The Swiss South African Co-Operation Initiative (SSACI)

This organisation generously sponsored 40 students during 2003-2004 - our “Swiss project”, with a strong focus on mentoring and job-finding. The project was a success, with the targets for graduation and employment being met. An external evaluator compiled a very favourable report on the project, and funding was not only renewed, but doubled, for 2005-2006. This project, too was such as success that a third project is now underway for 2008-2010.

These are just some of the SSACI students who finished their studies and have started working:

Electrical Engineering
Andreotti De Oor, Nokubonga Dumo and Nomaphelo Dlokweni are all working at Eskom
Nombeko Frans, Ntombentsha Trom and Bulelani Matshoba are at Nampak
Nkosikho Gladile is on a learnership at Snowflake Flour
Nokuthula Makiwane is on a learnership at Metrorail
Ferdinand Willis is self-employed as an electrician
Vernon Brink and Stanton Valentine are doing electrician work with contracting companies

Mechanical Engineering
Anele Binase is a motor mechanic at the SAPS workshops
Jonathan Harmse is a fitter and turner at John Thompson Engineering

Financial Management
Yolandie Cilliers is at NSI Accounting Services
Shireen Cloete is at Service First
Fatima Davids is at Clicks Head Office
Zena Johnson is at Mutual & Federal
Ntombikayise Ortman is at Porter’s Auto
Regan Roux is at First National Bank
Craig September is at Linton Applications Software
Chantal Spawn is at False Bay College’s Central Office
Nadine Williams is at the League of Friends of the Blind
Chrystal Chitter is at Standard Bank

St Andrew's Church

This church in Newlands, Cape Town wished to use some of its funds to uplift people displaced from the Newlands area during the apartheid years. Many of these people and their children now live in the Manenberg area on the Cape Flats , where socio-economic conditions are very poor, and gangs, violence, alcoholism and drug addiction are common. The youth in these areas are at risk, and few have the opportunities to study or make something of their lives.

St Andrew's formed a partnership with the Church of the Reconciliation in Manenberg, the Church of the Resurrection in Bonteheuwel, and Access Trust. The aim of this was to work together in providing bursaries to selected young people from the Manenberg community, enabling them to study at an FET college and later find work. St Andrew's also links the students with voluntary mentors from within the parish, who have expertise in the various fields in which the students are studying. They will encourage and advise the students, and where possible, offer them opportunities to work-shadow and get an idea of what to expect once they are qualified.