06 May 2014

Ms Onkabetse Mabe, 35, first applied for the poverty eradication programme in 2013, and her application was approved.

It was the beginning of a positive change in the life of the woman, who hails from Mabe ward in Kanye.

A staunch believer in God, Ms Mabe said she was always confident that her proposal for funding to open a hair salon would be approved. She revealed that through the poverty eradication programme, she was able to obtain essentials such as a generator, hair dryers and hair relaxer. “I was now ready to roll and in January I opened the doors of my salon,” she said.

To add to her passion, Ms Mabe was also well skilled and equipped to operate a hair salon, as government had enrolled her on a hair dressing course for 16 weeks at the Ramatea Vocational Training Center. She said she learnt a lot through the course and was now able to meet all her customers’ needs.

Ms Mabe singled out her social worker Ms Naledi Mookodi and Kgosing VDC chairperson Ms Masego Nokwane as her biggest mentors, saying they are the ones who encouraged her to apply for the poverty eradication program and helped her set up her business.

“Because of their mentorship I now operate a successful enterprise that earns me about P2 000 a month. I can feed my family and pay for my children’s school fees all thanks to the poverty eradication program,” she said.

She revealed that she saved some of her income for a rainy day. For Ms Mabe, the poverty eradication programme was a God send because it gave her dignity and enabled her to use her own labor to make a living for herself.

“I am now my own woman. I am able to generate large amounts of money for myself and my family, money that I never thought I could earn in my lifetime,” she said.

She expressed regret that some of her peers who also benefited from the poverty eradication program have given up after their projects collapsed.

She encouraged those who are assisted to work hard to ensure that their businesses survive and become successful. Looking into the future, Ms Mabe shares her aspiration to grow her hair salon into a large enterprise that employs more youth.

She aspires to be an employment creator who complements government, in her own little way, to reduce the high levels of unemployment.

And she is very thankful to God for the blessings. After dropping out of school at Form 2, Ms Mabe resigned to a life of poverty and hard labour. Prospects were few and the menial jobs that she took on paid very little.

But she soldiered on, and God answered her prayers through the poverty eradication program. Her father, Daniel Titei, was always by her side, encouraging her to hold on, to work hard and capitalise on the once in a lifetime opportunity presented by the poverty eradication program.

Her mentors, the social workers and VDC personnel, also provided much needed guidance.

“I thank God for all these blessings. To others who may find themselves in similar situations, I say be patient, work hard and persevere. Our government is there to assist us, and we must take up their offer and use it to improve our lives,” she said. ENDS