One for the girls
By Chinenye Okoye
Saturday, August 5, 2006
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•Sandra
Photo By Sun News Publishing |
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Male auto mechanics in greasy overall move over. Women are
closing in on you. They are not just coming to take over the
mechanic shops, they are bold, beautiful and brainy. Sandra
Aguebor Edokpayi is leading the pack and blazing a trail.
Sandra Aguebor Edokpayi, the Chief Executive of Sandex Car
Care and the founder of Lady Mechanic Initiative has proven
a point.
Today, she has successfully carved a niche for herself in
Nigeria and overseas. But, she not only stops at that, Sandra
has crowned it all by doing humanitarian services to ensure
that she impacts positively on other women especially the
down trodden ones.
She started by talking to some women of low virtues. She told
them that they can do better things. She emphasized this by
letting them know she is a mechanic. This, according to her,
surprised some of them because they cannot imagine a beautiful
lady like her as, a mechanic. She convinced them, they could
do the mechanic work and still make a living.
To convince them she even promised them employment after training
and even pay them stipends while undergoing the training.
Today, Sandra is popularly known as ‘Lady Mechanic’
and has up to sixty female apprentices. She recently took
Saturday Sun down the memory lane about her profession and
her major challenges.
Divinely directed
According to Aguebor, she didn’t know exactly what inspired
her to be a mechanic but everything happens to be the way
God has planned it. “All these started through dreams.
Long ago, I always have these dreams, where I was taught how
to fix vehicles. You may not understand or believe this, but
let me put it this way: I am not just an ordinary person.
Before I start anything in life, I must have been directed
in my dreams on how to do that.
So, at a time, I found out that I don’t want to do any
other thing except mechanic work. I then went to Technical
College and from there to Auchi Polytechnic where I studied
Auto Mechanical Engineering. After my graduation, I worked
with Bendel State Transport Service, Benin and Nigeria Railway
Corporation before I finally set up my own garage, which is
Sandex Car Care”.
It wasn’t a bed of roses
Ask Sandra, how she started up Sandex Car Care, she will quickly
tell you, it wasn’t easy at all. “ Starting Sandex
Care was not easy at all. Initially, I was just helping some
women that had problem with their vehicle on the road. I helped
fix their cars if I find them on my way. At a time, I said
to myself I could introduce these women into this business.
So that, when they have problem with their cars or it get
spoilt on the way, they will know how to fix it.
I started giving them my cards but before then I had people
that I picked from the streets that I was training on the
work. But, it was very difficult this early stage because
some people don’t really believe, a woman can fix a
car. I have to talk and talk before some agreed that I fix
their cars. So, when they see that, I know what I am doing,
they started bringing their friends to me.
But today, I thank God for His mercies because I did not only
have individuals bringing their cars for repairs big corporate
organizations and companies entrust their cars to Lady Mechanic
Garage because they rely on our services”.
Difficulties
The difficulties Sandra is experiencing according to her,
is not even from her work but from the government. Although,
they have supported her before but she still believes they
can do more than they had already done. “I need a permanent
site because some organizations abroad have offered to support
me by providing some equipment but we don’t have space
for them. I have been writing and begging the Lagos State
government to give me a land where we can relocate permanently
and this equipment will be put to use.
But, I have no reply from them. Though, they have supported
me before and also have given me a land at the cost of twenty
three million naira but I don’t have this money and
have been writing for a rebate, so that I can source for the
fund, if they reduce it but got no reply. I have up to sixty
girls I am recruiting now but have insufficient fund paying
them because I train the girls and also pay them. Also, I
provide a mini-hostel where some of them I picked from street
stay and where those that don’t have anywhere to stay
in Lagos reside until after the training. You see, I can’t
afford that amount of money.
So, I need the Lagos State government to help or give me a
rebate”. Asked how she gets the money to pay and provide
for her girls, she simply answered; she is a member of Asohoka
Innovative for the Public and is being paid for her ideas.
So, she uses the money they pay her and the money charged
for labour. Aside from that, she is also being sponsored by
American Government for seven years now and some other big
organizations that understand her dream.
Coping in a male dominated world
Agueobor, who specializes in all Japanese cars and Peugeot,
said the most interesting thing that has ever happened to
her is being in a males’ world. “Interesting,
I don’t regret being in men’s world. In fact,
that is the most interesting thing that has ever happened
to me. I have double passion in what I am doing and my greatest
joy is that I have proven some people wrong. And, I am very
happy and coping really fine”.
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