Johannesburg

by More Matshediso

A women-led community development project is keeping the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela alive by educating children, and providing entrepreneurship and employability skills to women, youth and persons living with disabilities in the North West. 

Tshwaraganang Barolong Project (TBP) is a non-profit organisation (NPO) that was established in 2001 in Motsitlane section near Madibogo village. 

The organisation’s chairperson Mapule Lebakaeng said the organisation initially specialised in equipping women with knitting, sewing and upholstery skills to help fight against unemployment and poverty.

“I was inspired to gather a group of women in my village to start the organisation more than 20 years ago. I had just returned from working in Johannesburg then, and I wanted to share my skills with other women and reduce unemployment and poverty in our village,” she said. 

Years later, the organisation started to offer early childhood development (ECD) services to five wards in the rural Ratlou Local Municipality, thanks to the support from the National Development Agency (NDA). 

In 2015, the NDA identified TBP as an implementing source for its early childhood development (ECD) campaign. It funded the organisation with  R914 000 to buy a fully resourced truck that travels to rural areas within the local municipality without access to ECD services.  

“Our mobile truck travels to five wards within the municipal area on a daily basis, to offer two hours of learning sessions to children between the ages of one and five years old. The plan is to prepare them for formal schooling and to perform in the learning environment,” explained Lebakaeng. 

For the ECD programme, Lebakaeng said the organisation works in partnership with traditional leaders to identify families that need the educational services. About 360 children are currently benefitting from the programme. 

“We target 40 children a day and we provide learning sessions for two hours, including nutritious meals because most of our learners come from impoverished families,” she said. 

Education, a tool to end poverty

Lebakaeng reminded citizens that Tata Nelson Mandela saw education as a tool that could end poverty, inequality and unemployment in society. 

“I encourage women to start ECD centres, especially in rural areas and informal settlements because every child has a right to education and they should not be denied opportunities based on their circumstances,” she pleaded. 

Lebakaeng said the organisation currently has six permanent members but it continues to empower unemployed women, youth and persons with disabilities with clothing manufacturing skills and to start their own ECD centres. 

“Since inception to date, more than 500 community members have acquired various skills from our project. Some of them benefitted from skills that enabled them to start their own businesses while many young people were able to find employment after working with us on the project,” she explained.

She added that a few years after establishing the project, TBP ventured into manufacturing uniforms for a variety of local clients including schools, churches and stockvels because local women had acquired the necessary skills. 

“Among other things, we make and sell jerseys and traditional wear, and we offer embroidery services as well. We also produce fruit juice and cleaning products,” she said. 

The organisation has so far received funding and support from various government departments and State-owned- entities.

In 2003, the then Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG) built the NPO a new nine-room structure including a kitchen, sewing room, knitting room, store room, chemical room and two toilets.

In 2006, the NDA funded the organisation with R833 380 to buy industrial sewing machinery, a delivery bakkie, two overlocking machines, an embroidery machine, a fridge, and the raw materials needed for sewing, cleaning and knitting.

In the same year, the then Department of Employment and Labour and the NDA provided the women with various training programmes including networking, book-keeping, financial, project and conflict management, as well as how to bid for tenders to supply their clients with uniforms.

In April 2021, the project successfully applied for another grant worth R396 502.70 from the NDA to expand their sewing and material production, and procured four additional sewing, knitting and overlocker machines, an embroidery machine, raw chemical products and renovation of the existing operational premises.

For more information about the NDA visit www.nda.org.za Visit  www.labour.gov.za if you need information about the Department of Employment and Labour.

*This story first appeared in Vukuzenzele