KNYSNA NEWS - The Hands Up for Reaching Potential (HURP) project is a rural initiative giving hope and a sense of achievement specifically for residents of the Garden Route, with the main aim of alleviating poverty, creating job opportunities and empowering individuals to write their own story.
The initiative was recently launched at the Knysna Yacht Club with role players in attendance.
According to "mother" of the project Linda Wenhold, the project's target groups are people between the ages of 18 and 55, including people with disabilities, single mothers and the youth. "Our pilot project will be mainly focused in the Rheenendal community with the aim of creating a blueprint to roll out in the wider Garden Route over the next three years. This is not only a learnership programme – the overall goal of the project is to create sustainability in the community in order for them to continue with the programme after the pilot phase," Wenhold says.
HURP will be including programmes like workplace readiness; project management; coach, facilitator and assessor training within its curriculum, among other programmes. "The empowerment zone, for example, is where we create the platform for individuals to become self-sustainable and create their own future," Wenhold adds.
The briefing session at the yacht club, says Wenhold, was aimed at inviting local businesses to get into the game with HURP and offer workplace experience to its future learners, giving them the opportunity to put into practice what they will be learning in theory.
The HURP project is a partnership initiative of Positics and Retail School of Excellence, both registered colleges with the SA Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority.
At the launch of HURP were (from left) managing director Retail School of Excellence Charlene Cronje, Super Spar manager Leon Terblanche, Kwik Spar manager Bridgitte Hattingh and managing director Positics Lizette Olivier.
Bringing 13 years of learning and development experience to the Garden Route, Wenhold has been part of the Rheenendal community for over 20 years where she employed women to work in her local business. Being part of their homes and stories created a need to lend a helping hand and that is how HURP was born.
Find out more
To find out more or how to get involved with this community initiative contact Charlene Cronje on 074 283 9502.
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