SUCCESS MEANS DOING THE BEST WE CAN!

FROM GRASS TO GRACE

Magdalene and her husband Gamaliel and their child lived in a one roomed shark without electricity and other modern comforts.

“I still remember the worst day when our child ate a bar of soap because she was hungry and we had no food. It was bitterly cold in June 1998” Magdalene said.

Gamaliel had a temporary job as a security guard, but Magdalene struggled to find job to do. In 2000, they were so poor that they often went to sleep without having food to eat.

As they were focusing on how to change their status in their life, a friend gave them an old car to offer transport to workers. This gave them income and I started selling chicken, vegetable and washing mini buses. We then managed to move to a decent home in town,” said Magdalene.

They then started a security company and in 2006 they bought their first four roomed house in town. Their businesses grew and they could build more houses.

“Gamaliel had a plan to own a mine” Magdalene said. Gamaliel and Magdalene visited one of the gold mines back to their home in Geita region.”We visited the area with geologist and decided to sign all the paper work needed to buy the mine, after only a month we had a certificate saying the gold mine was ours” she said.

The mine now employs 16 people. 

Recently, Gamaliel and Magdalene bought a plot in Upanga Dar es Salaam where they plan to build a glass house. Today the family that had vitually nothing lives in a mansion and owns six cars including a four-wheel drive Ford Ranger 2.4., two BMWs, two Coaster buses and Isuzu double cabin pick up.

The Magic of Starting Small in business start ups

“Though your beginning was small, your latter end would increase abundantly”

“I was trained as electrical technician holding a certificate in electrical engineering. However, my life was miserable and I faced income poverty for more than five years. I lived without job either permanent or temporary. But I knew living without working is like dying without knowing”, said Ignatius Ejiro.

One day he decided to visit his uncle who is a very successful businessman and ask him any amount of money so that he can start a business. His uncle Mr. Zebuba asked him what type of business he wanted to do. “I want to start shoe brushing business”. Ignatius replied. His uncle lamented, “why chose such a humble job or business while you have a certificate”. After much discussion, Mr. Zebuba told him that he would give him money but the money would not be a grant but a loan. He thus loaned him some amount of money equivalent to USD 250.Then he began a business of polishing people’s shoes for a living while selling some juices and cold drinks in a city square. That was in 2001. Through that business he raised enough money to pay his tuition fee at a computer school. When he graduated, he was jobless again and heard a voice saying to him,” You can create a job for yourself”. He then decided to gather people and taught them how to operate a computer.

Seven years later, he recorded his success that he has his own building and in addition he has three cars and three kiosks, one for selling and repairing electrical equipments and other two for selling general merchandise. Two of his cars are used for hiring and one for personal uses and family.

“My advice to all young  people who have graduated in any form of school; rather than complaining that Government does not provide employment, it is better to  look at our environment and see different opportunities that surround us. There are many opportunities in our environment if we dare to open our eyes and capitalise on them” Ignatius said. 

Ignatius Ejiro is one among ten of thousand of graduates who complete schools and colleges without jobs. However, by looking at the surrounding environment, one can spot opportunities surrounding their environment and acting boldly in setting up a business that can solve pertinent surrounding problems. Thus graduates can solve problems and thereby fight poverty and kick it out of their lives. However, many wait until they gain huge capital while they can start small and move on to greatness.

“The pending and personal questions are, do you have determination? Are you able to persevere and persist to realise your dream(s)?” asks Ignatius Ejiro.

Think like a Lion

A man is what he thinks all day long.As a man thinks in his heart so is he.

STRENGTH AND LIMITATION OF TEACHERS