An education, training and development organisation for unemployed work seekers.
ABOUT US
Masincedane Community Service (MCS) is a registered Non-Profit Organisation 004-464 which has initiated various developmental programmes, in order to alleviate poverty and address economic development of the unemployed in the City of Cape Town, Helderberg Area.
The organisation sees its function as that of facilitator in the process of the upliftment of the poorer developing communities in the Helderberg. This is made possible by running employable skills training, matching unemployed work seekers with potential employers, running a free / affordable home care service for the sick and dying and fighting ignorance through targeted information and education activities.
The organisation also has a job creation function and at present has 8 Professional Nurses coordinating 156 Community Health Workers in a Community Health Care service. In addition we have 18 Adherence Counsellors working in local Public Health Clinics, and a Walk-in Wellness Centre employing a Professional Nurse with 3 Adherence Counsellors and 2 Community Health Workers.
THE STORY OF MASINCEDANE
MCS was founded in 1992 as a concerned response to the needs of the people then living in the squatter camp of Waterkloof, Somerset West. The initial needs, as identified by the Waterkloof community, included employable skills training and health services.
During October 1995 the organisation presented the first training courses but soon realised that skills training needed after care as the learners could not find nor keep jobs. This resulted in the launch of employment agency (training & linking workers with employers) and which has since grown into a well utilised facility in the Helderberg.
The organisation also continued with their Home Based Care (health care) activities and in 1998 the Department of Health (PAWC) subsidised the first group of 8 workers.
The number of Home Based Care workers now employed by Masincedane in partnership with the Department of Health has grown to 106. These “carers” are supervised by 5 professional nurses who are subsidised by the Department of Health.
In addition to Home Based Care Masincedane became responsible in 2012 for the Department of Health HIV/TB program in the Helderberg. The HIV/TB program involves some 70 workers. Some work in Public Health Clinics as Counsellors whilst others work in the community giving support to HIV+and TB clients.