The rehabilitation of Destitutes to a position of self-sustainability and the reduction of the citizenry’s reliance on government social safety nets, has been a major talking point in various circles for many years.
As such, Local Authorities (LAs) are developing initiatives to assist in the alleviation and eventual eradication of poverty in communities. In this context, the North West District Council namely, the Maun catchment area, is currently providing assistance to the Mogotlho Garden Society which is located in Tsau village.
The Mogotlho Garden Society is made up of eight women who were enrolled in the Destitute Programme. These women have thus been offered assistance by their respective Social and Community Development Office (S&CD) to start a fresh produce garden from which they can alleviate themselves from poverty.
The above mentioned garden produces fresh produce in the form of Spinach, Rape, and Tomatoes but to name a few. The assistance that is provided to this garden society refers to implements such as; farming tools, supply of water, land, and shade netting.
When quizzed about the major challenges they face in their line of business a representative of the garden society said “currently our major challenges are finding a market as we do not have any formal business training, which hinders our ability to negotiate with potential clients.”
Sheltering for some portions of the garden, and the availability of pesticides in their area, were also mentioned amongst the main challenges faced by the Mogotlho Garden Society.
With regard to the clientele for their products the society members mentioned that currently they supply local general dealers, and residents of Tsau and surrounding areas. However the Society noted that they have plans to start supplying large retail wholesalers in Maun and Gumare.
In an interview, Ms. Keorapetse Basupi, a Home Economics Officer based at Maun Rural Administration Centre, encouraged all residents of the Maun catchment area to take advantage of Council services, as they were created to assist them in creating and living self-sustainable lifestyles.
Furthermore, Ms. Basupi availed that gardening is not the rehabilitation programme which can be entered into; she noted that basketry, poultry, and tuck shops are also viable projects which can be utilized.