Mutamba Chilufya

 

If you don’t know what your passion is, realize that one reason for your existence on earth is to find it so don’t limit yourself and keep working. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. Because what you believe, remember, you can achieve, a lot of people are afraid to say what they want? That’s why they don’t get what they want.

27 year old Mutamba Chilufya is not only a makeup artist but also a secondary school teacher who is pursuing her Master’s in Business administration, she is a very hardworking and innovative young lady that has always believed in makeup as an opportunity that will help her conquer the world differently she explains “ I started my makeup business in 2015 after I graduated from university when I saw that the industry didn’t have much to offer (in terms of jobs), What inspired me to venture into this business is my passion for beauty and I realized I could start doing makeup as a business after a friend of mine called asking me to do a bridal makeup on her sister’s wedding, I was excited because I had just started with the few things I had and was just starting to reach out to people, it was a huge honor. So I got the little money I had saved up, travelled all the way to Lusaka to get makeup products, I remember calling swek Temba(A lady that supplies make up) for the first time because she had advertised some products on Facebook, I followed her to her home, I purchased a few things and she gave me other things that I couldn’t afford on credit because she told me she can trust me (her words of her telling me she can trust me meant so much to me, knowing that someone I was meeting for the first time could trust me with her money. So I sent her money back as soon as I made some money from my first business, from this experience I leant that do what you love and success will follow.

Passion is the fuel behind a successful career and it doesn’t matter how you start the only thing you need to have is handwork and a strong drive, After fulfilling the first offer, she has been my go to person, one I can always call to send makeup products even when I’m broke.(God bless you always my dear),when I traveled back to kabwe and waited for my friend to call me but couldn’t , weekend passed and I saw pictures of her sister who did her makeup elsewhere.. I was broken, I felt foolish, but guess what that’s what made me start doing makeup, I said to myself “I can’t throw away all these makeup products, and they have to work”. That’s how it all began, since then it has been one makeup booking after the other. Isn’t God great? After a disappointment they say, comes an appointment! You are only as strong as you allow yourself to be. Never get discouraged, never give up, consistency and dedication is the key.

Being a makeup artist is a decision that I’m now proud of, although it comes with so many challenges and at the same time it has come with so many benefits. It has made me gain financial freedom and stability; I can say I’m my own boss lol. Apart from that, it has helped me diversify into making handmade wigs, which is a plus; this business has helped me sponsor myself during my Masters.

I have so much dedication and passion for my job that I stay up late at night working on wigs, early mornings as early as 3am to start working on my clients, having to balance work, school and business and mostly not spending weekends with friends and family has been too much hell but with the help of my supportive family and fiancé have always been elevated to work harder and this enables them to cheer every achievement made from the handiwork, Because of this driving force I have being able to grow my dream of makeup business and am so proud about it.

My future plans are to grow this business much bigger and to be able to help empower other ladies that are passionate about the same. And I would like to speak to someone out there that has a dream but isn’t bold enough to reach out for it, Go for it!!! If you can dream it, you can definitely do it. You don’t need a fortune to start a business; all you need is a leap of faith.