uplift their community is even greater than a benefactor’s sincere desire to help. Given the opportunity, the community will do everything in its power to make it work”.

Elzmari makes sure that community leaders are not only involved but lead the decision-making process. For example, the community decides which children will benefit most from the aftercare facility, or who in the community can be relied upon to contribute towards the success of the project, be that initial construction work or running the tuckshop.

The strapline for ROOtZ is aptly ‘Growing together’.