14 Apr 2016

The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture through Youth Development Fund (YDF) continues to fund different businesses as a way of fighting unemployment and poverty in the country.

A Youth Development Fund beneficiary Ms Dorothy Legabala of Kanye is gradually making strides in the printing industry.

Ms Legabala of Shariffah Printers located at BG Mall in Kanye, was funded through YDF in 2013 to the tune of P84 000 is providing services such as printing mugs and t-shirts, car brandings, banners, road signs as well as other printing assortments.

Speaking in an interview Ms Legabala said to improve the quality of her services, she uses machines such as vinyl cutter that is used for designing labels and banners, heat presser for designing graphics on t-shirts, and a mug presser to print graphics on mugs.

“Well for me to choose this kind of business venture I was inspired by passion and curiosity for art because from a tender age I was always eager to design, therefore I always strived to turn my dream into reality.”

She added that for her to make a beautiful design, sometimes she transfers her thoughts on a piece of paper and when she is satisfied with the drawing she turns her views into reality by creating real graphics using a graphic software installed in her laptop.

Ms Legabala says using graphic software has upgraded her thinking capacity making her to create or mix different colours in order to come up with one vivid picture or illustration.

“During summer the business is doing well because a lot of people will be printing different t-shirts for various occasions and festivals, therefore making it the busiest season.”

She said during this season she gets motivated because it gives her an opportunity to explore and play with her talent and sometimes does not even realise that she overworked herself.

Ms Legabala said she intends to break barriers in the market and create employment for others by increasing her production targets.

She said she is working on having her own operational space as well as buying big printing machines that will increase production within a reasonable time, adding that would allow her to incorporate services such as screen printing, poly-flex digital print and puff printing.

She said she will be providing these services at reasonable prices considering the fact that money is scarce.

She said this kind of business needs too much market research and advertising, therefore she goes to places as far as Mahalapye to advertise her business as well as to give her an opportunity to interact with her clientele. ENDS