Years back the government introduced few initiatives like poverty eradication to diversify the economy away from the capital-intensive mining industry. The government wanted to focus on private business and local enterprise, where more and varied jobs are supposed to be created but this seems to be failing as most of the funded projects have collapsed. Last week Francistown City Council (FCC) held a two-day psychosocial support workshop for poverty eradication beneficiaries at Adansonia Hotel. Doing the update on project implementation and monitoring, FCC’s Social and Community Development (S&CD)’s community development officer Gerald Mahumba expressed concern over the poor implementation of poverty eradication projects here. The workshop that attracted beneficiaries of different packages of poverty eradication projects, according to Mahumba, was held to establish how the beneficiaries could be assisted for the success of their projects. He said it is a concern that most of the projects here have collapsed and do not benefit the beneficiaries as was expected. Mahumba said it is a concern that despite the government’s efforts to strive to eradicate hunger and abject poverty, the projects are failing. He said that they have established that majority of projects are failing because the beneficiaries are not committed. “Council is worried that the projects are not doing well and consequently leaving the beneficiaries in poverty. You have to be serious with your projects because having benefited with this initiative, it automatically disqualifies you from benefiting from other initiatives,” said Mahumba. He said it is of concern that some beneficiaries claim to have been sick and left their projects to fall whilst they signed a contract that in case of health problems there will be some of their relatives to take over the running of the business. “Some beneficiaries have abandoned their projects to work in Ipelegeng, hindering other citizens from benefiting. When having problems on implementation of your businesses, please seek help from social workers than abandoning your projects,” said Mahumba. Mahumba rather applauded some beneficiaries who decided to diversify their business when their projects were failing. Commenting, the beneficiaries blamed not having trading licences as a barrier to the success of their businesses. They also raised a concern that the market is saturated and as backyard small businesses, they are struggling to identify customers whilst home. The beneficiaries pleaded with council to issue them permits to sell their goods at the city centre where there are lots of people. Dimakatso Phuti of Gerald Estate, a bakery beneficiary, said the business is slow hence she begged to be allowed to sell at the city centre where there are lots of potential customers. “I once tried to sell my bread at the bus rank, but was chased away by the bye-law officers because I did not have a street vendors’ s permit,” said Phuti who also disclosed not to be having bakery machines.
Phuti rather said with the little profit she makes from selling fat cakes, she managed to open a burial insurance policy with Thusanyo funeral services for P190 per month. Rebecca Khumoetsile, a beneficiary of fashion design from Blue town said competition in her locality is high as there are lots of beneficiaries with similar businesses. “This has affected my business and currently the business is slow, there is no motivation at all,” said Khumoetsile. For her part the beneficiary of catering, Agnes Montshosi selling her food in the city centre said the business used to be better but currently there are lots of people doing similar businesses.
