Meet Ignatius Shifa, the 30-year-old self-employed who hails from the village called Okalongo in the Northern part of Namibia.
He started his schooling at Oshatotuua Combined School and then went on to Okalongo High School where he matriculated. Shifa comes from a big family. He was raised by his grandmother, who only depended on her pension to sustain the family. “Life was tough. I can remember in Grade 10, the school fee and examination fee was the same amount as my grandmother’s pension and that was not enough for all of us, so I would often go with a bottle of coke to give to my teacher, so I can write exams,” says Shifa. Growing up in a village without electricity, Shifa developed an interest in power as he was eager to know how electricity works and where one can get it. He wanted power in his village. “As a child I use to play around with tools and things just to see what I can come up with. I use to love power but we didn’t have any where I came from and that made me want to know where it derived and now I do, I’m living my life as an electrician,” he says.
When Shifa completed high school all he wanted to do was specialise in electricity and with the help of his grandmother and a government grant, he registered himself in the Department of Electrical Trade at the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre (WVTC). “Getting into VTC was not easy because at the time I still did not have money but my grandmother went out of her way again to make sure we get the best education. She sold some of her goats to pay for my registration of N$1000, while I was still waiting on the GRN grant and when it was approved everything was covered and I was at ease,” says Shifa. Coming from the village to the city was something new to Shifa, and adapting to the environment was not as easy as he thought it would be. “My first year was tough, I didn’t know the capital. With no money for transport, I had to walk from Katutura to Khomasdal. The whole year I was just walking. Cloth wise, we got uniforms, so I didn’t have to worry about what to wear. I didn’t really care about materialistic things. My concentration was with my studies, I only wanted to master electricity and that’s probably what made me one of the best students in class,” he reflects.
After years of training Shifa eventually obtained his certificate and got a job at ABB Contracting, a company that deals with electrical work. After working at ABB, Shifa decided to resign and start up his own business called, Shifa Electrical and Construction cc, which does building contsruction, tiling, electrical installations, plumbing, renovations and draws building plans. When Shifa opened his company he started with four employees but now has 35 employees. “I’m happy with where I am today. I came from a poor family and I’ve achieved something to sustain my family now,” he says. He adds that even if sometimes getting customers is a struggle, he is coping and hopes to expand his business countrywide. “I want to be able to employ more people as my company grows bigger. I want it respected and recommended by the customers,” Shifa dreams.
He encourages the young out there to follow their dreams. “Whatever you dream of go for it, it’s possible. If I can do it then you can too. I didn’t own a wheelbarrow when I started but now I own a lot of them. Never forget where you come from and always think of that when you need motivation.”
Selma Neshiko