Pretoria – Government’s Project Mikondzo continues to make strides in the lives of poor South Africans, says Cabinet.
This has been demonstrated at De Doorns in the Western Cape, where aid is being provided to 4021 families whose breadwinners are mostly seasonal farmworkers.
“The assistance include, among other things, the supply of seed and seedlings for family gardens and funding for the establishment of community-based organisations and cooperatives,” Cabinet said in a statement following their fortnightly meeting.
Project Mikondzo is the Department of Social Development’s service delivery improvement programme aimed at responding quicker, more effectively and innovatively to social challenges in the country’s poorest wards.
The department is currently using De Doorns to develop a policy on seasonal workers.
This is because the people of De Doorns are mostly unemployed and find seasonal employment in the area’s farming sector only during September and April, leaving them without income for the remainder of the year.
As part of providing assistance to them, the South African Social Security Agency has also rolled out an extensive social relief of distress programme.
The programme, according to Cabinet will provide food and other necessities such as school uniforms for children from indigent families.
“A grant of R1 083 160 from the National Development Agency supports 11 non-centre based Early Childhood Development (ECD) playgroups, with 975 children now attending ECD centres in the area and 789 of them benefiting from government’s ECD subsidy.” –SAnews.gov.za
