Just a hawker making ends meet
“My past does not pull me down anymore”.
I Stay in Zwide in Port Elizabeth with my adopted daughter, I make a living through selling as a hawker at the gate of Dora Nginza Hospital. I want to grow my business so that I am able to take my adopted daughter to school.
I am a proud ambassador and partner on the Umthombo programme, it has changed my life, I gained so much confidence.
The Umthombo programme coordinators take time with teaching me to be a better business person.
My past does not pull me down anymore I am seen as a leader in the group we don’t have a bank account and I look after the money for our orders. I keep the money and the other hawkers trust me.
My daughter see the joy when I get up and make my break early in the morning and how motivated I am.
My customers see that I sell First Choice and they are so impressed .I have a beautiful white table, cooler box on wheels for my product. My space looks cleaner and I am looking more professional.
We do not have good facilities as a hawkers but we know that with the relationship with Woodlands/First choice we have people that we can talk to that will help us. We are learning so much and I want to improve my cash flow so that I can save and fix my bakkie. I have a huge problem with transporting all my things every morning to the gate of the hospital it costs me a lot of money.
The weather and the lack of shelter is a huge problem, but we raised this with First Choice and they are looking at something that can help us with cover and be safe with the wind of Port Elizabeth.