Disadvantaged woman from rural Marongwane Village needs funding
A lot still needs to be done for women who are operating their businesses from a disadvantaged village in a field dominated by men since, in most cases, they are declined for government funding.
While the country celebrated Women’s Month, some young businesswomen from disadvantages communities are still struggling to access government funding.
One of these affected business owners, Mampho Mpangane (34) from Marongwane Village in Bushbuckridge, who has been running a chicken business since 2014, said she has been knocking on all the doors of government agencies to get funding, with no luck.
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“I did everything that was needed, but was declined. I am worried that I am only left with one year from being excluded from youth funding due to my age. In my opinion, I was declined because I am a woman in a field dominated by men. The fact that I was operating from a disadvantaged village, also made things worse for me. I have been running this business for a long time, and just needed an injection so it can grow. But I was denied, and I am not going to move to urban areas so that I can be considered, since most of my customers are where I am staying now,” she said.
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Mpangane said it is very difficult to celebrate Women’s Month, especially when they are excluded from government opportunities due to their background and location. “I started the business with a little money from my parents. I did my research well and I knew there was a market for it. I find it very difficult to understand why I was not funded, because even though it’s struggling, I am still pushing. I just need some help, just like any other business.”
Mpangane said she needs the funding for better shelter for her chickens so that she can produce them and sell in bulk. She also needs a grant to be able to supply more chickens to her village and the surrounding areas, as there is demand, but she has limited capacity.
