The Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform is committed in the development of rural women, especially in the indigenous knowledge and members of the media are cordially invited to the pre-launch of a provincial textile cooperative at Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute.
The pre-launch is aimed at engaging various government departments including MECs as well municipalities about the importance of empowering women in the textile industry as part t of the non-farm rural development.
During her policy speech MEC, Mrs Zoleka Capa mentioned the creation of regional markets and the Bhisho Showgrounds – which will be revamped will serve as a centre of coordination of production and marketing for agricultural and non–agricultural products from the rural areas.
The department, in a bid to realise MEC’s pronouncement about the non-farm community has initiative the process of the establishing entities including Provincial Textile Cooperatives (Coops).
The department is expected to spend about R1 million in buying the material and the equipment for these women.
The program is of provincial priority and there arefour phases in this program, namely identification of existing sewing groups and individuals and provision of state of art equipment.
Another phase included instituting a training hub and marketing hub of the products, which will be based in Bhisho Showgrounds and the department, will seek to create a quality assurance unit, with internal and or external quality assurers to ensure good quality.
The department seeks to mobilise of groups into cooperatives in terms of market product trends agreed on during the discussion and it will formulate and enact a policy and procedure manual for establishment and operations for the textile cooperatives in the province.
It is envisaged that Memorandum of Agreement with relevant partners, including the Textile Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) will be entered to so that there can be effective coordination of implementation of the program – the trained women will be mandated to train others in their respective communities.
Details of the information:
Venue: Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institution (TARDI) - Tsolo
Date: 6 September 2011
Time: 10am
For more information contact:
Ayabulela Ngoqo
Cell: 071 603 3235
