‘I thought I had failed’

. . . Engineering graduate survives by selling traditional food

A civil engineering graduate says getting used to selling food at an informal market after earning a stable income is hard.

Awene Frans (26) sells traditional food at Okuryangava after being unemployed for the past six years.

“I felt self-conscious about doing this type of work after working at a mine. I thought I had failed,” he says.

Frans completed a civil engineering degree at the Namibia University of Science and Technology in 2017.

He was employed by a mine at Sesfontein in 2018.

The mine has since closed.

Frans sells traditional food such as mopane worms, dried fish, beans, spinach and mahangu, as well as second-hand shoes and jackets.

He hopes the upcoming elections will create employment opportunities for young people.

He says society often disregards certain jobs, despite them providing an honest way to make a living and to be self-employed.

“People can be quick to judge, but I couldn’t just sit at home waiting for a job, so I started importing traditional food products from Angola and Zambia,” he says.

Frans says many customers are interested in unprocessed traditional foods. He says laws protecting informal sellers like him are important.

He doubts the elections would change his circumstances, but still hopes for an engineering job.

“Seeing is believing. I don’t know if the politicians mean what they have been promising us,” he says.

Looking ahead, Frans hopes to grow his business.

He is wishing for a permanent space where customers can always find his products. Pastoral counsellor Lyndon van Wyk encourages young people to use their talents to generate income.

“Young people cannot give up while they have skills that can be monetised. They cannot just sit at home doing nothing,” he says.

Van Wyk, who works with drug and alcohol addicted young people, says the youth should seek career guidance from the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation, which offers free services. “The ministry can guide you on whether your field of study aligns with employment opportunities in the country,” he says.