The art of shoe shining has, for a long time, been considered to be men’s forte.

But this norm is not true for Violet Khavetsa, who works as a shoe shiner in the Central Business District (CBD) in Kakamega town.

Khavetsa has shunned the idea that some jobs are for men while others are specifically for women.

Her seventeen years of working experience affirm that what a man can do, a woman can do better.

Sitting next to Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Khavetsa, a single mother, has carved a niche for herself.

‘My line of work is less demanding, and it gives me time to work on other things,’ she opines.

‘As a single mother, it is a challenge when you have responsibilities to take care of your family and you lack a source of income,’ she adds.

Before the promulgation of the constitution in August 2010, when the town (now the Governor’s office) still had a mayor, I could pick up my client’s shoes and clean them, she says.

‘They destroyed my stall, and now I have to sit on a rock to serve my clients,’ she says
.

She says that her line of work has its challenges, like having to deal with the municipal council askaris.

On average, I make up to five hundred Kenya shillings. My work begins at 6 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m. She added that the cost of living is high, and she ended up spending the stock money she invested on school fees and funeral service expenses for her late husband.

Her son, Willison Otallo, is hoping to join St. Patrick’s Ikonyero High school. With no father in the family, he is dependent on her mother to join the school, though his colleagues joined way back in mid-January.

She resounded, ‘God is the provider and I will keep working hard,’

Source: Kenya News Agency

WINDHOEK: President of Angola and Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson, João Lourenço said the late Hage Geingob’s legacy must be preserved and should serve as reference for the achievement and great objectives of SADC and Africa.

Speaking at the final memorial service of Geingob here on Saturday, Lourenço emphasised that doing so will serve as paying homage to Africa’s great son of contemporary history.

He highlighted that while serving as chairperson of SADC in 2018, Geingob spearheaded the regional industrialisation agenda by promoting the development of regional infrastructure, youth empowerment and sustainable development of the region.

He further noted that Geingob played a role in advocating for peace, stability and security in the region which are fundamental premises for the economic and social development of the sub-region.

‘The achievements of President Hage Geingob are of such magnitude and scope that we will not be able to describe them in a few words… that is the way in
which he dedicated himself and gave his life to building the progress and development of his nation, the southern African region and the African continent in general,’ he said.

Lourenço equally said the pain and sadness is written on the faces of the Namibian citizens due to the loss of their esteemed and admired leader, noting that he is however convinced that Namibians will know how to transform the sad energy in dedicating and transforming it into bravery to build a strong, resilient, exemplary nation in terms of stability, security and peace – which Geingob steered.

‘The pain of the Namibian people is our pain and for this reason we are present here sharing this pain and saying that in difficult times like this, you can always count on our solidarity,’ he said.

Geingob will be buried at the national shrine, Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek on Sunday, which will run concurrently with a 21-gun salute.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency