By Siphiwe Nyathi
Mbombela - People living with disability in Mpumalanga are benefitting from the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Provincial Public Works, Roads and Transport Department spokesman David Nkambule said the province remains optimistic about the continuous increase in the number of job opportunities created under EPWP, which is part of government’s intervention to bolster job opportunities.
“To date the province has reported a total of 49 014 job opportunities under the EPWP programme through infrastructure developments, environmental sector and arts for the 2012/2013 financial year,” said Nkambule.
“The South African Active Disabled People Association (SAADPA) in Thulamahashe near Bushbuckridge is one of the successful projects under the EPWP. The project has created a total of 506 job opportunities for the disabled in the province.”
SAADPA chairman John Nxumalo said their project has proven that people living with disability can contribute positively towards the economy of the country.
“People with disability are often neglected and often abused by some of their family members, hence we established the project in a bid to address the plight of the disabled in our community,” said Nxumalo, a wheelchair user who was disabled in a car accident.
Nxumalo said the project was established in 2003 and has become a beacon of hope for the community.
The members of the project do beadwork, pottery, sewing, weaving, carpentry, woofing, curving as well as farming. Some of the products are exported to markets in the United States of America.
“I am very much optimistic that SAADPA will grow and become independent thus create more jobs for people in the village,” Nxumalo added.
Since its inception, the project has won numerous awards such as the EPWP KAMOSO Awards, the Premier’s Awards as well as the Community Builder of the Year Awards.
One of the project workers, Nora Gumede, said the stipend that she receives monthly has given her hope.
“We are getting a monthly stipend as part of EPWP which has changed my life completely because nobody wanted to employ us. I can now buy food and clothes for my kids and siblings,” Gumede said. - SAnews.gov.za
