24 Aug 2015

The government’s poverty eradication programme bears fruits in Boteti. Ms Favourite Phumusa, principal home economics officer at Boteti Sub-district council said over 800 people had applied since the programme commenced.

She said they engaged various stakeholders to help identify, select, train and sponsor deserving recipients. “I am happy to report that the poverty eradication programme in our region is progressing well. We implement the programme through four departments, which are social and community development, animal production, crop production and gender affairs.” 

She said other community members who were not included in the categories give technical advice and training. She said the sub-district has lobbied various government departments and other stakeholders to have an input in supporting upcoming projects.

The move, she said, was yielding results as some beneficiaries had been awarded tenders to supply local institutions and businesses in an endeavour to promote the economic development of Boteti. She said beneficiaries were from Letlhakane as well as settlements within the sub-district. 

“Monthly monitoring has revealed that beneficiaries are able to sustain themselves and their families through purchasing of food and payment of school fees. This is a point worth noting, as now the beneficiaries are no longer dependent on government for their livelihoods. 

Some beneficiaries have opened savings accounts to assist in dire times, built one-roomed shelter and even purchased small stock from the proceeds from their businesses,” she said. She said to be eligible for the programme, participants had to demonstrate lack of basic needs and go through an assessment carried out by the socials services and welfare departments. 

Beneficiaries, she said, should also be aged 18 years and above, adding that they should be persons earning a monthly income equivalent to or less than P300. “These should include potential destitute persons, such as those engaged in the Ipelegeng programme, people living with disability and other vulnerable groups.”

She also said beneficiaries should demonstrate the ability, passion and commitment to undertake the project.  “People, who previously benefited from the poverty eradication programme and other government schemes may be considered upon assessment for possible assistance. However, priority will be given to first time beneficiaries,” she said.  

She noted that the social and community development department has 71 projects, two group projects and 69 individual funded under phase I and II. She added that there were 74 beneficiaries for both phases. 

“Fifty-seven projects are operational and six are not operational due to ill-health, group dynamics, loss of interest and pending packaging. Eight projects have collapsed due to abandonment and lack of interest and the said projects have been recommended for repossession,” she said.   

She said they have gone through various phases of the programme, and that in the next phase, they would cast their net wider to reach more people while aiming to up-skill and provide basic business skills to those already on the programme. 

“The sub-district has implemented two phases of the  programme to date, with 877 beneficiaries.

The third phase of implementation is underway. We are currently helping beneficiaries with access to market to sell their wares, showcasing them and running tailored-made workshops that will ensure the programme changes their lives positively.” 

She said the main purpose of the programme was to ensure that the poor, vulnerable and destitute were able to graduate from poverty and achieve self-sufficiency by helping them to run, operate and set up beneficial and self sustaining projects that they were passionate about.   “We empower families and individuals so that they are able to sustain themselves and their families. 

In addressing this challenge, the project officers encourage all poverty eradication beneficiaries to be fully committed to their businesses during monthly monitoring exercises.  She said their biggest challenge was of non-operational projects and abandonment of projects which cuts across all ministries and departments.

She stressed that the programme was still open and enrolling more people, and she called on Boteti residents to apply and seek help from their office.  She also said that those challenged by disability, the youth and women could also register to benefit from various other government services. Ends