Africa-Press – Eswatini. When life forced 25-year-old Xolani Dlamini out of school and across borders in search of an education, he never imagined that one day, his hands would build more than just furniture, they would shape his future.
Born and raised in Mankayane, Xolani lost both parents at a young age. “I never got the chance to know my mother. My father died in 2012, just as I was supposed to start Form 1,” he said. Without financial support, he spent a year at home and later joined his brother in South Africa to resume school. However, in 2016, he had to return to Eswatini because he did not have a study permit.
Back home, with the help of his sister and support from the Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programme, Xolani was able to enroll at Phumtile High School. “We were supposed to top up the OVC funds, so I cut and sold firewood with my friends to make up the difference,” he said. The money covered his basic needs and education from Form 1 to Form 3, and his principal assisted him through Form 4 and 5.
After high school, he took a job as a shopkeeper until a friend introduced him to welding. That spark led him to SMS Glass and Aluminum, where he completed a one-month course and got hired. He received his first salary in November 2021 and immediately enrolled in driving school. Soon after, the company hired him as a driver.
In 2023, with growing family responsibilities and little financial progress, he left SMS and took another job. But rather than settling, Xolani began saving up to buy aluminum tools. “I was using every cent to get the right tools,” he said.
During that time, he developed a passion for carpentry. He made a bed for himself to test the skills he had picked up while working with aluminum. “After that, I made tables, and when someone saw my bed, they asked me to make one for them. Then another for her kids. That’s how it grew.”
Today, Xolani is self-employed and runs a growing business specializing in both aluminum and carpentry, driven by word-of-mouth referrals and social media. Despite limited tools, he continues to turn scarce resources into lasting value. Using your hands to work makes it easier to find small jobs, with patience, even the little you earn can grow into something bigger.
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