05 Apr 2017

From a tender age, Ms Goitseone Mooki would be whipped for playing with waste and littering her mother’s house.

Anything from used papers, small logs, plastics and even stones will make part of her playing ‘toys’ that would lend her in hot soup.

Only a hot slap or few whips would make her shed tears, but she never submitted to the will of her mother to stop playing with waste.

Today at her adulthood, the same litters that used to lend her in trouble are now her only source of income and hope to a better life.

While her mother wanted her to get educated and find a decent job, Ms Mooki would only go as far as Form three in her academic journey.

When she realised that she had reached a dead end with schooling, the Ramotswa born young woman turned to her tender age passion, but there was a hurdle ahead.

Firstly, her mother wanted her to pursue education and get a decent job, a mission she dismally failed to accomplish and now her mother wanted her to inherit the family business of tailoring.

“I had no problem tailoring. Only a deep down conviction made me to believe that being a tailor was neither my passion nor what I desired to be.”

And the only thing she set her eyes upon were garbage and that rekindled the love she had for decorations.

Now, each waste she picks turns into treasure  and has managed to put food on the table for her and her teenage son, a miracle she never thought of.

But her passion would not have blossomed had it not been the support she got from the poverty eradication programme in 2013.

“They have helped me with finances to start this business, I had no money at all,” said the 32-year-old single mother.

Before the poverty eradication programme assistance, Ms Mooki would make a flower only to sell it to buy family needs.

But today, she has managed to make decorations, some which are used in weddings, thanks to the P9 000 assistance from the government’s economic empowerment scheme.

From the financial assistance, she managed to buy glues, artificial flowers, spray paint, vanish and paints to support her business.

Ms Mooki’s cheapest flower sells for about P45 while the most expensive would be sold for around P185.

During a good month, Ms Mooki can make over P2 000 which is mostly during wedding peak periods, as the majority of her customers are individuals and Pentecost churches

To decorate a wedding ceremony, Ms Mooki charges about P450 for weddings in her locality and P550 for those outside.

Nevertheless, there are times when she can not cope with many orders from customers.“There are times when I just wish it was possible to divide myself,” Ms Mooki added.

Nonetheless, due to limited business operations she cannot afford to hire anyone at the moment, and appreciatives the assistance from the poverty eradication programme.

“Poverty eradication is very helpful to us, they have managed to unearth hidden talent which was in me,” she added.

Furthermore, she attributed the promising small business fortunes to its uniqueness, adding that there are few people in her business in Ramotswa.

Today, she is proud that she can make her own money to sustain her family with her passion which used to get her beaten up. ENDS