In the quiet, warm small village of Siviya which is approximately 39 kilometers from Francistown is a young lady aged 32 whose hands speak volumes.
The lady whose name is Brenda Galebotswe welcomed The Pan Afrikanist family with committed hands that showed the pride the young lady has for making Batswana women beautiful by just touching their hair.
Brenda started developing the love of plaiting at a very young age and she never thought that it would be her source of income because she did it for fun. She enjoyed especially plaiting her peers.
She would try different hairstyles with anyone who was interested in getting their hair plaited for free. The practice did help her to perfect her craft and when she got to upper secondary education, she started plaiting with a little charge in order to cover expenses.
When she completed her Cambridge in 2009, she decided that it was high time that she used her talent since she struggled to find better-paying jobs.
She started by advertising her business in a rented compound emblazoning the board in front of the yard with the words, ‘Hairdresser available’ in bold letters to attract customers.
The challenges she has encountered mainly include customers who plait on credit and refuse to pay while others make house calls and mistreat her.
However, she always makes sure to do follow-ups twice or thrice on the defaulting customers and for those who insult her, Brenda has learned not to care anymore because at the end of the day she wants money to sustain herself and her family.
“I have not achieved much but what makes me happy is that I do everything for my kids. They never go to bed on an empty stomach. I make sure they look presentable at school”, Brenda narrated.
She has never worked in a saloon before despite the praise she gets from her customers. Being a hairdresser, she thought of her fellow women who want to look beautiful but cannot afford the high prices saloons charge so she decided she would make room for such women to look the part at affordable prices.
Brenda is dreaming big and she will not be quitting anytime soon. She wants to start selling hair products, hairpieces, hair foods and eventually own a Brenda Hairdo Saloon.
Brenda can be contacted on her Facebook account; Brenda Galebotswe and her Facebook page; Brenda’s Hairdo
Whatsapp; +267 74712310
