One of the most pressing issues facing the Manenberg community is unemployment. Learning the basics of information technology opens up a broader range of potential jobs. To that end, SHAWCO's Manenberg Centre offers a two-week computer training to local adults in hope of making them more marketable. With the guidance of SHAWCO's program leader, Vince, VISAGE students are working directly with program participants in a one-on-one (sometimes one-on-two) fashion to help get them up to speed on general computer use, word processing, email, and web browsing.
We've grappled with the question of to what degree IT training helps to ease the burden of unemployment in Manenberg. There are very few jobs available, and program participants may not be lucky enough to secure them, even with computer skills. An important point raised in our group, however, is that despite the fact that the program may not lead directly to employment for these community members, they are becoming empowered to participate more fully in a computerized world. This empowerment may be an important tool in making Manenberg a better place moving forward.
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