What Is Our approach?

MES empowers and uplifts individuals and families through proactive and reactive interventions to break the cycle of poverty and live sustainable lives.

MES focuses on five core target groups:

  • Preschoolers
  • Learners
  • School-leaving youth (SLY)
  • Youth and adults at risk (YAR)
  • Families at risk (FAR)

Proactive interventions support pre-schoolers, learners, and school-leaving youth in building a solid foundation to help them grow and flourish in their adult lives.

  • Programmes: Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDs), After School Programme (ASP), Joshua Youth Leadership Programme (Joshua’s)

Reactive interventions target and support youth, adults and families at risk in their current circumstances. MES and its network assist by creating developmental pathways that lead to sustainable exits back into the productive community.

  • Programmes: Youth and Adults at Risk (YAR), Families at Risk (FAR), Enterprise Development

CITY PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

This is the Early Childhood Development client group, which includes children from five months to almost six years old and, by extension, their nuclear families.

Services Offered

Pre-schoolers are specifically reached through crèches, which provide them with learning and day care. Parents are reached as a second target group through parenting programmes.

CITY SCHOOL-AGED LEARNERS

These are children between the ages of 7 to 18 years who are of school-going age.

Services Offered

Learners are reached and mentored through after-school programmes, holiday programmes, camps, outings, gymnastics and the Dance4aPurpose initiative.

SCHOOL-LEAVING YOUTH

In South Africa, youth are defined as those between the ages of 18 and 35 who are either studying or acquiring skills after school. They are the largest unemployed component of South Africa and make up the vast majority of the clients at MES.

Services Offered

Youth are reached through skills training, job preparation and placement through our Training Centre and the Joshua Youth Service Year programme.

YOUTH AND ADULTS AT RISK

These are generally adults older than 36 years in marginalised communities who are typically poorer, disempowered, unemployed and at-risk communities many of which are homeless and have health problems.

Services Offered

Adult marginalised city communities are served through shelters and GROW Job Rehabilitation programmes.

FAMILIES AT RISK

These are generally adults older than 36 years in marginalised communities who are typically poorer, disempowered, unemployed and at-risk communities many of which are homeless and have health problems.

Services Offered

Adult marginalised city communities are served through shelters and GROW Job Rehabilitation programmes.