Women's bricklaying cooperative gets R100,000 injection

The Deputy Minister for the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, handed the cheque to the Gombani Bricks Primary Co-operative in Gombani village.

"I am pleased with what the women are doing to improve their lives through this project. They are doing things for themselves and improving their lives for the better. We want these women to make money themselves and be able to put food on their tables," Bogopane-Zulu said.

The project started operating following a donation of a low cost hydraform machine from the Department of Public Works in 2011.

Bogopane-Zulu's department pledged the R100,000 donation after cellphone company MTN donated a similar amount to the project in December last year.

MTN Group representative Fusi Mokoena said: "As the MTN Group we realised that we need to help marginalised rural communities who have committed themselves to changing their own lives."

Project leader Livhuwani Tshikosi said the project started with 12 women in 2011.

"Now we have 24 women in the project. To date we have built seven houses using the machine, which requires less cement," said Tshikosi.

The deputy minister also handed over a laptop to the project for their administration work and a brand new house to unemployed mother of three, Avhakholwi Ndou. The house was built with bricks made from the Gombani project.

"I'm happy with the house. Now life for me and my children will change for the better. Life was a nightmare when my children and I lived in the dilapidated mud hut," said Ndou.