29 May 2014

Grassroots Building Our Wealth (GROW), an initiative run by Bakgatla Bolokang Matshelo (BBM), has begun to bare fruit in the Kgatleng District.

The initiative aimed to empower communities socially and economically by organising them into empowerment groups where they could explore their environment and realise their hidden capacity to effect change in their lives.

Speaking during the Economic Strengthening Information Day at Molefi Senior Secondary School in Mochudi on May 27, the coordinator of BBM, Ms Stella Raphoto said the main objective of the economic empowerment day was to equip participants with information on how they could improve their lives and economic status.

She said the target groups were GROW group members and young single mothers who would have a chance to learn from stakeholders such as government departments and the Local Enterprise Authority  (LEA).

Ms Raphoto said the aim was to empower and capacitate members with knowledge so that they could start their own income generating projects which would improve their economic lives.

The coordinator noted that many people have business ideas, but lack information on how to start building their idea hence bringing different stakeholders to assist with relevant information.

Ms Raphoto said various programmes in government could help improve members’ lives and help them to put bread on the table. 

She said they have more than 20 GROW groups in Kgatleng, three in Sikwane, three in Malotwana and some in Rasesa while the rest are in Mochudi.

Some of the groups, she said, have ventured into catering, bakery while others would go into sewing so that they could manufacture school uniforms.
“This kind of workshop will help them understand what to do and the way forward. 

Experts from different fields have been brought in to teach and share what they offer so that the groups can seek help and find a way out,” she said.

GROW groups do not only benefit members financially, but also physically and socially since they also encourage team spirit. 

The groups meet once every week and make individual contributions to save for future use.  

She commended the group, saying they have so far saved P35 000 despite that they were earning little to nothing. 

They also lend money to each other with little interest to raise more funds, she added.

The Kgabo T K growth group, formed eight years ago, has been doing well, its chairperson, Ms Lesego Molefe said.

She said they have begun to reap the fruits of their labour in their group of 22 members consisting of 21 women and one man.

Ms Molefe noted that as she was dealing with different characters as the chairperson, she has to be humble and caring so that no one feels unwanted and leave the group.

She said if they could continue to work with the same spirit, they would achieve their goal, adding that they have now legally registered their group.

Ms Molefe admitted that there were challenges, but said they find ways of dealing with them without interfering with the group’s business. For the group to be successful, she added, members should forgo gossiping and backbiting as they destroy the foundation and the vision of the whole group.

She encouraged love and peace together with knowledge and understanding for the growth and establishment of the groups. ENDS