Food is important —businesswoman

A 22-year-old businesswoman, Chifundo Eliya, believes that one can start a business as long as he or she is able to carry out basic calculations.

Eliya, who has a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE), deems that with this qualification she would never get a job that would pay her the kind of money she desires. And this is what prompted her to be self employed.

“I get enough money to look after myself and my child since I am not married,” she says.

She saved up some money to start the business – Option B Takeaway. When she first started she plied the business from Zingwangwa Township but now she is at Chimsewu, Ndirande.

For a day, she attended cooking lessons at Sunbird Mount Soche, which help her in her business today.

“I am good at cooking and my prices are reasonable despite the high quality food. I am sure this is what draws people to my eatery. The business is going well so far. I started with chips only but now people can find rice, nsima, spaghetti, cakes and other things here,” she says.

There is a good reason why out of all businesses, Eliya chose food.

“Food is very important to anyone. Everyone wants to eat. One may not have clothes and other things but at the end of the day, they would still have to eat. So I thought I would never go wrong with a restaurant business and I was right. I am doing so well,” she says.

To get the business going, she needs the inputs. She says every Monday, she goes to Blantyre Market to buy all the things necessary for the business, such as vegetables, rice, potatoes and other things.