Agnes, a second-year university student, has been creating interior decor products at home. She is a self-taught creative artist and uses online tutorials to hone her skills. Her initial designs are always bizarre, but she views failure as a motivation to improve. She has also developed a mindset of continuous learning and testing new skills in the market.
Her passion for creating and learning began at a young age due to the hardship and poverty she experienced in her family. She had to learn how to make interior décor using locally available and recycled materials to help her mother meet the family’s needs.
Over the years, she has been perfecting her creative skills. At the moment, she is learning how to paint. She thanks Moja Tu and her sponsor for catering to her financial needs and giving her time to focus on her studies and hobbies. Agnes reveals that, as an artist, she needs to have a clear mind so that her designs can make sense. The hobby is also therapeutic for her.
Agnes admits that the thrill of learning a new thing keeps her adrenaline up and helps her to deal with her emotions. She retreats to creating when she needs to slow down and think before making decisions.
Agnes is grateful to Moja Tu for teaching her resilience, hard work, and the right mental state to achieve her goals. She concludes by expressing her gratitude for the love and support received from Moja Tu sponsors.
In Agnes’s own words:
“I am motivated by failure, and when you are creative, it becomes a part of your life. You try so many times before you get the product that you want. Some people view failure as the endpoint. For me, it encourages me to do better, and when I have solved the problem at hand, I feel even more accomplished. I always have something I am learning, new skills to practice, and new ways to test out these skills in the market.
When I joined Moja Tu, my family could not afford to take us to school. My parents were also not on the best of terms, so my mum was left to cater for everything herself. I had to keep myself busy so that the violence and lack in my home did not affect my studies. And today, I am thankful that I learned that skill because I have been able to cope with the new environment on campus in the same way.
Moja Tu gave me a chance to go to a quality high school and university, and I knew that this opened up doors not just for me but for my family and community. I am the kind of person who is always looking to learn and apply new skills. As such, I am always busy with one project or another during my free time.
It allows me to have a space where I can enjoy my own company and seek clarity when I need to do something. I am very grateful for every experience I have had with this family. The love we receive from our sponsors is one we could not get from anywhere else, and for that, I am thankful.”