06 Aug 2014

She is one tough lady, who has defied the odds that some professions are meant for men only and made it her duty to re-define the roles of women today.

Ms Batandi Gwamulumba is a welder, a field that has always been regarded as masculine. “For quite a long time we have always been regarded as the weaker sex and our voices were hardly taken seriously because of the inequalities entrenched by the male dominated society,” says Ms Gwamulumba.

The 54-year-old woman of Tutume is definitely unfazed about what the people or society perceives about her. She wants to prove that the days of women walking barefooted with babies strapped on their backs and toiling in the kitchen are over.

Ms Gwamulumba says when she started collecting different types of old dirty metals, cutting and re-designing them people did not take her seriously.

She says many dismissed her as an attention seeking woman. “When people around started talking, trying to discourage me, I never took them into consideration, in fact I am one person who does not conform to what the society dictates to me about what to do to earn a living,” states Ms Gwamulumba.

Her work area and job are probably not every woman’s ideal way of earning a living but watching her in her business workshop cutting and designing metals one could not help it but be fascinated by the commitment and passion towards what she is doing.

It is a clear testimony that she is into metal works with great enthusiasm. Ms Gwamulumba says though her business took long to take off because she was financially challenged, she never gave up instead she pushed hard to drive it into success.

Having no capital to buy some materials to start-up the business, never discouraged her instead he started collecting neglected old dirty metals which she re-designed and turned them into useful products and eventually money started flowing in.

Since then she never looked back and its eight years now with the business up and running. It has now created employment for six other Batswana who design and install metal doors, windows frames, garage doors and security gates.

 She also designs grave stands. The sky is clearly the limit for this old woman; her customers come as far as Gaborone and nearby villages.

She sometimes earns lucrative tenders from government departments and her prices range from P200 to P5 000 depending on the design and needs of a customer.

The mother of four admits that she has no formal training pertaining to welding but relies on her creative skills and the basics of welding that she learnt from her late father.

Although her business is doing well, she decries lack of labour, adding that “most Batswana are reluctant to support their fellow countrymen, they despise being employed by other Batswana especially in this blue collar fields.”

Nonetheless, she is optimistic that with her attitude and hands on approach to business, she will stand the test of time.

Ms Gwamulumba encourages other women to be upfront in business issues, noting that she believes women also have a role to play in building the economy of the country hence the need to try their luck in every field. She states that with perseverance, determination and hard work everything is possible and every ordinary woman can manage. ENDS