By Anita Dangazele
- The APD-NMB Textile Factory was launched at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to create jobs for people with disabilities.
- The factory has a contract to make denim jeans for The Foschini Group and will employ 200 workers.
A new textile factory in Gqeberha is bringing hope and jobs to people living with disabilities.
The APD-NMB Textile Factory, opened on Monday at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, was launched by the Association for the Physically Disabled along with Deputy Minister for Social Development Ganief Hendricks and Eastern Cape MEC Bukiwe Fanta.
The factory will employ 200 people and already has a deal to manufacture denim jeans for The Foschini Group.
MEC Fanta said the project is part of a plan to help people with disabilities gain independence and reduce reliance on welfare.
“It is a beacon of hope that will provide employment opportunities, skills development and empowerment for many individuals, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds,” she said.
Her department has also launched a Mentorship and Coaching Programme to help train workers in textile skills and support entrepreneurs.
“This programme is designed to provide essential support to emerging entrepreneurs and individuals seeking to develop their skills in the textile industry,” she said.
The Eastern Cape government is spending R32.5-million on services for people with disabilities, including residential care, protective workshops and community rehabilitation.
Chairperson of the Eastern Cape Disability Forum, Yonwaba Ntsabo, said the factory would change lives. “Many families don’t know what to do with disabled people, but now they will have something to do while making an income,” he said.
The department also visited a project at Coselelani High School in Motherwell, where 20 learners with disabilities are being trained in sewing and gardening. They will be absorbed into the new factory once qualified.
Pictured above: Launch of the textile factory in Gqeberha.
Image source: Eastern Cape Department of Social Development
