POLOKWANE – Keep the Dream Foundation, believed in her and in 2017 gave her the chance to study and become a successful entrepreneur.
“The foundation gave me an opportunity, one which I never thought would come my way, to be able to go and study and show those, who believed that I could not do anything, that I was capable of much more than they or even I realised,” she says.
With a scholarship aimed at equipping local unemployed youth with the skills of becoming cutting-edge entrepreneurs and the values that she got from Keep the Dream Scouts, she was able to not only go and study but also recently graduated, at the age of 27, from the programme in Gauteng and received a Top Achievement Award.
She adds that receiving the award is a special thing, for her coming from a very rural background and not having much or being able to dream big, to having this behind her name.
She describes herself as a hardworking go-getter and says she now wants to open an events company that can handle all types of events, from corporate to personal.
Keep the Dream Foundation helps Limpopo youths walk the road to self discovery
Among the business training she received during the program, Zanele learned how to develop her idea, business model and event company business plan. She was afforded opportunity to manage the event requirements for the graduation program through Keep the Dream Foundation in Limpopo.
She adds that creativity and discipline is needed when growing a future business and this is something that she says learners must be aware of when they think of going into this line of study.
It has not been an easy road for Zanele, who had to overcome her fear of failure. “Being afraid to fail stopped me from going for the things I wanted in life, my goals. If I could turn back the clock and give my younger self some advice, it would be to “never give up”. Things take time. Pursuing your goals or having a successful business doesn’t happen overnight, and when you get impatient with yourself just remember that eventually, you will get there.”
Since the program has now come to an end, it’s not the end of the road for Ndou. She now plans to study further and learn as much as she can about business administration and business management. “I want to gain more experience and become a successful entrepreneur.
Zanele is currently back in Limpopo helping children in her homevillage sell things like sweets in the township to help them understand what it is like to run a business. “It is also something that helps them get a little money for things they need and it has changed not only their lives but mine as well,” she concludes.
