Feature: From hands outstretched for alms, to self sufficient entrepreneur

Disability does not always spell inability, as is the case of Loina Nakanyala, who is defying the common case of the begging syndrome that is found in Namibian capital Windhoek.

Loina wakes up every morning for the past four years from her house she rents in Okryangava in Katutura town, a high density suburb of Windhoek, and sets up her informal stall situated in the city centre, along Independence Avenue, where she sells cellphone covers, sunglasses, winter socks, hats and other accessories, to make ends meet.

Loina earns close to 350 to 500 Namibian dollars (23 to 33 U.S. dollars) on a daily basis from her small business, which is getting her through life, as well as feeding her children and ensures that she has enough to keep her business going.

This has not always been the story of the 47-year-old mother of five. Before venturing into her small business, Loina was just an ordinary beggar, who had her hands outstretched for alms on the streets of Windhoek.

Lonia has been blind since the tender age of 9 and is part of the 98,000 people in Namibia, living with disabilities.

The place she set up the stall is the same spot she begged since 1993 when she was still a beggar who took along all her children by tying a rope around their ankles so that they would not wander on to the streets since she is blind and could not monitor their movements.

Despite having access to the disability grant of 1,100 Namibian dollars per month from the government, Loina still could not fend for her family, which she heads alone, as a single parent.

"The reason I begged on the street is that the money was not enough. I did not finish my education and have no formal qualifications, so it was hard to get a job," she explained.

After a couple of years, she decided to saved money so that she could start her business. "Begging on the streets was not easy on a daily basis, as not every one is sympathetic towards your plight," she added.

Ever since starting up her business she has not looked back and hoped one day she can get proper funding from the authorities to set up a more formal business.

"As you can see, my business is small. My daughters often help me around and help me with the money, since they are also unemployed. If we get funding, this could be our own family business," she said.

Like any other business, challenges are often encountered, and Loina is no stranger to them. "Since it's an informal trade, I get competition from other traders, especially those that come from foreign countries as well as the police disruptions," she said.

Despite getting the permission from the city officials, she said that it is not fair as she has to compete for customers with able bodied people. "This spot has been my spot for a while, but as you can see other traders come and stand in front of my stall taking away potential clients, " she added.

Currently Loina is in the process of acquiring start-up financial funds for her business, with the help of her district councillor. Endit