Fisantekraal Centre or Development

Tell us a bit about your Cause - who are you and what do you do?

Fisantekraal Centre for Development (FCD) is a non-profit organisation settled in the heart of Durbanville at the taxi rank. As a Christian organisation, FCD exists to restore dignity and build self-esteem in unemployed people through various skills development courses. Since 2010 FCD has been known to train and develop the unemployed, enabling them to become economically active. A holistic approach is adopted, integrating life skills, business skills and spiritual development into all courses. This allows for students to develop the necessary values and attitudes required for the workplace and for life in general.

The majority of our beneficiaries include vulnerable youth and women. Although we are based in Durbanville we serve numerous vulnerable communities across the greater Cape Town. We recently also started off site satellite training in Fisantekraal and Klipheuwel to further reach the vulnerable and unemployed from those communities.

We currently run 5 programmes:

• JOB READINESS: 3-week course - a prerequisite for all training at FCD. Essential for all job seekers, covering life skills, Customer service, basic computer skills, Point of Sale and job preparedness.

• OFFICE BASICS: 10-week course (half days) – A course for candidates who have completed the JR course and who demonstrate the potential to function in an office or call centre environment. This includes office practice, reception work, call centre and advanced computer training.

• FRAIL CARE: 13-week course - The overall purpose of the course is to equip learners to care for the elderly in a private home or retirement home.

• BAKE FOR PROFIT: 9-week course - baking and business skills are taught to enable students to start their own baking business and become an entrepreneur baking from home.

• BUSINESS SKILLS: 9-week course – The purpose of this course is to equip small business owners with the necessary skills to maximise the potential of their micro business.

• ENGLISH for Second Language users: A 12-week part-time programme aim to improve the English communication skills of adults in order to enable them to communicate with confidence in the workplace. A critical part of our services is to empower unemployed people, especially youth, with job searching skills and to facilitate work placements. We assist in the placement of our “graduates” through partnerships established with potential employers from various industries. Our placement rate for the 2018 financial year stands at 74% compared to 69% in the previous financial year. 

Why did you get started?

The founding members of the organisation were made up of a group of local Christians who were very disturbed by the poverty and social challenges faced by particularly the Fisantekraal community, which is very close to Durbanville but also so many other vulnerable communities in and around the greater Cape town. It was obvious then that unemployment was (and still is) at the core of allot of the poverty and social issues within these communities. The founders were tired of being spectators and decided to form a non-profit to focus on holistic skills development that will enable, equip and empower unemployed people to take ownership of their lives and through holistic skills development become economically active.

As important as employment and at the heart of the organisation is also the sharing of the Christian faith and helping people to restore their emotional and spiritual health. Although our beliefs and values determine everything we do, our services are available to everyone irrespective of faith, gender or race and everyone is welcomed into the FCD family to share in the meaningful work we do.

The following vision and mission drives what we do: Our Vision at FCD is to significantly decrease unemployment levels in the greater Cape Town area, particularly in vulnerable communities. Our Mission is to develop all people, especially unemployed people, socially, emotionally, economically and spiritually for a more meaningful life.

Tell us the one beneficiary story – a person you helped – that keeps you going?

There are so many. I don’t think it’s the one person, it's every person walking through our doors on a daily basis. How their lives change throughout their interaction with FCD, our volunteers and our staff. The fact that many come in completely hopeless and they leave with hope and support. Many enter our doors never to have felt any sort of love, even from their own family, leaving here knowing that they have experienced love for the first time in their adult life. Every person and the change you physically see in them makes it all worthwhile.