14 May 2018

William Shakespeare once wrote, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness while some have greatness thrust upon them”.

The 38-year-old Kealeboga Thipe of Mosweu in Molapi ward in the Lerala/Maunatlala constituency was born without a silver spoon in her mouth but had to make ends meet so as to survive.

In an interview recently, she said she did not allow poverty to define her knowing that she is the bearer of her destiny. She said she utilised her talent in leather making which she said she discovered at a tender age and used it to put food on the table.

Ms Thipe makes fashionable shoes, bags, hats and belts, which appeal to everyone’s fashion tastes.

With the help of the social workers in 2011, she was able to enroll for the poverty eradication programme and was taken for training at Thabala to acquire lifesaving skills.

Upon completion of the training she used the skills and knowledge that she had acquired to continue with her field of choice despite the lack of the necessary resources.

Ms Thibe said she is able to pay for school fees and transport fee for her four children from the profits she gets from the sales of her products.

She lamented that though locals support her business, she is faced with the challenge of having to compete with other entrepreneurs in the same venture who use machines to make their products as hers are hand-made.

She said she is hopeful that she will acquire some machinery from the poverty eradication programme. In the meantime she has to do with what she has so as to keep her business going.

Ms Thipe is confident that if she gets the machines she will be able to grow her business because her products are in demand. She indicated that she has managed to sell most of her products at the market place and is working on new orders.

Determination and the desire to succeed are the driving force for Ms Thipe, who says her dependents are the reason she wakes up in the morning as she knows very well that it is her responsibility to fend for them.

She said every day she strives to be a living testimony that poverty is temporary and that all it takes is for one to decide whether they want to remain poor or make use of the available resources to improve their lives. ENDS