Deputy Minister walks the journey with Forest Town School for disabled children
The Deputy Minister for Social Development, Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, will visit the Forest Town School for disabled children in Rosebank tomorrow, 05th May 2015 in support of the launch and handing over of PPC’s iPad learning programme for the learners.
In 2006, the school opened the Work Experience Program, which provides accredited training in Hospitality, IT Technology, and Beauty Therapy. With very limited resources, learners were also being taught bakery skills, albeit with one stove and oven and a microwave. PPC, the sponsor, felt that in order to empower this group, better facilities were needed, which culminated in the building and equipping of a Commercial Bakery. This was the catalyst to much more and is a showcase of what it means to mainstream disability in the workplace.
In brief:
- The bakery opened in 2011, with 38 learners being trained in bread and biscuit bakery. There are 350 learners and 85 staff at the school who purchase products from the bakery.
- At the same time, the school opened the post-school learnership program because youth with complex disabilities are not ready to be employed when they leave school at the age of 18 years. This program allows them to specialize in their chosen skill and to become work ready by the age of 22 years.
- Seniors in the Bakery become HOD’s, and train the new intake of students between 16 and 18 years of age.
- Shortly after it opened, the Bakery opened its doors to the public, the local community and it provides bakery goods every Friday to the staff of Johannesburg Zoological Gardens.
- By interacting with the public, the Bakery learners learn to overcome their fears of rejection, instead their increased self-esteem and levels of confidence enables them to integrate and to communicate as equal members of society.
- In 2013, PPC expanded the bakery to include six individual confectionary training stations, which also includes chef training. This has proved to be as successful as the bakery, with a Masterchef day held for the public and backed by Woolworths, Dulce Café’s and Wiesenhof Coffees have sent their own Chef’s to undertake training, and food preparation for the Coffee Shop also takes place on these stations.
The Deputy Minister will give a keynote address at the launch and the handover of assistive educational technologies for severely disabled learners at Forest Town School.
The media is invited to join us at the launch and handover, which will take place as follows:
Date: 5th May 2015
Time: 0H30
Venue: Forest Town School, Rosebank (not far from Johannesburg Zoo)
As the Department, we are committed to the agenda of social transformation that is embodied in the principle of social justice and the Bill of Rights contained in our Constitution. We endeavour to create a better life for the poor, vulnerable and excluded people in our society.
For media RSVPs and enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Emilie Olifant
Cell: 083 985 9091
E-mail: emilieo@dsd.gov.za
