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MES Joburg sign up 83 unemployed youngsters as part of the Presidency's Social Employment Fund MES Johannesburg is pleased to partner with the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership (JICP) and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) on the Johannesburg Inner City Social Employment Programme (JICSEP) Social Employment Fund (SEF) roll-out. "We are honoured as this shows that MES Johannesburg is recognised as an agent of change, adding value to common national interest and notion of nation building. This is, once again, an opportunity to mould, empower, and serve our unemployed youth," said MES Johannesburg Branch Manager, Rev. Nicodemus Setshedi. Through the JICSEP, MES has signed up more than 80 members of the youth. Among them are graduates and unemployed youngsters from disadvantaged communities, stationed across the different Focus Groups in the organisation. SEF forms part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) which has been established to enable the Office of the Presidency, through the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (DTIC), as a conduit to providing grants to support social economic activities in communities, while reducing the scourge of youth unemployment in South Africa. As appointed by the Office of the Presidency, the IDC acts for and on behalf of the highest office as an agent. They identify strategic partners to assist in managing the funds allocated to the selected activities and the administration of SEF. IDC has identified JICSEP as one such strategic partner, who identified MES and other partners to contribute towards achieving the SEF objectives. Rev. Setshedi said it would be ideal and interesting to have the programme run for more than 12 months with an increased stipend.

MES Gqeberha beats Day Zero with help from Gift of the Givers The countdown for Nelson Mandela Bay taps to run dry has ended for the MES Gqeberha branch in the Eastern Cape province. This follows a swift intervention by Gift of the Givers, responding to our call for sponsorship into the whole project - from drilling a water borehole - to installation of a running water system, connecting more than four (4) of the 5 000 litres of water tanks, donated in our building. "Our vulnerable and homeless clients will now breathe a sigh of relief after days of hardship in the province. We are grateful to have Gift of the Givers come on board and rescue the situation," said MES Gqeberha Branch Manager, Ronny Naude. In addition, private donors and the Robert Niven Trust also significantly contributed to the water tanks and infrastructure development. Situated at 1 Hiles Street in Korsten, MES Gqeberha accommodates more than 100 homeless clients in our Safe Spaces and shelter. The centre offers a restoration programme, counselling through our social workers, as well as a community soup outreach to those still living on the street. MES Gqeberha sells second-hand clothing at our Thrift shop, which can only benefit from your pre-loved clothing, to help us build an exciting shopping experience for our customers.

Western Cape Premier Winde visits MES Centre of Hope The Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, recently toured the newly launched Parow Centre of Hope at MES Cape Town - a full-service facility for the homeless. Premier Winde called on Capetonians to get involved in this colossal project of ending homelessness in the inner South African cities.

The Mould Empower Serve Social Work Services (SWSs) says they will do their utmost best as their responsibility to protect children from any acts of violence, exploitation, and abuse which may render them becoming homeless. The organisation made the remarks on Thursday, the 2nd of June, during the commemoration of Child Protection Week held at Laerskool Primary in Claremont, south of Johannesburg. Under the national theme “Let us Protect Children during COVID-19 and Beyond” led by Department of Social Development (DSD), Child Protection Week is marked annually between 29 May till 05 June, to raise awareness of the rights of children as articulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Children's Act No. 38 of 2005. As for MES Johannesburg’s Social Worker, Bongani Nxumalo, has encouraged an audience of more than two hundred Grade 6 and 7 Laerskool Primary learners to say no to the use of drugs, as well as, engaging in sexual activities at a young age. Nxumalo stressed the need for collective enforcement in rooting out so-called “blessers”, the adults who are involved in sexual activities with children in exchange for money or material items. “It is the duty of the learners to enjoy their childhood, and not allow obstacles such as drugs, and abuse to determine their future. Blessers are messing up with the future which is in the hands of children,” said Nxumalo. With the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour held recently and hosted by South African government in Durban between 15 and 20 May, Nxumalo condemned with strongest possible terms practices of child labour that are still prevalent in Africa involving 160 million children. Meanwhile, Captain Thomas De Bruyn, of Sophiatown Police Station in Johannesburg invigorated the pupils to report to their teachers any acts of bullying and selling of drugs which may be taking place in the school. While encouraging the learners to take their schoolwork as seriously as their future, the captain maintained that children should be regarded as angels and not criminals. “Do not think you’re too young not to get arrested. We have a juvenile prison designed specifically for young people like you, who may fail to be disciplined and involve themselves in illegal activities,” beamed Captain De Bruyn. The Child Protection Day commemoration featured Mosala Kelefetswe, a 34-year-old retired drug addict who gave testimony to learners about his past miserable life of drugs and criminal activities. Kelefetswe confessed to the audience that while he became homeless because of indulgence in drugs, he and his friends would steal and rob people in the inner city of Johannesburg. Interestingly, through the help of MES in 2013, Kelefetswe was rehabilitated through South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), where he’s now a changed heart. Kelefetswe is now a Social Auxiliary Work student at the Joburg Child Welfare and is expected to graduate in July 2022. “Firstly, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and saviour. There are different activities one can ...