09 Aug 2018

Ms Maneko John of Shakawe is living proof that determination and working hard towards a goal is the only way to succeed.

Ms John shows that nothing glittering and valuable can be attained without hardship unless it is fake or temporary as she dwells in the reimbursement of her hard work of running a baking business in her home village.

The 41-year-old mother bakes different types of bread from fat cakes to loaves.  

She is a mobile entrepreneur, who reckons that by moving around, one will have the fortitude to go after what they want, rather than sit back and wait for it to knock on the door.

Ms John says she has been involved in the business for about 21 years.

She says the high unemployment rate forced her to stick to baking.

Ms John thus finally enrolled with the Poverty Eradication Programme in 2015 after two years of unsuccessful requests. 

She was assisted with equipment such as trays, a stove, a 48kg gas cylinder, bowls, cups and baking rolls, adding that since then she has never looked back.She said for her business to succeed, she increased her mental toughness and bettered her skills as well as developing new ones to become even more efficient and productive.

Furthermore, she attended a one-week baking workshop in Gumare to improve and perfect her skills.

She said in 2017, she won a tender to feed Shakawe Primary School pupils as well as Kathiana Mahunga Primary Schools in Shakawe, an opportunity she describes as significant as she managed to upgrade her life. 

Ms John said she can now afford fancy furniture just like other people. 

She managed to connect water, built a two-roomed house, feed her children as well as pay their school fees and other basics. 

However, she said bread was advantageous as it was among the cheapest products costing between P1 to P10 as compared to other foods.

She said even though baking may seem simple, it was not the case because one needed to wake up at dawn to prepare so that the bread was ready at agreed times.

She said bread also needs proper care and handling, adding that for her, baking was a talent from God.

Meanwhile, Ms John decried the high competition due to more competitors in the village.

She also expressed concern about the loaf fee set by council as she says it was a drawback, looking at the costs of producing bread.

“We are living in the midst of economic crisis, unreliable rainfall and others therefore I’m looking forward to expanding my business by constructing a big bakery to increase my earnings and save for the unknown,” she said.

Ms John advised others to run businesses they were passionate about as it felt good to put your best effort at something you know better than trying to work smarter and harder in something you are not sure about. 

She also noted that constantly reminding yourself of your dreams, striving continually to activate, nurture and maintain the kind of desire that will make you a winner helps motivate one because the enthusiasm will wake you up to work hard at it to accomplish something. ENDS