Matie Community Service

Poverty is an enormous challenge in South Africa and Matie Community Service (MCS), under the guidance of Mr Gareth Cornelissen, Head of MGD, offers programmes which focus on opportunities for people to gain knowledge and skills so that they eventually are able to make an economic contribution to the country. MCS, one of the Community Interaction Flagship Projects of Stellenbosch University (SU), provides for the needs of communities inside and outside Stellenbosch and has been a trusted service provider for 48 years.

Programmes:

The Adult Education and Training Programme creates learning opportunities to people who have received no or limited education. The focus is not only on the academic knowledge, but also on life and work-related skills.

The Khanyisa Learning Project creates the opportunity to grade 12 learners to attend additional classes on Saturdays and over holidays. It aims to assist learners to be better equipped to meet the academic requirements to pass the national exam, and also to be prepared for the job market and/or tertiary education.

The Entrepreneurial Development Programme assists adults and high school learners to develop entrepreneurial attitudes and skills. The aim is to reduce poverty through the development of income-generating skills and attitudes. After the training programme participants write business plans to help determine whether the businesses they are running/plan to start present viable business opportunities..

The Primary Health Care Programme provides health services and health education to underserved communities. Students from different health disciplines work after-hours under the supervision of experienced medical staff and gain valuable practical experience. In partnership with the health services in the areas various health issues are selected as topics for the awareness training sessions.

The One-Stop Service leads student groups in providing sustainable, effective community service projects in partnership with established non-profit organisations. The projects have different focuses and address issues such as educational assistance, life skills development, sport coaching, arts and culture and health promotion.​​