Jwaneng Women Turn To Cooperatives

Lebogang Baingapi | Monday February 13, 2017 15:53

In Jwaneng, women have turned to cooperatives where they empower each other with business skills. The programme, referred to as Community Women in Cooperative (CWiC), a brainchild of the Member of Parliament for Jwaneng/ Mabutsane Shawn Ntlhaile, has brought together women in business to evaluate how they can merge their efforts to contribute to the economy.The initiative aims to strengthen future women cooperative leaders, with the believe that they can serve as a powerful channel through which life winning socio-economic benefits could be achieved by Batswana women.

The programme is a developmental programme that seeks to rally women across communities in Jwaneng/Mabutsane constituency through training and equipping them with knowledge, skills  and ability to be able to drive the cooperatives campaign and impact on the lives of grass roots women and families.

Currently women in the mining town are going through training to empower them to run cooperatives. Ntlhaile revealed in an interview that the first cooperative of its kind will be registered and operated as a credit union. He is optimistic that the project will eradicate poverty and create employment as well as instil the spirit of entrepreneurship among women. He said after a successful women workshop held in December last year, the focus will now be on the youth next month to create a similar initiative. He said unemployment remains a challenge in Jwaneng as the youth continue to flock the town with the hope of finding a job in the mine.

He said with the intended cooperatives, the youth will also learn business through digital platforms. He said technology continues to grow and play a pivotal role in the economy and therefore it is important for the youth to be up to date with new technologies that can market their businesses.

“Jwaneng has shortage of land and that alone is a hindrance for investors to come to the town. Local entrepreneurs also feel hard done by the ordeal and construction of factory shells can be the solution,” he added.

Ntlhaile said Botswana Investmenet and Trade Centre (BITC) is tasked with attracting investors to the country and he is in talks with the authorities to consider Jwaneng whose economy is solely dependent on diamonds. He added that land servicing should also be given priority to attract more businesses to the town.

Ntlhaile was of the view that Public, Private Partnership (PPP) can only be achieved when the youth, women and entrepreneurs are partnering with the government in eradicating poverty through community projects.