WORKING for the COAST NATIONALWorking for the Coast (WftC) is a national project that helps coastal communities to keep our coast healthy and clean for everyone's benefit.
All along our coast, jobs have been created, the coastal environment is being improved, people are being trained and small businesses are being started. Some of the most needy coastal communities are being given a chance in a lifetime and - through an education, training and development program - they are being given a foothold to sustain their lives in the future.
The main thrust of the Working for the Coast (WftC) programme is poverty alleviation through sustainable development. Over 2000 people, mainly women and youths are employed by the programme.
What a difference a job makes The WftC teams come from our neediest coastal communities and many of them have never had a job before. They have a history of battling simply to survive and, when they join the WftC programme, most of them can't read or write. When they emerge, after two years, from the programme, they not only have the necessary skills to develop economically viable opportunities for themselves but they also have higher self-esteem - and this sense of pride often gives rise to the discovery of hidden talents. By helping to keep our coast environmentally healthy and safe, they are, in turn, self empowered by a programme that helps them.
The work they do. WftC's work is vitally important for the health and integrity of the coast because it provides valuable support for local authorities and conservation bodies. The teams are involved in:
- rehabilitation and clean-up of the coastal environment
- providing safety and security along the coast
- providing tourism information and interaction
- upgrading of coastal infrastructure
The sustaining factor. Each employee in the WftC programme receives comprehensive training and development over a two year period. In addition to literacy and numeracy, the programme provides tailored skills development for each participant, including:
- coastal tourism
- environment and waste management
- safety and security
- infrastructure maintenance
- general life skills
The aim is to give people in the programme the tools to develop and harness their entrepreneurial opportunities and create their own business or to become more employable.
