Web address http://thulamela.gov.za Page 12 THULAMELA APRIL - JUNE 2011

FROM MANDALA TO MUCHIPISI SPREADING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUTTER

To ensure that its Local Economic Development (LED) plan continues to uplift aspiring entrepreneurs, Thulamela Municipality's councilors and officials recently embarked on two day poverty alleviation programme to handover R125 365 worth equipment to six projects.

The handover started on Thursday, 07 April 2011 when the delegation, led by Mayor Thivhulawi Makumbane, ward councillors, Senior Manager for Planning and Development Hlengani Maluleke and LED Manager Mulalo Nemakonde visited three projects.

The first one, Fhatuwani Community Brick Making Project at Mandala, received 310 bags of cements, eight loads of river sand worth R31 151. Located at Vondwe, Konanani Piggery received one boar, three sows, 26 by 50 kg pig grower, 51 by 50 kg sow and boar meal worth R14 783.

That day's programme was concluded when Makwarela Society for the Aged at Makwarela received sewing materials including an industrial machine and minwenda cloths worth R20 261. The handover continued on Friday, 08 April 2011 when the group visited three more projects. Ntwanano Agric Project at Phaphazela was given one water pump generator and various pipes for drip irrigation worth R30 329. Nhluvuko Multi Skills at Malamulele Town received sewing materials including an over lock machine worth R10 000. The programme culminated with the visit to Muchipisi to handover confectionery materials and a 250 litre water tank worth R18 841 to Hlamalani Community Bakery.

Fhatuwani Community Brickworks at Mandala

Urging the members never to give up, Senior Manager for Planning and Development, Hlengani Maluleke said: “We have noticed that you love your job. You must continue to work hard so that you can produce more bricks and other cement products. Your work is vital because everyone who is here woke up from a house which is built by bricks. When you encounter differences, please don't close down the project.

You have to sit down and sort out your differences. Next time when we come here we hope to find you loading trucks with bricks that will be used to develop our community”.

The project's chairperson, Edith Nemandivhe pleaded for more support saying : “We are facing many challenges including theft. We are unable to get water from our bore hole since our electricity cables were stolen. We are forced to fetch water from the river several kilometres away. With the little profit that we make, we have managed to buy these bigger brick-making machines.

Vondwe Konanani Piggery at Vondwe

Mayor Thivhulawi Makumbane urged the members to strive for the best in order to ensure their pig raising project is eventually able to supply meat to big supermarkets and feed the community at large. “We believe this help make improve your families as Mavhaleni is quite a poverty stricken area.

With support from Limpopo Department of Agriculture, we hope that this project will grow to the extent of even employing other members of the Mavhale community. If you refrain from conflicts, your project will succeed. If you need help with project management skills such as financial control, approach your municipality or agriculture office.

The project's chairperson, Angelina Mashau said: “The truth is that we have dedicated members and those people who are not serious at all. We need to be serious and work hard. I have attended courses and I hope that my training will assist in managing this project. We need to unite and avoid unnecessary bickering. We believe that with help from God, our project will achieve its goals. When we start reaping good fruits, we will end up forgetting all our troubles. All we need is unity and pulling together.” .

Makwarela Society of the Aged

Speaking during the visit, Makumbane expressed his deepest concern about the condition of the structures especially the creche and ablution facilities.

“ My heart is bleeding. I think it's important that I come back with more support so that you can have a better and modern building. I will personally keep my eye on this project”.

The project's chairperson, Martha Sikhwari said: “Thank you very much for what you have done for us. As grannies, this project is our soul. We enjoy each other's company and when we are together, we feel help each other with things like exercise, we sing in a choir and most importantly, we sew clothes and sell to the public to raise funds. As old people are usually left alone at home, we allow them to come here to avoid stress and depression”.

Ntwanano Agricultural Cooperative

Senior Manager for Planning and Development, Hlengani Maluleke encouraged members to take the work seriously because it is crucial. “We are relying on you to produce food for your community. I was so astonished to see unplanted fields. Your name says it all, it means unity. We expect you to unite and work hard to make your

dreams come true. If you face challenges, we are here to support you”. Maluleke added: “Your soil is good for production of various vegetables. Most of the time when project begin, you will find that people work well together but after sometime conflict creeps in which may lead to the closure of the project. We will work together with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that you get full support. When we come back we will wish to see lots of vegetables. You must really be thankful for our funding because there are other projects that applied and did not receive the funds. When you sell your vegetables, we expect you to use the money to maintain your families and send your children to school”.

The project's member, Flora Maluleke said: “I wish to thank you for your inspirational words and all that the municipal has done for us. I urge to to the same for other struggling projects that need support. When we started we had a lot of young people, however they have given up saying ploughing is painful. Our dream is to prosper. Some people say we are zombies while others ask what is it that we are killing ourselves for.”

Nhluvuko Multi Skills

With the funding, Nhluvuko Multi Skills project in Malamulele hopes to continue providing people with school uniforms, curtain, decoration cloths, traditional attires and wedding gowns.

Cllr Eric Baloyi from the LED Portfolio Committee said: “We are proud of brainy women who come up with plans so hat they can sustain their lives and also plough back to their community by fighting poverty. We want people to start projects and we will gladly provide assistance where necessary. As a portfolio committee we felt that we should help you, even though we got lots of requests for funding.

We are here to inspire you so that you will carry on with your business as we want you to progress .We also expect you to employ others and we do not want this project to close”.The project's chairperson, Confidence Minyuku said, “We are very happy and thankful because you have funded us. Indeed we are going to prosper as we have people who inspire us. Our plan is to employ others and impart various skills to them so that by the time they come out of the project they will be able to provide for themselves.”

Hlamalani Cooperative Bakery

Handing over the equipment, Cllr Eric Baloyi urged members of Hlamalani Cooperative Bakery to unite and always communicate when facing problems.

Baloyi said: “Before you initiated this bakery, you agreed that you have to do something about your lack of jobs so that you will be able to provide food for your family and educate your children”.

“We decided to help you because we have seen that you are determined to work hard. The work which you are doing is a crucial one, since bread has become a daily food, unlike in the past where it was eaten once a year”.

“This means that you can get daily profit, more especially nowadays where pupils take bread at school. You can negotiate with your local schools, so that you become their supplier. If ever you may need assistance from municipality or the Department of A g r i c u l t u r e , a b o u t b u s i n e s s management or marketing feel free to come to us as we work together,” Baloyi concluded.

The project's chairperson, Selina Mashele said: “We are very thankful and proud of your support. We appreciate that our marketing is easy because the bakery is situated next to the main road where a lot of people come to purchase bread and scones including those from Giyani and Ha Mihnga.

We use to wonder how we were going to work as we have no car; fortunately lots of those coming to buy have their own transport. When people hold functions like parties, weddings and funerals, they come to buy here. Our only stumbling block is lack of flour. Sometimes we do not bake because we run out of flour”.

Mashele added: “We also have a plot where we want to plant vegetables. We have employed about 20 people at the plot, however, our problem is lack of water. We cannot use water from bakery tank at the plot because the two place a far apart. We don't have money for buying a ploughing tractor, purchasing seeds, erecting a fence and for drilling a bore hole”.

Makwarela Society for the AgedFhatuwani Bricks Project at Mandala Hlamalani Cooperative BakeryNhluvuko Multi Skills ProjectNtwanano Agric ProjectKonanani Piggery at Vondwe