24 Jan 2019

Molalatau Cluster Garden beneficiaries have been urged to fully utilise the garden, which was funded through the Poverty Eradication Programme.

Speaking during Molalatau power installation handover on January 22, sub-district agricultural officer, Mr Fedric Rantsho, said the cluster garden that started with 16 beneficiaries, but now had six, intended to feed the community and help the beneficiaries to improve their lives.

Mr Rantsho said the project stated in October 2017 with beneficiaries trained on horticulture, bookkeeping and financial literacy.

He, however, expressed hope that the garden would prosper since the electricity installed to power the borehole would provide adequate water supply for crops.

Giving a project overview, Mr Tsholofelo Keineetse from department of water affairs, said initially the department wanted to connect solar but realised many solar panels would be required but the high water capacity forced them to connect to the Botswana Power Corporation grid.

The BPC transformer, he said, cost P408 000 while a backup generator cost P708 000 and appealed to the beneficiaries to regularly service it so that it could last for longer periods.

Molalatau Cluster Garden chairperson, Mr Win Rakgetsana, hailed the installation of power and backup generation at their borehole, saying ever since it was handed to them they never experienced any problem with operations.

Acting deputy district commissioner, Mr Claude Batsile, also encouraged the beneficiaries to fully utilise the project not only to benefit them but the entire community because there were high incidents of poverty where many people still worked under Ipelegeng programme.

Mr Batsile said the garden should also aim at creating employment and was hopeful that the use of the electric power would cut the costs compared to diesel which is a bit expensive.
He also advised beneficiaries to be committed to the garden. Ends