Imagine
those who were serious about
bettering their lives were given
the opportunity to do so
Imagine
those who were serious about bettering their lives were given the opportunity to do so
Taste+See exists to mentor men and women who want to work towards a better future. In the world’s most unequal nation, the divide between rich and poor is vast. Taste+See gives those of us with the advantage of resources, the ability to partner with and support those without.
The Taste + See Journey
6. BASIC TRAINING SKILLS
7. ADVANCED TRAINING SKILLS
Step 2: Interview
Once a person has attended bible study for a month, they are invited to attend an interview during which their needs will be assessed and, if they qualify (based on greatest need, no other income sources, etc.), they will be added to a waiting list until there is an opening on the Taste+See year-long programme.
Step 3: Community Service
The Taste+See programme begins with contribution. Taste+See mentees begin serving on one of several community projects (ranging from township street clean ups to reading with learners to serving in the Taste+See shop) for eight hours during the week. Community service is based on the concept of seeding – Taste+See mentees put in the time and work to model improvement in a community and oftentimes the community themselves then follows suit. This results in the upliftment of the community as a whole as services are rendered and relationships are formed.
Step 4: Shop
The 8 hours worked qualify the mentee to receive a R350 voucher to be used at the Taste+See shop. The shop stocks the basics, including healthy vegetables and R350 will cover a family’s weekly essentials. A prerequisite to receiving the voucher is that mentees provide a budget of their planned spend. In summer and winter, mentees can also choose from a selection of second hand clothes.
Step 6: Basic Skills
Taste+See mentees are invited to Life Skills training with a local Christian organization called POPUP. The training takes the form of a 5-week course through which mentees learn about their identity in Christ, dealing with trauma, and the basics of job seeking from CVs to interviews.
Taste+See mentees who are still seeking work can then go on to advanced skills training in the form of either domestic worker training or small business training.
Step 7: Advanced Skills
Interested mentees complete a 5-week course by the Helderberg Development Centre training the basics of domestic work from cooking to cleaning to ironing. Thereafter they intern in volunteer homes where they can receive on-the-job training and references.
Aspiring entrepreneurs are taken through Paradigm Shift’s small business training course where they are taught everything needed to operate a basic small business from costing and budgeting to marketing, advertising and client service and then partnered with a business mentor. Thereafter they are matched with an experienced mentor who encourages and coaches them going forward.