As seat of Parliament, Cape Town is one of the 3 capitals of South Africa and with 3.7 million inhabitants, the second largest city of the country. Manenberg, one of the townships in the Cape Flats, is a hotspot of gang violence, drug and alcohol abuse, rape, unemployment and poverty. Half of the young generation have not finished school, and therefore have no chance to get a decent job.
In June 2010, Fr. Wim Lindeque, then parish priest of the Catholic Church in Manenberg, together with dedicated parishioners and friends, established the Holy Family Child and Youth Development Centre, now known as Manenberg Aftercare Centre, during the FIFA World Cup to support children and young people in the community.
The facilitators are all formerly unemployed members of the Manenberg community who now earn a small income through their work at the Centre, thus making a difference in their families and the broader Manenberg community. Currently, about 150 children are enrolled in the programme.
The project is made possible by financial assistance from private sponsors, without any governmental support or any single major funder. Any help is highly appreciated.