#CatalystImpact Story – Nelisa Grootboom
Name: Nelisa Grootboom
Programme: Catalyst
Area: Hankey, Weston
Period: 6 months
Nelisa Grootboom was born in the streets of Weston Location in Hankey, Eastern Cape. She grew up wanting to become a successful businesswoman. Her dreams seemed impossible to achieve, and due to the lack of resources in her hometown, she opted to make ends meet for her children by seeking employment.
Fast forward to September 2022, she joined the enke: Catalyst Programme under the Pushin’ Progress initiative funded by Amandla Omoya Trust in Kouga Municipality. Her goal was to get some form of income and acquire new skills.
When asked what the Catalyst experience had done for her in the first three months of training, Nelisa had this to say:
“It (Catalyst) restored my hope, boosted my self-confidence, and made me realize I am capable… Initially, when I joined the programme, I thought it would be like going back to school. But that was not the case. Instead, I was introduced to another fun way of learning.”
The 35-year-old Grootboom highlighted the Reboot and World of Work components as the highlights of Catalyst so far. “I am now equipped with the current CV writing skills; I have also observed new facilitation techniques. How can I forget to mention the improvement in my communication skills and self-awareness? I cannot wait to get to the entrepreneurship content.”
In the future, Nelisa is determined to push progress in her life by revisiting her childhood dream of becoming a successful social entrepreneur. Putting into good use the skills she acquired while attending the enke: Catalyst Program.
