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Four New Enactus Ford C3 Projects Aim to Improve Lives in South Africa

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PRETORIA, South Africa, 12 July 2017 – Job creation, economic empowerment, recycling and environmental sustainability are the key focus areas for four new student-driven community projects selected by global NPO Enactus and the Ford College Community Challenge (Ford C3).

“The purpose of Ford C3 is to challenge colleges and universities to partner with their local communities to design innovative, student-led projects that address critical community needs,” says Bheki Mdzikwa, program manager for Enactus South Africa.

The overarching theme of Ford C3 is “Building Sustainable Communities” by empowering students to make a difference in the world, bringing their unique perspective on what it takes to be a sustainable community. This is the basis on which the four new projects in South Africa were selected by Enactus and Ford Motor Company to each receive funding of USD 5 000.

“We selected these four projects due to the potentially far-reaching impact they could make in the respective communities,” Mdzikwa adds. “They go beyond just job creation and skills development to include crucial environmental considerations that are an intrinsic part of creating a sustainable future.”

At the Durban University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal, the Enactus team hopes to break the shackles of poverty through creating empowerment opportunities for women in Tongaat. Having identified a niche opportunity within the hospitality industry, the students will be working with the Melokuhle Women’s Cooperative to recycle and upcycle old linen into a variety of consumer products.

This addresses the practice of disposing of old linen in landfills once they are replaced by hotels. The fabric is given a second lease on life by being turned into inexpensive school shirts for local children, laminated to produce waterproof fabrics utilized in the production of tote bags and mats, and some of the material will be hand painted and used in the production of unique chandeliers and lamps.

The project will impart an extensive set of skills to the members of the women’s cooperative, including improved sewing skills, expanded production of quality products, entrepreneurship and increased business and financial literacy. This will ultimately create the platform for greater income generation and improved quality of life.

For the Mangosuthu University of Technology, the team has focused on expanding an existing project in Umlazi, near Durban, that produces cheaper and environmentally friendly fly ash bricks. This fulfills the need for safe, affordable, durable and sustainable construction that maximizes the use of renewable and recycled resources.

Empowerment and participation in urban and ecological construction methods and design are linked directly to job creation and skills transfer, thus truly building a sustainable community to improve the quality of life and standards of living.

The University of Pretoria is starting its Fruitful Living project by partnering with an existing NGO, Vastfontein Community Transformation. According to the student team, Fruitful Living meets two unmet and urgent needs within the Tshwane region by firstly addressing the need for employment opportunities for women in the Vastfontein community.

Secondly, it addresses the need for an avenue through which the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market can divert its food waste, which is estimated at R100-million per annum – even though a large portion of this fresh produce is still safe for human consumption when the market needs to discard it. Fruitful Living will use this product to manufacture dried or preserved food for sale, using solar hydrators developed by the university’s Engineering Faculty.

The project also partnered with students from the Department of Food Sciences to adequately test the efficiency of the second dehydrator and to research methods of food preparation and hygiene practices. A training manual has been successfully developed which comprises a replicable business plan and model, safety and hygiene practices for food production, the solar dehydrator design and maintenance instructions together with a financial literacy model. This will be available to beneficiaries that wish to replicate the business.

The Enactus team at the University of Witwatersrand has partnered with the Sugar Honey Project, a community-based business located in Roodepoort that produces a wide range of hair and skin products from honey, beeswax and other natural ingredients.

The project is set to empower unemployed rural women and youth by providing them with agricultural skills, environmentally friendly agricultural practices, offers business training and creating job opportunities for them. The project doesn’t only harness the honey, but will also brand, market, package, store, and deliver the product to customers as part of its income-generating mechanisms.

About Enactus

Enactus is a global non-profit organization that brings together students, academic professionals and business leaders who are committed to using entrepreneurial action to improve lives. It mobilizes over 1,700 university programs and more than 70 500 students in 36 countries across the globe. Similar Enactus Ford College Community Challenge (C3) projects are underway in Ghana, Kenya, and Morocco, along with Brazil, Germany, and the UK.

An annual series of regional and national competitions provides a forum for teams to showcase the impact of their outreach efforts, and to be evaluated by executives serving as judges. National champion teams advance to the prestigious Enactus World Cup to experience excellence in competition, collaboration and celebration. The 2017 Enactus World Cup will be held in London from 26 to 28 September.

All four teams selected in South Africa in 2017 will submit a Final Impact Report in October 2018 to detail the success of their projects.

To learn more about Enactus, visit www.enactus.org.

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