KAUNJIKA (second hand clothing) and the woman who runs the
business…
(Mary Chikuti)
It was a warm Tuesday morning in June. The chill of the
night had worn off early and the sweaters that were eagerly zipped up by our 3
boys at 6am were now being abandoned on the swings outside.
Susan had come to work as usual at 7am. Today her hair was
straight and she wore a red head band to match her equally red polo shirt. She
had a nervous skip as she trundled the laundry out to the line. Today, she was
accompanying me to Makwasa, to be my interpreter, at her mother’s store –
Kaunjika.
The boys had completed their school work for the day, and
Jett was settling down to eat his lunch with Thoko, so I grabbed my camera and
notepad and hurried out the door.
Duncan bidded us farewell, “Zikomo, Zikomo” he uttered as he
swung the gate behind us. The dry air swished through the open window while the
jasmine bush just outside our gate perfumed the car. A moment later, the pungent smell of chicken
manure assaulted my nostrils as we slowed down to bump over the speed hump. I
pressed the button and the window wound up…
Passing the barrier by the ‘banana ladies’ we veered left as
a glimpse to the right revealed “Come Again”(Malamulo’s exit sign). Bravely, I
pressed my window down to enjoy the dusty air. Occasional shouts of “Azungu”
(white person) whacked at my ears as we passed groups of children. Then,
finding the narrow strip of asphalt, we pushed through the market mini bus
stand and discovered “KAUNJIKA”, open for business.
(Mary at her place of business)
An apricot colored shirt with ruffles caught my eye as it
lay slumped in a heap on one of the piles, and I quickly noticed several of the
finer items were hanging from coat hangers and a wire outside the shop. As we
moved towards the doorway I thought about growing up in Australia and helping
Mum hang out the washing on a Sunday and remembered that feeling of clothes
brushing my face and sides as I passed under the line.
Entering in the door we
found Susan’s mother Mary, sitting on the floor, legs extended and sorting
socks.
Mary’s mouth cracked a smile and I think she even chuckled a
bit when she saw me coming through the door. She knew I was coming to see her,
and yet when I arrived, it still seemed somewhat of a surprise. She pulled at
her chitengi wrap around her waist and re-fastened it, paying little attention
to her black blouse that was unbuttoned in the front. After all, certain parts
of a woman’s body in Malawi are more functional than arousing.
Resisting the temptation to browse the new arrivals in the
linen ‘department’ I settled down on the ground next to Mary and greeted her.
Sue propped herself up against the wooden clothing bin, ready to help bridge
the language gap.
We began by discussing the crops, and our kids and then
after a few minutes passed, I asked, “Mary, are you ready to talk about your
business? Can I ask you some questions so I can learn more about what you do
and how you do it?” She nodded in approval.
(Mary sorting the bundles)
Name: Mary Chikuti
Age: 46
Marital Status: Married (Mary’s husband works at Makwasa
Post office. He is well respected by the community and his family and Mary
talks of his unending support and dedication)
Number of children: Mary stated without hesitation 4, 2
girls and 2 boys, but as Sue balked at the number I probed, “are those you
living children?”, she agreed and added, “One – the second born – died in 1988
at 3 yrs and 3 months old”. As is often the case with child mortality in
Malawi, the cause was mostly unknown, just signs of fever and sickness and then
the child was gone.
Occupation: Small Business Owner – KAUNJIKA (Second hand
clothing and bedding)
(Mary, Susan, Patrick and a cousin)
I wondered how a woman from the Makwasa village had a dream
to run a business selling second hand clothing and bedding. Mary informed me
that her parents used to sell clothing and the business always intrigued her. But
she never had enough capital for being in business on her own and her parents
had died long ago. In 2008 she began to make charcoal and haul it to Blantyre
to sell at the market for meager profits.
After she had gained an advantage of
3,000 MK (at the time equivalent to around $18 USD) she sought business loans
from companies like FINCA, GAIA and others.During her interview with GAIA (small business loans) she
was “osangalala” (happy) and gave a direct plan with what she was proposing to
spend the money on, and why it was so important that she begin a business
(educating and feeding her 4 children). They believed in her and she walked out
with a loan of 15,000 MK ($90 USD). She agreed to the terms of 20% interest and
a full pay back within 5 months.
As we began talking about money, Mary got a little edgy and
I wondered if I was being too personal and should back off, then I noticed the
glances between her and Sue and Sue’s older brother Patrick – who sat behind
and above Mary with a domineering demeanor. I gathered this was the brother who got into
occasional troubles and who had stolen from Mary just months prior to our
meeting. He was eager to hear about the finances of the business – a little too
eager.
(outside Kaunjika in Makwasa)
I backed off and changed the subject slightly. I inquired
how she got around the challenges of running a business in an economy where the
currency fluctuates constantly. And I was impressed with her answer. She
explained how she puts the money from her earnings at Kaunjika into buying
chickens/maize/goats etc and then she sells them at the right time to feed back
into her business. This strategy has kept her business afloat even during times
of great inflation and recession.
Kaunjika makes just enough to do what it set out to do. Mary
can afford to do home improvements, send all her children to basic education
and feed all the mouths at her table each night.
(Mary hanging clothes for sale outside Kaunjika)
(next door the local tailor can alter any purchases that don't fit right :-))
(Wooden boxes serve as clothing bins for sorting - the linens are in the back)
(Susan Chikuti, a worker at our home and a very lovely young woman!)
Making a point to state that she is not a wealthy business
woman, she glances over her shoulder at Patrick and emphasizes that the
business is still requiring a lot of work and the occasional small business
loan to diversify. She looks curiously at me, and then invites me to shop
around.
Being an avid thrift shop goer during my life, the piles and
wire racks, endless with promising ‘finds’ and ‘treasures’ beckon me to
conclude our interview and start digging! I thank Mary for her transparency and
willingness to let me into her world, we barter over the few items I selected,
and then we part ways.
Remembering the first time I laid eyes on Sue’s mom in
Makwasa, and noting the strength in her jaw and tenderness in her heart, I say
a little prayer for Kaunjika. Lord, may you bless this business and the woman
who owns it. May it be profitable that it can be a shining light in Makwasa for
Your Glory God!
No comments:
Post a Comment