"Make sure you take a photo of us when we are busy with the computer so that people who read can see that we also have skills," says Nomazwi Cossie.
"Make sure you take a photo of us when we are busy with the computer so that people who read can see that we also have skills," says Nomazwi Cossie.
The women at the Beedz skills training programme are excited to talk about some of the new things they are learning. "We learn how to communicate with each other, and make jewellery,”says Cossie. “We also do sewing…”
Before she can finish her sentence, another classmate butts in: "Don't forget catering!" she says. "And baking," adds another.
Beedz is run by the River of Life Church, began in 2005 and offers an eight-week training programme for single, unemployed women who have been affected or infected by HIV/AIDS.
The women's positive energy is infectious. Before they joined Beedz, they say that life was dull as most of them were "sitting in the township doing nothing".
With their new skills they are keen to put those days behind them, and want people to know that they are now employable. "I can't wait to start designing invitation cards, guys," says Noluvuyo Nkoso to her classmates. "I want to continue with beadwork," says Zimkita Masinda.
The trainees also learn business skills; how to compile a CV, how to conduct themselves during an interview and how to present themselves to potential employers. "Many women have found employment as a direct result of the programme," says Beedz director, Pastor Debbie Sloane.
She says that one of the key improvements seen in women who have completed the course is that their dignity and self-worth is restored.
Sloane says that approximately R1000 is spent on each trainee.
Even though they receive hundreds of applications every year, they are only able to take in ten people every week because of their limited resources. "The biggest challenge has been in the area of finance but I don't allow that to be a stumbling block, God has always provided a way for us," says Sloane.
