MY FIRST PAID UP JOB

It was in 2003 when I completed my high school (grade 12) and while waiting for final results, I joined my brother in the capital city of Zambia –Lusaka. It was actually my first time to come to Lusaka and since I had all the times, I gave myself a tour of the city and first place to visit was the University of Zambia as it was my dream to study at the highest Institution of learning in Zambia. After sometimes, I started selling groceries at small business called “Katemba” along Tito road in Rhodespark. I would woke up as early a 06:00am to open the “katemba” so that I capture those buying bread, sugar and milk for their breakfast. I did this for some time and while selling I would be reading books and my favorite was “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. After sometime, I encouraged myself to look for a part time job so that I could raise some funds to start preparing for my college /University life and just to buy myself clothes and shoes. After failed attempts of applying for jobs due to non-availability of vacancies especially that I had not even obtained my grade 12 results, it was difficult to land on a job even in industries. One blessed time, I finally got a job in a restaurant owned by some foreign Investors as a Waiter/Cleaner.

My job responsibilities were cleaning, mopping the floor, arranging tables, serve people, remove dirty dishes and glasses from tables, then take them to the kitchen for cleaning, offloading food from the truck during deliveries and others as assigned. We used to work from 09:00am to 10:00pm everyday including Sundays and my monthly salary was K90 (old currency). Ooh yes, below even the minimum wage for those who believe in minimum wages but one thing I liked was meeting new people every day and most of them used to encourage to go school and I used to enjoy different meals. My salary off course was peanut but I was saving it and I used to receive some tips more than even my salary.

I worked there for some months and my high school results came out. By then I had saved some monies to buy myself a bus ticket to Kasama, buy some clothes and gifts for mother. When I requested for few days off to enable travel to my former school-Mungwi Technical, my supervisor refused and gave me two choices, to go and get fired or not to go and keep my job. I looked at him and told him, that, “this was not my destination or final job, it was just a passing phase, I needed to get my results and apply to College/University.” However, despite pleading with him, he was adamant and therefore I chose to quit and left to collect my results. By the grace of God, I had passed well and got accepted at the University of Zambia under Government Bursary.

Years later, I decided to take my fiancé to have ice cream in the same restaurant and coincidently found my former workmates and same supervisor who looked surprised because by then I had graduated and working for a prestigious Bank. I told my fiancé that, some 4 years ago, I used to clean these tables, clean every droplet of food stuff on the floor and today is a different story.

I share this real life experience so that we can learn something:

¨       You are not defined by your prevailing circumstances

¨       You should follow what is best for you willfully

¨       Tough times are not permanent unless you permit them

¨       Life is full of choices, choose wisely

¨       Don’t ever despise small beginnings

¨       Don’t ever look down at people

¨       Use you time wisely and productively, find something to do e.g. voluntary work, read books

¨       Don’t permit anyone to hinder your progress

¨       Refuse to be stagnate or settling for anything

¨       Not everyone will support your dreams and visions

¨       Always Encourage and believe in yourself

¨      To be a champion you have to win some battles especially the battle of the mind

¨   There is time to serve and time to be served

¨       Above all, trust in God because He is always faithful

“If you can’t believe in miracles, then believe in yourself. When you want something bad enough, let that drive push you to make it happen. Sometimes you’ll run into brick walls that are put there to test you. Find a way around them and stay focused on your dream. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” ---Isabel Lopez

“So many people will tell you “no”, and you need to find something you believe in so hard that you just smile and tell them “watch me”. Learn to take rejection as motivation to prove people wrong. Be unstoppable. Refuse to give up, no matter what. It’s the best skill you can ever learn.” ― Charlotte Eriksson

God bless you!!