Leeroy Gobi said he learned his craft of making clothes by watching YouTube.

This the 31-year-old Toekomsrus did after realising that he was not longer happy with his nine-to-five job, which led him to quit.

I needed to do something that I was passionate about; something I could do on my terms and eventually build a legacy for the future generation of my family,” Leeroy said.

Although he said his journey of the last seven years was not a walk in the park, he is glad that many now look up to him as an inspiration. Leeroy added that it took hard work, extensive reading and research, as he could not afford to study a fashion design course at a university.

While growing up, Leeroy said he was pained by seeing his mother struggle with unemployment and alcoholism, which made him more determined to make a better future for himself.

He added that after seeing what damage unemployment could do to society, he was driven to uplift young people.

“Many of them tend to resort to alcohol abuse and crime, while others become depressed,” Leeroy said. His goal is to inspire and show youngsters that they can earn a living by using their skills and talents.

“I will give them the knowledge that can help to free them of a slave mentality. I want to give them the ability to generate wealth for the whole community, which will help strengthen the local economy.

“As a young person, you need to find yourself, discover what you are good at, and use it to achieve your goals,” Leeroy added.