Namibia: Allensia Garab

I am a married woman and a mother of five children. I am currently involve in manufacturing and sales business of making clothes for men and women also baking traditional biscuits and wedding cake. My business is operating at my home and my immediate customers are all residents of Outjo.I never went to school to learn all what I am  doing in my business but I emulated from my mother since my mother  was also doing sewing. I believes that my business is profitable and it has a potential to replicate. I started this work to empower myself and be in a position of supporting my family. I had a dream that my business one day will grow and employ more people because I feels that unemployment is too high in my home town.

Despite making clothes, baking of traditional biscuits and cake, I also providing baking classes to the community members at an affordable price. My life has changed because I havr money to support my family and I am planning to expand my business to other regions in order to serve more people.

I appreciate all  the information I learnt from attending the  Gender Links entrepreneurship training because I had gained more knowledge of business management whereby today I  can do my budget, planning and market research and my level of English has improved.

In order to improve the productivity of her business, she opted to hire one person who is assisting her to do much of the job especially selling finished products and washing bakery dishes. She managed to register this person with social security commission and paying her reasonable salary.

I am a survivor of gender based violence, because she empowered herself and set example for others who could be inspired by my skills. I am a member of Women support group, an initially group of women who are raising awareness about gender based violence in Outjo. I am a well known and respected person in my community because of the change I bringing.

In the year 2030 I wish to have a plot where I can build my own business place and want to secure loan at the bank which I can afford to pay back. I am currently busy with the municipality of Outjo on the issue of land and  hopes soon my dream will come true.

I won 2 awards from the national summits and this motivated me a lot. One thing I cannot forget in my life is when I to travel to Johannesburg to attend the regional summit 2014 where I met different people and learnt a lot.