By: Nothando Yolanda Tshuma
The Social Employment Fund (SEF), in collaboration with the National Arts Festival (NAF), has launched a significant initiative to foster dignity and empowerment through the creation of job opportunities.
The project, implemented in Makhanda, where the high unemployment rate is rife, aims to make a positive social impact by providing much-needed employment to those in dire need. The initiative seeks not only to create jobs but also to inspire a sense of dignity and purpose among the residents of Makhanda. By focusing on the arts as a medium for social change, the NAF aims to leverage creative industries to drive economic growth and community development. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to integrate social responsibility within the arts, ensuring that cultural activities contribute meaningfully to societal well-being.
To address critical questions concerning Makhanda’s future and the role of social responsibility in the arts, key figures from the Social Employment Network hosted a discussion forum on the weekend.
The event, held at The Barista, saw various stakeholders in attendance, including Yvette Harding of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ) South Africa and National Arts Festival CEO Monica Newton.
According to Newton, SEF is a funding initiative aimed at combating unemployment by strengthening partnerships with social and civic organisations, all with the goal of fostering better societies across South Africa.
“SEF is about work that needs to be done and people that need work,” she said.
Approximately 117,000 individuals have benefited from the SEF project, with 65% being youth and 70% female. The majority of work, around 65%, is carried out in rural and peri-urban areas. SEF is managed by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which has employed 37 Strategic Implementing Partners (SIPs). These SIPs have collaborated with over 1,100 community organisations, networks, and structures to effect real economic change within communities. According to Newton, to be approved for SEF finding, “you need to show up and be prepared to solve the problems where you live. As it is not done for the money but for the passion of changing the social and economic conditions”.
Harding said it was difficult for people in the arts sector to find full-time employment. Therefore, ASSITEJ SA worked specifically with young children of SA, with the goals of empowering education through arts and also creating strategies of how the arts are used in teaching children.
The organisation’s focus is on nurturing these values aimed to foster holistic development among the youth while addressing the challenges of accessing artistic opportunities. By prioritising education and values cultivation, ASSITEJ SA aimed to make a meaningful impact in the lives of SA children. This is also part of the NAF project, which is to prioritise arts amongst the young children of Makhanda, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talents during the festival.
The NAF has undertaken projects including street cleaning, stormwater cleaning, porthole filling, and waste management in efforts to enhance Makhanda, thereby improving both its present and future conditions.
According to Newton, approximately R3-3.4m per month was paid to people who were part of the project.
One of the three NAF projects is currently underway in Extension 7, where the Umthathi Training Project aims to increase the quality of life by further developing the knowledge and skills necessary for healthy living.
The second site is a factory that makes recycled bricks, and the last is The Black Power Station, which is located on the industrial side of Makhanda.
