PPC BOTSWANA’S ‘HOW TO US’ SUPPORTING WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT

A media tour by PPC Botswana last week highlighted the ‘How To Us Investment’, a co-operative sewing project of five women in Molepolole who are striving for excellence to put food on the table.

The PPC funded project ‘How To Us Investment’ is a women’s sewing company that creates products such as laptop bags, handbags, shopping bags and pencil cases out of cement paper bags provided by PPC. They also produce clothing such as school uniforms, nurses’ uniforms, protective clothing as well as graduation gowns.

PPC Botswana General Manager, Tuelo Botlhole said; “At PPC Botswana, we are the gateway to innovation, creativity and carry the responsibility of shaping the infrastructural, economic and socio-economic future of Botswana.”

The How To Us project is one of the many that have been supported by PPC in the country. The project started in 2005 as an initiative based on ideas from the women of Molepolole.

Baakanyang Leshona, the Project Manager, said it was not easy from the beginning until PPC came on board just under a decade ago. “We started in 2005, starting off by buying a shelf company. We were 19 but many pulled out and we are now only 5,” said Leshona.

How To Us, like many other small businesses locally, struggled at first. Things began to work well for them after a partnership agreement with PPC Botswana in 2010. “We signed a memorandum of agreement with PPC in 2010. They then provided us with all the building materials to construct our own factory,” Leshona said, further noting that the Department of Gender Affairs paid the contractor who built the factory while the United Nations Development Programme purchased some of the sewing machines on their behalf.

Last year, PPC brought in trainers from South Africa to host a skills training workshop that provided How To Us with the necessary skills needed to make the accessories from cement bags, as well as equipping them with administrative and marketing skills.

Another member of the team, Esther Lelokwane said their business is now stable as they have acquired tenders to supply a number of municipal institutions in the Kweneng region. “We supply school uniforms and protective clothing to the council in Molepolole and Mabutsane,” she said.

She added; “Being where we are it is through patience, persistence, perseverance and commitment towards our passion.” She said that through the business, they are able to take care of their families.

PPC’s How To Us now offers training to young individuals in Molepolole who want to venture into the trade. They also provide part-time employment locals when they have outstanding orders to clear.https://allafrica.com/stories/201909250795.html