The success story and restoration of a long lost hope.
I am Chumani Tayi and before joining RLabs, I had a lot of challenges as a person that comes from a poor home as we mostly depended on our grandmother’s old-age pension. It was so hard to an extent that I ended up having very low self-esteem and I lost confidence in myself, especially as a guy because I felt as if I wasn’t doing enough even though I was trying my best to get a stable job to also have an impact at home. I felt the strong need to support the house and be able to buy food.
I would spend my days on the internet looking for available opportunities/jobs and I came across RLabs on Facebook; one of the primary motivating factors of me applying was that I was in my lowest emotional state due to not having worked for a very long time so I thought I should try my best and go all out for this opportunity.
Working for RLabs instantly changed my life forever in a way that I had never imagined. I can now do most of the things I was falling short on and I now stand a better chance of launching my own business which is something I had always wanted to do and I feel like now I have a lot of opportunities.
More than anything, I was inspired by the fact that RLabs is a technology-based (oriented) organization and I had always had an interest or just a love of technology and just by seeing their space, I thought to myself; this is the kind of environment I’d like to work in.
As much as covid has caused us a lot of frustrations and anxiety, this opportunity has taught me a lot and it has given me the best opportunity to reflect and have introspection and it has even improved my public engagement and interactive skills. I now have better relationships with those around me.
I have gained more knowledge and computer skills that I was lacking or never thought I would learn and understand so easily, and I believe that I am competent and ready to work for any tech-based companies as we are now said to be on the 4th Industrial revolution.
I have gained a lot of trust from most people as I have drastically changed in the sense that I have new clothes, I have gotten clean and good looking which has raised my confidence and more. This was the biggest challenge I overcame. I am extremely different now and I feel good and alive, more than I have felt before joining RLabs. I’m no longer shy to raise my concerns and just generally show how I feel about different things. As a result, I have now received a lot of opportunities and as a person who always wanted to start my own business, I now have a better chance. I feel grateful to RLabs for opening so many doors, I am extremely overjoyed and just always happy. I don’t even remember the last time I was sad since joining the RLabs family.
I got respect from the surrounding elderly people and I have been able to uplift a few people around me, the youth specifically, who would sometimes need help with creating CVs and maybe lend them a small portion of what I have to go to look for work, etc.
Throughout my time at RLabs, I would always ensure that all the given tasks are handed in due time and I would always ask questions if I feel like I need clarity in any way because I always want to produce the best results. When I would sometimes miss an explanation, when the next task is outlined, it’s not a big deal because my managers are always willing to help me without making me feel dumb.
This is my first time earning an income as I never had a formal job before; and this has helped me to relieve my grandmother’s income as I can buy some food and support my siblings with other things that they need, financially.
Both the YES smartphone and apps have enlightened me in many different ways, such as emotional regulation/intelligence, I now know how to conduct myself professionally without having to impact those around me both at work and in my community. I even think very critically before approaching different situations or just responding to daily challenges one might come across.
The unemployed youth should never quit. It is not easy and is tiring but they should keep going and be resilient as opportunities are always there and God’s timing is always good. You might not get it when you expect it, but eventually, the right opportunity will come for you at the right time just keep going.
I would like to say that I wholeheartedly appreciate the opportunities that Rlabs gives to unemployed youth like me. It means a lot and I pray that God gives them strength every day to continue doing so even to others who have lost hope. Please continue making that impact, South African youth need you so much and once again thank you!
