21 Jun 2018

Five young men of Kazungula are using their talent, skill and experience in mechanics to put bread on the table.

Mr Gilbert Kakambi, Mr Johnson Nawala, Mr Tawana Mbololo, Mrt Orapeleng Bahiti and Mr Onalenna Kakambi started with almost nothing, but they have made their presence felt in the car repairing industry.

In an interview, the manager of Gil Fix mechanics, 28-year-old Mr Kakambi said he realised his love for cars at a young age as he would always watch and pay attention when a mechanic was repairing his parents’ vehicle.

He said his love for cars influenced him to develop interest in fixing vehicles, which lead to him enrolling with Chobe Brigades to pursue a course in mechanics after completing his junior certificate at Chobe Secondary School.

He said in 2014 after completing his studies he decided to open a workshop in Kazungula in his parents’ yard, and that by that time he was just fixing a few cars with the help of his young brother.

A year later, while attending to a client’s vehicle whose  engine needed to be rebuilt, he experienced challenges as he was still new to doing practical work, which led to him meeting an experienced self-made mechanic by the name of Nawala to help him.

The two were able to fix the vehicle in a short period of time, which was the beginning of a partnership because they realised that they needed each other.

Due to an increase in the workload from clients, the talented Nawala then invited his cousin Bahiti and another experienced mechanic Mbololo to join Gil Fix mechanics.

He said for him car repairing was a skill he inherited from his father who was also a renowned mechanic.

“He used to assign me to attend to car breakdowns when I was a young boy, and slowly but surely I acquired the necessary skills to become a competent mechanic,” he explained.

Mr Nawala said although he never went to school for car repairing, he received calls from mechanics countrywide who studied mechanics seeking his advice and help when they experienced problems, which he said was a clear message that you could not buy experience.

Mr Kakambi said their breakthrough came in 2016 when they landed a contract to fix vehicles for a tourism travelling agency.

He said it boosted their company and as individuals they were able to buy some of the most important tools and the correct clothing for their job.

Mr Kakambi said they also managed to buy a van which he uses to attend to breakdowns around Chobe and sometimes across borders as the company got calls from clients as far as Namibia.

His partner, Mr Nawala also managed to buy a car which also helps in moving around to attend to local clients.

Another member of the Gil Fix mechanics, 28-year-old Mr Mbololo said he believed every individual has a hidden talent and that it was just a matter of unleashing it.

He said not all people were bound to excel in academics and that if one did not do well at school, they must not give up as they could always turn to their skill and talent to sustain themselves.

The five young mechanics said although their business was doing well, they still faced challenges such as to secure a permanent industrial plot.

They said sometimes the safety of their clients’ vehicles was compromised because the place they currently used was not secure and small hence it could not handle the number of vehicles which were brought for repairs. ENDS