Support Soweto Projects!
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Be part of this story! Please join me in supporting the life dreams of some inspiring South Africans from Soweto, the townships outside Johannesburg. I have known them for 20 years, when as unemployed young adults they participated in a 1998 skills-development program (photo above). By the time they completed that project, they had moved from feeling “stuck in-between” to feeling as if they were “in transition” in a rapidly transitioning South Africa. Yet while the apartheid era officially ended with the celebrated 1994 democratic elections, South Africa remains a vastly inequitable country, with racialized poverty, high crime, and an unemployment rate that hovers around 30%.
Although these six South Africans have made incremental, positive changes in their lives, they struggle to make ends meet, they worry about providing for their families, and they are disappointed that their lives are not as secure as they had hoped and imagined in 1998. But they all have plans to pursue their dreams, and each has identified a significant "next step" that requires modest funding.
Your donation will help them take that significant step forward in their lives; funds will be used to support their specific, individual plans. They have created the short videos below to introduce themselves to you. When you make your donation, you may specify which person you would like to support, and you will receive updates as they put their plans into action.
David runs a recycling business from home. He collects and transports recyclables on a handmade trolley, which he pushes to the scrap depot. He is seeking funding (US$1800) to buy a shipping container to expand his business to include a "spaza shop" (corner store); he will also buy materials to build a stronger trolley, both for recycling and stocking his shop. He looks forward to being able to better provide for his daughter. Meet David:
Christopher operates a printing business from home, which he inherited from his grandfather. He is seeking funding (US$1500) for two computers and a router, to digitize his business so he can send and receive documents digitally, and customers can use the internet. This modest boost will go a long way to making the business thrive and supporting his family. Meet Christopher:
Lovely has always wanted to earn her BA in psychology and plans to attend Wits University (seeking US$4000 for the 4-year program) to become a child psychologist. She has met all the entrance requirements; she will attend classes one evening a week, while she continues to work as a receptionist to support herself and her daughter. Meet Lovely:
Thabo, a boiler-maker for a transport company and a responsible father of three, has plans to start a business transporting children to and from schools (many children from Soweto attend school far from from home). He has developed a viable business plan, and is seeking funding (US$4000) towards a 12-seat microbus. Meet Thabo:
Ntuthuko, currently a temporary driver for an auto-body shop and a father of three, looks forward to being a self-employed Uber driver. He has past experience as a driver for a tour company, has researched the market and requirements, and is seeking funding (US$7,000) for a reliable used car. Read Ntuthuko's proposal.
Isaiesh began a degree in social work at UNISA, but unemployment caused her to stop out of the program after two years. She is seeking funding ($1700) to pay back her outstanding tuition and help her complete her degree in this in-demand profession. Meet Isaiesh:
Thank you for whatever amount you can contribute to these six people's dreams; I know you'll be as impressed as I am with their persistence and follow-through, and I look forward to sharing their progress with you. Remember to specify in the "comments" box which project(s) you would like your donation to support. And of course, I welcome your questions.
For more information about me or about my research in South Africa, please visit my website . I'd love to have you be part of this story!
Although these six South Africans have made incremental, positive changes in their lives, they struggle to make ends meet, they worry about providing for their families, and they are disappointed that their lives are not as secure as they had hoped and imagined in 1998. But they all have plans to pursue their dreams, and each has identified a significant "next step" that requires modest funding.
Your donation will help them take that significant step forward in their lives; funds will be used to support their specific, individual plans. They have created the short videos below to introduce themselves to you. When you make your donation, you may specify which person you would like to support, and you will receive updates as they put their plans into action.
David runs a recycling business from home. He collects and transports recyclables on a handmade trolley, which he pushes to the scrap depot. He is seeking funding (US$1800) to buy a shipping container to expand his business to include a "spaza shop" (corner store); he will also buy materials to build a stronger trolley, both for recycling and stocking his shop. He looks forward to being able to better provide for his daughter. Meet David:
Christopher operates a printing business from home, which he inherited from his grandfather. He is seeking funding (US$1500) for two computers and a router, to digitize his business so he can send and receive documents digitally, and customers can use the internet. This modest boost will go a long way to making the business thrive and supporting his family. Meet Christopher:
Lovely has always wanted to earn her BA in psychology and plans to attend Wits University (seeking US$4000 for the 4-year program) to become a child psychologist. She has met all the entrance requirements; she will attend classes one evening a week, while she continues to work as a receptionist to support herself and her daughter. Meet Lovely:
Thabo, a boiler-maker for a transport company and a responsible father of three, has plans to start a business transporting children to and from schools (many children from Soweto attend school far from from home). He has developed a viable business plan, and is seeking funding (US$4000) towards a 12-seat microbus. Meet Thabo:
Ntuthuko, currently a temporary driver for an auto-body shop and a father of three, looks forward to being a self-employed Uber driver. He has past experience as a driver for a tour company, has researched the market and requirements, and is seeking funding (US$7,000) for a reliable used car. Read Ntuthuko's proposal.
Isaiesh began a degree in social work at UNISA, but unemployment caused her to stop out of the program after two years. She is seeking funding ($1700) to pay back her outstanding tuition and help her complete her degree in this in-demand profession. Meet Isaiesh:
Thank you for whatever amount you can contribute to these six people's dreams; I know you'll be as impressed as I am with their persistence and follow-through, and I look forward to sharing their progress with you. Remember to specify in the "comments" box which project(s) you would like your donation to support. And of course, I welcome your questions.
For more information about me or about my research in South Africa, please visit my website . I'd love to have you be part of this story!
Organizer
Margaret Perrow
Organizer
Jacksonville, OR