BY BETELHEM BEDLU
Haregewa Wondemagegne is owner and Chief Executive Director of Haregewa’s Garment Company. She was born and raised in Shiro Meda, the well-known local market where Ethiopian textiles, from Ethiopian wedding dresses to various types of Ethiopian cultural attires, linens, and fabrics are fabricated and sold. As someone who grew up in such place, it is no wonder that she is highly inspired to enter in the textile and apparel industry.
Though she was unsuccessful to fulfil the national entrance exam requirements, it did not stop her from achieving her goal. Let alone being employed in the sector in which she was obsessed with, but she even later succeeded in creating jobs for number of citizens.
It was her mother who helped her to get a job in a garment factory as an assistant in sewing/ embroidering. She made sure to teach herself everything that was being done at the company. She wisely took advantage of her stay at the company as it helped her acquire considerable knowledge and skills which helped her to be where she is now.
She started off her business by producing some of the products that the previous company, where she was employed, is manufacturing as well as took a role of sales marketer for the company.
Following her previous experience, she later on moved to producing her own inner sole for booty plastic shoe and clothes. Making her house a working area, she hired two employees. However, owing to her house being too small and the fact that it was made of corrugated galvanized steel, it was disturbingly hot.
Then, she explained her situation to the district in Akaki Kality Sub City. Fortunately, the district provided her with a 160 hectare shed. Right after she received the shed, she immediately hired an additional 28 employees.
Haregewa kept on producing children and adult apparels and her business started to bloom remarkably. Nonetheless, she needed an additional area and was able to receive 408 hectare shed and increased the number of her employees to160.
The business which started with a sewing machine that cost about 600 Birr, it grew in to a business worth over three million Birr capital and owning more than 160 machines. However, this did not come easily as she had to get loan from Addis Credit and Saving Institution extending from five thousand to one million Birr. Now, she has fully returned her debt, and owns huge textile and apparel machineries with a capital over three million Birr.
Though she is a hard working woman who never gets tired, it is through the training that she was offered by Women Development Project that she has achieved her dream. As to her, the training played a huge role since it enabled her to have deeper understanding on business ideas in general.
As she stated, more than 90 percent of her employees are women of which most of them are graduates of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). While the company has over 120 sewing machines that help to carry out various activities such as cutting, stitching and other related works, all are not in use due to unavailability of area. The company mainly produces sport wears, jeans, polo t-shirts, trousers, shirts, among others. They also produce based on customer’s needs and designs.
“We are striving to bring quality and; aspire to standout in the market”, she stated. Thus, she has set a plan to engage in the export market with quality products. To this effect, she is working in collaboration with professionals who can offer her employees necessary training.
Though export market is important to support nation’s economy, she said there is a huge gap in using local products. Despite the fact that Ethiopians’ products are hugely liked on international market, local people have blurred perception when it comes to using local material. Hence, she encouraged the people to use local products.
The major constraint in her business is the price fluctuation of thread. Since yam and fiber are the major inputs of their products, they are encountering huge difficulty due to price hikes that some merchants have created. However, it is through bearing this challenges that she made the company where it is now.
She had never dreamt that the job her mother got her easily would turn in to this big business. But, she said that her passion coupled with the discipline and consistency that she kept on applying contributed hugely to her success.
“Getting work late is uncomfortable for me so I usually get there very early. The passion that I have for the job, has kept me working committedly and persistently, and to achieving my dreams despite the challenges I encountered.”
Start from small is her message to the fellow Ethiopian women. Regardless of the challenges that women may encounter in their journey, they need to put a goal, have discipline and become persistent to realize their goal. Challenges are inevitable, but, what is important is to take risk and take the difficulties as a lesson to reach to their goals.
The Ethiopian Herald March 16/2023
