To become economically variable and self-sustainable comes with commitment, dedication and self-reliance.
In Liberian setting, most people are focus on the academic work with the ambition of working in Government to get top positions as a means of getting a salary that will commensurate with their daily lives.
There are degree holders who are unable to carter to their family economically, only because they are not opportune to have a government or international as well as national organization jobs.
But with Mary Flomo, our personality of the week is about to turn the perception of more Liberians who believe that they can only be successful through the availability of obtaining top Government and international organizations jobs.
Dressed in her green outfit, after serving her customers, she than focused directly to my black recorder and said: “I’m ready. I really appreciate the New Republic Family for granting me the opportunity to express my views relating to my successes and challenges I have been facing with in becoming successful as a cook food business woman.”
Mary Flomo the personality of the week is well known for cooking enjoyable food within the Paynesville City Hall Community; because of such a way she prepares the food for her customers, they refer to her as ‘ma – Mary’. It is just an affectionate title given her.
Dear readers, you will continue to come across the name Tumay because she knows me well and was always reflecting on my name as she addressed the questions.
She first indicated: “Tumay, life can become hard the way you wish it to be; you see me, my parents did not send me to school soon, but I am living happily” Mary narrated.
“My parents were working on Mary Cooper Farm in Margibi County and we all were there. I was big before I started to go to school; then I got pregnant for my first child that made me to drop from school” she lamented.
Mary did not hold back to express how she underwent difficulties to take care of her child; saying that the father of her first child did not fully support the pregnancy even up to her delivery.
“I suffered to take care of my daughter, that is how I got in this market business. I used to take market from Mary Farm to Kakata market , we will walk with our market on our heads. That’s how I ended up with my school business. I stopped in the six grade,” she recalled.
Back to her cook food business and how she is making life with her children, Mary narrated, that she is with her spouse, but they are not legally married but they are living happily with their children.
Her husband is not doing a well-paid job to support the family and pay the house rent so with her love for business , she keeps on doing her cook food business as a means of keeping the family moving on with life.
“I been in this cook food business for over ten years before this man and I came together. That this business I’m doing to send my children to school, I have six children that I am sending to school from this business,” she said.
“I and my partner, have to get up by 4:oo am to cook the food every day only Saturday and Sunday out’’.
She further indicated that after selling “every day, I have to go to the market to buy and prepare the materials up to 11:00 pm and get up by 4 :0 am; my husband can help so much to get the food on time for the customers,” she said.
Additionally, our personality of the week contribution to the country employment rate, Mary Flomo narrated; “I have one girl who is working for me now , she can help me to sell and at the end of the month I can pay her.”
She emphasized that it is not good as a woman to only depend on man for everything. “Do something that man will respect you, he will know your value in the home, is not everything you want as a woman , you will look up to the man before you get it , that is not good as a woman. I am telling you serious thing “
“What makes woman is what you can do , not loving around that makes you woman”, she encouraged those younger girls and woman to always do those things that will make them independent and assist in the home economically.
Madam Flomo noted that it is important for a female to acquire education but such education should be backed by business to help, if she is unable to get a well-paid job in time.
“Most of the time I talk to the young people to take their education serious and learn how to do house work as a girl including business, if my parents were not going to teach me how to do business, I was going to be suffering. I am in the position to sponsor my children and the other children that are living with me in school through this cook food business,” she said.
Moreover, Madam Flomo vowed not to allow her children, especially her two girls to focus only on education, saying that the oldest is out of high school.
“Today, she is out of high school and on her own during her business and preparing to go to a trade school and at the same she is sending her child to school , so I am happy with my life. I am not rich, but I am able to do things for my children to become better people in the society.
by Washington Tumay Watson –onewash9@gmail.com.
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