10 September 2015 | Volume 9 | Week 37 | Tel: 018 294 3924/17 | northwestindependent@telkomsa.net | Potchefstroom | Gratis • Free
New hope for job seekers in Potch
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brand new initiative that promises to change the way people find employment in Potchefstroom is already making a big difference. The Dag op ‘n Slag Potchefstroom Loonwerkers initiative was launched a few weeks ago to provide a bridge between people looking for employment and potential employers in Potchefstroom. A website and Facebook Page that allow workers to introduce themselves to prospective employers by registering on a worker database has resulted in many workers finding employment. The project started after a group of anthropology students from the North-West University did a research project about the day labourers who look for employment in Du Plooy Street. After spending time talking to these men the students felt they could not just leave and do nothing to try and increase the men’s chances of an income and of moving into more stable work situations. According to Robert Socha, a German exchange student, the idea is to help people who are desperate for employment. “They walk early in the morning in the cold, several kilometers from their homes to a corner in the middle of the town,” explains Robert. “Then they wait there many hours for somebody to come by and offer them a job so that they can feed their families. On most days, they have no luck and have to walk back home after hours of waiting. The situation of Potchefstroom’s day labourers is sad and depressing. “With this initiative we can help them to register online so that all their information such as identity number, photograph and information about their skills is captured online for prospective employers to see.” Since its launch, the Dag op ‘n Slag Loonwerkers website has developed to include 17 employment categories and over 40 profiles of job seekers have been added. “We have now also created a category for women because we soon realized that there is as much need for structured employment opportunities for them,” says Robert. “Their situation is in some ways worse than that of Potch day labourers. For these women it’s dangerous to stand on a corner as they
Mapaseka Tlhakanye (left) was one of the first women to register for employment at the Dag op ‘n Slag Loonwerkers initiative in Ikageng. With her are Samantha Meyer and Robert Socha, two students from North-West University who started the non-government and non-profit service.
would probably not get any reputable job offers! “That’s why we’ve announced the project in a community group on Facebook and asked people to spread the word. We’ve already started to collect the first profiles of women. Categories such as cleaners and domestic workers were added to our website.” Robert and his fellow student Samantha Meyer believe they have already witnessed a rise in day labourer employment as a result of Dag op ‘n Slag. “Last Saturday practically full employment was reached in Potchefstroom as it was almost impossible to find day labourers on the streets,” says Samantha. “We hope that this current trend can be
maintained in future and we will try to contribute to that by adding more profiles to our data base.” One of the first woman to register was Mapaseka Tlhakanye from Ikageng. She saw the Dag op ‘n Slag Facebook group and decided to investigate. “I’m very excited about the possibility the Dag op ‘n Slag campaign holds. I’m looking for any job, I’m not picky. I have many skills and I can speak a lot of languages. As long as I have a little bit of income at the end of the month, I’ll be happy. But I have realistic expectations. I know I will have to be patient.” Samantha makes it clear that Dag op ‘n Slag is a free service to the community but it does not promise employment. “The project is not
a work promise and you will not sign a work contract. Dag op ‘n Slag Loonwerkers is a marketing mechanism for day labourers and unemployed people to promote their abilities in the Potchefstroom community on the internet. “We will not mediate the jobs but put information online so that employers can contact workers directly,” Samantha says. The next opportunity for workers to register is this Friday (11 September) at 13:00 to 16:00 in front of the Ipelegeng Community Library at 6934 Sarafina Street. For more information visit the website www.dagopnslagpotchefstroomloonwerkers.wordpress.com or the Dag op ‘n Slag Facebook page or contact Samantha Meyer on 082 598 6718.