27 Sep 2017

Poverty Eradication programme has improved livelihoods of Batswana in different parts of the country.

Palapye and Mahalapye sub-districts in the Central District have also recorded substantial progress.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Poverty Eradication Best Practice Expo in Gaborone Tuesday, Ms Kutlo Bareki, a Poverty Eradication coordinator based in Palapye, said Batswana were able to improve their livelihoods through the programme.

“Since the programme was introduced in the Palapye Sub-district, about 3 000 individuals were assessed and 1 926 were confirmed to be in abject poverty.

The sub-district has so far managed to fund 1 040 projects 865 of which are operational,” she said.

She added that 1 877 beneficiaries had been technically trained, and of the operational projects, 65 were considered to be excelling.

“We have some beneficiaries who have gone beyond just earning a living, but are now generating enough revenue to construct houses for their families and employ other people in their businesses, as well as expand their enterprises,” Ms Bareki said.

Explaining the process that beneficiaries go through, Ms Bareki said that the poverty eradication programme was coordinated through the practical use of various government departments.

“The Social and Community Development (S&CD) assesses potential beneficiaries, and those who qualify undergo training, before being sponsored through various packages. Various government departments, including Crop Production, Animal Production, Wildlife, Forestry and Range Resources as well as Gender Affairs provide the projects,” she said.

Beneficiaries are assisted to engage in small stock, free-range chicken, guinea fowl, poultry, fishing, crop production, bee-keeping and other small-scale businesses that assist them to earn a living. Ms Kagiso Senthufe, a Poverty Eradication coordinator in Mahalapye, said that they also had success stories, despite some challenges since the programme was piloted a few years ago.

However, she said they also had some excelling projects that had seen beneficiaries graduate to becoming employers, as their businesses expanded to generate jobs for others. BOPA