Every month we’re joined by a group of somewhat nervous young people, eager to transform their lives and find employment. After 3  jam-packed  and fun-filled weeks of training the learners left FCD equipped to continue their life-long journey with a new set of skills, values and attitudes. All candidates joining our centre are required to participate in this 3 week, Job Readiness, programme  which includes pre-employment life skills, customer service and retail point of sale training, plus an introduction to the world of computers, the internet & email. Discipleship is included as we implement a holistic approach to our training, ensuring the development of individuals socially, emotionally, economically and spiritually.
On conclusion of the training, learners are assessed and granted opportunities to participate in job-shadows with several retailers in the area.
Included below are some extracts of the feedback received from the learners at the end of the course gives some insight into the impact that the training is having on their lives:
Zizipho Skade, 9/7/2015: I will recommend FCD because I learned a lot about computer and Life Skills. My relationship with God has greatly improved, I am a child of God and I live true God, with God everything is well. well. I’m blessed, thank you my Lord. I have not been attending church, but I would like to start attending.
Sithobele Mhlakaza, 9/7/2015: FCD is the best thing to do because you gain a lot of knowledge and it also gives us more oppotunities to find jobs. The discipleship made me realise that with God everything is possible and I have to believe in myself; I realized that everybody is unque and life is not always fair, but that we must accept where we are. In Life Skills I came to  realise the importance of having a good realationship and being in a conflict is not a bad thing because everyone got a right to express their opinion but the important thing is that how you handle the conflict, we should violence or aggressive behaviour.
Siphokazi Ngqolosi, 9/7/2015: Attending devotions greatly improved my relationship with God. It was fantastic because it’s an everyday thing.  I’ve started attending church services for the first time. The life skills had a great impact on my life. It was good share my story. The training put me on another level – upgrading the standard of what I have to offer.
Priscilla Mphithi,  9/7/2015: The training at FCD is helpful. It take people out of the street, people who do not work or do not have an experience and  give them an opportunity to come and learn about effective team work, the basics of computer, customer service and how to handle people in their situation. FCD also work opportunities. The training helped me to get to know myself better and to understand my needs and wants and to consider how my life history (good and bad) influenced who I am. As I leave FCD, my short term goal is to find myself part time job. I need to make sure that i work hard to get what I want, to be myself and be honest.
Rowena Manuel, 9/7/2015: FCD equipped me to use my skills and to pursue a career. The life skills were useful to reconsider my values; putting the things in my life into perspective in terms of what God has in store for me. Â I’ve now returned to church.
Malisha Jansen, 9/7/2015: The Life Skills really got me thinking because now if someone asks me who I am I could answer the question better than I could before. The Active Citizenship session helped me realise that I must become more active in my community.
Sinawo Mvumvu, 7/9/2015: I would recommend FCD to my friends, because I was given time to understand and it was very helpful to me in many ways. Ii got a time to understand myself and know my abilities and I had to know about computers. It was useful to reconsider my values. I discovered the importance of  forgiveness My life story was a bit hard because I have never told anyone before, but i have managed to be open about it and tell the story. Now I know where I’m coming from and where I’m going. I now value the relationship I have with my friends and family and I know what i must do and not to do. I know my rights and I know that I should not discriminate against another person.
Micaela Miller, 9/7/2015: What I’ve learned here for the past two and a half weeks, it’s been life! The best experience that I’ve ever had. Coming here was never a mistake. Discipleship helped me to view the world differently and helped me to forgive those who have done wrong in my eyes. I’ve now returned to church. The life skills helped me to find myself, the person I was before I came here and the person I have become. I never really looked at my life the way I do now. I always made decisions based on my attitude towards people. I never saw how my attitude affected the type of people I attracted in my life or those I associated with. Life skills also helped me to improve my communication with my mother and showed me that I should talk to her in an appropriate manner. It helped me to know my rights as a South African Citizen; and where I can report it when someone takes my human dignity away from me.
Anthony Engelbrecht, 7/9/2015: I learned a lot about myself in this course and about my aspirations. I wouldn’t change anything about the course it was an exciting course. Discipleship drew me closer to God.  I would like to start attending church. Working through my life story, I realized that I have to consider changing in my life.