10 Sep 2026

The North East District Council (NEDC) provides comprehensive rehabilitation programmes through multiple government projects to support vulnerable populations, reduce poverty and improve food security.

These initiatives are long-term socio-economic empowerment programmes focused on rehabilitating beneficiaries to take them out of dependency on government handouts.

The programmes offer technical skills, awareness campaigns, training and business management education so participants can run businesses on their own.

Beneficiaries, who are mostly able-bodied, receive financial or material support to establish individual businesses and discontinue their reliance on social safety nets.

NEDC Home Economics Officer Ms Granny Ontiretse said in an interview that the programmes targeted individuals on the verge of poverty.

The goal is to prevent these clients from becoming destitute and relying on social safety nets.

“The NEDC assists them with funding and projects so that they can run and manage them to support their families, bring food to the table, and simultaneously create employment for others,” she said.

Ms Ontiretse noted that projects range from small stock, catering, tswana broiler chickens, and layers to hair salons, carpentry, laundry, and milling.

Beneficiaries have the liberty to choose a venture based on their capabilities and location.

She indicated that the council provided continuous psychosocial support to shift beneficiaries’ mindsets and attitudes, ensuring the projects remained sustainable and changed their lives.

Furthermore, officials frequently visit the projects to inspect development and review financial records.

If necessary, the businesses are recommended for further expansion.

“Development of their businesses can be done through financial enterprises like the Citizen Economic Development Agency (CEDA), the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), the National Development Bank (NDB), and others,” she said.

Ms Ontiretse added that the visits also allowed officials to evaluate whether the programme had improved the lives, families and attitudes of the participants.

Currently, the district has 27 operational projects across all categories, managed by both individuals and groups of men and women.

The council regularly invites established project owners to inspire and transfer knowledge to beginners, preventing business failure and demonstrating that these rehabilitation programmes can successfully change lives.

However, she noted that 11 projects are currently non-operational, attributing this to lack of commitment from owners who abandoned their businesses for varying reasons.

Ms Ontiretse also highlighted challenges faced by some beneficiaries, such as poor location choices where there was no viable market for their products.

“Those living along the borderline face problems with their livestock periodically crossing into the neighbouring country, and the threat of Foot and Mouth Disease also poses a challenge,” she said.Additionally, she highlighted a layer’s project in Makaleng, where four beneficiaries previously classified as temporary destitute were assisted with funding to the tune of P68,000.

She noted that these individuals faced life hardships; some were breadwinners, some are widows while others had many children they could not afford to support.

One of the four beneficiaries of the Makaleng layers rehabilitation programme, Ms Tshephang Bana, said they started their project in May with 93 chicks.

She explained that they applied through the Social and Community Development office after seeing an NEDC advertisement, driven by a passion for poultry farming.

“After the assessment, it was realised that five people had applied for the layers’ project in Makaleng. Unfortunately, one passed away, but the remaining four of us were grouped together to start this project, which is now housed at Makaleng Primary School,” she said.Currently, Ms Bana indicated that they were selling their eggs to Makaleng Primary School, Legola Primary School, local individuals, and surrounding schools.

She said they intended to grow the business, eventually opening individual branches to create more employment and supply their products far afield. ends