1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY – PE
I Can! Eastern Cape is celebrating its first anniversary. One year ago I Can! began recruiting learners for our first class in Port Elizabeth. We opened with one employee and 11 learners under the sponsorship of DHL couriers. Currently, we have 54 signed learners, 41 on our waiting list and nine full-time staff members.
I Can! has been welcomed by the disability community and stakeholders alike; and we have grown stronger with their support. In 2014 we will open our East London academy. More than 30 current learners will graduate from this first class. We are grateful for the warm welcome we received and hope to double the size of our program next year at this time.
NATASHA MEYER
I Can! recently sponsored a learnership for Natasha Meyer, who started Business Practice classes in Durban in September, 2013. She is doing very well with all her classwork. Natasha’s great passion is horse riding…here’s her story:
“I was born with cerebral palsy. I have to do exercises every week to keep my legs strong and to relieve pain.
Knowing that it would never have been easy to do the sport at the school I had to find another sport suitable for me. I found horse riding in 2008 and after the first ride I knew that it was what I wanted to do! It made me feel like I belonged there.
I started to notice a change in the way I move around in the first six months of riding, being able to walk around by myself without holding someone’s hand was the greatest change.
I have been chosen for the KZN Para Dressage Team in 2012.
I compete in shows on a regular basis with great success. My dream is to go to the Olympics.
With determination and an absolute passion for horses and the sport, I know I CAN”
I Can! wishes Natasha all the best with her riding and hope to see her achieve her dreams one day!
I CAN! BRACELETS
I Can! has launched a new promotional project with the learners, making I Can! beaded bracelets, one for themselves and another for new and prospective learners .
Additionally, the Cape Town learners made 1,000 bracelets to hand out at the recent Disability Expo and Conference held in Johannesburg. Besides giving them the opportunity to exhibit their creativity, the project also improves concentration, eye-hand coordination and dexterity, skills that they may be able to use to start their own jewelry business one day.
A special thank you to Jo-Anne Lindoor one of the Cape Town facilitator, who coordinated the making of the bracelets. Her good organizational skills and dedication have inspired her learners to stay after hours in order to meet their target. The learners had fun with this project and delivered a beautiful end product.
ENTREPRENEURS MAKE A SPLASH AT JET PARK
The Johannesburg learners in the I Can! Jet Park Academy have set up their own new business venture! As part of their Business Practices class, the learners had to come up with a viable business idea to practice the skills that they learned.
A car wash has been one of the ideas and after completing their market research the venture was begun. All the learners participated and are excited about the new venture. The learners did a great job washing almost all staff members’ cars.
It is of great importance to I Can! that all the learners practice what they learn, to see that with the knowledge that they are gaining in the classroom they can further develop their skill sets. This also helps the learners to realize that their disability does not have to limit them; if they put their mind to it they can achieve it.