04 Sep 2017

Mahalapye Sub-council chairperson, Mr Tassman Cebani says poverty eradication initiatives enhance self-reliance and encourage people to be resilient and to develop themselves.

Mr Cebani said this when officially opening the Mahalapye Sub-district poverty eradication exposition in Mahalapye on Friday.

He said the exposition rallies behind the development principle which called for a poverty free Botswana through various poverty eradication initiatives.

He noted that Botswana, through Vision 2036, has committed under the pillar of “human, social development,” that by 2036 Batswana would be empowered to positively contribute to the country’s development.

He urged beneficiaries of various initiatives to showcase their businesses and take the opportunity to market, network and get feedback from consumers of their services and to learn from each other.

He also noted that government provided opportunities for every Motswana to help themselves out of poverty through different programmes such as the Youth Development Fund, LIMID and poverty eradication initiatives.

He said they should make use of the programmes so that they become independent and successful business people.

Mr Cebani said the exposition had come at the right time, and that it was in line with the government initiative of  Local Economic Development (LED) which was a sectoral approach that identified opportunities for using local resources to create employment mainly focusing on social issues such as poverty.

He said the day was not only about selling or buying but was also a day where the Mahalapye Sub-district showcased all successfully funded projects as well as to learn from each other the ropes of business management including challenges and ideas on how to overcome them.

He said it was on days like this that business associations were made and people would know where to find different products.

The theme of the event was: From dependency to self-sustenance.

Furthermore, Mr Cebani explained that the show was an economic empowerment initiative that was intended to enhance the spirit of entrepreneurship among micro entrepreneurs in the Mahalapye Sub-district.

He also said it was to create a platform for micro entrepreneurs to share skills and ideas on the best marketing strategies for their products.

Mr Cebani applauded all partners and stakeholders, including the private sector, who contributed towards the initiative as well as their support for economic empowerment which was a poverty eradication initiative.

He also urged all sectors and organisations to support the initiative as it would benefit the country.

For his part, Mahalapye Sub-district commissioner, Mr Bakuedi Masole said the objectives of the exposition were to showcase successful poverty eradication projects in the sub-district.

He said it also included identifying excelling projects that would go for further participation at the Central District Cluster Fair in Serowe.

Mr Masole said the event also appreciated government programmes designed to eradicate poverty and create a platform for micro entrepreneurs to interact and share ideas on best business practices.  Ends