By Liapeng Raliengoane
MASERU – Basotho Enterprises Development Corporation (BEDCO) through its Women Mentorship Program, engaged mentors and mentees in an introductory session today in Maseru.
In his opening remarks, BEDCO Enterprise Development Executive Head Lemphane Lesoli highlighted that the aim of BEDCO was to see women-led enterprises thrive in the country and that this program was aimed at assisting emerging women entrepreneurs with the interest of growing their businesses following the footsteps of those who were already in business.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. It is through this program that women are brought together to mentor each other, work together and bring out the best in one another. This program is expected to go on for 12 months,” Lesoli revealed.
He further went on to congratulate the mentors as well as their mentees and indicated that their meet-and-greet session was taking place within the right month, which is Women’s Month. Lesoli stressed the importance of women in society as well as going further to indicate that even hurricanes were named women.
BEDCO Youth Development Manager ‘Majubere Mofolo said that the Women Mentorship Program fell under the Youth Development Project as one of the initiatives that has access to finance and business incubation. Mofolo also indicated that there would be periodic meetings in order to assess the progress made.
‘Matlhohonolofatso Tšepang Tšita-Mosena, who is one of the mentors selected for the program, said through this program, they are expected to groom the mentees assigned to them so that their businesses may thrive as well as to propel them to reach greater heights and that she will be tapping into her vast experience in business to accomplish this.
A mentee, Tiisetso Sefatsane, who is amongst the chosen women to participate in this program, expressed her heartfelt gratitude to BEDCO for this program. Sefatsane said this mentorship program will go a long way in helping their businesses to grow and that they will learn a lot from their mentors as they have walked this business journey before them. She further highlighted that she started her business eight years ago and she has been running it since.
In May this year, with the aim to redefine women entrepreneurship in Lesotho, BEDCO introduced the Women Mentorship Programme and as thus, a pool of potential mentors comprising only of women in positions of power across various organizations in Lesotho were engaged.
