A 58-year-old woman has found comfort in clay, which has now become the only source of income she uses to support her family.

Agnes Maligana of Mashau-Thondoni, near Levubu, is a renowned sculptor who moulds clay to produce flowerpots, human images, dzikhali, zwidudu, clay calabashes, nkho and other decorative clay ornaments. She sells her products next to the busy Elim-Mashau public road, near Mashau Bottle Store.

"How can we say there are no jobs while we can do something to keep the fire burning? Look, I have hands and a mind. Why should I go to bed with an empty stomach instead of using my hands and mind to survive? People are just too lazy to think about something that can keep them going," said the hard-working Agnes. Agnes told Mirror that she worked on farms before, but she realized that the money she earned as a farm worker was too little to cover all her personal needs. "I decided to quit but I was not quite sure about what I was going to do. I then taught myself the clay art until I became competent on my own."

Agnes says she believes that the art of working with clay is a family matter. "My late mother, Mamulatelo, was a clay sculptor but I was not interested in the trade when I was still young. I only took two months to be a perfect sculptor and this shows that clay sculpturing is in my blood." The hardworking old lady says she gets clay not far from her home, which makes her job easier. She says when she returns home with the clay, she makes the desired object and she bakes her products for the whole night. "After baking them, I give them a final touch with special paint to give them an attractive look. My products start from R20 to R300, depending on the size desired by the customer."

She advises other women to wake up and do something to improve their lives. "It is now time to wake up and do something for ourselves because the government cannot provide all of us with jobs."

Agnes’s daughter, Azwinndini, is following in her mother’s footsteps. "I can make clay products on my own because my mother has taught me the skills. I also sell the products by the road while she is busy sculpting some at home."

Agnes can be contacted at 072 676 5800.