MASS COMMUNITY PROFILING IN PRIMROSE TARGETS VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS FOR DIRECT SUPPORT

By Phetoho Maja.

• Targeted Vulnerability Profiling – Over 260 Sawubona Mhlali Brigades and partners conducted door-to-door visits in Ward 93 to identify households facing unemployment, food insecurity, GBV, and other social challenges.
• Comprehensive Data Collection – Using the War-on-Poverty questionnaire, the team gathered detailed household data to link residents to services such as skills training, food relief, and social support.
• Actionable Outcomes – Profiling results are used to fast-track interventions, ensure coordinated stakeholder action, and track improvements in household wellbeing over time.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Eastern Corridor Sustainable Livelihood and Youth Development Directorate conducted a mass community profiling on Wednesday in Ward 93, Kwa Rasta, Primrose, Germiston.

Identifying Vulnerability and Priority Needs

The initiative, known as Asifikanga Sigalelekile ((“We have arrived, we will not be silent”) aims to identify and address the needs of vulnerable individuals and households. It forms part of the Department’s broader strategy to intervene in areas such as:
•⁠ ⁠Unemployment or lack of income
•⁠ ⁠Food insecurity
•⁠ ⁠Exposure to substance abuse
•⁠ ⁠Experience of gender-based violence (GBV)
•⁠ ⁠Limited or no access to skills development opportunities
•⁠ ⁠Inadequate agricultural support or livelihood resources
•⁠ ⁠Chronic illness, disability, or other social challenges
Special attention is given to child-headed households, the elderly, people with disabilities, and unemployed youth.

The Profiling Process

According to Community Development Supervisor Nomthandazo Maphumulo, over 260 Sawubona Mhlali Service Delivery Brigades, alongside Community Health Workers, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and Community Development Workers, went door-to-door to gather household information. Using the Department’s War-on-Poverty questionnaire, fieldworkers recorded:
•⁠ ⁠The number of household members and their schooling status
•⁠ ⁠Receipt of social grants
•⁠ ⁠Food assistance needs
•⁠ ⁠Existing skills and training needs
•⁠ ⁠Employment status and income sources
•⁠ ⁠Access to healthcare and other services
Each household interview takes approximately 20–30 minutes and aims to build a comprehensive picture of both immediate and long-term needs.

From Data to Direct Support

Information gathered during the profiling is used to link households with relevant services, for example where skills development needs are identified, referrals are made to Kitso Lesedi, a Department-funded Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) based in Germiston. Food-insecure households are connected to food relief initiatives, while survivors of GBV are referred to appropriate social support services.
“This programme brings services directly to the people,” she added. “We begin with ward-based household profiling to fast-track service delivery and ensure all relevant community stakeholders are involved.”

Ongoing Monitoring and Follow-up

The Department plans to update the profiling data periodically to track household circumstances and ensure that interventions remain relevant. The information is integrated into the Department’s broader service delivery database to support coordinated action across government and community partners.
Previous profiling exercises in other wards have resulted in measurable improvements, including increased access to skills training, job placements, and enhanced food security. The Department aims to replicate and scale these successes in Ward 93.