08 Jun 2016

Residents of Kgomodiatshaba in Mochudi West have been encouraged to make use of government programmes to improve their lives.

Addressing a combined meeting on Tuesday in Kgomodiatshaba with the Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Unity Dow, Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said the government could not fight poverty alone, and that it was the responsibility of beneficiaries to ensure they take the programmes seriously.

He said out of the 45 projects offered under the Poverty Eradication Programme, residents could come up with other initiatives which they know could work better in their area.

Mr Makgalemele said they have begun to employ social workers specifically for the poverty eradication programme so that they could speed up the assessment of potential beneficiaries.

He added that the government would this month double efforts to deal with the backlog of beneficiaries who were yet to be assisted.

The assistant minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Shoshong, told residents that the government has adopted the cluster development concept to promote economic growth through industrial clusters.

Mr Makgalemele said cluster development was one of the most effective instruments to ensure the survival and growth of small, micro and medium enterprises as it enhances their performance. He added that the concept would also lead to the adoption of appropriate technology, improvement of product quality, productivity and increased turnover.

He challenged residents to care for one another and to help those in need.The Minister of Education and Skills Development, Dr Dow said the fight against poverty needs education because it plays an important role in shaping the mind for positive results.

 She said her ministry was crucial because those who need to be trained would be taken to some institutions under her ministry where they would be taught different skills needed by the market.

Minister Dow further said some projects in the village which have collapsed such as carpentry and leatherworks could be revived if the owners were taken back for training and assisted to start afresh.

She said the fight against poverty needs concerted efforts and that they must all work together to improve their lives.Dr Dow implored parents to take part in their children’s education in order to help them do better at school. 

She encouraged parents to give their children time to read at home and to avoid sending them on many errands which hinder them from having time to read.Minister Dow said her ministry would assist the youth who were not working to go back to school or to get training on skills that would benefit them.

Welcoming guests, Kgosi Peter Kgakole said he was happy for the help they receive from the government especially on poverty eradication programmes which continue to benefit residents of the village. ENDS