Page 20 - DPSA_SDR Vol 12 No.2 2019

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

War on leaks programme

a huge success in assisting

youth in their careers and

personal development

South Africa’s youth are grateful to the Department of Water
and Sanitation (DWS) for affording them an opportunity to
train as plumbers and water agents through the War on Leaks
(WoL) programme.

Spanning three years, the programme has trained thousands
of unemployed and unskilled youth from across the country
– some of whom are now working for their respective
municipalities to fix leaking taps and pipes. Among these
are young girls who had no hope of being employed before
joining the WoL. The programme was launched in August
2015. The first phase intake of 3 000 youth beneficiaries of
the programme was followed by an intake of 6 842 for the
second phase in 2016.The programme is currently on its third
and final phase, which plans to provide employment to 5 000
more youth. The DWS pays each trainee a stipend of R2 500
through Rand Water, which was appointed as an implementing
agent.
An excited trainee, Lucy Dlamini, said of the programme:
“We are already busy at work in our local communities fixing
water-related problems such as leaking toilets and taps. I was
happy to hear about the announcement that the department
is proceeding with the project and I believe that this is proof
that there is a concerted effort to focus on jobs. This will
address the problem of youth unemployment head on. This
project is aimed at eradicating water leaks, training youth in
entrepreneurial skills and making us water wise education
campaigners.”
Thandi Maduna joined the WoL programme after realising that
the municipality in her township was occasionally flooded with
water and even effluent coming from burst pipes. She heard about WoL through a friend and the next day they
successfully applied for the programme.
“I yearned to be trained as a plumber so that I could help
my municipality to deal with the problem. I’m grateful to the “Since then I’ve never looked back. I work hard in school to
department for affording me the opportunity of being trained make sure that I don’t fail. This is a golden opportunity I cannot
in my dream career.” afford to lose.”

Ntaoleng Sehatsoane is as excited to participate in the training Like her friend Thandi, Ntaoleng can’t wait to invest her skills
programme. She is a trainee artisan who quit school after back into her community in Sebokeng.
matriculating because of financial problems.

18 SERVICE DELIVERY REVIEW | Volume 12 No.2 of 2019