10 Jun 2018

 Fifty-nine-year old Ms Motlalepula Mosate of Mochudi makes a decent living from her culinary skills of baking.
She said her journey has been all obstacles due to the circumstances of life. When her marriage failed in the 80’s, she was left to fend for herself and her children through menial jobs commonly referred to as ‘piece jobs’ and she was not able to sustain her family.
The struggling unemployed single mother of three says life was hard and sometimes her children would go to bed on an empty stomach. Out of desperation, she started her now thriving bakery business.
“I was desperate with my life, with my children’s lives and I would pray to God every day to show me the light,” she said with a smile.
In 2014, Ms Mosate applied for the government Poverty Eradication Programme and chose baking, even though she had no experience but was driven by the goal of providing for her family.
Ms Mosate said she went through a month-long confectionary and bakery training with Mobile Cake Decorators. In 2016, government brought her the necessary equipment and start-up stock and she never looked back. In less than a year, she was able to make enough money to support her family and re-invest the profits by purchasing a big industrial oven valued at P10 500.
Before she bought the industrial stove, she used a makeshift oven over the bonfire outside to bake everything. This proved a major challenge as she had to contest against forces of nature such as rain hence she had to be brave to ensure the bread does not burn. Ms Mosate specialises in loaves, buns, cakes and scones.
Her faith, hard work and focus are now paying dividends as she is now supplying 632 pupils of Bogatsu Primary School with buns, making P2 000 every week through the tender.
She also supplies general dealers, tuck shops, individuals and offers her services to people during social events like funerals and weddings in Mochudi, Lobatse and Good Hope amongst others.
Through it all however she remains grateful and humble about her success. But that does not stop her from dreaming and aiming for bigger things in life. She said if it was not for God and the government she could have died of stress.
“Through God, I know I can achieve anything I put my mind onto,” she explained.
She now plans to build a fully-fledged bakery as she needs a bigger space to operate from to enable her clients to see her in a professional setting.
Furthermore, she plans to market her products in social media such as Facebook and also has plans to buy a business vehicle to deliver her goods.  ENDS