01 Mar 2016

HOPE Worldwide Botswana on Saturday hosted a mini fair for women groups in Molepolole to give them an opportunity to showcase their projects, products and services as a way of empowering them.

Programme manager at HOPE Worldwide Botswana Ms Ellen Eyman told BOPA in an interview that through one of their programmes, Grassroot Building on Our Wealth (GROW), they targeted women who are deemed vulnerable in cases of poverty and violence and empowered them with life skills.

She said they do not provide funding but assist such groups on how to access funding from local stakeholders and how to take advantage of available government initiatives.

“We advise them to form groups and facilitate them on life skills, making money and saving so that they become self – reliant,” she said.

However, Ms Eyman explained that women were also provided with child development skills thereby giving them an opportunity to form their own baby-care services to earn money.

A representative from one of groups that had benefitted from HOPE, Ms Tsholofelo Kabanna of Kgopolano group, said they contributed money which was saved but any member who borrows it was charged interest.

She said through their contributions and knowledge gained from HOPE, they were able to get funding from Barclay’s Bank to buy a washing machine and an ironing board, adding that they now provide  laundry service.

She said besides the laundry services, they also make clay pots, make gift bags and sell them to generate income

Besides giving women life skills, as part of its biggest role HOPE also encourages women to get tested for HIV/AIDs, encouraging healthy living.  Ends