30 Mar 2016

 Residents of Tsamaya and surrounding villages are happy over a brick moulding poverty alleviation project which was established by the Ministry of Lands and Housing in 2008 in Tsamaya.

The project, known as the Tsamaya Poverty Alleviation and Housing Project, has put smiles and turned around the lives of many people in the North East District.

The project has benefited residents of Mabudzane, Tsamaya, Siviya, Jackalas 2, Mowana and Themashanga, especially the unemployed. It was established with the intention to alleviate poverty as well as create jobs.

The project supervisor, Ms Natshani Toitoi, a beneficiary from Jackalas 2, said the project was benefiting and has positively changed their lives.

She added that as beneficiaries they get 10 per cent of the daily production and that the remaining 90 per cent of bricks were sold and the profit used to pay them as well as buy other necessary materials such as cement.

She further noted that currently there were only 18 beneficiaries as others have quit and each of them was expected to mould at least two bags of cement a day.

Ms Toitoi also stated that with the scarcity of jobs facing the country, they found the project to be as their golden opportunity since they earn a better living in addition to the bricks they get every day. 

“It is something big to us and our lives are much better than before,” she said.

She also added that it was not easy for someone to give two or even a single brick everyday plus a salary.

She also noted that the only challenge that hinders their production was the water shortage, but that they were hoping that the situation would be back to normal soon and they would be back to business.

Ms Toitoi added that she managed to build herself a five-roomed house in Jackalas 2 and has even electrified it. 

She said even though their job was exhausting and involved hard work since they do not use any machinery, they do not complain as they were  benefiting from it.

She said their dream was to take full control of their project since it was under their district council.

One other beneficiary, 52-year-old Ms Gladys Kula from Tsamaya also indicated how profiting the project has been to her family.

She said she managed to put a roof over their heads. 

She also stated that she had more than 10 years battling unemployment with no source of income, adding that life was a bit difficult since she had to provide food and pay for her children’s school fees, but had nowhere to source income.

She said she only had a two-roomed house in her yard, but she managed to extend it into five-rooms, adding that she painted and also electrified it which was her great achievement since she has long dreamt of having a big, electrified house.

She further noted that sometimes they get six bricks each per day as their 10 per cent supply of bricks from the daily production and that they have done a motshelo to help each other buy building materials.

For her part, one youth also from Tsamaya, 33-year-old Ms Violet Ndlala also stated that they never go hungry since she now has a salary, thanks to the project. 

She stated that she used to feel hopeless with life since poverty had stricken her but she was now happy.

She also indicated that she too has managed to build a two-roomed house, which was even well-furnished.

Ms Ndlala thanked the Ministry of Lands and Housing for establishing such projects as they help to get more people off the streets and also help fight poverty. 

She also stated that they intend to work hard and extend their project to benefit a lot of people especially the less privileged.

Tsamaya Poverty Alleviation and Housing project makes all sizes of bricks; four and four and a half inch bricks sell at P4.50 each, six inches sell at P5 each while stock bricks sell at P1.10 each. ENDS