Khonkhwa Women Thrive In Business
Lebogang Baingapi | Monday December 5, 2016 18:00
Through the Humana People to People organisation, the women adopted the GROW (Grass Roots Building Our Wealth) programme which aims at empowering women with business skills.
The programme, which is funded by European Union, has rolled out to Khonkhwa, Mahotshwane, Keng, Khakhea, Morwamosu, Itholoke, Mabutsane, Kutuku and Sekoma.
It is mandated to empower women economically where they are organised in small groups and they decide on how they want to raise funds for themselves and alternatively do monthly or weekly contributions towards the group.
The leader of the group named Sedibeng Go Iwa Ka Tsela, Dyna Batshomi is one proud lady who has not allowed poverty to depress her.
She and other nine members are working tirelessly to support each other socially, financially and business-wise. The group meets every Tuesday to reflect on the challenges they face daily and see how they can help each other.
The group has opened a bank account from which they loan each other some funds to start small businesses.
They also do motshelo of cutlery as a way of encouraging each other to have kitchen utensils. Batshomi glorified the GROW programme which she said has empowered them to form groups of empowerment that has further opened their eyes to care for each other.
Though they have fundraising activities to help their group grow, each member also has a small business like a bakery, tuck shop and kiosk to sustain their family. It is also initiatives like these which unite a small close-knit community like Khonkhwa, which is not endowed with the kind of developments found in bigger villages.
Batshomi also added that they assist each other with small insurance covers of burial and other celebrations, which require contributions.
“We are however strict when it comes to attendance and punctuality in our meetings, hence we charge the offenders a certain amount to add to our account.
We also depend on joining fees and other contributions to keep our account active,” she explained.
Another resident who is a member of Sa-Mosima group is also grateful for the empowerment groups in her village. Oikanye Baitiredi has been sitting at home wondering where the next meal will come from but thanks to the GROW programme, she borrowed money from her group to start a pop-corn business.
She is known among the residents for knocking door-to-door to sell her home made popcorns. Though she said she needs a popcorn making machine, she is determined to supply and satisfy her customers who are mostly the elderly as well as primary school pupils.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for these women who wake up everyday to eke out a living against challenges of being perhaps far from social amenities.