Makholweni Youth

We have been searching for ways to help the older youth around our CarePoints. The younger kids are being reached on a daily basis with the food and Bible Clubs, but the older teenagers (teenagers are teenagers) are being lost back into the community. So we are trying a number of different approaches to help them with life skills, business skills, and an avenue to have a continued impact on their life for Christ. So far, we've helped fund a start-up block yard and a sewing project at Makholweni. The older boys are working at a block yard making block which they sell for construction projects around Makholweni. They learn what it takes to run a small business: managing cash flow, material ordering, marketing, personnel skills, etc.
Next up is a sewing project: teenage girls will be taught to sew. Initially, we plan for them to make uniforms for the kids in the pre-schools at each CarePoint. Then we hope to be able to make uniforms for the kids we sponsor at the "public" schools. If all goes well, we hope they can then take orders to make and sell uniforms for other students at the government schools. The girls will learn a skill they can use the rest of their life as well as basic business skills.
Our dream project is to develop a glass blowing project where some of the youth could learn glass blowing. Not all boys want to make block, not all girls want to sew. This would be an excellent opportunity for these kids (remember, we're in our 40's, so "kids" is anybody under 25) to express themselves artistically. This is by far the most expensive project to start up (we are currently searching for sponsors-email us if you would like to see our proposal for this project).