In collaboration with local charities and social enterprises, Future Families sources and sells high quality clothing at affordable below-market prices to trained groups of vulnerable women, in South Africa. This Phetoho project trains and activates budding community entrepreneurs to start micro-businesses for social and financial independence in communities where unemployment is high. "Phetoho" means change in the Sesotho language; representing positive economic impact and community uplifting.
There are 4,9 million unemployed people in SA. Many of them are impoverished and unskilled, and live vulnerably in our local township communities where high rates of HIV/AIDS and violence are constant threats. We reach nearly 10,000 orphans and vulnerable children, and their families, with our specialised care model. Our ultimate goal is to develop healthy, financially independent and socially integrated adults who play a significant role in South Africa's families, communities and civil society
Phetoho creates opportunities for vulnerable unemployed women to provide a reliable household income. The women buy clothing at subsidized prices and sell it for profit. By educating and training unemployed and disempowered community members to start micro-businesses we support their social and financial upliftment. Through our established community services, monitoring and evaluation skills, and responsible approach to our own sustainability, we can make a social impact to address this problem.
We will train hundreds of women in skills for micro-business. From that number we are working to a target of activating 70 community entrepreneurs in three of our community locations in 2015. We will increase this target every year. 12 of our trained community entrepreneurs now run active micro-businesses to create sustainable income for their families. Through a social enterprise model the income that we generate from the clothing sales directly supports the social impact of Future Families.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
