05 Aug 2018

Ms Thulaganyo Mokotedi 45, of Kanye has commended government for empowering people living with disability through different programmes. Speaking in an interview, she said she owned a business that designed wedding attire, corporate wear and curtains.

A Poverty Eradication Programme beneficiary, Ms Mokotedi, who is deaf and mute, said she was trained in sewing and dressmaking. She said after completing her training she worked for six months, but called it quits because she was paid little.

Ms Mokotedi said in 1993, she was funded through the Financial Assistance Policy Programme and received five machines to start her sewing and dressmaking business, but that things did not go as expected because the business was struggling to stay afloat and it forced her to find other means of survival.

She said her business collapsed and had to apply for the Poverty Eradication Programme to bring it back to life. 

“In July 2014 I was assisted through the Poverty Eradication Programme, they bought me a machine, cloths and a table,” stated Ms Mokotedi.

Despite the challenges, she said she was willing to work hard and market her products, adding that she aspired to be a sewing and dressmaking lecturer and intended to enroll for further training.

She encouraged people living with disabilities not to despair and to follow their dreams. “People living with disabilities are sometimes belittled and that kills their self-esteem and confidence,” she said.

She applauded stakeholders for breaking communication barriers and called for platforms where they could share ideas and network. ENDS