Tell us more about yourself
Lydia Lynn Tembo is my name and I am 22 years old. I work as a maid in Cape Town. My father passed away when I was two months old so I was raised by my mother. It was not easy for her to put food on the table for us but she tried her best.
Growing up seeing my mother working so tirelessly pained me so much that I told myself that whatever job which comes my way I will take it as long as it will give me money and assist my mother in taking care of the family. My mother then passed away in 2015 when I was 18 years old.
You mentioned about taking any jobs which came your way, which types of jobs did you take?
The jobs that I took were acting, plaiting hair…(assisting) builders…being a vendor. There is a time where I used to push Scanias to carry people’s loads and get paid as well as baking.
I did jobs which most ladies would not take but I had to so that my family and I could survive. I then got a job as a maid in Cape Town, South Africa which is my current job.
How did you realize you have a talent in designing?
I am that kind of a person who loves to learn new things and I try everything. So in May this year, I saw this guy Funnytoheebs. He is Nigerian who was copying celebrities’ clothes and designing them. He is so creative. He is the one who inspired me into this. From the day I saw his work, I decided to give it a try and it came out so nice. I copy designs and make them using newspaper print and plastics and people love my work.
I created a Facebook page named Lee joke-Sokostina where I post all my designs which I would have made. I never attended any designing school and I realized I have a talent. When I design, I do it from the heart because it is something I have a passion for.
What are your future plans? Are you planning to be a designer in the near future?
I want to be a designer and have my own clothing line, so I am planning to go to school next year and do designing. I want to bring out the best of me and that happens when I am designing.
What is your advice to other ladies?
Despite what you are going through in life, do not lose hope. Do your best in whatever you do and God will do the rest. And do not let anyone take advantage of your situation. Tell God your problems and your ambitions for He is the one who cares. People may come and go but God is forever faithful; he sticks by your side all the time.
Show that talent in you to the world. Do not wait until you have money to start. Use the available resources at the moment and let people see what is in you.
