04 Jul 2017

Nothing comes from nothing, success comes with sweat, self determination and endurance are the major keys to prosper in every dream.

These are the words of Lebinang Botshabelo of Ndumbakatladi Ward in Shakawe.

The 41 - year old mother is living her dream through tree nursery at her home village.

Ms Botshabelo is very passionate about planting trees and the passion comes from long way back at a tender age.

She started by planting flowers in the yard and later it grew when she added trees.

As time went the passion grew through people’s motivation.

She said they used to ask for fruits from her yard while others came with cash hoping she was selling.

However that opened her eyes as she noticed that it is something she can invest in.

She continued planting flowers and when she was informed about Poverty Eradication Programme by a friend she was  excited to boost her business. 

She applied in 2012 and was funded in 2016 whereupon she was given a net shade, water tank, hose pipe; equipment and a tap jamong others.

Currently she grows different types of flowers and plants like guavas, grape, mogorogorwane, motsaudi, naches, pawpaw, mompudu, motsentsela and  mohamana.

Ms Botshabelo does not only sell fruit trees, some are very huge plants that provide good shade while others have strong poles that can be used for shelter.

Since she started selling her trees she can now provide her extended family and her life has never been the same as it changed for better.

Ms Botshabelo said since the business was seasonal, her patience helped sustain it.

She said even when the business was low she did not despair but rather held on till the better season arrived.

However she is concerned about people who enter her garden and steal her trees.

Such people, she said were lazy to stand for themselves but wanted to benefit from others .

She also said she was facing a challenge of people who never paid back while some took long to pay her.

She said seeds and water bills were expensive and needed to be paid.

“People don’t understand the importance of trees in the region as they still want to eat for free. However I am very patient with them because I see the world is changing and they too will change”, she emphasised.

Ms Botshabelo also noted that it was hectic after rainy season as she was forced to water from her home tap.

Meanwhile she urged people to wake up and use their hands to put bread on the table, adding that people should create employment for themselves. 

She also urged people to choose projects that were friendly and those they were passionate about as that would help them hold on even if things did not go well in future.

She advised that in times when businesses collapsed, they should not ditch them; rather keep pushing till they recovered because ‘nothing came from nothing and success came through sweat.

However she applauded the government for introducing schemes that nurtured their talents and  boosted  businesses.

She is looking forward to expanding her orchard and grow it to become a big company that will be providing other retailers with fruits. ENDS