23 Jun 2020

 Farmers, as other businesses, are reeling in losses stemming from the COVID-19 lockdown, and Artesia based Ms Daisy Motsamai is a testimony of that having lost 700 chickens during the trying time.

Speaking in an interview recently, the 44-year-old single mother of three revealed that she was given a poverty eradication programme of food catering in 2015 on behalf of her children.

“I kept the chickens because I was using them for the food catering business and did not want to buy meat,” she said.

She further noted that all her children had different disabilities and that since the first lockdown, things went downhill with her businesses.

“I started the catering business four years ago in Gaborone where I was funded through the poverty eradication programme before relocating to Artesia in 2017,” she said.

The business, registered as Funo Uni Pro Investments (PTY) LTD, did all the business logistics while her first born son helped her with marketing through Facebook and other forms of medium.

With no advertising budget, Ms Motsamai said she depended on satisfied customers to spread the word. 

She said before the lockdown she catered for various events such as wedding celebrations, birthday parties, dikhwaere and other social gatherings. 

Ms Motsamai further said most of her clientele database included people from Artesia, Gaborone, Dibete and Mahalapye whom they reached through Facebook.

Regarding her operations before the lockdown, Ms Motsamai said she had an employee specifically for slaughtering and delivering the chickens.

“Since I started the business, I managed to extend my two bedroom-house into a four-bedroom house in Gaborone which I rented out after relocating to Artesia,” she said.

She said she also managed to renovate her place in Artesia to accommodate all her small businesses.

“My expenses were in the region of P13 500 a month which covered the cost of chickens, feeds, water, electricity and fuel used when travelling to buy resources and sell produce to the various clientele,” she continued.

Although the expenses were high, Ms Motsamai said she was able to save something for her children every month.

“I had since managed to save enough for the youngest child who suffers from autism so she can go to a specialised school, but now the future is uncertain,” she said.

Having diversified her catering business with broiler chickens, beauty therapy services and hair salon and products, vegetable garden and backyard tree nursery, Ms Motsamai said the lockdown has brought everything to a standstill.

 “Even up to now I still have not gone back into business,” she said.

Ms Motsamai said her biggest challenge and disappointment was that she was not able to secure a travelling permit to keep her businesses alive.

She said while she attempted to obtain a permit to enable her to sell her chickens, she was turned down. She is still wondering why she was denied a permit given that agriculture was classified as an essential service.

Ms Motsamai said her chickens died because of diseases and hunger because she could not travel to get what she needed to keep her business running, let alone sell anything.

“I honestly do not know what I am going to do from now, and it is very painful to have lost my businesses this way,” she said.

Despite her ordeal, Ms Motsamai said as other small business owners they were at crossroads, adding that there was no clear indication concerning the government department/officials supposed to assist her. Ends