A sewing and beading cooperative in Tembisa,Gauteng is helping women make money through various skills. Supported by Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP), the cooperative is sub-contracted by the department of social development’s annual project that manufactures school uniforms for children from the poorest households.
The GEP provides financial and non-financial support to small, medium and micro enterprises and cooperatives. According to Lydia Nkomo, Chairperson of The Ontiretse 5 Sewing and Beading Primary Cooperative said the GEP recently gave it a lifeline through a Covid-19 relief grant.
“We received R12,000 and were told to use it in areas of our operations that were disrupted by Covid-19. We were short on our uniform manufacturing budget and used the money to get more material,” said Nkomo.
The cooperative manufactured 800 uniforms for seven schools in Tembisa and Daveyton. Six schools placed 100 orders, while the other placed 200.This is not the first time that Nkomo received assistance from the GEP. In early 2000, she attended business training organised by the agency. There she met the other women who formed the cooperative with her.
“We were five founding members. The GEP bought us the equipment we needed to start working on big orders, including six industrial-model sewing machines, four over lockers, a hemming machine, bar track sewing machine, buttonhole machine and an electronic cutter machine,” she said.
When the cooperative has big orders, it often hires local people to assist. “Even though it is short-term, it puts a smile on our faces as we can create jobs for a few people,” added Nkomo.She noted that one of reasons why she loves working with the other women, is the fact that they get a chance to share skills.
