12 Mar 2015

Life, for Ms Kebotsamang Badiseng (35) has not always been rosy.

Hers was not a life given on a silver platter.  She saw it all when growing up in the village of Mmakgori in the Goodhope sub district where she and her other siblings were raised.  A staunch believer of the old time truth that a slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich, she has never yielded to the storms of life. 

Armed only with a Junior Secondary School Certificate, her childhood drive to be her own boss someday seemed poised to take off the ground thanks to poverty eradication scheme.

“There was an invitation by Good Hope sub-council for aspiring bakers to undertake a six-week training under poverty eradication programme at Mokgomane in 2012 and I jumped at the opportunity forthwith,” she said on the sidelines of the poverty eradication market day to showcase products of beneficiaries in Kanye recently.

She said the Home Economics modules she learnt at Mariba Junior Secondary School over a decade ago came in handy and accorded her the time of her life throughout the duration of the course. Following successful completion of the course, Ms Badiseng took in earnest to the bread kneading business and has never looked back. 

Although initially proceeds were not forthcoming because of limited customer base, Ms Badiseng approached the council to give her more tenders to augment her clientele.

“I approached council top brass and explained my situation to them and after being satisfied with the work that I do I was given a tender to supply Mmakgori Primary School in June 2013,” she says adding that so far she supplies two more primary schools at both Dikhukhung and Lepurung villages.

Ms Badiseng is happy that her business is doing extremely well and that she is able to take care of her siblings and three children without having to seek assistance from outside.

It is her dream, she says to see her business expand and create employment for fellow Batswana even beyond Goodhope sub district. ENDS