25 Mar 2018

Botswana Insurance Holding Limited (BIHL) has handed over bakery equipment worth P80 000 to an excelling poverty eradication project in Lesoma.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony on March 22, the BIHL Group board chairperson, Retired Major General Bakwena Oitsile said the trust was fascinated by the commitment and partnership of the two ladies, Ms Keitumetse John and Ms Nakwezi Ntengu.

He said while BIHL started the donation process in 2015, there were delays, but was however thankful that finally the equipment arrived last year.

Rt Major General Oitsile encouraged the beneficiaries to recruit more members into their project to strengthen it.

He advised them to diversify their products and not concentrate on white and brown bread only.

He lamented that most of Batswana-owned businesses fail because they do not want to work as syndicates.

He told the audience that BIHL assisted in areas of poverty and has also contributed a lot to the education sector of the country.

He explained that already it sponsored 22 locals for masters degree programmes and currently 10 are studying at the University of Botswana.

Rt Major General Oitsile said BIHL considers education a long term investment and is assisting some schools around the country by building libraries and train teachers.

He said this year there would be a review to find out the impact of the contribution in the education system.
Chobe District Council chairperson, Councillor Paul Chabaesele thanked BIHL for the donation.
Councillor Chabaesele implored other poverty eradication beneficiaries to emulate Ms John and Ms Ntengu.
He said since starting the project in 2014 the women have managed to engage another lady, Ms Otsile Mopalo and each one of them has a monthly salary.
Councillor Chabaesele said the bakery’s turnover is P16 000 and through their salaries the women managed to build themselves a house.

He encouraged the Lesoma community to support the bakery and told the ladies his council would bring other beneficiaries for benchmarking.

The council chairperson also said central government and council employees donated paints and painted the VDC house that the ladies operate their bakery from.

Ms John thanked BIHL for the equipment, adding that it has reduced the time they spent on kneading the dough and cooking it.

Ms John said before the equipment they started work from 10pm on Wednesday and worked continuously until 2pm the following day and they collect firewood about 80 kilometres away.

She said with the availability of the equipment they only work from 7am to 9pm and they use electricity to bake the bread.

Ms John thanked the council for awarding them a tender to supply Lesoma and Kazungula primary schools with bread.

She also thanked the social and community development department for sending them for training and the Lesoma based social worker for always providing them with psychosocial support.

In his welcome remarks, Kgosi Kenneth Moyoba thanked BIHL for supporting the government policy of eradicating poverty.

He observed that it is not easy for an institution such as BIHL to donate in a small village such as Lesoma, where chances of getting business are slim.

Kgosi Moyoba commended the ladies for the patience and commitment and urged them to encourage other members of the community to desist from depending on government for handouts to the point of neglecting their projects after getting assistance.

Meanwhile, the equipment comprises a dough mixer, bread slicer and oven with a capacity of 100 bread rolls. Ends