11 Jul 2013

Botlhe Balemoge is a young and upcoming enterprenuer who graduated from the poverty eradication programme.

Just when he completed his senior school in 2009, Gaborone City Council (GCC) social and community development officers identified Botlhe’s artistic talent and advised him to apply for the poverty eradication programme.

He did not look back but followed the advice and for the first time, he exhibited at this year’s GCC mini show which was held over the July 5-7 weekend in Gaborone.

Presenting art frame works drawn using charcoal and coloured pencils, Botlhe’s artworks depicted Basarwa and African lifystyle in abstract.

The artworks impressed the judges and selected him among 57 exhibitors.

He will for the very first time exhibit at the national consumer fair which will be held in Gaborone from July 22.

Botlhe expressed gratitude to the programme adding that it has indeed been an eye opener to his life.

As a way to prepare its women empowerment and poverty eradication programmes beneficiaries for the national consumer fair, Gaborone City Council annually hosts them to a mini show.

An annual event which is held as a prelude to the coming national consumer fair, the mini show comes as a way to assist the beneficiaries to fully prepare and ready themselves for the fair.

In an interview after the show, GCC principal Home Economics officer, Ms Dimpho Macheng said the mini show starts as an exhibition where programme beneficiaries are scrutinised and judged on various aspects.

She said only those who satisfy the judges are selected to exhibit at the national consumer fair, billed for July 22.

Ms Macheng said poverty eradication as well as women empowerment program has done wonders for a lot of people as it has improved their economic lives.

She said under the programmes, beneficiaries present business proposals of which they are funded from P10 000 up to P60 000 depending on the viability of their proposals.

She said the City council assures their success as it carries them through initial stages of their businesses, trains them and assures their economic independency.

When the programme started, Ms Macheng said they used to exhibit few businesses and has been growing each year and now grew to have 57 exhibitors.

Various exhibitors ranging from flower arrangers, wood cavers, sewers and food preservers as well as potters found a way to take their products to the public through the mini show. ENDS