uMlalazi - Fifty youth volunteers have signed up to help the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements and Public Works build houses for the elderly.
The 76 units, which will be built under the Youth Build Progress projects, will offer the youths the opportunity to give back to their community and do something positive to improve the standard of living for the elderly.
"This project will not only provide the 42 square meter houses for the poor people of Tintown informal settlements in uMlalazi area, but it will also give the youth skills that they can use in the future to start their own construction companies," said departmental MEC, Maggie Govender.
"We as the department we are trying to make sure that there is a youth development in the province with this project."
Bongani Ngema from the NYS said they had managed to mobilise 50 youth volunteers who were eager to help during the construction process and make a different in the lives of the elderly people in the province.
The construction of the houses is expected to start on the 12 June.
This project is s result of a partnership between the national and provincial departments of human settlements, uMlalazi local municipality, National Youth Service (NYS), the National and provincial youth commission and National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).
Each of these stakeholders will sponsor R30 000 to host a house and send eight volunteers to participate each day over the construction period.
Women and Youth Mobilisation Manager in the national Department of Human Settlements, Seitisho Rammutla, said the project coincided with Youth Month.
"Most of all we want to see recognition of youth as vibrant members of the community who can contribute positively towards community upliftment," said Ms Rammutla.
Some of the objectives of this project are to harness and use the energy, talents of youth to expedite the pace of housing the deliver, to build partnerships with stakeholders to participate in the housing programme and instil the culture of service.
