04 Jan 2021

Mokodi Association based in Nxaraga in the North West District is planning to operate a hardware centre in the village in an effort to bring services closer to the people.
The association intends to sell building materials as members of the community travelled long distance to buy them from Maun.
The association, which is made up of 13 women and five men, was formed in 2018 and registered last year with an aim to aleviate poverty within members by venturing into income generating projects.
The association was formed after members attended a mobilisation workshop by PCI Botswana in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to introduce members to the motshelo concept.
PCI Botswana is an independent organisation with a mission to empower people on how to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardships faced by communities.
The purpose of the concept was to empower people to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardships faced by communities. It was reported that the ministry partnered with the organisation after realising that the initiative could help eradicate poverty.
In an interview, Mokodi Association vice chairperson, Kgosi Gaolatlhe Kgosigaenyatswe explained that since the mobilisation workshop, they never looked back, but they grouped themselves, paid P20 joining fees and contributed P8 on a monthly basis, which money they lended to people with an interest of 10 per cent. 
Initially, he said they started with 30 members, but some dropped along the way. To date, he said they had accumulated over P6 000, which they wanted to invest in operating a building material hardware.
Their plans to open a hardware, he said, were disrupted by COVID-19, but he expressed hope that he situation would stabilise so that they continue with the project.
Kgosi Kgosigaenyatswe said they wanted to run the project like a cooperative, adding that efforts were underway to register it as such.
He also revealed that they were motivated by the Komana based group, Makuaneno, which had embarked on a bricklaying project through the same concept of motshelo. 
It was reported that each member contributed P500, people were loaned money with an interest of 25 per cent sharing the returns every two years.
Kgosi highlighted that the distance between Komana and Nxaraga is less than 20km and since Makuaneno provides bricks, they could as well complement their efforts by providing other building materials such as cement, roofing material and fence, among others.
Kgosi Kgosigaenyatswe is optimistic that the concept would transform their lives going forward, adding that they had increased joining fee to P200 as they saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
He appealed to group members to exercise patience so that they achieve their goal. ends