The Presidential Employment Stimulus initiative is a public investment in a mass employment strategy to build a new economy in South Africa. It forms part of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, government’s economic recovery agenda to address the devastating impact of COVID-19. The pandemic has exacerbated South Africa’s pre-existing crisis of poverty and employment.

 

The project is targeting youth that has been made vulnerable by chronic unemployment. Due to their lack of access to economic opportunities, they are disproportionately vulnerable to other social ills such as HIV/AIDS, Teenage Pregnancy (TP) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

 

Social Employment Fund (SEF)

 

The concept of ‘social employment’ magnifies the traditional definition of public works programmes that are run directly by the state, to recognise the role that non-state actors already play in creating work that serve the common good and provides public benefit.

 

The Social Employment Fund (SEF) is aimed at creating long lasting value in communities through providing meaningful job opportunities which address some of the community’s problems. A key part of the SEF is creating work for common good.

 

Common Good Youth SRHR (CGY) Project

 

‘Work for the common good’ is a key component of the Social Employment Fund - it refers to work that contributes to public goods and services, rather than private ones. It includes work that supports the Sustainable Development Goals and improves the quality of life in communities, with a focus on disadvantaged communities and groups.

 

Work for common good includes work in the spaces of food security and nutrition, youth support and recreation, community safety, health and care and action against gender-based violence amongst others

 

PSH’s Common Good Youth SRHR (CGY) Project has the following key objectives:

 

• Employ 2 000 young people - Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) - and train them on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and 200 on Mentorship and Leadership.

• Decrease HIV incidence, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence (GBV) in the targeted sites.

• Increase youth economic and employment opportunities through skills and capacity building.

 

The CGY Project is invested in four provinces currently employing 2 000 Youth NEETs aged between 18 and 35 from the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and Western Cape.

 

The aim is to equip young people with SRHR information focussing on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights topics, specifically on GBV, Teen Pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.

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The project ensures that these young people receive on-the-job training in communication, facilitation, project management, mentoring, social media marketing, presentation, and job search skills. These skills combined will lead to work readiness.

 

The service package will include face-to-face discussions through door-to-door visitations and street interactions; youth and intergenerational group discussions; community outreaches such as school gatherings, church gatherings, clinics and community meetings.

 

This project’s expected outcomes are to optimise work experience for participants, support livelihood, and contribute to pathways out of poverty. In achieving this aim, the participants are equipped with various skills to assist them in this direction.