September 2018.

Noupoort Wind Farm has partnered with NGO, Think Twice, to help local youth obtain their drivers licence and open doors to more employment opportunities. The programme is having the added effect of creating a culture of mentorship and encouragement, within this Northern Cape small town.

A local Noupoort driving school programme is being funded to provide unemployed youth, who have completed their schooling, with driving lessons and administrative assistance to acquire code 10 driver’s licenses.  The programme, which recently launched, will assist 30 young adults in the Noupoort area, with the aim to provide a critical life skill, which will ultimately increase the chances of employment.

“This social development programme aims to assist our local youth to upskill and make them more employable,” explained Livhuwani Nwachukwu, Economic Development Manager for Noupoort Wind Farm.
A culture of mentorship and encouragement has also sprung up among the local youth, with some of them inspiring their fellow community members to take up this opportunity.  One such example is local resident, Lwando Mfazwe, who obtained his Code 10 driver’s license through the programme and is now using his skills to help others by giving driving lessons.

“Learning to drive has been an opportunity I never thought I would have. It’s made me feel so positive about myself and my future, so much so that I can’t help but encourage those around me.  Whenever I see someone else learning to drive, I always tell them to never give up,” said local resident, Chantell Booi, who recently received her Learner’s License through the programme.

“The power of peer mentorship and encouragement goes beyond what any corporate or NGO could do, and goes a long way in helping to shift our country’s devastating inequality,” concluded Nwachukwu.