Single Mothers Thrive In Fashion & Design Business
Lindiwe Mozola | Monday August 7, 2017 16:31
Serowe-born duo of Gonthaletse Ratau (40) and Constance Mokalake (37) say they have been very unfortunate to be abandoned by their lovers together with their five and three children respectively and at the mercy of poverty. “I thought that was the end of me. I had lost hope and thought my children were going to be in endless poverty. What was more difficult was that their father did not support them, it was through God’s mercy that we managed to pull through although some days were bad than others,” Ratau said.
Mokalake shared same sentiments as Ratau that she was forced to stand up and do whatever she could just so to put food on her children’s table saying that at times she would clean people’s yards and do laundry just so her children could get a school uniform. However, these women did not just fold their arms. They knew that their children had no one else except them and what they had in common was that they wanted to provide a better future for their children.
In 2014 they applied for the government’s poverty eradication scheme under fashion and design, where they were fortunate to be funded to the tune of P3,000 including the sewing machines. Today they are trying to penetrate the fashion design industry with their unique designs using materials such as boxes, plastics, newspapers that cost them absolutely nothing.
They design objects such as jewellery boxes, mirrors, tissue boxes, cushions, paper bin and bags. With these designs they use mostly boxes covered with small feathers and wrapped with textile material. “The materials we use are very cheap as most of the times we use boxes that have been dumped or rather seen as garbage. The only materials that we purchase include glasses for the mirrors, textile and fabric materials,” Mokalake said.
Ratau said that they also do pottery work using clay as well as bead work. She said that although life is now different they are still faced with many challenges that impede the growth of their businesses.
She said that lack of a market kills their businesses more especially because their businesses are located in their homes.
“The only clients we have are our neighbours and friends. This is so because we are not fully exposed to the larger market and the few customers that we have sometimes do not pay after taking the goods on credit,” Ratau said.
Ratau further said their wish is for the government to create a market place for poverty eradication beneficiaries so as to expose them to a bigger market. She said that operating in the homes also limits production.
Mokalake also said that her future plan is to open a boutique to sell here designs alongside a hair salon. Their advice to single mothers out there is to stand up for themselves and be independent so that they are not subjected to poverty and abuse from their male counterparts.
They also urged women to utilise government initiatives in bettering their lives and above all to know their worth and their immense capabilities.