Public Works Programme (EPWP) Summit
29 June 2007
Honourable guests
In line with the government's aim to halve unemployment and poverty by 2014,
the EPWP aims to bring unemployed people into productive work. We have
identified the need to ensure that while we work tirelessly for economic growth
we also narrow the gap between the growing economy and the large numbers of
unskilled and unemployed people.
It is our hope that some of you will progress to other levels of healthcare
owing to the qualifications you will receive after completing your
training.
We acknowledge that as long as economic growth does not translate into
visible benefits to those of our people who are unemployed, such growth will
not be sustainable.
The EPWP is therefore founded on two premises namely, creation of additional
job opportunities and skills development and training which should ultimately
lead to formally recognised qualifications.
Government has identified the following sectors as vehicles for implementing
the EPWP. These are:
* environmental and cultural sectors
* social sector, which includes the health and social development
departments
* infrastructure sector
* economic sector.
In the social sector our focus is on home and community based care
programmes and Early Childhood Development (ECD). We are convinced that this
initiative will go a long way in bridging the skills gap. It will improve the
chances of those who are on the margins of formal economic activity into
mainstream employment and mainstream economic activity.
Many programmes are being implemented in support of this initiative by
government and these are aimed at changing the lives of our people. We have
taken a conscious decision to tailor these programmes in line with the aim of
creating more job opportunities, deepening the skills base and also stimulating
entrepreneurial activity.
We acknowledge that most of our community based programmes rely on the
tireless efforts and input of volunteers and civil society organisations and is
suitable for the development of the EPWP.
We recognise that a number of programmes present a range of opportunities
for job creation. To this end these two, namely ECD and home community based
care, have been selected as lead pilot programmes for the Social Sector
Expanded Public Works Programme.
Last month we launched the Quality HealthCare for all campaign. The
objective is to find an integrated approach in terms of training and services,
in line with promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting those in need of
care.
Both legs of the Quality HealthCare Campaign are highly labour intensive and
currently under serviced. The launch of the EPWP provide us with an opportunity
to work with you as volunteers and to contribute in developing our skills base
and capacity to deliver quality service in an area of great need.
I have already gone on record to call you an army of volunteers, cadres for
Quality HealthCare. I have no doubt in my mind that you are motivated by the
desire to see the quality of life of our people improving. This I have
witnessed where I have seen the unparalleled dedication and care you show to
those you visit in their homes reminding them to take their medication,
assisting those who are affected and infected with HIV and AIDS.
I would like to emphasise that community based healthcare services are not
being re-launched but we are rather strengthening them because we realise that
health begins with individuals, with family units and with communities.
Therefore we are not merely launching a new programme but are extending a
programme that exists. We are putting an emphasis on a dimension of healthcare
that seeks to address the disease burden that we are facing. The following
programmes are therefore not new:
* early identification of families in need, orphans and vulnerable
children
* addressing the needs of child headed households
* linking families and caregivers with poverty alleviation programmes and
services in the community
* patient care and support related to HIV and AIDS and other chronic
conditions
* patient and family counselling and support
* family support including capacity building, family planning, burials, support
for children and social services advice
* income generating projects.
Community based healthcare services will, however, become the nerve centre
of our healthcare delivery. If we cannot improve the health status of our
people at this level we will continue dealing with long queues at our hospitals
and clinics.
I would also like to raise a few issues with regard to the nature of work
that you are doing and on how you are organised as Community Based
Organisations (CBOs).
I refer to CBOs deliberately because we believe that for you to have
credibility among the communities you work; you have to live in those
communities.
You have to be people of good standing in your communities. That is why when
we fund we do not focus on national Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). We
focus on CBOs because their cadres are known among communities they serve.
I also take this opportunity to announce that we are going to strengthen our
monitoring mechanisms in order to minimise incidents of misappropriation of
funds that are supposed to benefit the poor.
Those who purport to be doing work at community level and submit fictitious
reports will be weeded out and blacklisted from being funded by government.
We will also increase the capacity of CBOs to report financially and also in
terms of service delivery.
Finally, I want to state once more that we value your contributions to the
delivery of quality healthcare to our people. Bear in mind that future
generation will always count you among those who contributed to a healthy
population of Gauteng.
I thank you!
Issued by: Department of Health, Gauteng Provincial Government
29 June 2007
