11 Jun 2014

The bakery business package under the poverty eradication programme has benefitted Ms Tshebo Mbochwa from Tutume.



Ms Mbochwa said the bakery business had changed her life for the better.

 Her dreams came true early last year when she was chosen to bake for Ipelegeng workers in Selolwane ward and since then she never looked back but continued to bake to make a living, selling her scones and fat cakes to the Selolwane community. 



“I was not making much profit to cater for the needs of my family, so I decided to register for the bakery programme to be assisted with equipment to improve my business,” she said.



Her big break came last year in April when her household was assessed to check if indeed she qualified for government assistance under the poverty eradication programme. 



“I was selected as a beneficiary for the bakery programme and attended a workshop in Nata, which was done to equip us with knowledge and skills about bakery and given a certificate of attendance after the five days,” she noted.



In October, she went for a second workshop at Oasis Motel in Tlokweng for a two-week short course in bakery and was awarded a certificate. 

She also got the chance to learn about bookkeeping and business management as well as making different bakery products such as scones, biscuits, cakes, loaf and rim buns and used the acquired skills to improve her business. 



In May 2014 she received a stove, cylinder, table and fridge from the Social Welfare office and still waiting for them to deliver flour and other baking ingredients.

Ms Mbochwa sells her fat cakes at P1 and the scones P1.50 for Selolwane community. 
 “At the moment I go around the village and at the kgotla when the elders come for their pension money selling my products as I have not yet won any major tender to supply my products,” she said.



Just like other businesses, she encounters problems in her bakery and she had to stop making scones even though they are her customers’ favorites due to lack of ingredients such as eggs, cake flour and milk as they are very expensive. 

 “If only I had received all the baking ingredients then my business could be doing better”, she said. 



She has now introduced rim buns which requires fewer ingredients to bake and drinks to make profit. 

 Her wish is to make profit so she can be able to employ at least two people and expand her bakery.



Ms Mbochwa said at the moment she is trying to apply for tenders in schools and local shops for her business and hope the introduction of a market day once a month in the village will give her a chance to market her products. 



She is also working hand in hand with the other bakery beneficiary in the village to assist each other in dealing with problems they come across. 

 In spite of all the problems she encounters, Ms Mbochwa said she will not give up on her dreams on owning a successful bakery and providing for her family. ENDS