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