13 Sep 2018

- Unemployment and poverty are major concerns, but some Batswana have come up with ways to beat poverty.

One of them is Mr Basiame Scotch who owns a garden along the Ntshe River in Francistown and has shown determination and worked hard for his garden to be where it is.

Speaking in an interview, the 43-year-old man from Senyawe in the North East District said he started his garden in 2013 after he became one of the Monarch residents who were temporarily allocated plots by the Francistown City Council near the Ntshe River bank to use as gardens.

He said he used all his savings to buy the water pump that he uses to get water from the river, and fence the plot as well as buy vegetable seeds.

Mr Scotch said he worked hard to create the garden, including fencing and making plots and even transporting manure from far away poultries to his garden using a wheelbarrow.

On top of that he said he bought a trolley that he pulled to sell his vegetables door to door in Monarch and to deliver to nearby tuck shops and hawkers, adding that he did all the work alone and that he was now reaping the benefits.

“A garden needs to be taken care of including regular watering and cultivating, and also growing vegetables requires someone who understands them,” he said.

Mr Scotch said the passion and love he showed for his garden led to its success, stating that he always ensured it was clean and well looked after.

He said all his determination and hard work were bearing fruit as he was able to look after his family, including buying school uniforms for his children.

On top of that, Mr Scotch described the joy of being his own boss as amazing and stress free, noting that all the profit he made belonged to him.

He said apart from making profit, he would soon start to donate his vegetables to less privileged people as a way of giving back to the community.

Meanwhile, he said he was experiencing problems such as thieves who stole his vegetables at night, stating that sometimes he finds vegetables scattered in the morning.

The other problem, he said, was of pests such as worms and small animals, but said he always sprayed his vegetables using pesticides and sometimes chilies mixed with water.

His other challenge is that the gardens are not theirs but loaned to them by council and can be taken back anytime. He said it prevented him from applying for a trading licence to be able to supply bigger retailers and events.

He, however, said he has applied for different government schemes such as Poverty Eradiation Fund, and stated that if he succeeds, he would start a new and big garden.

He advised fellow Batswana to come up with ways to take themselves out of poverty rather than depending on the government. ENDS