Non-profit organisation upskills unemployed community

A non-profit based in Masiphumelele hopes to upskill the community and build future leaders and facilitators.

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Founder and Hout Bay resident Athene Kannemeyer, runs The Sew Café, a non-profit organisation (NPO) that trains participants in sewing and stitching.

She said her mother's love for fashion design influenced her from a young age.

“My mother was a fashion designer and that’s where my love of fashion began. She was actually the trainer of the original sewing programme I expanded in 2013. I've always felt a responsibility to contribute, even in my small way, to healing what was so deeply broken in our society, particularly the staggering unemployment and poverty, especially in informal settlements.

“Skills development and job creation aren't just economic necessities; they're moral imperatives for our communities,” said Kannemeyer.

The Sewing Café produces garments and accessories for brands, schools, corporates, hotels and so on as well as a skills-training centre.