Why?
Quite simply the Thandi Friends Project has been set up as a Charitable organisation to raise awareness and funding in the UK and Europe for the Thandi project. “ To relieve poverty, hardship and distress and advance education particularly, but not exclusively, among the Thandi community by the provision of material assistance, vocational & skills training to create more jobs and skills, thus giving the large number of unemployed people in the area the means of a better future in the new South Africa”.
Private enterprise and government funding have supported the project so far. For the final boost that will really set Thandi up for the bright future planned, Thandi Friends aim to raise £ 250,000.00 thus creating 100/150 new jobs and training facilities for up to another 50.
Money raised will be used for the following-
To open a laundry to wash overalls from the local farms along with linen and bed clothes from local guest houses. Thandi has 'white water' making it ideal for a laundry unit because most of the rest of the valley has brown brackish water
To open a workshop to enable us to train the community in the skill of mending and refurbishing bicycles. We will import old bicycles from the UK and Europe [link to photo of bikes and container?] and these can then be refurbished and sold for cheap, sustainable transport. The workshop will also be used to repair and maintain tractors, wagons, cars, pumps etc. and give young people the skilled apprenticeships they so desperately need.
To open a skills centre for computer training . Some of the schools have a small number of computers but the community have none. We would like to acquire computers and peripherals and build a skill centre where people of all ages could have access to further training and use of computers - another basic skill for the 21 st Century
To purchase and refurbish gardening equipment i.e. cultivators, petrol lawn mowers, strimmers, spades, forks and rakes to enable the community to look after the farm shop gardens and to extend the vegetable gardens.
To invest in industrial sewing machines for the craft shop - the craft shop currently uses standard sewing machines. We desperately need industrial sewing machines, cutters, embroiderers, screen printers etc and larger premises to continue to grow this important training and trade centre.
To train restaurant staff in food production, presentation, costing, economics etc. to enable the profitable preparation of highly nutritious and delicious local produce.
To undertake management and accounting training - to enable the community to take over the jobs currently done by outside consultants due to a lack of skill on site. This will not only reduce the reliance on outside professionals but will also increase skills and reduce costs.