The Eastern Cape Department of Education held a launch of the Sprouting Entrepreneurs Project for 20 schools from Barkly East High School, Joe Gqabi Education District.

There are 2 High Schools and 18 Primary schools that were selected as they are from the poorest of locations around the district, in order to give support for personal development of learners and the ability to eradicate poverty in those areas.

The Sprouting Entrepreneurs Project is a project between the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and the ECDoE with a mutual goal to support personal development of learners and the ability to navigate their lives in a complex society as well as to expose learners to Initial Vocational Education and Training: Agriculture, Nutrition and Entrepreneurship (IVET-ANE) using food gardens as learning vehicles.

The project will be categorized according to the 3 Days Official launch, Didactic of the project and implementation strategies following the 4-month Garden-Based idea development implementation and market day and the Handover of Certificates to the participants.

Giving the purpose of the day was the ECDoE, School Landscape Management, Revitalization and Rural Education Deputy Chief Education Specialist, Keith Chauke said, "Today we are here as the Department of Education to serve the selected school from the District to launch the 4th Circle of the Entrepreneurs Project with a moral obligation to make sure that we rub this project to develop and assist learners to become entrepreneurs as early as possible using Agricultural Skills."

Speaking on behalf of the Sprouting Entrepreneurs Project was the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, Dr. Matthias Forcher-Mayr he said, "I am very happy to continue working with the Department of Education on the 4th cycle of the Sprouting Entrepreneurs Project.

This project started in 2017 as the late ECDoE MEC Mandla Makupula felt like encouraging the young learners from the Eastern Cape province on Agricultural in order to skill themselves to become entrepreneurs and be able to put food on the table from primary level. 

Therefore, having these school principals and teachers from the 20 selected schools will prepare schools, train principals, teachers or groundskeeper to provide for the delivery and to enhance the quantity and quality of the entrepreneurship in particular the IVET-ANE and related subjects according to Caps curriculum."

"Today, I am here to witness the 4th Circle launch of the entrepreneurs project that will bring about Development and Integration of Agricultural and Entrepreneurial skills into the curriculum teaching and learning assessments," said the ECDoE Senior Education Specialist for Agricultural Sciences, Qhusheka Luleka, as she was speaking on behalf of the Department.

Additionally, she said, "This is a living legacy and needs to be institutionalized Education and Agricultural improvement of community livelihood as we know that people do not have jobs, so this will assist us a lot."

Reflecting on the Sprouting Entrepreneurs Programme, was the Aliwal North Amasango Career School (Sterkspruit) Principal Zoleka Nxawe, she said, "Essentially the Official launch, Didactics of the project  and implementation strategies session was a very interesting project as the schools will now be able to assist learners, especially our special learners, to be future entrepreneurs for tomorrow and be able to connect to the market. 

As for my school Amasango Career School is dealing with Special Learners in which some of them do not cope at mainstream school with socio-economic problems, therefore this project will be of most assistance to them."

Additionally Zoleka said; "This Project will enhance confidence in our learners, especially in our special schools and will assist on eradicating poverty as well as assisting the young ones to be able to add vegetables to our school food kitchen and able to sell to assist in our school entrepreneurs day."

This is a very good programme and hoping that these schools will grab it with both hands to make it a success.

PHOTOGRAPHER:  PUMZILE LUDIDI