Ellen Chiguma-Ng’ambi

She rose from being a secretary to establishing Geollene Associates specialising in steel welding and fabrication. She is an employer and plans big on her business venture. She shares her background, challenges and why she established this type of business, among others with EveryWoman.

Tell us about your background.

I am Ellen Chiguma Ng’ambi. The sixth born in a family of eight. I was born in October 1981 to late Mary and Ignatious Chiguma at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. I went to Namiwawa Primary School (Dharap) and Fatima Girls Boarding School in Nsanje. I did my secondary school education at Stella Maris Secondary School then pursued my secretarial studies at Blantyre School of Business Studies. I worked for Universal Industries in Blantyre and Daeyang Luke Hospital in Lilongwe.

Tell us about your family; both your biological and immediate.

I had a fairly comfortable upbringing. Being a big family, I never lacked moral support as I always had siblings around me. Both my parents worked for Malawi Telecommunications Limited formerly part of Malawi Posts and Communication (MPC) as an engineer and secretary, respectively. My mother was also a trained interior and fashion designer. I am married to George Ng’ambi, a finance specialist at HRCSI–a project funded by Wellcome Trust/Dfid but hosted by the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST). Together we have three beautiful children: Tatenda and Tawonga (twins) and Tamanda. My husband is a huge source of support and an inspiration insisting that I should not only settle for standards but exceed them.

How would you describe your childhood?

We were not rich but we had all that we needed. Today, my brothers and sister are my best friends. My parents were very dedicated Roman Catholics. Every Sunday, we were expected to participate in the mass procession at Chilomoni Catholic Parish. We lived in Namiwawa.

As a child, did you dream of becoming a secretary?

When I was eight, I wanted to become an engineer just like my father. I dreamt of designing cars. But sometimes circumstances change plans or dreams.

So, what inspired you to become a secretary?

I did not perform after my Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations to warrant me entry into the university to pursue engineering. My mother inspired me to become a secretary because I also admired what she used to do. Somehow, through an act of fate, I run a metal works business which is an engineering component.

What made you start Geollene Associates?

Although the company was fully registered in 2010, we did not roll out core activities until later on. We were initially afraid to venture into self-employment as we felt it was risky. My husband undertook a lot of financial consultancy work. However, we realised that it gave very small room for me to help. I felt like starting a business that I would comfortably ran, of course with my husband’s support. We saw that every business is risky. I eventually decided to ventured into welding and steel fabrication.

With how much capital did you start with?

The start-up cost was K1.6 million which was used to rent premises and finalise the registration formalities with relevant authorities, recruiting technicians and buying raw materials.

How many people has it employed?

The business has 10 employees with three technicians and one administrator to facilitate the procurement of materials while I manage the business development side. The business requires a lot of planning and managing the value chain.

What exactly does your company do?

It produces a range of products such as steel windows, metal door frames, security doors, burglar bars, brick moulding equipment, steel furniture and other products based on customer request’s and advice. We have an entire department dedicated strictly to heavy fabrication. Our heavy metal fabricating capabilities include forming, shearing and welding services. We combine quality and experience to provide virtually any size, ranging from small to heavy plate fabrications and structural assemblies.

What does your work involve?

My job is varied and no two days are the same. I like it that way as I never get bored. I spend most of my morning at the workshop normally looking at the available stocks and determining what need to be made and procured. I also manage the human resource. I make phone calls to my customers discussing and involving them in how their respective designs are coming out. Usually I recommend some minor modifications. This aspect of involving our customers throughout the processes has ensured that our products are of quality and meeting customer expectations.

How do you think is your company contributing to Malawi?

As long as there are buildings, there is a need for welding and fabrication businesses. And no matter how bad the economy, there will always be someone who needs something built or repaired. We have employed people, thereby helping in a small way to reduce the unemployment rate in Malawi.

What challenges do you face while running the business?

When the business had just started, some of the male employees were reluctant to take instructions from me. My husband made it very clear to them that they needed to respect whatever I said because he was not involved in the day-to-day running of the business, I was. However, the workers are currently supportive and I depend on them a lot. The othe challenge is electricity. Welding and fabrication needs uninterrupted power. The persistent power outages slow down production which results in late delivery of customers’ orders; while as a business, we have to pay our workers for idle-time. Furthermore, the kwacha has not been very stable against major currencies. This has forced merchants from whom we acquire raw materials to adjust prices almost every day. This brings uncertainty in pricing of our products and leaves our customers unhappy at times. Bank interest rates are not friendly for the growth of new businesses such as ours.

Are you making profits?

We are making profits. We thank God for this. We have a partnership with Channel for All Nations who air our promotional materials and the response has been overwhelming. As a business, we cannot operate in a vacuum. It would really look like a handsome young man beckoning at a beautiful young woman in the dark.

What are the plans for your career?

God willing, I do not plan to go back into Secretarial work. I have since made progress pursuing accounting studies with view to managing business finances more efficiently. What I have realised is that while formal employment is good as it offer security, self-employment is more rewarding. If properly managed, the return on your investment will always surpass middle level income from formal employment. As a business, we are procuring different equipment from South Africa to perform heavy duty assignments more efficiently.

What would you want women to learn from your journey?

My message is that there so many routes to Arusha. Some fly, drive or even cycle. The ultimate goal is to get to Arusha regardless of how long it takes. Success does not follow those who give up on their goals. If for varied reasons you cannot achieve what your heart desires, please keep trying. It will not be an easy ride sometimes; you just need to reposition yourself to surmount the challenges.

How do you balance your career and family life?

I work from Monday to Saturday. I have evenings and Sundays with my children. I like well-cooked food with different flavours. So, my free time is mostly spent in the kitchen.