GIBEON – Despite facing numerous setbacks, Gibeon resident Anna Bank has never given up and is successfully running her grocery shop today.
During an exclusive interview with New Era, she said it was only through perseverance that her business has survived.
“As part of the Ministry of Youth’s empowerment programme, me and nine other local youth were selected to participate in the ‘121 Constituencies Empowerment Programme’. Thereafter, three of us received training in financial management and entrepreneurial skills in 2022,” she explained.
Bank said prior to this, the group ran a hair salon funded through the Namibian Youth Credit Scheme, but it later collapsed due to a lack of business skills and limited community support.
Following this setback, she said six members started the Gibeon Youth Wholesale and Retail Shop with N$300 000 funding from the Development Bank of Namibia.
“Since we struggled to get land from the Gibeon Village Council, we started operating from a shop in my yard, which I had previously closed due to financial constraints. I now charge rent from the profits we make at month-end,” she said.
Bank added that the business faced several challenges, including members withdrawing from the project, lack of commitment, theft, untrustworthy staff, and customers failing to repay credit purchases, all of which nearly brought the business to its knees.
“I went through a very difficult time as both owner and employee, while also running my catering and confectionery business to make a living. However, the sacrifices I made, together with strong willpower, have shaped me into a successful entrepreneur today,” she said.
She encouraged fellow young people to remain committed and motivated, and to never give up on their dreams.
“Always remember to start from the bottom if you want to reach the top,” she advised.
Bank said that, apart from selling basic commodities to the community, she plans to expand and diversify her business into other products and services in future.