PARTNERING FOR COMMUNITY IMPACT: ALL ABOUT ABILITY

In continuation of a multi-year partnership with Cape Mental Health, AMSOL has this year supported entrepreneurship training and workplace experience for 16 South Africans. Of the 16 learnerships, 9 of whom are for women, 12 candidates are completing new venture creation development training and the remaining 4 are receiving job coaching support.

For AMSOL Human Resources Executive Nceba Mfini the project is of great importance:

“Sponsoring this initiative ensures that people feel empowered to be active members of their communities by receiving the support they need.”

AMSOL also supported the ‘Easy-to-Read’ project, which included the development of a dictionary that presents written information in a format using images and simplified text to make it easier for people with intellectual disability to read and understand.

Ingrid Daniels, Cape Mental Health Chief Executive Officer:

“The impact of skills development through entrepreneurship training and workplace experience has unlocked those gates that prevent the inclusion of persons with intellectual disability from accessing employment opportunities. None of this would have been possible without the partnership with AMSOL, visionaries and trail blazers, who have also been committed to ensuring that persons with intellectual disability have access to information through the Easy to Read programme; a first for Africa. This is a proud association which has created the mechanism to remove the barriers to equal access and opportunities for those most vulnerable and often ignored. This powerful partnership has had an incredible impact and leveraged fundamental change for persons with intellectual disability. It has strengthened our ability to create programmes which gives back compassion, dignity and respect.”

Cape Mental Health works to improve the lives of young South Africans with mental and intellectual disabilities and is affiliated to the World Federation for Mental Health. For more information, please visit www.capementalhealth.co.za