By Palesa Ndinisa
As we are still in celebration of youth month, Nomhlekhabo Musi, a 27-year-old mother of two, student and businesswoman shares her story on how she left her retail job to empower herself by following her passion and creating a better life for her family.
The young woman studies Engineering and specialises in Mechanical Fitting at the Ekurhuleni East College. She is currently doing her second year for a National Diploma. “My entrepreneurial journey started when my dad lost his job. I was in matric and I already had a one-year-old son at the time. My father was the breadwinner and we had no income. I took it upon myself to braid people so I could put food on the table. I then worked as a cashier at Spar but the salary wasn’t enough. When I was pregnant with my second baby, I sold baby hair-bands and beanies. They sold like hot cakes and I was able to build my outside room while I managed my newborn’s needs,” added Musi.
Musi mentioned that the inspiration to go back to school was simply because she wanted a better life for her two sons and prove to her inner child that she can make it against all odds. She also expressed that she wanted to make her father proud, especially after she felt that she disappointed him for being pregnant while she was still in high school. Going back to being a full time student at age 26 and being employed was a challenge for Musi as her hours reduced from 195 to 75, which resulted her in a humongous salary decrease. In April, she resigned after the loss of her father and decided to focus on her businesses. “I sell food on weekends and I resell sneakers, bags, perfumes yet I’m a mom, a student, a sister and a breadwinner so I easily get fatigued. I’m in awe of how I stay strong. I wake up at 5am daily to prepare for my boys before they head to school, and by 8am I need to be at school. Later on in the day, I help my eldest son with homework and I also have to study since my course is demanding. We’re still grieving the loss of my father as he passed on in April, so at times I get in my emotions but I have to soldier on. Right now, I want to make enough money to ensure that I buy a mobile kitchen because I love cooking and people support me. I believe a mobile kitchen would be a dream come true for my food business and a true definition of resilience,” uttered Musi.
The young woman stretched out how important it is to be a go-getter, a fighter and a hard worker in life. She also mentioned how time management is essential when dealing with multitasking. Musi encourages youth to know the importance of sacrificing and compromising fun in the process of building and achieving success. “It’s very paramount that people understand the value of trying in life. Being a single mom at my age groomed me emotionally and mentally. It motivates me everyday to try rather than fearing the unknown. Failing is an opportunity to try again. At the right time, things will get better but it is very crucial to try,” exclaimed the young woman.
