Oasis South Africa Bridge the Gap
Diepsloot is one of Johannesburg's most volatile districts, with violent crime being a daily reality for residents.
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The area has poor housing, inadequate health and education, rampant poverty and high crime levels. For young people living in the area, it can be hard to settle in as one of our students explained:
"Diepsloot is not a good place to grow up in because most kids do drugs and don't go to school. Peer pressure means you end up being like them. It is not a safe place at night."
Diepsloot's schools are overcrowded, under-resourced and unable to equip students for life after school. Those who complete school don't know how to access employment or further study opportunities - left at home with nothing to do; their hope for the future quickly disappears. This cycle of hopelessness makes young people vulnerable to crime, teen pregnancy and HIV.
The Oasis Bridge the Gap programme inspires and equips school leavers to find employment. It helps students to discover the fact that they are made in the image of a loving God - restoring hope and equipping them with valuable skills, from conflict management to career guidance, budget management to IT.
Patricia is 20 and lives near Diepsloot. Following the course, Patricia is now employed as a trainee manager in one of South Africa's national supermarket chains.
"I spent one year with Oasis. I have learnt a lot. Oasis was so supportive. The most useful thing on the course was learning about budgets and how to manage money. I am able to do budgets so now I am able to save as well. I am studying accounting at University, and study in the evenings after work. The course made me think that when I face challenges and fail, it is not the end of the world. I can learn from my mistakes. I developed inside. I will never forget Oasis."