BY DELISA THWALA
MZIMPOFU – MTN Eswatini contributed E110 000 towards the purchase of equipment and material for Ekululameni entrepreneurs.
The 15 beneficiaries are young people with disabilities of visual impairment, physical and epileptic who have undergone training in fields such as soap manufacturing, knitting, sewing, carpentry, piggery and leather work.
The young people who hail from different parts of the country were identified by Junior Achievement as the organisation works with people with disabilities under their all-inclusive training in business skills.
They won cash prizes ranging from E3 000 to E11 500 per person, which will be used to buy the equipment they requested.
Junior Achievement (JA) Executive Director Phetsile Masilela explained that her organisation would purchase the equipment and material as outlined by the entrepreneurs in their business plans.
“We will then deliver the items at the individual’s home and further mentor them for a period of six months to make sure they are able to utilise the items and perform according to their business plans,” she said.
Masilela said JA would link the young businesspeople with business funders like Fincorp as they may need them for business expansion.
It is during her remarks that she also mentioned that JA offered entrepreneurship modules in Braille for people with visual impairment.
MTN CEO Wandile Mtshali commended the trainees for showing interest in acquiring business skills and venturing into business.
He said MTN was happy to see them through training, start-up and sustaining business.
“MTN is where it is today because of your support. We would like to help you as you position yourselves to make an economic difference,” he said.
Bongani Makama, the President of the Federation of the Disabled in Swaziland (FODSWA) expressed appreciation for MTN’s gesture and JA’s inclusiveness on empowering young people.
He applauded MTN for the recently-introduced virtual call centre which caters for people with disabilities.
This project was one of the youth-focused business empowerment programmes that MTN embarked on under this year’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care Campaign themed Empowering Entrepreneurship to Unlock Growth and Job Creation.
The winners are:
Colile Dlamini – visually impaired – cleaning products – E4 000
Ncamiso Maseko – visually impaired – MoMo – E4 000
Ncamsile Mamba – Cleaning products – E4 000
Charity Dlamini – visually impaired – cleaning products – E4000
Lomthandazo Masango – visually impaired – knitting – E3000
Chazile Mkhize – physical – retail – E3 000
Lindo Mkhwanazi – visually impaired – sewing – E11 500
Kayise Ziyane – epilepsy – sewing – E11 500
Siko Nyamane – eye problem – carpentry – E7 000
Delisile Mamba – visually impaired – retail – E4 000
Gcinile Dlamini – physical – piggery – E3 000
Khombisile Masilela – physical – cleaning products – E4 000
Vusi Sibandze – physical – leather work – E4 000
Samkelo Mhlanga – piggery – E4 000 Dudu Gamedze – visually impaired – cleaning products – E4000
Courtesy Pics of MTN Eswatini
