During the 2024\/25 funding cycle, the commission\u00a0allocated\u00a0R804.5m (US$44.8m) to community and charitable initiatives across South Africa, with an increasing focus on measuring long-term outcomes such as job creation, sustainable\u00a0livelihoods\u00a0<\/strong>and economic empowerment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Commissioner Jodi Scholtz said the organisation is increasingly focused on measuring the long-term outcomes generated by funded projects. \u201cImportantly, we are shifting away from simply measuring how funding is spent, towards evaluating the long-term results <\/strong>and social change taking place within communities as a result. The real impact of funding is ultimately reflected in the livelihoods created, the dignity restored, and the opportunities unlocked within communities,\u201d said Scholtz in a press release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n LifeLine Durban is among the organisations benefiting from NLC funding to support survivors of gender-based violence through skills development and economic empowerment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pravisha Dhanapalan, Director at LifeLine Durban, said: \u201cWe were able to equip 160 GBV survivors with vocational skills and starter kits so that they\u2019ve been able to start their own small businesses<\/strong> in areas like detergent and perfume making, baking, cashier training and forklift operation, helping as many as 75 per cent of them to start their own small businesses and generate sustainable income.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The organisation highlighted the case of a beneficiary who went on to establish a small business and secure a detergent supply distributorship, creating jobs for three other women from the LifeLine entrepreneurship <\/strong>programme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The NLC also highlighted the impact of its support for Lifesaving KwaZulu-Natal<\/strong>, which has used funding to improve water safety infrastructure while helping train new lifeguards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chairman\u00a0of Lifesaving KwaZulu-Natal, Troye Brown, said, \u201cLifesaving KwaZulu-Natal qualifies around 120 lifeguards annually, with many going on to secure seasonal, part-time or full-time employment opportunities. NLC\u2019s\u00a0assistance\u00a0has allowed us to develop new lifeguards as well as upskill qualified lifeguards with new skills and qualifications<\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Mpumalanga, NLC funding has also contributed to employment creation through the Topsy Foundation, which works with vulnerable communities in the Gert Sibande District. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Project Manager Meikie Mashinini said the funding had enabled the employment of 11 women, including eight community field workers serving early childhood development (ECD) centres and three office-based staff members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mashinini said: \u201cIn a community facing high unemployment, this funding is sustaining livelihoods<\/strong> and\u00a0recognises\u00a0the commitment of these women who contributed meaningfully to our\u00a0organisation\u00a0even when we couldn\u2019t provide full-time employment.\u201d <\/p>\n\r\n\t\tCreating jobs through training <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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