Kaylan Shipanga
KALKFELD – For Fabiola Noinxas, quitting her full-time job to care for her paralysed mother in Kalkfeld was a simple choice. After her siblings complained about the responsibility, Noinxas decided to walk away from her chef position at a local lodge to become her mother’s primary caretaker.
The resignation left the 35-year-old with no income for her or her severely disabled mother who, after a devastating stroke in 2017, cannot walk or talk.
Noinxas, who also supported her unemployed sisters, said she decided to look for ways to make money to buy electricity or food.
“I first checked in my community and thought, ‘what can I do. Where can I get money fast?’ Then I decided to start with walking around and selling vetkoek, popcorn and chips for children. I told myself I could make these things on my own, so I just started selling them. Then I started seeing my business grow,” she said.
Once sales started to come in, Noinxas decided to open a small tuckshop from right inside her home’s kitchen.
“I removed my dishes from my counter and thought about what to sell. Then I decided to start selling small things like sugar, so that I could see whether customers would be interested,” said Noinxas.
While selling to customers who stop by her front door, Noinxas tends to her mother who sits in their back bedroom. She sells items such as bagged sugar, rice and washing powder, as well as airtime. Noinxas says she gets her entrepreneurial spirit from her mother.
“She was a healthy person and a hard worker. I followed her steps. She really worked hard for us to have bread on the table,” Noinxas reflected.
As her tuckshop sales began to increase, her story of perseverance made a mark with several people, including Otjozondjupa regional governor Otto Ipinge.
After Ipinge learned of her entrepreneurship, he said he was moved to offer N$5 000 toward stock for her business.
With 2017 statistics stating that 90 percent of Kalkfeld residents were unemployed, Noinxas’ efforts were a welcome narrative.
Just days before she was to receive her donated supplies, Noinxas suffered a devastating medical diagnosis in September – deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
The dangerous disorder caused blood clots to form in Noinxas’ legs and forced her to spend a month in the hospital in recovery.
When her supplies arrived, she was still in the hospital.
Since her discharge, she has had to stay off her feet more and rest while still taking care of her mother and running er home business.
Noinxas must now rely on taxi drivers heading to nearby towns to restock her shop.
She added that her business is still not bringing in enough money to cover her family’s needs.
According to Noinxas, a freezer to keep meat for sale and a larger, more visible selling space would increase her earning potential.
Despite her challenges, Noinxas says it is important for young people to have an independent mindset and not wait on help.
“We, youth, have to work hard if we need something. Do not depend on someone. Work for yourself – do something for yourself,” she said.