The 25-year-old Tendani Lawrence Maphiri from Vondwe Matatshe village outside Thohoyandou has become a real inspiration for others in the area. Coming from an indigent family, he spent a whole year after he had finished school in 2015, looking for employment, without luck. Many of his peers had clashed with the law because of their involvement in criminal activities, but Maphiri vowed to live a clean life instead, despite his poor financial background.
Realising how slim his chances of finding a job were, the young man decided to take action himself. With the R300 he earned from digging a pit toilet for one of his neighbours, Maphiri bought three bags of cement and taught himself to make beautifully decorated flowerpots of different shapes and sizes, which he now sells next to a busy road at Vondwe Matatshe.
He said he was willing to share his skills with other youths for free if they were willing to learn. "I understand that there is a huge need for jobs in our country, and I want to play my part. I taught myself these skills, and I'm ready to pass them on to anyone who would like to start their own small business," he said.
Maphiri has a message for the young and unemployed who waste their time sitting around in the hope that the government might one day provide them with jobs. "These are tough economic times that require all of us to stand up. The food hikes make our lives even more difficult, and we need to do something to sustain ourselves. I appeal to my peers to swallow their pride and join me in this war against poverty and unemployment. You do not need a lot of cash to start your own thing. Every little bit can go a long way in making your life better."