RUNDU – In the face of a growing need for self-employment, Iyaloo Iita (32) has created her haven, and dumped her eight-to-five job to dedicate her life to specialising in skincare treatments such as facial therapy, waxing, exfoliation, and non-medical skin therapy.
Iita has grown her brand, TLC Beauty Spa, and made a name for herself in the river town of Rundu.
“I’m a beauty therapist, I do massages, facial therapy, waxing, footcare treatments, professional skin care treatment, just to mention a few,’’ said Iita.
“When I started, I was only doing footcare treatments. I used to wash people’s feet. I would see someone’s dirty feet and volunteer to wash them, I’m passionate about the whole thing, I love my job, I love doing what I do, and I can wake up at any time of the day and do it,’’ she said. In an exclusive interview with VIBEZ!, she says she has invested in different training programmes to hone her skills, and to learn more.
“I have gone as far as Cape Town in South Africa for professional skin treatment and other training programmes, and I have attended a few training courses in Windhoek with Jessica Beauty, which is a training institution. I have also done biomedical emporium, skin care treatments,” she said.
“I’m getting paid for doing what I love doing, I created my own job and I get to empower other youths, especially fellow women and girls, as they have opened up their businesses and just like me, they are earning an honest living. I used to have an eight-to-five job and thought I would do this as a side hustle, but eventually I had to quit and do my own thing, which I’m passionate about.
I felt I’d rather do my thing now while I’m still young and have the energy, and I want to expand so that I create employment for others, I’m independent and self-employed,” she added.
Iita has become popular in the streets of Rundu and has clients from all walks of life. “When I started it was only women who would book my services, it was not easy at first to encourage folks to come for my services, it was tough to tell them that taking care of one’s body was not luxury but self-care, and as time went by, women started inviting their significant others, men also started coming for massages, footcare and professional skincare treatments, they got to know that it is important,’’ she said.
In five years from now, the vibrant Iita sees herself collaborating with others and branching out.
“Right now, it’s tough working alone, so I see myself creating employment in the near future for my fellow youths, empowering them to also start somewhere, and the community can support me by coming through for my services and putting a word out there for my business to get bookings,” she noted.
To the youth, she says: “No matter how tough the beginning is, don’t stop; your patience and commitment are being tested. My advice is keep going no matter what. It wasn’t easy for me as well but I’m proud that I didn’t quit because now I have a running business that is putting food on my table. You too can do it, whatever skill you have, do it, jobs don’t come easy these days,” she added.
-jmuyamba@nepc.com.na