Meet Saidi Saizi, a 29-year-old entrepreneur who has risen from poverty and become a successful carpenter. Saizi’s is married with three children.
Meet Saidi Saizi, a 29-year-old entrepreneur who has risen from poverty and become a successful carpenter. Saizi’s is married with three children. Saizi’s journey began when he dropped out of school in standard 4. With no clear direction, he struggled to make ends meet. However, his life took a dramatic turn when NACC had a carpentry and joinery training program to helps young men who were struggling to get established through practical skills. Saizi seized the opportunity and joined the program. Saizi said he was around 18 years old when he enrolled in the training program.
He was living in poverty and only depended on piece work to get wages for his livelihood; but the training gave him a push as a stepping stone to success. Saizi said that he learned how to make doors, beds, frames, tables, and chairs at the training program which made him to start a business; NACC gave him manual carpentry tools and his parents gave him k10,000 as capital during that time; after some time he went to South Africa where he was employed to work as a carpenter for his boss; there he upgraded his skills in the field as he was able to make sofa sets as well. ’I had passion for carpentry so I decided to buy some electric tools as well as to add up the manual ones and come back to Malawi to continue my carpentry business’’ Saizi said.
Today, Saizi's carpentry business is thriving, he owns a shop at Namwera Trading Centre and another one in Majuni where he stays with his family there he works with his friend. He estimates his monthly profit to range from k300,000 to k400,000. His carpentry products costs range from k65o,000 to k750,000 for the sofa sets and k20,000 for doors and K90,000 for the dining set.
So far Saizi had trained 10 young men, and one of which is now running his own successful carpentry business and has even bought a car. Saizi’s stated that he is able to support his family needs because of the money he makes. Saizi’s success is not limited to his business. He has become a role model for young people in his community. In an interview Saizi advised his fellow young men to not take their talents or art for granted but they should utilize them of which it can bring them money and sustainability in return’.
"I’m grateful to NACC for the training they provided. It helped me a lot to be able to make the products I'm making now. I hope to open two to three more shops in the future and employ more people’’ Saizi’s said.
Saizi's inspiring journey is a testament to the power of the training program NACC organization provided as it did not only benefit him but also, he was able to trained others as well. From poverty to prosperity, Saizi’s story is a clear example of what can be achieved with determination and hard work.