By Selma Neshiko
Hichi Josef is a young and innovative woman who is slowly but creatively contributing to her community.
Born and bred in the small village of Olyasiiti in the Omusati region in the northern part of the country, Hichi, is the last born of her five siblings.
She attended her primary school at Olyasiiti Primary School. At school, Hichi was a very quiet and observant learner who loved art work. After completing high school at the Gabriel Taapopi, Hichi furthered her studies at the University of Namibia (Unam), and later continued in South Africa (SA).
Being an accountant by profession, Hichi also had other thriving interests. “My profession did not stop me from perusing my other hobbies, that’s why I ended up doing designing printing, which I love and enjoys,” says Hichi. With a love for designing, painting and just being creative, Hichi turned her hobby into a money making business in August 2011. She started Kapex Trading Cc, a printing business currently based in Okahandja, printing a wide variety of items including mugs, plates, bags and wedding, birthday and business cards.
“One of my best friends by the name Beata inspired me fully, she admired my art work and I have done a couple of handmade items for her and then she was like don’t you want to take this further? And there it started and never ended. Another person worth mentioning on the inspiration route is my niece, Julia, who is such a helping hand and has never given up on me and motivating me,” she appreciates. Hichi maintains that, like most other businesses, it was not easy setting up her business. When she began with the venture, she had only one mug printing machine. She worked full time and printing was simply a hobby. However, after noticing the increase in demand for her products, she decided to expand her printing even further catering for customers countrywide.
Today she undertakes various large orders but she still enthusiastically prints for neighbours and friends who were the people that sparked her interest into a thriving business. “I have learned to associate myself with positive people as I grow a lot through them. I focus on solutions than problems and I made peace with the series of ups and downs in life and learned to move on,”Hichi says.
Kapex Trading has also showcased its products at the Rosh Pinah Expo, Okahandja Trade and Tourism Expo, which has provided the business a platform to show the public what they are about.
Her business supports numerous community projects from school events to sports teams. With a reliable reputation and a passion for striving with the community, Hichi believes that Kapex Trading will surely go far. Hichi is currently doing her own earrings and neck wares from the old newspapers and seeds. “I do not like wasting and littering, therefore I recycle my newspapers into something useful,” she says.
She adds that sitting out there waiting for things to happen will not work and urges the youth to go out there and show what they are good at. “I live every day of my life by the quote. Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” (By William Jennings Bryan). If opportunity does not knock build a door. Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy,” Hichi encourages.