In the words of Gaone Mabalane: I turned my passion for education into a thriving academy to raise the next generation of leaders
Date:
I am a qualified Chartered Accountant, but I have always enjoyed imparting knowledge, teaching children new things, and working with youngsters. When I struggled to find employment, I decided to transform passion into a career. I started my own pre-school which later grew into a primary school called Little Saviours Academy in 2017 in Gaborone, Botswana.We started with just with six learners and by 2019 we had 36 learners enrolled. But the COVID pandemic and restrictions brought the business to a halt, and we had to close our doors in 2020 for two years.
When we reopened, we relocated the school to Mogoditsane, on the outskirts of Gaborone. I heard about EntreprenHER in 2022 and joined the group to do the Start and Improve Your Business course in 2023. When EntreprenHER found me, I was trying to recover from the fall was finding it quite hard to retain my employees. Before joining the EntreprenHER I would run the recruitment process from start to finish from the cleaners to the teachers but wouldn’t give them an induction. Secondly, I was timid and found running disciplinary processes nerve wrecking. During the training we were taught how to manage employees and ensure mutual respect. This really boosted my confidence. I learned that I need to be firm, fair, and have healthy boundaries.
Another thing I learned in managing my team is that what you pour into your talent is what you will get out. I employed a principal to run the daily school affairs while I focus on the finances, strategy and business development. I also learned that you need your team to buy into your vision - they should understand the vision, and this will enable them to support it. Initially I would just interview and employ people without giving them contracts, just offer letters. Each of my staff members now has clear and legally sound contracts and I ensure that their induction is comprehensive. I also run regular workshops focused on performance and on wellness. I can proudly say we now have an empowered workforce.
When I started attending the EntreprenHER workshops the school had 90 learners and 15 employees. Today we have 274 learners and 50 employees. Additionally, the school has grown by three grades – we used to only go up to Grade 4 and now we go all the way to Grade 7. My employees are now registered with the department of labour. The other benefit of the programme is the opportunity it gave me to connect with like-minded women some of whom are now our catering, uniform designing, and embroidering suppliers. Networking with fellow participants goes a long way in providing one a fresh perspective on one’s business and allowing for a great exchange of ideas. I have also acquired a few mentees.
Last year I received three notable awards from the Botswana National Youth Awards where I walked away with the Best Woman-Owned Business and the Best Youth-Owned Business. Then in South Africa at the Founder of the Year Awards (FOYA) my business was recognized as the Best Youth-Owned business in Southern Africa. EntreprenHER was a worthwhile investment in my business because I can directly see the impact it has had on my business.
My plan for the business is to open a high school. We are in the process of bidding for a high school which will also be boarding school. It is quite ambitious, but I am hopeful that we’ll be successful. I am a woman who empowers other women and I intend on hiring more women.
The EntreprenHER programme is an initiative of UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office, in partnership with and supported by De Beers Group in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. In Botswana it is implemented by the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture to equip women -owned micro enterprises with the tools need to start and run successful businesses. The EntreprenHER programme, formerly called Accelerating Women Owned Micro-Enterprises (AWOME), is currently in its third phase.