Fatima Khatrie-Hamdani

Fatima Karim Khatrie-Hamdani is a business woman who is quickly growing her catering business and extending it from Malawi to Durban, South Africa. She talks to Paida Mpaso about her life as someone who picked cotton wool and peeled cassava in order to pay her school fees and feed her siblings and mother in the years her father was in detention. She also talks about her successful business and her ambitions as an aspiring woman MP.

Where were you born?

I was born in a family of six girls and one boy and grew up in Thondwe, Zomba. I grew up in a poor household. My father, Hassam Karim Khatrie, owned Khatrie Bus Service and was a senior member of The African Businessmen Association (ABA). But due to reasons that I never understood, we ended up losing all our property when my father was arrested by the government of Dr [Hastings Kamuzu] Banda, and that was the beginning of problems.

During school holidays, I would work at Makoka Research Station, picking cotton wool from fields and peeling cassava to make Kadonosya just to pay for my fees. It was a difficult situation for us, we did not know if our father was alive. For a very long time, we wondered whether he would ever come back to us and we lived miserably. My friends in school used to mock me. They used to joke about the colour of my skin and being poor. After some time, my mother opened a restaurant at Zomba market. Then she joined NABW [National Association of Business Women]. Life for us began to change.

Where did you do your education?

I went to Luchenza Secondary School and later Malawi Polytechnic where I studied secretarial courses. I was selected to do engineering but my mother pleaded with the principal to change my course to secretarial because we could not afford to pay the fees. She felt I needed a course that was short so that I could quickly take over caring for my siblings. After completing my studies, I quickly got a job and started helping my siblings with fees.

Years later, I did a degree in business studies at Share World Open University. Now I am studying for a master’s degree in social change at the University of Manchester in United Kingdom, by correspondence. I have worked at Tambala Food products, Ministry of Works Road Department, Polytechnic SDNP, and lastly Petroleum Control Commission.

Tell us about your immediate family?

I am married to a very special man, Waggie Sagir Hamdani from Luchenza. He is God sent, always holding my hand. He is my stronghold and my pillar. I have three beautiful angels, Nashrat Malaika who is in form four, Sagir Jnr is in form two and my baby Safir Ramzan who is in Standard Three. With these four people in my life, nothing can stop me.

My mother is from Mt. Darwin in Zimbabwe. I have six sisters and one brother. I have other sisters and brothers from my father’s first and second wives, but you cannot tell that we are from different mothers because we look alike. Amongst us the children, we have a strong bond, that’s how our father raised us to be. I am a Muslim and proud to say that all food I cook is HALAAL.

How was life in such a big family?

Growing up was not easy, especially in the village. But I guess that’s why I am successful today. My mother encouraged me to work hard and after my Primary School Leaving Certificate Examinations (PSLCE), I was the only girl to be selected to Luchenza Secondary School. And again I was the only girl selected to go the University of Malawi from my school. My family was very proud of me: a village girl was on her way to college.

Imagine I had never been to the city. I could actually smell the city. I remember that day, so well oh! My late sister Sarah would always tell me that one day we would see Blantyre. For us, life was school then casual work, then gardening. We would go to Thondwe market to sell produce. People laughed at us, but we worked hard. Sadly, my sister died without seeing Blantyre, but I know she smiles down on us.

Tell us about Magic Apron?

Magic Apron is a catering company. For the past nine years, we have been providing food at reasonable price to people in Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu and of late we have been going to Durban. We mainly cater for weddings, bridal showers and send offs, funerals, meetings, fun days, conferences and any gathering that may require food. We do buffets, snacks, cakes and even traditional food like thobwa, Masamba otendera, and offal are on the menu.

What inspired you to start this business?

After the last company I was working for closed down, I decided to do my own thing. I found myself in the kitchen in my home trying out different recipes. My husband encouraged me to take cooking further. He was my biggest food sampler. I convinced someone to let me cater on her daughter’s wedding day. I did this together with my children and some members of my family. From then on the business took off. I had orders that I could not handle on my own. I employed five staff members. This was nine years ago. Now we have 50 full time employees and a few part-time ones. We are still operating from my home though now we built a big kitchen within the compound.

Who are your customers?

I bid tenders. I ran a restaurant at Lafarge. I supply food at Mlambe Hospital, at Small Holder Fertiliser Revolving Fund, at Wenera Bus stands, National Bus Company MASM, National Bank, College of Medicine Sports Complex, NBS Bank and Airtel, just to mention a few.

Did you have any training in catering?

I never went to a cooking school. I have always loved cooking. But my mother used to cater for parliament in Zomba and the whole family would always help out. By the way, I made snacks and food for my own wedding day. Then I bathed and got ready for the wedding.

What are some of the challenges you have faced in this business?

In the early stages, business was tough, people looked at my skin colour and people thought all I could cook was spicy and chilly food. But with time that perception changed. Now people know me as the samoosa lady, the lady behind the Magic Apron. At the moment the biggest challenge is the current economic crises, the business is going through a lot, just like other business as well.

Where do you want to see yourself in the coming years?

I am very ambitious. The master’s degree in social change may help me with my future ambitions of becoming a member of parliament. I feel I have what it takes to contribute to this country.

Who is your role model?

My mother Sophie Ann Karim. She has always been a hard worker. When she married my father in Zimbabwe, she did not know that my father had other two wives. When she moved to Malawi, she realised that she was the third wife. Despite being disappointed, she stayed on and adjusted to the life. I know it was not easy for her, and it was not easy for us either, but we had no other option but to adjust. Life was tough but MUSCO, NABW and ABE, helped my parents in many ways. At the moment my mother is a senior supervisor and advisor in my business but my father passed away in 2004.