Stitching his way to the top
When the 16-year civil war ended in 1992, Nyabanga was one of the 25 498 officially demobilised soldiers who were younger than 18 when recruited.
LIMPOPO – A former child soldier who lost an arm at the age of 15 while fighting in Mozambique’s bloody civil war, has sewed his way to a better future and now dreams of creating more jobs for the unemployed.
Carlos Nyabanga, 47, who lives in a village outside Hoedspruit, makes and sells clothes and uniforms for schools and churches and repairs sewing machines as a source of income.
“I lost my parents, my arm and my childhood during the war, but I didn’t give up on life. I told myself that I still had one arm and two legs to build a future with,” he explained.
When the 16-year civil war ended in 1992, Nyabanga was one of the 25 498 officially demobilised soldiers who were younger than 18 when recruited.
He came to South Africa in 1993 and six years later he received citizenship.
“I worked on farms for many years, but I was not happy with the meagre wages and the lack of job security so I resigned as a farm worker because I yearned for a better life,” he continued.
After resigning he used his savings to buy a manual sewing machine and painstakingly taught himself how to sew using his right foot to spin the device.
Today, the married father of four who works from a rented apartment, uses an electric sewing machine and makes around R10 000 a month for his labours.
“I am happy with my life. I have a roof over my head and I am able to provide for my family. My dream is to register a formal business so I can create jobs and help others provide for their families,” he concluded.
