26 Sep 2023

North East District Council (NEDC) poverty eradication programme official, Mr Daniel Tlhako, says there were more than 1 300 in the programme. About 1 400 did not qualify for various reasons.

Addressing the NEDC last week, Mr Tlhako said those who qualified were funded and trained except 12 who were awaiting funding. He said those who did not qualify were sent to other government programmes meant to assist Batswana. He said beneficiaries had established 1 286 projects and that 1 033 were operational while 197 were non-operational, adding that 56 were failed projects.

He added that the district had 34 group projects with 83 beneficiaries and that the programme created more than 1 100 of which more than 1 000 were self-employment.  He also said they monitored key projects that included bakeries, fashion designers and poultry and fishing projects. He said most of the projects relied on government for the buying of their products, saying it called for training on marketing. He also said they revised their layers model as it was unsustainable. He said benefits were feeds for two months, but that most of the chickens started to lay eggs consistently on the fourth or fifth month.

Mr Tlhako said fishing was doing well in the district, but that the challenge was unregulated sales which encouraged poachers, adding that there was need for an association to control fishing. On challenges, he said, there was lack of commitment from beneficiaries, inadequate technical skills and markets, nomadic beneficiaries and lack of operational space.

The Ipelegeng coordinator, Mr Mbulawa Mokgethi, said there were 103 grass cutting and litter picking projects as well as desilting of drains, drifts, culverts and the cleaning of schools. ENDS