Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) hosted a service delivery blitz at Rooipoort Sports Grounds, West Rand last Tuesday.
The blitz was aimed at empowering community members with information on the department's programmes and services.
Portia Dube, Social Worker in the West Rand Region presented the purpose of the gathering.
She said, "We are here to make a follow-up in response to a house to house profiling in this area. We know the challenges you are faced with here especially unemployment, teenage pregnancy, excessive use of drugs and some of you do not have identity documents. We brought other government departments and NPO's to ensure your challenges are addressed."
Dube emphasized the importance of community members in making use of the opportunities afforded to them.
 
Rooipoort is one of the most disadvantaged areas in the West Rand; the department saw the need to bring other stakeholders because challenges identified need collective effort. Many households are dependent social grant.
During the engagement the community members were given information on how to access services on foster care, school social workers, bursaries, learnerships, internships, food parcels, dignity packs, school uniform, ECDs and funding of cooperatives amongst others.
They also accessed services from National Development Agency (NDA), Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP), SASSA, Harambe, SAPS, Westview Clinic, Ithemba Labantu, Department of Education, Home affairs, Labour, Health and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. All the stakeholders promised that they will continue to take services to the people.