Written by Bheki Khawula.
Photos by Neliswa Nhlabathi.
On Monday, 03 October 2022 and Tuesday, 04 October 2022, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Public Works Southern Region went on a mission to further empower Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) beneficiaries with financial literacy training. On the first day, this event was held at Mzwandile Mhlawuli Community Hall in Mzimkhulu, Harry Gwala District and on the following day it continued at iXopo Public Works Office Training Room located at Ubuhlebezwe Municipality. As Mr Bongani Dlamini (Chief Director EPWP) says: “The EPWP employment is of a fixed-term contract but the skills that which are packaged with it are meant to last the beneficiaries for a lifetime benefit.”
This training aimed to further empower forty black Africans, made-up of among others, youth, males and females from poverty-stricken rural areas of uMzimkhulu. This revolutionary crusade takes place as a response to a call by our MEC Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba to have the poor people of our province unshackled from the chains of poverty and have them channelled to participate in the quest of economic freedom by equipping them with financial skills. “Let us enable our people to manage their finances properly.” Expressed Cindi.
Mr Senzo Myeni is a Consumer Financial Training expert from First National Bank (FNB). As much as he is employed and tasked to the subject matter but he has a personal attachment and testimony on the importance of having great care in the use of money or being thrifty. He grew up without a father and only got to see him on his wedding day. He was single-parented by his mother who worked as a kitchen girl in the suburbs of Johannesburg. For the rest of his young age, he was in the care of his grandmother, in the absence of his parents.
Since he was in a poor background, Mdolomba had no choice but to make financial targets and save the money he earned from selling peanuts, pushing trollies and washing mini-bus taxis among other things. Although he did not earn much but he managed to save R16000.00 in the period of four years. It is this money that he physically carried along after these four years, with which to pay for his tuition and accommodation at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) for his tertiary education. “Saving money demands patience and discipline.” Says Mdolomba.
The mutual beneficial working relation between EPWP and FNB was forged in order to equip EPWP beneficiaries with Financial Management skills among other things. This specific workshop was packaged with the following modules: 1. Understanding my money (Principles of money management); 2. Budgeting, (How to correctly craft and draw a budget plan); 3. Banking products and services, (The different types of accounts one can open with the bank). Due to the importance attached to the program and the high need for this program by the target audience, the facilitator had to specially package it compactly.
The active interaction between the facilitator and the trainees was very fascinating. During this, it transpired that some of the trainees already have their own businesses. It was based on this fact that the facilitator spoke at length about the need prompted by the current challenging financial and economic conditions that people must adopt a habit of having more than one income. “We need to continuously find ways of improving our financial portfolio and not just depend on a single stream of income.” Concluded Mr Myeni.