retired government worker

Retired on national interest by government now owns a restaurant
07th November 2018- She is known to be the last person to close her restaurant. For the past 10 years Justina Usale, 48, has been making fritters in the evening and most of her customers that find bakery shops closed are never disappointed.
Mrs Usale who lives in the town center of kasempa district has for the past ten years religiously kept to her timetable of making fritters in the evening when most people in the same business line have knocked off.
Apart from selling fritters, Mrs Usale makes scones, sells assorted vegetables and is a famer who owns a five hectors land where she usually cultivates maize among other crops.
In 2008, Mrs Usale was retired on national interest from the department of community development where she worked for thirteen years as an assistant community development officer. Unprepared to join the informal sector, she has survived to date by using the entrepreneur skills that she used to impart to women as part of her job.
“I was only 38 years old when government retired me on national interest, I was scared of how I will survive because it was easy for me to work and earn money at the end of each month”. She disclosed.
Mrs Usale could not disclose the reasons behind her retirement but explains that as an assistant development community officer, part of duties included training of women in entrepreneurship as well as helping them in the formulation of clubs.
“I was also responsible for helping women acquire skills on how to write project proposals and how to write financial reports,” She said.
Mrs. Usale admits that she was not physiologically and financially ready to retire at a tender age however, the skills she acquired during her 13 years in public service has contributed to her managing her business with less challenges.
She said the passion to see other women improve their living conditions used to give her so much joy and found satisfaction in her work.
“I received my letter of retirement in 2008 and instead of panicking, I just accepted it and believed that everything was happening for a reason,” she said.
From her retirement package, she managed to buy a house and a shop which she later opened as JC restaurant and take away in the main business area of the district.
She later employed two people to help her manage the restaurant while she has continued to multitask her entrepreneur skills in various opportunities that come her way.
“I have employed two people who help me to run the restaurant while I sell other things that come in each particular season,” she explained.

Mrs Usale further commended her mother for imparting and perfecting her entrepreneur skills at the tender age of 12 when she used to buy and sell fish to pay for school fees.
“I was raised by a single mother who taught me to sell things at a tender age because she could afford to pay for of my siblings,” she lamented.
With her vast experience in entrepreneurship, she advices retirees to know how to calculate profits, loss as well as to know how to price commodities while having good customer relations.
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