As the clock ticks towards the final of the National Community Builder of the Year Awards, set to take place at Sandton in November, seven female entrepreneurs who operate the Kutloano Women’s Laundry Project are expected to fly the Musina Local Municipality’s flag.

Led by dedicated community builder Selinah Phologa, Kutloano Laundry operates from Nancefield and serves a variety of customers ranging from civil servants and business owners to foreign truck drivers who pass through Musina to other parts of Africa every day. Armed with basic skills in running households errands, Kutloano Laundry is mostly run by former domestic workers for closed copper mining magnates. Comprised of Anna Mokobi, Sanah Pitsi, Selina Phiri, Flora Matsa, Sannah Mushwana and Anna Khosa, Kutloano Landry has been washing and ironing clothes to provide an income to support the women’s families for the past six years.

This year’s Community Builder of the Year Awards in Limpopo Province were dominated by grandmothers who took it upon themselves to spearhead the struggle for women’s economic emancipation. There was only one man who made it to the top who participated in the youth category. The four winners have proceeded to the national finals that will be held on 10 November 2006 at Sandton Convention Centre.

During this year’s event on July 7 at the Tzaneen Showgrounds, the three female senior citizens and one male youth proved that, with brains and willpower, anything is possible.

Kutloano Laundry was the group category winner, with Mamphe Naniekie Magoro winning in the adult category, and Melita Violet Masemola from Mankweng in Polokwane winning in the senior category. Dan Mashimbye broke the monotony by being the only male winner. On behalf of the sponsors, Sowetan Special Projects Editor Victor Mecwamere said SABC, Sowetan & Old Mutual were engaged in what the late Sowetan editor Aggrey Klaaste called the RDP of the soul and then termed Nation Building.

Macwemere said: “Through Community Builder, we are able to prove to the world that no one but ourselves can make South Africa a better place to live in. As sponsors, we will continue to align ourselves with the people and projects geared towards making the communities we live in better places”.

Limpopo MEC for Health & Social Development Seaparo Sekoati said his department and the whole province were honoured to be part of the Community Builder of the Year, which has become a platform to award and recognize community members who have insight, vision, and efforts to come with community-based projects that will go into the future.

He said 2006 was the Age of Hope, and it is exciting to award these people that are putting so much value in our people.