| Can you believe she’s
a mechanic?
By CHRISTY ANYANWU
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
 |
•Sandra
Aguebor-Edokpayi
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
| |
The biblical saying that the stone rejected by the builders
has become the cornerstone is an apt way to describe Sandra
Aguebor-Edokpayi, the Chief Executive Officer of Sandex Car
Care Garage.
As she went into memory lane about her profession, you realize
that she has gone through thick and thin.
As an apprentice, she was constantly subjected to ridicule
from friends because of her choice of career. But she wouldn’t
be discouraged and continued with her training. Today, it’s
a different ball game as she has successfully carved a niche
for herself both in Nigeria and abroad.
"Initially, friends ran away from me, they said I’m
not the happening woman. But today, they come to me and say
if they had known, they would have joined me then."
After her apprenticeship, Aguebor attended a technical school
in Benin where she took a course in Automobile Engineering.
"When I started the course, I discovered that it was
easy for me." She however, graduated in 1990 and worked
in some automobile companies like the Bendel State Transport
Service in Benin before she decided to start her own business.
She tells you it wasn’t rosy at all starting the mechanic
business. "It was difficult convincing people to bring
their cars to her for repairs. Because, you know, being a
woman, a lot of people thought I wasn’t serious. The
thought I was not well trained. But, one day, I was driving
along the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, and the car of a
woman driving in my front had a fault. She stopped and dashed
out of the car. When she opened her bonnet, she saw some smoke
and was scared she thought that her car was burning."
Aguebor parked and went to her. "I assured her I could
fix her car but she never believed me. I checked the car and
saw it was a radiator problem. I picked up my spanner, my
clips, screw drivers, and within a few minutes, I repaired
it. Her car temperature came down afterwards. I didn’t
collect a dime from her. But I gave her my card and she brought
some first sets of customers to me."
Her services speaks for her and this has earned her the sobriquet
the Lady Mechanic. She has been featured in CNN World News,
African Journal Television, BBC News, South African Broadcasting
Corporation and several newspapers locally and internationally.
Aguebor is passionate about investing in other women to make
them become professionals too.
"My targets are girls and women with genuine interest
in auto mechanic profession. This includes the educated ones
and dropouts from schools who could not finish their education
due to financial constraints. The initiative also helps to
rehabilitate commercial sex workers and female deportees back
to the society."
Although, she loves what she’s doing, Aguebor confesses
that there are hiccups here and there. "Getting support
from parents for the ladies to be involved in mechanic training
and inadequate financial support has not been easy. We train
these girls free of charge, provide overall, canvass, face-caps,
monthly allowance and also provide accommodation for those
who live very far away from the workshop. Looking radiant
in her yellow overall, she tells you she is so busy and finds
it difficult to step out of the garage. "I’m always
around listening to customers’ complaints. I go out
only to attend weddings and parties of my client, when I’m
invited."
Outside her workshop, Aguebor is a transformed woman with
good dress sense and beautiful make-up. "People are amazed
when they see me at parties. I always tell them I’m
still a woman, you can still be a female mechanic and be a
beautiful woman out there. I love make-up, I can make up a
bride that is getting married. I can’t miss it. Make
up is part of my life too. Though, I have my own natural beauty,
make-up enhances it."
Then ask if her male clients make passes at her because of
her good looks. She smiled and replies, "of course, they
will come, at least to try but on the long run we just become
sweet friends."
Aguebor, who specializes in all Japanese cars and Peugeot,
attributed her success to God. "I wouldn’t have
gone this far if not for God’s divine guidance. If I
come back to this world again it would still be a female mechanic,
if there is anything like re-incarnation. I have no regrets
at all in my chosen career. I’m planning to have Auto
mechanic club in schools very soon," she ends happily.
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