11 Jul 2016

The government is systematically supporting the country’s people living with disabilities to have better livelihoods, the introduction of the Disability Entrepreneurship programme for People with Disabilities policy being one such initiative.

In an interview with BOPA, the coordinator of the People Living with Disabilities office in the Office of the President, Mr Thomas Motingwa said the policy intervention is in alignment with the five government priority areas that President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has pledged to deliver.

These pledges, which include taking Batswana out of poverty and making job creation a priority, inspired the Disability Entrepreneurship programme, through which government assists people living with disabilities (PLWDs) to become entrepreneurs.

“We provide training for PLWDs on how to start businesses from the scratch and on how to maintain already existing businesses, keeping them afloat and growing them to become sustainable,” Mr Motingwa said.

He said they had introduced the programme in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), implementing international best practice on empowering the disabled through business training programmes.

“We have already empowered PLWDs with training in Letlhakane, Masunga, Francistown, Selibe Phikwe, Maun and Kasane, and we will be rolling out the programme to other parts of the country, places such as Good Hope, Lobatse, Ghanzi and the rest of Botswana,” he said.

Mr Motingwa said this is part of a broader government initiative to empower people liivng with disability, which includes the assistance availed such as the social welfare programme.

“There are disabled people who lack the means to attain gainful employment are given a disability allowance.  The poor are assisted with a monthly food basket, while those able to benefit from the poverty eradication packages are aided with an affirmative action policy which enables higher uptake of the disabled,” Mr Motingwa said.

He further said the Public Procurement and Assert Disposal Board also has an affirmative action programme to assist PLWDs through local procurement schemes which assist their enterprises in various locations to gain business.

“The Department of Public Service Management (DPSM) also pursues affirmative employment of PWLDs, as the disabled who are qualified do not have to wait in a long line to be enrolled for employment. ENDS