Woman makes brisk business with sweets

Pini Bothoko | Tuesday October 7, 2014 11:15

Nokuthula Gilbert

It has always been a subsistence undertaking to put food on the family table.

The confectioner set up in the rural North East village of Butale in 1991 after learning the skills from a childhood friend in Zimbabwe during her teens.

Gilbert disclosed in an interview that even though it took a while for her to put the skills into practice, the moment she introduced this business, it took the village by storm especially amongst her key customers like village kids and the elderly.

The mother of six- four boys and three girls- who has been a widow for the past 13 years, explained that now with the sell of sweets, she is able to feed her children.

Gilbert, a farmer, said that her dream is to have a big successful sweets company that can supply local shops with sweets but does not have funds to make her dream come true.

She said that processing homemade sweets is simple, cost effective because she has been doing it with her Ipelegeng wages.

The trader disclosed that all the ingredients and utensils used are not that expensive, just that at times she struggles to afford especially when she is not under the Ipelegeng programme.

She said that she usually uses the profits that she makes from selling sweets. And whenever something is left over in the profit, she uses it to buy food for her children.

“What I need is to have ice block trays in different shapes and size, straws to design the sweets handles, sugar, cream of tartar, essence of favour and food colouring.

“All of these things are not that expensive. It’s just that I am currently unemployed But once I obtain at least P200, I can buy all of these ingredients, “ she said.

Gilbert narrated that when preparing sweets, firstly she pours three small cups (30ml) of sugar into a 1 1/2- cold water bowl, add a quarter of teaspoon cream of tartar, adds the same measurement of essence of favour of any colour of choice, cooks for five minutes while continuously stirring until it jellifies.

She said that to confirm the mixer’s thickness, she pours it on the floor and when it sticks and dries immediately, it shows that the mixer is ready.

She subsequently pours it (mixer) in trays lubricated with cooking oil for easy removal after drying.

“For the mixer to reach its concentration point, I then put the trays in a bowl with cold water for sometime to cool.

“Then I cut straws to design sweets handles which will be placed in the centre of the mixture to dry.

She said that though her business has been in existence for the past 23 years, she has been doing it seasonally because she always takes a break for ploughing and for Mophane worm harvest.

She said that her business is common in the village especially amongst children and elderly people. “I have a popular spot in the village just a few meters from the primary school gate.

“Here I put a table displaying al kinds of sweets and they cost from P0.30t, P0.50t to P1. 00, “ she said.

Even though she has not sought assistance before, Gilbert disclosed that she now has plans to contact the village social worker to enroll under any government initiatives for business sponsorship to open a small factory in the village.

“I wish to see this business prospering where I will be able to supply big shops and end up blocking the import of sweets, especially in the north of Botswana, “ she said.

She said that what she needs is to have a factory in which she will be able to employ other citizens and take part in developing the economy of her village.

It has always been a subsistence undertaking to put food on the family table.The confectioner set up in the rural North East village of Butale in 1991 after learning the skills from a childhood friend in Zimbabwe during her teens.Gilbert disclosed in an interview that even though it took a while for her to put the skills into practice, the moment she introduced this business, it took the village by storm especially amongst her key customers like village kids and the elderly.The mother of six- four boys and three girls- who has been a widow for the past 13 years, explained that now with the sell of sweets, she is able to feed her children.Gilbert, a farmer, said that her dream is to have a big successful sweets company that can supply local shops with sweets but does not have funds to make her dream come true.

She said that processing homemade sweets is simple, cost effective because she has been doing it with her Ipelegeng wages.The trader disclosed that all the ingredients and utensils used are not that expensive, just that at times she struggles to afford especially when she is not under the Ipelegeng programme.

She said that she usually uses the profits that she makes from selling sweets. And whenever something is left over in the profit, she uses it to buy food for her children.“What I need is to have ice block trays in different shapes and size, straws to design the sweets handles, sugar, cream of tartar, essence of favour and food colouring.“All of these things are not that expensive. It’s just that I am currently unemployed But once I obtain at least P200, I can buy all of these ingredients, “ she said. Gilbert narrated that when preparing sweets, firstly she pours three small cups (30ml) of sugar into a 1 1/2- cold water bowl, add a quarter of teaspoon cream of tartar, adds the same measurement of essence of favour of any colour of choice, cooks for five minutes while continuously stirring until it jellifies.She said that to confirm the mixer’s thickness, she pours it on the floor and when it sticks and dries immediately, it shows that the mixer is ready.She subsequently pours it (mixer) in trays lubricated with cooking oil for easy removal after drying.

“For the mixer to reach its concentration point, I then put the trays in a bowl with cold water for sometime to cool.“Then I cut straws to design sweets handles which will be placed in the centre of the mixture to dry.She said that though her business has been in existence for the past 23 years, she has been doing it seasonally because she always takes a break for ploughing and for Mophane worm harvest. She said that her business is common in the village especially amongst children and elderly people.

“I have a popular spot in the village just a few meters from the primary school gate. “Here I put a table displaying al kinds of sweets and they cost from P0.30t, P0.50t to P1. 00, “ she said.Even though she has not sought assistance before, Gilbert disclosed that she now has plans to contact the village social worker to enroll under any government initiatives for business sponsorship to open a small factory in the village.“I wish to see this business prospering where I will be able to supply big shops and end up blocking the import of sweets, especially in the north of Botswana, “ she said.She said that what she needs is to have a factory in which she will be able to employ other citizens and take part in developing the economy of her village.