With some people having lost their jobs and income during the lockdown, Loeriesfontein and Khobab Wind Farm wanted to provide small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) with an opportunity to earn an income.
The three local SMMEs, namely DBM Businesses and Construction Services, RBB Enterprise and Boesmanland Green Enterprise, are a 100% local youth-owned business that are being supported to provide masks during the Covid-19 pandemic, whilst offering local employment.
They are now receiving fabric to manufacture the masks, which Loeriesfontein and Khobab Wind Farm will then purchase back to distribute within the local community, free of charge.
This support model means that not only do local companies receive a boost, but community members are supplied with masks to help protect themselves during the pandemic.
This initiative forms part of the wind farms enterprise development programme, which includes a focus on Covid-19 relief support, says Vanessa Fredericks, economic development manager for Loeriesfontein Wind Farm and Khobab Wind Farm.
She says the economic benefits of supporting small businesses in a community are profound, in that they are great employment and income generators.
By introducing a buy-back system, SMMEs are assured of a market for their goods. This sustainable model is further supported by the supply of materials, she explains.
The businesses were selected based on their compliance to the conditions attached to the request for proposals, which includes the manufactured quality of the finished product.
All qualifying SMMEs were provided with a sample and they were requested to produce their own mask, exactly as the template.
“A key consideration for qualifying SMMEs was the provision of employment to community members of Loeriesfontein, ensuring that all the benefits remain local,” adds Fredericks.
Furthermore, the three successful applicants have also been encouraged to work together as a collective to make a success of the project.
