Johannesburg - Instead of relying on government grants, about 1 000 young women will receive training in various skills development programmes giving them the opportunity to earn a decent living.
MEC for Health and Social Development Qedani Mahlangu said on Tuesday that together with the Gauteng City Region Academy, his department had trained young women as auxiliary social workers, shop fitters, aircon technicians and lift technicians.
"We also plan to establish 15 cooperatives in previously disadvantaged areas to do cleaning, gardening and washing of linen for our facilities," Mahlangu said.
As part of the War on Poverty, Mahlangu said 10 000 of the poorest households will be identified this year and provided with access to a basket of services such as food parcels and school uniforms or school going children.
The programme, which started in Heidelberg last year, aims to target the most economically depressed areas of Rathabiseng, Refiloe, Zithobeni, Hammanskraal and Diepsloot.
"We will also establish food banks to address the basic needs of the poorest households, and have already launched one food bank in Krugersdorp on the West Rand and we are finalising more establishments in each of the four regions including Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg, Tshwane and Sedibeng," Mahlangu said.
