Empowering Communities to Drive Sustainable Development …
539
3.4.2 Application/Implementation Phase
After the training, six participants from Koffiekraal and Brakkuil expressed the need
to form a collective, the NPO assisted the group with the development of a business
plan, and this resulted in the formation of the “Basadi Multi-Talented Rural Ladies
of Madikwe” in 2013. The group received a donation of five sewing machines from
Unisa, and the NPO found a donor that provided match grants for the group to purchase more sewing machines and equipment. During 2014, the group had a number
of opportunities to sell their handicraft outside of their respective villages, including
selling their handicraft at the monthly craft market at main campus of Unisa; a contract to make rag dolls; and a number of contracts from multi-nationals to sell their
jewellery made from recycled material. They were also able to sell their handicraft
during the village tours of the BIG 5 Community Tourism Forum to a number of
domestic and international tourists.
To ensure the financial sustainability of the group, the NPO provided much needed
training in terms of budgeting and bookkeeping. In February 2014 the positive impact
of the individual participation in the group were reflected in the comments of the
members of the group—“I wake up in the morning, and I know have work to do and
this makes me feel good”, “I am so proud, the shop in Zeerust sold my jewellery!”,
“I now know I can make my own money and use this to feed my children”, “I am
making clothes and selling them to the community, and I think we should go to the
lodges near Zeerust and find out if we can make uniforms for their staff”.
3.4.3 Critical Reflection
Following the initial success of the handicraft group, matters relating to trust started
to negatively impact on the relationships between the group members. Initially the
trust issues related to financial matters and this highlighted an inherent negative
interpersonal relationship between two members of the group. This development
affected the group and their ability to work as a team to honour the contracts they had
received to provide handicrafts. Despite attempts from the NPO and Unisa to mediate
the situation through a trust workshop, the relationships between the members of the
group had reached a point, where the group could no longer function as a collective
and the group disbanded by the end of 2014. Since 2014, the individual members
of the group have continued to produce their handicraft and are selling their goods
within and outside their respective villages. In this way, the household income of
each of the individuals is supplemented by the income of their handicrafts. Despite
the failure of the group, the authors are of the opinion that the skills training initiative
of the handicraft group was not wasted, as the individuals were capacitated with skills
that they can use to generate self-employment and generate a modest income into
their respective households.
539
3.4.2 Application/Implementation Phase
After the training, six participants from Koffiekraal and Brakkuil expressed the need
to form a collective, the NPO assisted the group with the development of a business
plan, and this resulted in the formation of the “Basadi Multi-Talented Rural Ladies
of Madikwe” in 2013. The group received a donation of five sewing machines from
Unisa, and the NPO found a donor that provided match grants for the group to purchase more sewing machines and equipment. During 2014, the group had a number
of opportunities to sell their handicraft outside of their respective villages, including
selling their handicraft at the monthly craft market at main campus of Unisa; a contract to make rag dolls; and a number of contracts from multi-nationals to sell their
jewellery made from recycled material. They were also able to sell their handicraft
during the village tours of the BIG 5 Community Tourism Forum to a number of
domestic and international tourists.
To ensure the financial sustainability of the group, the NPO provided much needed
training in terms of budgeting and bookkeeping. In February 2014 the positive impact
of the individual participation in the group were reflected in the comments of the
members of the group—“I wake up in the morning, and I know have work to do and
this makes me feel good”, “I am so proud, the shop in Zeerust sold my jewellery!”,
“I now know I can make my own money and use this to feed my children”, “I am
making clothes and selling them to the community, and I think we should go to the
lodges near Zeerust and find out if we can make uniforms for their staff”.
3.4.3 Critical Reflection
Following the initial success of the handicraft group, matters relating to trust started
to negatively impact on the relationships between the group members. Initially the
trust issues related to financial matters and this highlighted an inherent negative
interpersonal relationship between two members of the group. This development
affected the group and their ability to work as a team to honour the contracts they had
received to provide handicrafts. Despite attempts from the NPO and Unisa to mediate
the situation through a trust workshop, the relationships between the members of the
group had reached a point, where the group could no longer function as a collective
and the group disbanded by the end of 2014. Since 2014, the individual members
of the group have continued to produce their handicraft and are selling their goods
within and outside their respective villages. In this way, the household income of
each of the individuals is supplemented by the income of their handicrafts. Despite
the failure of the group, the authors are of the opinion that the skills training initiative
of the handicraft group was not wasted, as the individuals were capacitated with skills
that they can use to generate self-employment and generate a modest income into
their respective households.