Page 24 - STJ VOL 3 FINAL_Neat

Entrepreneurship

Sylvia of

SYLVA CATERING

‘Legacy is a gift or a bequest that is and fellow pupils. Her financial she had been hiding in her room at
handed down, endowed or conveyed independence was blooming. As boarding school. With the money she
from one person to another’. A she sold her fritters at school, she was making, she was able to send
standard dictionary definition of received the nick name ‘mandas’, the some to her siblings.
legacy, gives the idea and awareness Congolese term for fritters; as her
of an initiator as well as possession. father had been a diplomat in Congo. Sylvia went on to Evelyn Hone
We all have dreams; have had College and put her cooking skills
dreams or are still dreaming. But Seeing her dedication to the to use. On three days of the week
what turns the dream into legacy? business life, Sylvia’s parents were she provided relish on credit. She
What better way to delve into the convinced that she wouldn’t do well wrote on her room; ‘EAT NOW, PAY
mysteries of pursuing passion and academically. However, miraculously, LATER’.Strategically, Sylvia got the
calling than to unravel the Zambian Sylvia was among the 67 pupils in money owed to her by the students,
story of one who has done it and 14 streams of G7 pupils to pass the by assisting the school accountant
triumphed. Filled with many lessons, exams. And she was the only girl. in ration distribution. Apart from
Sylvia Banda’s journey is worth the How’s that for a record. business, Sylvia met her first
read. boyfriend in college who turned out
Sylvia capitalized on sewing in to be her husband of 35 years before
Sylvia of SYLVA CATERING is a third Secondary School; making ballroom he passed. Later in life, after working
born in a family of eight girls and dancing outfits for her friends who for Ministry Of Education, Sylvia
one boy. Her foot prints in business paid her for the clothing. Because found herself at Village Industry
started at the early age of 12 and she was making the clothes by service; a place eager to train young
were beyond promise even then. hand, she became overwhelmed. people into seasoned business men
Looking back, she narrated her story She remembered that there were and women.
in which the skills of her mother tailors in the markets with hand
stand out as a great influencer. machines. She began giving them Thanks to Village Industry Service,
Sylvia’s mother taught her and her business by giving them her orders she had a restaurant space which
siblings how to bake, cook and to complete. She had turned into a was named ‘SLYVA SPOONS
sew. Sylvia zoned in on what she mini boss. She made so much money RESTAURANT’, and this is where
enjoyed the most which is cooking. that she instructed her parents to Sylva Catering was born. Not long
As an aspiring entrepreneur, she stop sending upkeep money.Sylvia’s after the restaurant started running,
begun making fritters for her family father helped her to open her first many other eating outlets opened
members and later started selling account with the Post Office to keep in the same area, which brought her
them to neighbors, school teachers all the money she was making, which to the conclusion of closing down.

24