Stitched for success: How TCB’s Remake programme transforms lives

Taking Care of Business Success Stories: Remake Programme

Neziswa Harrmans

I’m Neziswa Harrmans. I am 38 years old, and I have three kids who depend on me. My extended family depends on me as well.

Before TCB, life was not easy at all. I was depending on a business that was running at a loss. I didn’t know how to save money—I was a spender. TCB helped me a lot with learning how to save money. The Me and My Money Programme played a big role for most of us. I was blank, spending money on things I didn’t even need. Today, I know how to manage my money. I always do my journals, which include tracking my expenses and receipts.

I used to have policies that would lapse. Today, because of TCB, I always keep my things and payments up to date.

I want to say thank you to TCB for giving me this opportunity. I was living with hunger and stress, but today I can bring something to the table for my family because of TCB.

Zondani Gidi

My name is Zondani Gidi. I am 48 years old, and I have three boys.

My life was bad; I was struggling to feed or support my family. I had very little knowledge about sewing because I never went to school. TCB gave me skills and upgraded my knowledge. I was a person who had a lot of problems. TCB helped me and taught me how to release my stress. Now, I have a way to run my business.

TCB really helped me to build back my confidence. Today, I am the best mother ever to my kids and my family as well. I am a supportive, proud mother to my children because of TCB. I sew many things with my own hands because of the training I received at TCB. I have confidence in everything that I am doing.

Even when you have personal issues, TCB helps by providing counselling to people like me. For example, my son was addicted to drugs. I was a mother who always prayed, but I also needed counselling to help me get through.

Thank you, TCB. You have helped me a lot. Today, I can tell others about TCB because it is something I know—it is something that has helped me in so many ways.

Phathiswa Bloro

My name is Phathiswa Bloro. I am 41 years old, and I have six kids.

My life was very difficult because I had nothing. I was running at a loss and depending on my husband for everything. Even if there wasn’t an onion or stock cube, I had to ask him. Sometimes, I had to steal money from my husband so that I could support my younger sister and her child, who also depend on me. It was not easy before TCB at all. I had to protect my marriage by stealing for my younger sister because my husband wouldn’t always give me something when I asked for it.

TCB changed my life a lot because now I have my own money. Whenever I want to help my sister with anything, I can do so. At home, I can contribute as well. I have savings—all because of what I learned in the TCB programmes. I now know how to save.

Thank you, TCB, for your help. You have helped a lot of homes, including mine.

Your contribution, no matter the size, fuels our mission to empower individuals to become self-sufficient and successful business owners to build a better future for themselves and their families. Donate now.

Taking Care of Business (TCB) is a nonprofit social enterprise. We are empowering unemployed South Africans and their families to escape the cycle of poverty through small business opportunities, mostly within the circular economy.