“In my sixty years here, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that women have to be financially independent regardless of whether they have a man or not. Work is definitely worship and today, if I’m able to live respectably in our society, I’d attribute it all to my hustle over the past couple of decades!

You see, born and raised in a family of doll makers, I realized the hard way, that in the end no matter what people feel, it’s ultimately money that does the talking, especially if you’re born into a minority group! Plus considering my circumstances, I knew that my chances of getting an education weren’t ever bright and that further added to the pressure to keep the family afloat, from quite early on.

Now, unfortunately, just when I expected, at least the man I’d marry, to be responsible enough to lead the household, fate made sure that I played the showrunner even for my new family of five. So it was around that time that I took it upon myself to give my three children the best possible life that I never had a shot at whilst constantly trying to remind them of the need to be independent.

And as expected, the ups and downs in the journey were immense, whether it involved me taking up all kinds of odd jobs for a living, or eventually returning back to my family business and selling dolls. I guess it’s been 30 rocky but proud years in the making, and I feel fulfilled today, both as a micro-entrepreneur and a parent, now that all three of my children are married into good families and settled well.

Additionally, though working has become a choice now, there’s still something about seeing happy customers that pulls me back to trading dolls every day! I guess somewhere amidst my honest attempts to sell, I also get to escape the weight of my realities momentarily.

Plus, what’s even more satisfying is seeing customers who came in to buy a particular doll previously as a means of manifesting a wish, returning the following year just to thank me for the apparent luck my clay figurines have brought in their lives. This has been true whether it’s single people looking to get married, or couples wanting a baby.

So today, whenever I see such customers, I often give away entire Golu sets for free. There’s something about such moments that often gets me teary-eyed. Probably their feedback makes my presence in this world feel more valuable than what most would’ve expected of me.”