Geared to Grow is a platform to fast track economic development by equipping the vulnerable and unemployed with driving licenses. Being able to drive is one of the single most important skills a person can have and is quite literally life changing. South Africa is facing an unemployment pandemic that is placing immense pressure on all aspects of living. At times like these people who find themselves in vulnerable positions are easy to overlook and face many hurdles while trying to seek employment.
Our target for the #CODERED pilot project is 50 learners and 50 drivers licenses. We are working with employers to start to create a feeder programme for our beneficiaries. While we are starting with Code 8 we will be including Code 10 and professional driving permits as we grow. For the pilot we cover all aspects including booking and license fees, 10 hours for learner classes and 20 hours of drivers classes, transport to book for both learners and drivers, car hire for the test as well as photos.
We understand that some will need more time than others, such as Frank who we are helping to learn English while he goes through the learners course. Our beneficiaries for the pilot project have been drawn from a network of youth care centres where we are assisting youth older than 17. We have also developed a network of beneficiary organisations that we will be partnering with once the pilot is complete.
The pilot is being rolled out in partnership with Nubee, a South African automotive startup. The Nubee app, available for download on the Apple and PlayStores, lets learner drivers view instructors in their area. They can then evaluate them according to their rates, ratings and reviews; and book a lesson in a matter of minutes. The app’s geolocation software allows learner drivers to track their lessons, and learner drivers and instructors can also plan their schedules effectively with the app’s calendar feature.
Learner drivers have peace of mind that every instructor on the Nubee app is individually vetted before being activated on the platform, and are continuously evaluated to ensure educational and vehicle standards are upheld. We are financing this pilot project through donations while we engage with partners in the corporate and public sector. The need for this service is massive and almost seems bottomless but we do need to start somewhere.
