Latest I CARE Update

I Care is making incredible progress in several areas surrounding street children. One in particular is our Skill Development Training. Many older children (16 years and older) seem to get stuck in shelters or on the streets because of a lack of schooling. We often see the older boys with a Grade 3 education. It seems as if these boys are doomed to beg and live on the streets – but I Care has been working on solutions.

I Care is securing skills training programmes for boys in shelters – normally these trainings last a year and then with these skills the boys are employable. In the last few months I Care has seen an incredible success with four boys. Greystone Shipping and I Care set up a program to teach youth ages 18 and older necessary to become fork-lift drivers, crane drivers and bulk lorry drivers. In just four months these four boys were able to find a place to live on their own with the allowance they received from training, but more than that these boys have done such an outstanding job during their training that they have been offered full time jobs, given Christmas bonuses, and Greystone has asked us to find more boys to train!

I Care is making great connections with other skills development trainings in the hospitality industry, the Department of Forestry and the welfare sector. In addition, we are seeking alternative ways to boost the education of many of these older boys so that they can pursue jobs.