To all of our clients and partners in Disability.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for 2014!

Over the holiday season I have had time to reflect on how much I Can! has achieved over the past 3 years.

When we opened our first academy in January 2011 we did so with 30 learners and 5 volunteer staff members.  We have gone into 2014 with 9 academies, 103 full-time staff members and will be training more than 600 persons with disabilities. In 2014 we will be opening two new academies in Pietermaritzburg and East London.

None of this would be possible without each and every staff member’s unwavering commitment to the improvement of persons with disabilities.  Whilst our responsibilities can be very challenging at times the rewards are immeasurable.

Our focus for 2014 will be not only to continue to strive to achieve excellence in our academies, but to ensure that, our learners are not only trained but transitioned into meaningful employment on completion of the learnership.  To this end, we are launching community projects in each region where through our clients ED contributions to our sister company, Khulisani, we are able to place our learners with organisations that desperately need additional workers but cannot necessarily afford the labour.

I Can! Farm will also be launched in April 2014.  I Can! has recently purchased a 34 hectare farm in the Natal Midlands where we expect to be able to provide persons with disabilities agricultural skills.  The produce from the farm will be used to provide sustenance to the community.

I would like to thank all of our partners for their on-going support.  Together we can make a difference.

Should you wish to find out more about how you can provide employment for our learners, please contact me on 084 6040821.