Durban - In celebration of Women’s Month, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa on Monday awarded three unemployed women, living with disabilities, with cosmetology learnerships at Camford Academy, a hair and beauty training academy in Chatsworth.
The three women said they were grateful for the opportunity and committed to working hard for the duration of the learnership.
Hlabisa said that the party wanted to celebrate Women's Month, not only with words, but with action. He added that they had chosen Camford Academy because it was led by a woman.
“We felt as the IFP leadership, let’s take another step and focus on women who are differently abled in terms of their physical abilities. We chose three women to be part of this celebration, to whom we made available financial assistance in the form of learnerships as well as equipment.”
Hlabisa added that the IFP leadership was optimistic that the training the women would receive as part of the learnership would lead to employment opportunities for them.
“The reason we are doing this is that the three women will be able to go out and open their own businesses, which will be self-supporting businesses. We felt we needed to invest in women because they are the backbone of our society, families and communities.
“We also understand that unemployment is high in our country, and this is one way to reduce unemployment as this will take the three women from home and put them in a position where they can generate income for themselves.”
Hlabisa said it was tragic that as we celebrated Women's Month, cases of gender-based violence were on the rise.
“We know the plight that the women in our country are facing. They must know they are not alone, the IFP will continue to stand against inhuman actions that are being perpetrated by males against the women in South Africa,” he said.
One of the recipients of the learnerships, Noxolo Gumede, from Umgababa on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, said she was excited about the opportunity.
“I am just so grateful. I am living with a disability, and this is just an incredible opportunity for me to learn about hair, beauty and make-up. This is something that I always wanted to do and dreamed of for a long time. I'm so grateful to the IFP leadership and Camford Academy and all role players for this opportunity.”
Another recipient, Pretty Shezi from uMlazi, said she was delighted.
“I'm very happy about the learnership that I received today. I always loved make-up, and this has been my passion from the time that I was a little girl. I hope that once I have completed this training I will be in a position to open my own business, as this has been my dream.”
The third recipient, Nosipho Mfeka, said this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I can’t believe that I have received this leadership. From my side I want to say that I will take this opportunity with both hands, and will do my very best in the training.”
Deva Naidoo, the academic head at Camford Academy, said she was grateful to the IFP for coming on board and being part of the initiative.
“We were also grateful that IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa was present at today's proceedings. We commit to giving these three ladies the skills to empower and inspire them,” she said.
Naidoo added that as a woman in the industry she knew what it was like to start from scratch.
“I was blessed with the opportunity to study cosmetology at the age of 38. I studied hard, and even though I had a few hurdles I persevered and I opened my own training college so I could help so many other women like me.”
THE MERCURY