Ithembalokukhanya Humanitarian Development Group (IHDG), formed in South Africa recently, is already involved in farming and construction projects in South Africa and Angola and now wants to intensify its efforts.
An official said recently that among the organisation’s main aims were to create stability in the continent, where some countries are still trying to recover from wars and political and economic crises that have created migration problems into South Africa.
“We have set ourselves a task of identifying and motivating joint business partnerships and funding towards identified humanitarian strategic projects in South Africa and the rest of Africa to address economic growth, poverty, unemployment and other social challenges like migration,” said Pierre Goetz, one of the organisation’s executives.
“Part of the immigration problem is that people come from various countries where they will be fleeing ills, but when they get here, most of them illegally, they become employed as cheap labour and that has mostly created problems between the migrants and locals. Our aim is thus, to involve everybody – the government, individuals, institutions, investors and other neighbouring countries to try and stem this problem where people are exploited and do not want to go back to their home countries.”
The organisation’s first priority is to equip illegal immigrants with skills and set them up on the entreprenueral trail, after which they will be empowered and helped to return to their home countries to do business.
“The conflict between illegal immigrants and unemployed South Africans has become a very sensitive matter between the South African government and neighbouring states, hence our bid to address it, but we need the co-operation of those governments involved,” added Goetz.
“Our aim therefore is to create stability in Africa and credibility in the international community by addressing these critical areas, which will see migrants who are helped to return to their countries not coming back illegally, but get something to do and improve their own livelihoods and the economy in their countries of origin.”
The organization, which has the capacity to train 3 000 people at a time, has identified various sectors like construction, fishing, manufacturing, mining, forestry and tourism, among many others, which it seeks to delve into.
“We want to give these people back their dignity and pride so that they can go back and be something back home again because if we do not do that, poverty will not go away in Africa. We are now in the process of carrying out an intensive research programme in identified African states to identify which projects are worth exploring.”
Post published in: Africa News