A FOURTH-YEAR University of Namibia student, who has been selling fudge to support her family and get herself through school and university, has expanded her business.
The Namibian recently told the story of 22-year-old Martha Jonas from Swakopmund, who is studying business administration through the University of Namibia (Unam).
Despite the challenges of paying rent, taxi fare and tuition fees for her and her younger sister in Windhoek, Jonas sacrificed her time to sell fudge on campus.
The young woman, who last year opted to continue her studies through distance from Swakopmund, is happy that her fudge business on the street has allowed her to enter the fourth year of her studies.
“I decided to find people to help me sell fudge because I have so many things to do in one day. I make pizzas and I also started plaiting again to make more money to afford my needs and those of my sisters and brother. There are days when I get pizza orders, customers for plaiting and customers who want fudge. So I found people to help me sell the fudge. Things are not the same because I’m now the breadwinner in the house,” she said.
Jonas advertised the vacancy for three people and already employed one fudge seller.
“Young people need to realise that these are opportunities. It is much better than sitting at home and suffering. Jobs do not search for you. Nowadays, people are losing jobs. It is time to be creative and hardworking on our own. I was teased a lot a Unam, but I managed to add to the money that my sister and I got from our student loan so I could survive,” she said.
Jonas parents have moved to the north.
Her older sister, who was helping her, recently got married and does not live with her siblings anymore.
“We had a pipe burst problem and are in arrears of about N$12 000. Electricity is also very expensive because it’s prepaid. I had to expand my business to cater for it all,” she said.
She encourages Namibians to get up and start small businesses to save themselves from poverty.
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