Developing san women’s business, governance and management skills in the arts and craft project

Abstract

The three year duration of training and provision of business, governance and management skills by Ba Isago University staff to the San women in D'Kar, Ghanzi District, Botswana was designed to equip the poor with inventive entrepreneurship skills so as to enhance the profitability for their business operations. The Kellogg Foundation Project funded the trainings while BA ISAGO University College staff ran training programmes from 2009 to 2012. This partnership was created to fight poverty and enhance self-sufficiency in this community while at the same time serving as partner with the Government of Botswana. Although the project had not undergone summative evaluation at the time of writing this book, what was emerging from the process engagement with the women in this community was that the San who had been trained in tie-and-dye were beginning to make some quality products, developing a new and changed mindset towards their business project and had acquired skills for sustainable entrepreneurship development.