Youth and Social Development

Enterprise Development

One of our more recent forays has been into the area of youth enterprise development. We have adopted the Street Business School training programme developed in the USA and rolled it out successfully in over five provinces. We elected to implement the eight-module programme over eight weeks, interspersed with coaching and site visits from experienced facilitators. This has an amazing impact on young entrepreneurs, motivating them to do their best and spearheading their businesses and putting themselves into positions of financial independence. We have been able to attract four donors into this space and have trained and coached 860 youth, largely women to develop their own sustainable businesses.

Public Employment Programmes

This is a space where Lima has long been active in partnership with Government as an implementing agent for youth employment projects.

Lima is currently a Strategic Implementing Partner (SIP) for the Social Employment Fund, which is managed by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). We employ participants in work programmes that are for the common good and participants are paid for a certain number of hours each week for the work that they do. This encourages complimentary livelihood and enterprise activity. The SIP’s work in various thematic areas. The thematic areas that Lima has focused on are Community Health, Food Security & Nutrition and Enterprise Development & Training.

Participation in work not only provides much-needed income, it also gives people work experience. This builds capabilities such as accountability, time management, teamwork and task management – often along with hard skills too. These are vital for their chances of getting a job in the wider labour market – but also enhances their chances of becoming self-employed or starting a business.

From community gardens providing fresh produce to support groups offering care to vulnerable households, the programme is fostering resilience and long-term sustainability.

This project provides support to mothers and clinics on the “road to health” growth monitoring programme as well as working with ECDs, schools, food security & agriculture. 

Impact
Over the past year (2024) implementing SEF, we have supported nearly 4000 home gardens, 180 micro-enterprises and trained over 900 participants on organic food gardening & basic health & nutritional care. 

Geographic Areas

Umdoni, Umzumbe, Umlalazi, Umhlathuze, Musina, Blouberg, Lichtenburg, Maruleng, Matatiele