PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Botswana President Masisi says country's poverty eradication program making strides
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) Botswana President Eric Mokgweetsi Masisi has lauded the country’s national poverty eradication programme which has impacted positively on the lives of the people.
The president was addressing a two-day workshop and exposition organized in the capital, Gaborone, for beneficiaries of the Botswana National Poverty Eradication Programme with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It was under the theme ‘Building a Resilient Society for a Poverty Free Botswana’.
Some 2009 participants from around Botswana showcased their products ranging from goat and rabbit breeding, horticulture products, carpentry, leatherworks, beads and many other works of art and household products like basket weaving, jam making, among others.
President Masisi said the programme was making tremendous strides and would remain as one of the country’s first priorities aimed at uplifting the livelihoods of citizens of Botswana.
“We will continue to intensify the national poverty eradication programme and make sure it is fruitful and benefits the nation and creates employment for the people,” he stated.
The programme, which was established in 2009, is making strides in eliminating poverty countrywide and adding more packages to existing ones.
“We have employed 28,625 people through this programme and I urge Batswana (citizens of Botswana) to go out and knock on doors and market their products worldwide. The Botswana government aims at buying most of the products but you still have to find market for your products countrywide and outside the country,” said President Masisi.
The Botswana president added that he just attended a Free Continental Trade Agreement conference where African countries were looking into opening borders for a free trade all over Africa and Batswana should not be left without anything to sell around the continent and worldwide.
Nonofo Molefhi, Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, said the exposition followed other district expositions where poverty eradication beneficiaries showcased their products at the district level.
“The district level expositions and the national expositions are something we embark on every year to afford the beneficiaries and, indeed, the private sector an opportunity to interact and explore ways in which they can mutually benefit from each other,” Molefhi said.
The minister said the government continued to be committed towards improving the livelihood of all Batswana, particularly the most vulnerable members of society.
According to Molefhi, the government has spent more than US 1billion dollars on the poverty eradication programme since its inception.
“To date, of those funded, some are doing well and have created employment for others. Poverty eradication projects operate in the same market with other players. Therefore, it is essential that from time to time we expose them to the major stakeholders such as the general public. This is meant to enhance their entrepreneurship skills and spirit,” said Molefhi.
The event also had testimonies from beneficiaries of the poverty eradication programme.
“I started my business of bead weaving in 2012; I have managed to turn my life around. I have been living in a two-roomed house and I am now extending it into a much bigger house. The money I am using all comes from bead making. The only shortcoming of my business is that it is seasonal. Beads sell more during wedding occasions, mostly during holidays. However, I am surviving and making a living from my business which I supplement with catering,” said Lenolda Seloiso, a 50- -year-old woman.
Tshegofatso Mabetu, a 47-year-old woman, who is into goat breeding and leatherworks, says she has bought a Honda Fit car from the profits of her business.
With the car, she says she also runs a butcher’s shop where she sells mostly goat meat, making leather goods like handbags and shoes from tanned goat skins.
Mabetu says she started with only 15 goats but now has more than 300 goats.
-0- PANA MS/RA 15Feb2019
The president was addressing a two-day workshop and exposition organized in the capital, Gaborone, for beneficiaries of the Botswana National Poverty Eradication Programme with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It was under the theme ‘Building a Resilient Society for a Poverty Free Botswana’.
Some 2009 participants from around Botswana showcased their products ranging from goat and rabbit breeding, horticulture products, carpentry, leatherworks, beads and many other works of art and household products like basket weaving, jam making, among others.
President Masisi said the programme was making tremendous strides and would remain as one of the country’s first priorities aimed at uplifting the livelihoods of citizens of Botswana.
“We will continue to intensify the national poverty eradication programme and make sure it is fruitful and benefits the nation and creates employment for the people,” he stated.
The programme, which was established in 2009, is making strides in eliminating poverty countrywide and adding more packages to existing ones.
“We have employed 28,625 people through this programme and I urge Batswana (citizens of Botswana) to go out and knock on doors and market their products worldwide. The Botswana government aims at buying most of the products but you still have to find market for your products countrywide and outside the country,” said President Masisi.
The Botswana president added that he just attended a Free Continental Trade Agreement conference where African countries were looking into opening borders for a free trade all over Africa and Batswana should not be left without anything to sell around the continent and worldwide.
Nonofo Molefhi, Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, said the exposition followed other district expositions where poverty eradication beneficiaries showcased their products at the district level.
“The district level expositions and the national expositions are something we embark on every year to afford the beneficiaries and, indeed, the private sector an opportunity to interact and explore ways in which they can mutually benefit from each other,” Molefhi said.
The minister said the government continued to be committed towards improving the livelihood of all Batswana, particularly the most vulnerable members of society.
According to Molefhi, the government has spent more than US 1billion dollars on the poverty eradication programme since its inception.
“To date, of those funded, some are doing well and have created employment for others. Poverty eradication projects operate in the same market with other players. Therefore, it is essential that from time to time we expose them to the major stakeholders such as the general public. This is meant to enhance their entrepreneurship skills and spirit,” said Molefhi.
The event also had testimonies from beneficiaries of the poverty eradication programme.
“I started my business of bead weaving in 2012; I have managed to turn my life around. I have been living in a two-roomed house and I am now extending it into a much bigger house. The money I am using all comes from bead making. The only shortcoming of my business is that it is seasonal. Beads sell more during wedding occasions, mostly during holidays. However, I am surviving and making a living from my business which I supplement with catering,” said Lenolda Seloiso, a 50- -year-old woman.
Tshegofatso Mabetu, a 47-year-old woman, who is into goat breeding and leatherworks, says she has bought a Honda Fit car from the profits of her business.
With the car, she says she also runs a butcher’s shop where she sells mostly goat meat, making leather goods like handbags and shoes from tanned goat skins.
Mabetu says she started with only 15 goats but now has more than 300 goats.
-0- PANA MS/RA 15Feb2019
Tags Economy
