Do you want Vanila, Strawberry, Banana, Chocolate or Italian Ice cream? Joyce Kazembe will do it for you. Born in Fatima Village in Nsanje, in the Lower State of Malawi 28 years ago, Joyce never thought that life would be as it is now as she lost her mother in 1996. She had no choice but to stay with her only aunt.
Joyce Kazembe standing in front of Ice Cream making machine
Life wasn’t simple. She was asked to stop going to school to help her aunt with household chores. Other days she forced herself to go to school but she has no stationery like exercise books and writing materials.
In 1998, Joyce joined Tiyende Women in Development Training Centre of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust to study tailoring. It was while here that she was asked to start working in Andiamo Ice Cream Shop. With the help of Francis Pensulo, late Bibiana Njoloma and other volunteers from Italy, Joyce managed to learn how to make different flavours of ice cream within a period of 3 months.
“Because of my dedication I managed to learn how to handle customers and taking care of all the machines at the shop,” says Joyce. She adds that since she started working, she has taught six other people how to make Ice Cream.
Joyce, a mother of three, says the skills she has acquired for the time she has been working are a big treasure for he since she can work at any Ice Cream shop around the globe.
“Now I am able to smile again because I am able to support my family, pay rent and even support the same aunt who denied me chance to go to school,” narrates Joyce.
Joyce believes that respecting each other and patience help.