29 Jul 2013

A 26-year-old youth in Damochujenaa has forged ahead in her brick moulding business.

Ms Mpho Lefela, who was forced by the scarcity of jobs in her village and passion for entrepreneurship, ventured into business after completing her studies at Bobonong Brigade and Palapye Brigade.

“Another factor that motivated me is that there were no brickyards in my village and people travelled to Selebi Phikwe to purchase bricks to build houses which I saw as an opportunity to start a commercial brickyard project in Damochujenaa and accomplish my goal,” she said. 

Even though Ms Lefela started her project in her family’s backyard in 2009 with her own funds, she did not allow the fact that she did not have proper equipment deter her.

With patience, she soldiered on until she was allocated a commercial plot in the village by Mmadinare Sub-land Board. Seeking financial assistance from government through the Youth Development Fund (YDF) was her next step and her business proposal was approved in 2012.

After being funded through YDF at the amount of P96 000, her project started doing well despite a few challenges. Ms Lefela, who had two youth from her village under her pay cheque, used the funds to fence her business plot, build an office, storeroom and toilets.

She also used part of the money to purchase brick moulding equipment, spades, wheel barrows, hosepipes and also built a platform where the bricks are made.

 A 2 000 litre water tank to store water was also purchased since she did not have any water connection at the plot. “I then used some of the funds to purchase brick moulding material such as cement, pit sand, although I ran out of funds,” she explained.

She started by producing 856 stock bricks and 317 four and half bricks a day. “So far the project is progressing well though I face some problems,” she said. Some of the challenges encountered, she said, were low sales since few people knew about her project.

Furthermore, she snoted that shortage of water and lack of transport to collect pit sand and ready-made bricks posed a challenge.

“Some people from around here still travel to Selebi Phikwe to purchase bricks on the grounds that my bricks are expensive, though I sell each stockbrick at P2 and a four and half brick at P5.75. I see my prices as cheap because when one travels to Selebi Phikwe to purchase bricks, they are charged funds for transportation which I find more expensive than buying bricks locally from me,” she said.

Another challenge which she faced was that she does not trade license, which hinders her from tendering for government projects.  “I am happy with what I am doing right now because I have a source of income and I urge other youth to engage in government empowerment programmes such as YDF and poverty eradication alternative programme to uplift their livelihood,” she said. ENDS