30 Jul 2017

 The Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development Mr Tshenolo Mabeo has called on residents of Thamaga and the country at large to support the Botswelelo Centre.

Popularly known as Thamaga Pottery, Botswelelo Centre is a pottery project that started in the 1970s as a community-based rural development initiative with the help of a Roman Catholic Missionary, Mr Julian Black who offered free pottery training to the young people in the village with the objective of creating employment.

In an interview, Mr Mabeo explained that Botswelelo Centre was one of the greatest assets the t people of Thamaga had calling them all join hands in supporting and marketing it to the international markets.

“Botswelelo Centre has the potential to bring tourists and investors to the village and I think that is where we are failing to see the opportunity as residents of Thamaga,” he said.

Mr Mabeo said the Village Development Committee (VDC) should play a part in ensuring that the centre runs and operates smoothly. He said some funds from the VDC could be injected in the initiatives that the centre wishes to fulfill.

“They could have long launched their website but due to lack of resources, they still haven’t done that. That is where I feel the VDC should step in and assist since the centre belongs to the community and as such, needs all the support it could get from it,” he said.

He said the rebranding that the centre plans to undergo could even help in retraining and improving the staff’s skills, and said it is very crucial that the workers’ skills are developed and improved in order to bring more creativity and innovation to their craft without having to lose their original creative touch.

He said the rebranding could also open up job opportunities for the youth, saying it was very vital that the youth were taught such skills as they were the ones who will carry the legacy of Botsweleo Centre into the future.

For his part board member, Mr Monthusi Dibotelo decried lack of support by the community, stating that they were on their own even though the centre was supposed to be a community project. He emphasized that Thamaga residents and the country at large need to support them as the centre had the potential to transform lives and eventually help boost the economy of the country.

“We are very worried by the fact that most of our clients are people from overseas. We do not see much of the local people and we heard some complain that our products are expensive, but we can assure them that the quality of our products is worth every thebe,” he said.

He further explained that they were open to suggestions on how to improve the centre and make it beneficial to the village of Thamaga and the country at large.

“We would like to see more people coming forth with ideas on how we can transform this centre and in the process transform our village. We cannot do this alone and we need all the help we can get from different people,” he said.

Mr Dibotelo since Botswelelo Centre was a community project, residents should own it and improve it to be able to serve the purpose it was initially established to.

He confirmed that they have plans in place to attract more clients as well as create employment for the youth. Mr Diobotelo said Botswelelo Centre will incorporate a coffee shop in the near future and that most of their clients have indicated it is something they would appreciate.

He encouraged the youth of Thamaga to participate at the centre and be eager to learn the craft of pottery as they can in future use the skills to create employments for themselves and others and be able to change their lives for the better.  ENDS