Empower Women through the Self Help Group Approach

In my report dated 26 May 2023, I introduced 2 of our Community Facilitators who live and work in the Sekororo area of Mopani District. Today I want to introduce 2 of the Community Facilitators who live and work in the Capricorn District. Tebogo joined Thusanang in 2012 and Locky in 2014 . They are both very experienced Community Facitilitators and between them they look after 27 Self Help Groups.  The oldest of these groups started in 2013 and two of them started in 2025 so they need different levels of support. I mentioned what the Community Facilitators do in my report of 2023 but in essence, they need to visit each group at least once a month to gather the data required by Thusanang and listen to any difficulties that the groups are experiencing and help them find solutions. 

When the Self Help Groups started, they were saving R2 per person per week, then it increased to R5 per person per week and now most groups expect their members to save R10 per person per week. Each group is individual and writes their own constitution which all members have to sign when the group starts. Members still take loans from the group as they need them, and they have to state whether the loan is for household or business purposes. When the groups start, the loan is usually for household needs but as they get older and are able to borrow (and repay) larger amounts, they usually start small businesses, and use their loans for their business. Many businesses involve buying and reselling items (such as snacks at local schools) and some bake or make different items (such as brooms and beadwork). Several people grow and sell vegetables or keep chickens. Usually the more successful businesses are individually owned and run, but one successful group project in Molepo was when the group bought chairs and they hired them out for funerals or any type of  function. Whenever the group had extra money, they bought more chairs and individual members each kept a few chairs at their homes so there was no storage problem. Another group started doing patchwork.

When Thusanang was affiliated to an organisation called Sinamandla, Locky won the award for "CF of the Year" once, and our Project Officer, Vivian once won "Staff Person of the Year".

We are all looking forward to, the exchange visit which is planned for July in Dikgale. I will report on that in my next report. 

Once again, I want to thank our recurring donors for their monthly donations. They really help us to keep this project going. If you are reading this report, and are not a regular donor, please may I request that you consider becoming one. Each donation is greatly appreciated.

Links:

• Help Rural Women Help Themselves