Tendani is determined to rise above poverty with her beadwork

LIMPOPO – Tendani Malusele (26) of Vondwe Matatshe taught herself how to make traditional attire as she was determined to rise above poverty.

A drop-out marketing student at the Vhembe FET College, Malusele decided to use her creativity to provide her community with traditional and modern clothing.

“I had no other alternative but to use my hands to generate an income. I wasn’t willing to beg for the rest of my life so I decided to do something about my situation, as I am the master of my own destiny. Many people think the best thing is to go out and look for a job, but we can also create jobs for ourselves. People around here have so many hidden talents but they do not know how to use them. I didn’t realise I was sitting on a bag of money until I took the initiative to stand up and fight for my future.”

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Malusele is doing good for herself now and even hired a permanent assistant. Her advice for other young women is: “Stand up and take charge of your lives. It’s high time we took back control. Don’t depend on a man.”

She is adamant that her happiness comes first in her life, despite the challenges she sometimes faces. “Running a business is not easy, but I make sure that I do what makes me happy,” she said.

Malusele shared her secret recipe for success. “Hard work, effective time management and proper customer care will make you go places.”

Everything she knows about dressmaking comes from her own determination. “The time has come for us to eradicate poverty by creating our own projects, instead of just saying there are no jobs,” she said.

Her ultimate goal is to teach the youth and unemployed people in the village a skill that could help them earn a living. Those who wish to learn how to sew can call her on 079 410 9977.