14 May 2020

A group of women funded under the poverty eradication programme have embarked on the production of sanitisers to help in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The group started in 2018 with the production of wet wipes, but it was difficult to penetrate the market as they faced stiff competition from South African brands.

One of the beneficiaries, Ms Gofaone Botshelo said they changed gears in March to include the production of liquid sanitisers.

She said they were in high demand as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The eight women were trained and mentored as well as provided with essentials to make their project a success.

Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) and Botswana Institute for Technology, Research and Innovation have approved the sanitisers and wet wipes.

Ms Botshelo urged government departments and the business community to support their business by buying sanitisers from them. The sanitisers come in various sizes and prices.

The poverty eradication officer for Selebi-Phikwe, Ms Thandie Ntshambiwa urged all stakeholders to support the women, adding that their product was BOBS certified.

She said her office had helped empower the women by requesting government departments, especially in the Central District, to procure from them. ENDS