POLOKWANE – Approximately 120 entrepreneurs from the Vhembe District joined 180 others from all over the Limpopo province during the Project RAVE (Retrenchees and Victory to Entrepreneurs) certification ceremony held at Nirvana Civic Centre in Polokwane on Wednesday last week.

Project RAVE was launched on June 25, 2003, after the Minister of Labour allocated a budget of R68 million from the National Skills Fund to the Wholesale and Retail Sectoral Education and Training Authority (W&R SETA). Project RAVE contracted approximately 90 service providers to deliver business skills training and follow-up support to 10 000 beneficiaries in South Africa.

The programme aims to develop and support the retrenched and the unemployed through the delivery of needs-based business start-up skills, to enable them to set up their own enterprises in the wholesale and retail sector. Based on the research report, as well as stakeholder inputs, two programmes were developed and implemented. The beneficiaries received 10 days’ classroom training, spread over three weeks, followed by three months of support in the form of field visits and workshops, for the delivery of business development services. Amongst others, entrepreneurs were taught skills like marketing, advertising, market research and stock control. The project is currently in the closure phase and it has successfully given a chance to unemployed people to make a living.

On behalf of the Department of Labour, Mrs Seema Harmse encouraged the entrepreneurs to use the knowledge they gained from Project RAVE lessons to enhance the social development of the country. She said it is the responsibility of all community members to work collectively to fight unemployment, poverty and starvation.

She continued: “We know that all the long hours invested during the implementation of the project have been worthwhile. With the passion for people development and loads of optimism, motivation, determination and commitment, Project RAVE succeeded in training retrenched and unemployed people to develop their own businesses to make a significant contribution to the economic development of the country.”

The Director of the Thohoyandou-based Revival Management Services, Mr Todani Dau, who is one of the service providers of Project RAVE, said it has been an enjoyable experience to work with the entrepreneurs and the unemployed throughout the lessons.

“They were zealous and ensured maximum participation. It has been quite a challenging experience. Armed with the basic business skills they acquired from the project, we believe they are going to change our country into a competitive business field.”

Smiley Maswanganyi, who received her training from Revival Management Services, was filled with joy to receive her certificate from Joel Dikgole, the CEO of W&H SETA. “Project RAVE has opened my eyes and I am going to work hard in order to realize my dream in the business sector,” she said.