The morning of going to RLABS we had no idea the impact this organization would have on us all. We walk into their headquarters and was welcomed with bright smiles, coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, and cookies. This was the start of a productive morning considering the fact we were all cold and tired from an early morning.
First we received a tour from the Director of Programming, Craig Dumont of the facility as he gave us a brief synopsis about the mission of the organization. He said that RLABS is a “Social enterprise that impacts communities across the country through training, innovation, and entrepreneurship social gatherings”. They thoroughly listen to the community’s needs and try to the best of their ability to fulfill and impact each individual.
After our tour we went into one of their conference rooms and had a round table discussion that consisted of introductions, laughs, and lots of questions that we had ready for the director. We sat around talking about the many different programs they offer and the impact it has had on the individuals.
An example of a successful program they provided was a single mothers living lab, where mothers were able to come together and have a break from being the back bone of the household. Each mother was able to relax without their children and relate to other mothers that possibly had the same issues. Craig said it was very refreshing for the mothers and they were all able to gain advice on how to handle the many struggles of raising children. It was awesome to hear a successful story like that one because being a mother in a low income community is not the easiest.
After our long hour of asking questions and talking to Craig he guided a few of us to some of his staff that were experts on the topics we chose for our projects for class. Majority of us received great resources and footage for our projects. It was great, because we all was not expecting such a warm and open staff. The staff of RLABS did not know us one bit, but was ready and willing to help us succeed with our projects for the class. I thought to myself if this staff is this awesome with us then I know they are even better to the many different communities across South Africa.
Writing and photos by Asha Wescott, Insta: @_ashkosh
