23 Nov 2023

Kgetsi ya Tsie Trust has received a P27.4 million shot in the arm from government to undertake various projects that will transform the trust from a non-profit making organisation to a profit making entity.

Based in Lerala, Kgetsi ya Tsie Trust is composed of 26 members from the same number of villages making up the trust in the Tswapong region. 

It was formed in 1997 to empower women in the region and to improve their entrepreneurial, economic and social status by using natural resources found in their area to generate income.

The projects coordinator of the trust, Ms Masego Mmipi, said they were registered in 1999 and were now aiming to transform into a profit making organisation.

She said some of the villages making up the trust were Lerala, Majwaneng, Goo-Tau, Gosekgweng, Lecheng, Matlhakola, Malaka, Tsetsebjwe, Seolwane, Mosweu, Mokokwana, Maunatlala, Lesenepole, Moremi, Sefhare, Ramokgonami, Tumasera, Seleka, Maape, Moshopa, Pilikwe, Borotsi, Chadibe, and Matlhako.

Ms Mmipi said they used natural resources found in their region such as Morula to oil, bathing soaps, jam and archer, and Galalatshwene to make herbal tea. She also said they processed Monepenepe to make a blood cleansing concoction and other medicinal purposes. They also used the Motlopi or Shepherd tree to make coffee after crushing and roasting their root to make coffee. She said the Mosata tree or Nama ya setlhare was used as a vegetable and that it substituted beef as it looked similar to meat when cooked. The trust also packages Mophane worms in bottles and sachets for sale. She also spoke of harvesting Motshikiri and Tshikitshane thatching grasses, saying it was a cash cow and was optimistic that they could create more job opportunities. 

Ms Mmipi said all their products were in demand and that they were unable to meet it. 

She however said the language barrier was a challenge in marketing the products internationally.

She said they had a 100 hectare piece of land in Lerala where they planted their own Morula trees to optimise output. A 60 grame sachet of boiled and salted Morula kernels sells for P50 while a 10 grame Mosata sachet was sold for P20. A 100ml bottle of Morula oil costs P60 while 10 grame bottled Mophane worm was P20. 

She said the funds which government gave them would buy a vehicle, pay employees salaries, renovate the trust’s building, build a specialised production room and training centre as well as fencing the ploughing fields and planting more Morula trees.

Ms Mmipi also said they would buy machinery, office furniture and construct a laboratory.

The trust has 502 members who pay an annual subscription of P20 each and nine board of trustees members. 

There were 10 staff members and 26 support staff member from each village forming the trust. 

She also said they had seven patrol officers or monitors who were entrusted with surveying the environment to protect natural resources and to liaise with Forestry and Range Resources as well as Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) officials. She added that some students from the university were attached to them while some visited for benchmarking purposes.

She also expressed gratitude to the American Embassy for sponsoring them to capacity building workshops as they would be using sophisticated equipment.

She also thanked the British High Commissioner for buying them machinery and raw materials and Project Concern International (PCI) for sensitising women and the girl child on Gender Based Violence. ENDS