Philimon’s harrowing life story reads like a fictional novel. Even as he tries to smile, his eyes betray the misery that he went through in his youth. But it was this sordid upbringing that inspired him to persevere, to rise beyond all odds and seek a rewarding purpose in life. Through sheer determination and goodwill, he was able to self actualize and find his true potential.
Today, Philimon is the proud owner of Massive Designs, a leather products design company based in Francistown. Although the business is still in its infancy, Philimon is proud of his achievements and thanks God for seeing him through the misery of his formative years.
“They say that money is the root of all evil. I disagree because with money you can’t have poverty. Living in poverty can sometimes result in one making bad decisions in an endeavor to make ends meet. I started this business after going through a lot of adversities. I grew up in a poor family. At some point I even thought of committing suicide,” he said.
Philimon was born in Francistown and grew up in a poor family. His father was a security guard and his mother was a street vendor. At the tender age of 10 years, he would be woken up at 4 o’clock in the morning to go and sell vegetables to supplement his family’s meager budget. At times he would miss school because he was in the streets selling vegetables. He revealed that his father combined his job as a criminal with the shady nocturnal activity of burglary, as he sometimes prowled the streets at night breaking into people’s houses.
“My father would wake me up in the middle of the night and we would go together to break houses and steal. My father would break into a house while I looked out for the police or neighbors. Although I didn’t like what my father was doing, I understood because he was trying to put food on the table,” he said.
But, as is usually the case with a life of crime, his father was arrested in 2004, a development that devastated young Philimon. The father ultimately fell sick in 2005 and died at Francistown State Prison where he was incarcerated. At the time, Philimon was doing Form III Mmei Junior Secondary School in Francistown. Despite his father’s passing, the young lad managed to pass his examinations and obtain a second class.
“I was a very brilliant student at school. If it was not for my father’s passing and the miseries that I went through at home, I could have obtained a first class. I was first class material, but my father’s passing left a vacuum in my life,” he said.
At Francistown Senior Secondary School (FSSS), Philimon started taking drugs and his academic performance took a nose dive. In no time he was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). He suffered another blow in the same year as his mother passed away, leaving him with the added responsibility of taking care of his three younger siblings.
“I was forced to be a parent at a very tender age. I had to make sure there was food on the table for my younger siblings. Worse, I was suffering from tuberculosis, but I took medication and was finally healed,” he said.
Because of the difficulties he was going through, it was no surprise when Philimon failed his Form V in 2007. He then took off for South Africa in search of greener pastures. He landed in Diepkloof, Johannesburg and spent the first few weeks sleeping under culverts and bridges. He begged for food from Good Samaritans and survived by doing odd jobs. His prayers were finally answered when one Baba Samuel, a South African national, took him in and gave him free accommodation. Baba Samuel was a Sangoma and he treated young Philimon like his own son. In no time, Philimon was playing the role of Baba Samuel’s assistant whenever he performed his rituals.
“Baba Samuel was good to me. He treated me like his own son and he used to give me dead chickens that he had slaughtered for his rituals to eat. I also survived on odd jobs,” said Philimon.
Meanwhile, years had passed and Philimon had not called home to tell his family of his whereabouts. He finally managed to call his sister and tell her that he was safe and in good health. But soon Philimon reverted back to his bad ways. He started hanging with the wrong crowd and eventually succumbed to peer pressure.
“Most of my friends were hard core criminals. At one point I was summoned before the Orlando Magistrate Court in Johannesburg to give evidence in a grievous bodily harm case. One of my friends had stabbed a man during a party and he pled with me to give testimony in his favor. I complied and he was acquitted after winning the case,” he said.
Consumed by guilt, Philimon started thinking about going back home to escape the life of crime that had consumed him in South Africa. After saving some money for the long trek back home, he finally returned to Botswana in 2010. After reuniting with his family, he managed to get a job in a transport company owned by a Cameroonian national, Dr Along Jang.
“In 2011 I was hired by this transport company as a truck assistant. The company transported salt from Botswana Ash to Zimbabwe and Zambia. I met with a few leather designers in Zimbabwe during my travels and over time developed an interest in the craft,” he said.
He later bought a pair of leather shoes from a Zimbabwean designer, which he used as a model to sharpen his skills. Luckily, Philimon managed to secure financial assistance through the Youth Grant. He used the money to buy machines and kick start his leather manufacturing enterprise.
“I bought the raw material from Morongwa Stores in Gaborone. The response to my business was positive and very encouraging,” he said.
One of his cousins then urged Philimon to go for training, and he enrolled in a short leather design course at Impala Rural Training Centre in Francistown.
“I have now attained the requisite skills and I am proud of my company. However, I still face a number of challenges as I operate from home. Although the department of youth funded me with P95 000, the money was not enough for the project. I tried to apply for more funding but my proposals were rejected. But I will not give up. Every business has its own challenges,” said Philimon.
The other challenge that he faces is that of lack of electricity at his premises, which has rendered him unable to use some of his machines. Despite his many problems, there is hope that Philimon will be able to overcome and even become a leading business man in future. He is way past the days of gangsterism, burglary and theft. He has overcome poverty and he is now able to put food on the table. He is truly a changed man, a born again Christian who worships at Joyous Christian Centre in Francistown. Despite all the trials and tribulations he went through, he believes God changed him and made him a responsible human being.
“I believe whatever I went through happened for a reason and I thank God for turning my life around. I can already see light at the end of the tunnel. The most important thing is for me to take care of my siblings as I am now a parent to them. We lost our mother and father, but that should never be an excuse for us not to accomplish our dreams in life. I want my siblings to have proper education and build a future for themselves,” he said in conclusion.
