"When we established Licebo Elihle Sewing and Projects Primary Cooperative Limited in 2011, we wanted to create jobs for community members especially for those who reside in the plots". That's according founding member, Mandisa Mampe, during an interview with Weekly Bulletin.
Licebo Elihle Sewing and Projects Primary Cooperative Limited in Randfontein, West Rand was founded 10 years ago by group of women namely; Mandisa Mampe, Boitumelo Iris Mampe, Maria Morwe,  Lebogang Mthethwa and Fihliwe Monahela.
"We saw the necessity to establish our cooperative as the unemployment rate is high in the area. There are no opportunities for the people who live at the plots here in Randfontein, and for us through this project we wanted to close the gap. People tend to think that people from the plots are well off and they are wrong, the level of poverty is severe there", Mampe said.
"We wanted to offer services such as gardening, sewing, dry cleaning and dropping centre when we started. It was hard at the beginning to execute all these due to funding. We stayed put and thanks to the Gauteng Department of Social Development who came to our rescue. They started to fund us towards the end of 2011 for the sewing project. As a result of this funding by Social Development, we managed to turn things around, since we now manufacture school uniform, traditional outfits, church uniforms and curtains", said Mampe.
She highlighted the importance of determination and that as a team they will never lose hope no matter the challenges they face such as space where they operate that is too small. She said they would keep working hard to realise the goals they set themselves when they started the project.
"We are grateful to the department for affording us with a great opportunity to start a business", she said
Should anyone wish to do business with Licebo Elihle Sewing and Projects Primary Cooperative, they can call the chairperson, Mrs. Mandisa Mampe on 078 012 2557.