Life Skills and Income Generating Projects

Initially the National Literacy Programme was just limited to reading, writing and numeracy. However, it was realised that acquisition of these skills alone does not adequately meet the various needs of learners. For this reason, life skills were incorporated to the existing literacy programme. These include the following:

After acquisition of the life skills, learners are encouraged to venture into small-scale businesses/income generating projects. The Department assists them in securing start-up funding for the businesses. It utilises existing funding sources to support the projects. Examples of such sources include the Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) as a local source and the American Self Help Fund as a foreign source. The business projects are run and managed by groups themselves. The Department provides training, monitoring and support through the Projects Unit and the Field Out-reach.

In order for learners to run their small businesses successfully, they are offered business management training. Currently, two training programmes are used and these are:

Tselakgopo - this program is used for learners with low reading ability as well as those who cannot read and write.

Start and Improve Your Business - this program is used for learners who can do basic reading and writing as well as do simple calculations

The field services are provided at the levels of regions, districts and clusters. These offices have a responsibility for marketing, supporting, providing and monitoring of out-of-school education programmes. They are the implemantation of all departmental programmes.

Learners are always encouraged to translate acquired skills into other tangible benefits such as embarking on income-generating projects which are available country-wide.

Basic education programmes which will offer courses for children and adults as transformation of the National Literacy Programme are under preparation

EMP/SKILLS - Skills and Employability Department