Lorato Mmabatho Macheng Interview

Briefly tell us about yourself

I am a young lady Lorato Mmabatho Macheng from Serowe. I am a wife and a mother.I am a software engineer by profession and a born designer. I design everything from websites ,flyers to cakes.I have a colourful character and enjoy speaking ,not just tattle but to motivate others.I have a passion for helping people find their purpose and reaching their full potential.

Tell us more about Femina Association

Femina Association is a dream come true..I actually dreamt of it and woke up to share the dream with my friends and by the time I woke up I had already given the NGO a name ,I had written down Blossom.Those friends are now the co-founders of the NGO,Ms Agang Ditlhogo and Ms Tsaone Moloi.It did not come for a research or anything like that but after we sat down and drew a plan we then decided to find out more the issues affecting women and it drew up programs pertaining to that.

Femina Woman is a subsidiary of Femina Association which was intended to create a platform for women inspiration and motivation.Its is a non-govermental organisation that is dedicated to women and girl child empowerment.We offer educational, motivational and networking opportunities through workshops.

Our mission is to help women to reach their full potential and aspire to be better individuals and be go-getters. In order to realise this ,we have designed six programs ; My Zone,Kareer,Biz Lot,Mentor Me,Spotlite,Chat Korner .

We are at the moment running a  give back program for Super Moms,we are looking for a mother who is taking care of a child with special needs. So if you know any mother out there who is doing a good job but never has time for herself please drop us an email and we will honour that woman and pamper her as she deserves.

NB: Only unemployed women.

You recently hosted a women convention. Give us more details about it

Our conventions are held annually and we had the first one in 2012.The aim of the convention is to bring women together to discuss issues relating to the girl child and women. We use this occasion to also learn about opportunities available for women from the government or any other organisations. It is a fun creative outlet for young women to learn about our programs and reflect on their own identities while creating a positive change of attitude towards life.

What else do you do?

In my spare time I write recipes and try out recipes from magazines and books. I love the art of food and aspire to have my own restaurant one day. I give back to the society by mentoring a few young ladies as I believe it is very important to give back to the society. My life has always been about giving back…When I was young I used to teach my colleagues who were not doing well in school and would share with them the little that I know.

What drives you?

Passion! I have so much passion for what I do it’s like it’s been wired into my body and I can’t separate myself from it. I envision something and equip myself with the skills to make that vision a reality –so I am both a hard worker and an envisioner. Both traits are necessary if I am to be an advocate.

If you do something that is your gift, it becomes light on you.

The support I get from family and friends keeps me going, they continually remind me that nothing is impossible and assure me through the knotty times.

Do you have any mentors and do you think it’s important for young people to have mentors?

“You have not learned unless you can teach it to somebody” –Mr Ramogapi

This man is my role model, I have lots of role models but I don’t have a mentor as yet.I do believe that everybody needs someone who has done it so well and have gone through the journey that you want to walk. Someone who can enable you to learn and nurture you into what you want to become.

What challenges have you faced so far in your journey and how did you deal with them?

The biggest challenge for us now is getting financial assistance to carry out our mission but all is not doom and gloom, we are working hard on getting sponsorship for our projects and there is hope.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

There are still many parts of the Botswana where we have yet to reach women .We currently have ambassadors in Maun, Lobatse and Gaborone.We are still calling for the young women to volunteer to be ambassadors in their local areas and assist us in bringing the Femina programs to their social environment therefore I believe in 5 years the NGO will have grown to cover the whole of Botswana.

There are still women who need to be touched and connected as part of a global network of women and it is our belief that in 5 years this forum will be a global network of women who are go-getters. It will take persistence and commitment but we will get there.

As for me I am an entrepreneur in the making,might as well use my passion for food for a living.

What advise can you give young people in Botswana?

Don’t be a backseat driver in your life, get out there and look forward to life. It is not easy for anyone but those that are persistent and determined will one day look back and smile. Use the gifts that God has instilled in you to propel yourself to the top and don’t let your weaknesses over shadow your strengths.

Dream big and love what you do because if you don’t have passion for what you do, you can’t lead and ride the waves of change.

How can people contact you?

If you are interested in volunteering in any of our projects or would like to become an ambassador send us an email at [email protected] or call 71306700.

For any updates on our projects check our Facebook Page: Femina Association.

Our website is still being constructed but you can still check it out: www.femina-bots.com