“Baking is my lifestyle. l bake both in good and in bad times. The bakery is my happy place.” – Beatrice Mulanshi
Business started early for Beatrice Mulanshi. She started out as a kidpreneur who began baking and selling at the age of ten to help her mother put food on the table and hopefully raise enough to pay her school tuition. She now runs a small business called Prestigious Scone.
We asked Beatrice to share her journey with us. This is her story:
“I hail from the northern part of Zambia but currently reside in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. My birth brought only pain and misery to my mother because l was born out of wedlock. Sadly, my father opted not to marry my mother. Instead, he married another woman.
My mother was also rejected by her family because she was still a student when she became pregnant. She was taken in by relatives. Her pregnancy meant that she had to drop out of school because of me. At that time, there was no re-entry policy at the school to allow her to return to school after dropping out due to pregnancy.
There should be celebration and congratulations when a baby is born, but my birth was met with pain, disappointment, and shame, which l was constantly reminded of as l grew up.
My mother blamed me for her suffering and her lack of education since she had me when she was very young.
Life was very difficult for my mum raising me as a single parent. She wasn’t working and had no means to provide nutritional food or good healthcare. As a result, I was malnourished and had stunted growth.
I started school at 14 because there was no money and my mother did not encourage me to get an education. Thankfully, the Catholic Church stepped in and helped me. It catered for all my needs until l completed my secondary education.
I now hold a degree in Public Administration with Library and Information Studies from the University of Zambia (UNZA).
My mother is married now, but l am alienated from my siblings. Even though l am the eldest, l am not acknowledged, which brings me pain that l have learned to live with.
My drive right now as l run my small business of baking and selling scones is to erase my mother’s pain by elevating her standard of living and believing that someday, l will build her a house. No matter the circumstances, she is still my mother.
As an adult now, l am trying to make sure that l do not relive my mother’s experience. I’m waiting for the right person to come along at the right time.
My words to my fellow youth entrepreneurs are that no matter how small your business might be, you need to have a clear goal because that goal is the motivating drive you will need when the going gets tough.
My business might be small right now, but in my dream and my vision, l see everyone having a taste of my prestigious scones across the continent of Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo.
My dream for my business is very big, and l know that as long as l press on, l will conquer all my business challenges and live my dream.
