​Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Eastern Corridor Sustainable Livelihood and Youth Development Directorate conducted a mass community profiling on Wednesday in Ward 93, Kwa Rasta, Primrose, Germiston.
The initiative, known as Asifikanga Sigalelekile, aims to identify and address the needs of vulnerable individuals and households. It forms part of the Department’s broader strategy to intervene in areas such as unemployment, food insecurity, substance abuse, gender-based violence, and lack of access to skills development, agricultural support and other social ills.

According to Community Development Supervisor Nomthandazo Maphumulo, more than 260 Sawubona Mhlali Service Delivery Brigades participated in the fieldwork, going door-to-door to gather detailed household data.

“We used the War-on-Poverty questionnaire, a tool that captures individual information within each household. It allows us to determine the number of people in a home, who attends school, who receives social grants, whether there is a need for food assistance, and what skills they may require,” explained Maphumulo.

Where skills development needs are identified, referrals are made to Kitso Lesedi, a Department-funded Non-Profit Organisation based in Germiston.

“This programme brings services directly to the people,” she added. “We begin with ward-based household profiling to fast-track service delivery and ensure all relevant community stakeholders are involved.”

Stakeholders include the Sawubona Mhlali Brigades, Community Health Care Workers, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Community Development Workers.