​A 29-year-old recovered substance user, Khotso Mahooa is one of the Xilembeni Skills Development Centre beneficiaries who plans to specialize in stormwater drainage systems.
Mahooa welcomed the extension of center by the Gauteng Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, MEC Mbali Hlophe.

Mahooa a Community House Builder (CHB) student took the Communication team to the workshop where he demonstrated how to build different structures.

“I would like to thank the Gauteng Department of Social Development for bringing us together since some of us have been rejected by our families and communities. The skills training, we are receiving here will open more doors for many,” he says.

“Although I am receiving the training on CHB, and we were told that we are going to build Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses and since I come from the township and seeing the conditions we are living in and how storm water affects our daily lives it pains me a lot. People are losing their homes and our roads are not in good condition,” explain Mahooa.

Another beneficiary Sikho Ngamane (27) from Clovedene , Ekurhuleni specializes in livestock farming, but enjoys poultry.

Despite the sensitiveness of the broilers, Ngamane said his daily routine is very interesting and love every part of it.

“I am not staying on the boarding school like others, I travel everyday , fortunately we have free school bus which transport us from home to school. When I arrive at centre every day in the morning, I start by checking the temperature where the broilers live, count them, and feed them,” says Ngamane.

Ngamane’s dream is to start a poultry business and create employment for the unemployed youth. He further said he wants to supply chickens and eggs locally and abroad.