21 Nov 2017

President Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama says government through the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) is supporting poverty eradication beneficiaries.

Giving a key note address at the Poverty Eradication National Expo yesterday (November 21), President Khama said government had through EDD supported beneficiaries operating popular packages such as bakeries that supplied schools with bread as well as eggs and produce from cluster gardens by purchasing their produce for primary school feeding programme.

As a way of supporting textiles beneficiaries, President Khama said schools and parents were encouraged to buy from textile beneficiaries, while toilet paper was being procured by government departments and institutions alike.

He said various districts councils and other construction sites under the destitute housing programme were also procuring Kgalagadi sand bricks from Maubelo as a way of ensuring that the programme sustained  itself and empowered the community. 

President Khama stated that there were currently 51 794 poverty eradication beneficiaries who had qualified for funding, and encouraged all beneficiaries funded to continue working hard in their operations and gear towards producing quality products unique to the market.

He said government would continue to provide meaningful support to beneficiaries and secure potential markets for their products.

President Khama said government support towards poverty eradication beneficiaries was an important milestone towards government’s strategic objectives of economic diversification as it was testimony of government’s desire to give Batswana dignity through strategies and initiatives aimed at cushioning vulnerable and disadvantaged groups against  effects of poverty.

President Khama highlighted that it was evident that improvement of welfare and living conditions for all Batswana was  government foremost objective therefore benefits from successful and sustainable projects that were being  vigorously pursued should translate into a better life for all.

He added that the success of some projects funded under the poverty eradication programme was a clear demonstration of the entrepreneurship spirit and perseverance that some of the citizens possessed despite their lack of resources to establish themselves.

Government, he said, was encouraged by the enthusiasm displayed through excelling projects hence that spirit should not die away but should rather be a passion which carries them to greater heights since they had potential of becoming key economic drivers.

He further pleaded with beneficiaries to have an unflinching hope and faith in their projects as well as a personal resolution to work hard and achieve their goals.

President Khama remained optimistic that the remaining beneficiaries who have qualified for funding but yet to be packaged, would take up their projects once funded and run with them to attain improved livelihoods and sustainability. ENDS