FROM YEARS OF BANGING THE HEAD ON THE WALL TO REALIZATION OF HER DREAMS THROUGH OYE II PROJECT.
Ester Paulo is one among the beneficiaries of OYEII project who is living at Doma Stoo village, Doma ward in Mvomero District located at Morogoro region. Doma Stoo is a small growing village located on the Eastern side along Iringa road before you head to Mikumi National park. The great percent of its population are young energetic youths who are just wondering in the street after drop out from school as it is commonly known that the communities located on the Eastern part of Tanzania Morogoro including, lack that culture of supporting their children to join advanced education level and furthers studies and this has been worst scenario to young girls who are treated as source of wealth to their parents thus forced to earlier marriages for earning dowry prices.
As she was narrating her situation before she joined OYEII project, Esther a wife and a mother to two children stated that; “Before the project I had several trials on doing petty businesses that is selling porridge and later samosa which proved failures after sometimes because I had no skills on business management especially on the aspect of saving and record keeping. Basing on this fact, every time I made a trial on my businesses I ended banging my head on the wall because of using all profit and later on end up on using capital to cater basic needs and others family commitments instead of saving for business growth and sustainability”. Not only had I tried the said petty businesses but also engaged on tomato cultivation as source of income generating activity of which it also didn’t work. The great challenge on tomato business is because it is seasonal farming thus it was not guarantee on earning me enough income to sustain my family despite of my husband support.
Deep down I kept dreaming on becoming an entrepreneur but I had no idea where and how to start because of banging my head on the wall so many times of trials as I have narrated before that my attempt on doing several businesses came to the shadow of darkness. I couldn’t even figure out what kind of business should I dare to start.
As a blink of my eye, after several years of struggling, one evening I heard the village chairperson announcement that there will be the village assembly at my village of which I managed to attend. From this point I managed to join OYE II project where by the facilitators from E-MAC TANZANIA introduced the project followed by series of trainings from which youths, I including, equipped with basic life skills, business life skills, technical skills and identifying concrete market opportunities, not to forget core cause of my previous business failure which are lack of knowledge on record keeping and how to save of which on this fact, facilitators also taught and exposed us on Youth Saving and Lending Associations methodologies and practices.
Just after being facilitated on identifying concrete market opportunities that’s fit my environment and being exposed to technical skills on what I have chosen that is soap making, my dreams have started coming to realization. I have managed to produce almost 200ltrs of toilet cleaner, tiles cleaner, laundry soap, dish washing soaps and shampoo and sell to my community, nearby retail shops, saloons, kiosks and dispensaries. This business has increased my income and thus improved living standard of my family since we can cater basic needs without huge struggle as before. Together with that, I have managed to change my community from using local ways (battery water, ash) to clean toilet tiles and sinks, as for now they are using my products for cleaning toilets that is toilet and tiles cleaner which are safe and healthy.
As she kept narrating, Esther said, “My story has completely changed. As a young female in my village, I now own a small soap making enterprise which has always been my big dream. I also hope by saving at YSLA, I will manage to buy smart phone which I will be using for marketing my products that’s lead to my business growth, income increase that enables me to send my children to school and build a house as for now we are renting a house.”
I am also pleased that I have been a part of bringing changes to my community that is educating them on changing from using local ways (chemicals from batteries, ash) to clean their toilet and opt for using toilet disinfectants which is safer and healthy than using local ways. “She went further by narrating that, changing my community was only possible by busing leadership and lobbying skills equipped to me by facilitators from E-MAC through OYE project. Not to forget, I am a young female that is very confident to stand before the community and market my business products because we have been taught on Marketing Strategies and Gender Issues that is women also have an ability do whatever men are doing only differences are biological factors which are to be respected and maintained. Thank you TO E-MAC TANZANIA and OYE project in general for changing my life.”
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