My name is Mary, and I come from Blantyre, Malawi. My journey to success has not been easy. I was born into a poor family, and after completing school, I could not afford to continue to college.
Life pushed me into working as a house girl in the city, earning a very small salary that barely covered my needs.
Each day I worked from dawn to night, cooking, cleaning, and running errands, yet I was treated with little respect. Many nights I cried silently, wondering if I would ever escape that life of struggle.
Deep inside, I carried big dreams, but they felt impossible to achieve.
One day, after saving a small amount of money from my house girl salary, I decided to take a risk. I started selling simple items—vegetables and second-hand clothes—in the local market.
Business was tough at the beginning, but I refused to give up. Slowly, I built trust with my customers, and my small savings began to grow.
With time, I reinvested my earnings into bigger ventures. I expanded into farming, then into transport, and later into real estate. Step by step, my life began to change.
What once seemed like a hopeless future started to shine with new opportunities.
Today, I am proud to say that I am one of the wealthiest women in Malawi.
I employ many people, I support local farmers, and I give scholarships to children from poor families—because I know the pain of lacking opportunities.
Looking back, I realize that my painful beginning as a house girl was not the end of my story but the beginning of my strength.
My journey proves that with hard work, courage, and determination, anyone can rise above poverty and change their life.
To every young girl struggling today, I say this: don’t give up. Your situation now does not define your future.
