The Project (Umjindi-Elukwatini Guardian) is a Small Commercial Pint project, which
is
distributed in the neighbouring communities of Umjindi (Barberton and Elukwatini).
Both communities combined have a population of roughly 200 000+/-. However,
while Umjindi (Barberton) can be described as semi-rural, Elukwatini is
predominantly rural.
The employment levels are on par with national statistics of 25 to 30 %
unemployment
especially among the youth, however both communities have thriving retail sectors
and are homes to mining, especially Umjindi (Barberton).
Prior to Umjindi – Elukwatini Guardian, both communities did not have the service of
a locally focused print publication, nor digital. This led to the community relying a lot
on social media, unfortunately these platforms can sometimes carry a lot of fake
news. Umjindi-Elukwatini Guardian is a monthly 12-page tabloid newspaper and is
also complimented by a digital version. Since it started publishing, it has been
carrying a lot of stories about health matters, which has helped the communities to
learn more about the Covid 19 pandemic.