Chronicle Editor
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
MENDING shoes for a living has often been viewed as a trade suited for those with no better options in life.
Most of the people in this business spend the day sitting under a tree stitching torn shoes and bags and society looks at them with derision.
However, for Mr Moideen Brown it is never really about desperation. It is a source of livelihood and a fulfillment of his dreams, as he has embraced shoe mending full-time as a long-held desire.
Nestled in his garage at his Barham Green suburb home, Mr Brown launched Chaplin Shoe Repairs and Leather Works in 2022.
This venture has been pivotal, providing income not only for himself but also for six part-time employees, while symbolising his faith. As a Christian man, he aspires to touch people’s lives by restoring what seems lost.
Mr Brown began his journey in the shoe repair business at Jacobs Shoes, a repair shop in Bulawayo, in 2004.
“This was after I finished school; I worked there for five years, and I was young and you know, you will be too proud to do some jobs and I left.
I started hustling in Bulawayo for a while, but I soon returned to the formal market and looked for a job. While working there, I was not comfortable in my spirit because I kept thinking of the shoe business.
The assignment started to come in my heart that I need to return to the shoe business,” he shared.
With a passionate desire to make a difference in the shoe industry, he set aside his pride and sought employment again at Captain Jacobs Shoe Repairs in 2014, where he was thrilled to be welcomed as an employee for another four years.
“I was motivated while working there; we had a good relationship, we worked well, and I told myself I would one day have a shoe repairs business that had to be something that aligned with my assignment and worldview that I hold on earth.
I began searching for a name for my company so that I would repair people’s shoe soles and also restore and revitalise their souls that need healing. In that interaction with your customers, you get an opportunity to also speak life to them,” he said.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted his plans to start his own business, leading him to return to the corporate sector for a time.
“While at my job, I started looking for materials and equipment that I used to build my workshop and start my venture at home. I would work with referrals; those who knew I was mending shoes and bags would come. But as restrictions eased up, I gave it a shot, and demand has been very positive,” he explained.
Mr Brown never wavered in his dream of becoming a professional cobbler, which he believes many people mistakenly abandon.
“The greatest mistake we make is being busy with the wrong assignment in life because we are busy thinking we are successful in the jobs we may hold, but you have that nagging voice and urge telling you that you want to achieve other things.
You will not achieve this as long as you are in a wrong assignment despite doing well in it. I was telling my wife that if I could do this job every day of my life, I would be happy because it has brought meaning to my life. I could be cutting a pattern in the workshop, nailing something, or looking for materials; the peace just comes,” he added.
He urged parents to support their children’s dreams and help shape their futures.
“I had a dream of becoming a lawyer; I wanted to be different. However, I took this path as a cobbler, and they encouraged me and supported me when I was attaining a skill. I thought I would get negative resistance, but no.
Parents must give their children the opportunity to dream but must be there to catch them when they fall off the rail,” he advised.
Although Mr Brown has faced challenges on his journey, he remains committed to providing valuable services to the community.
He acknowledges, “Not every day does one wake up positive about their business; sometimes there are mornings when you feel you want to close shop, and there are days when you feel positive. But it has been rewarding to be honest, the best move I have made so far.
I did face challenges in setting up things like machinery and tools, but I did not let the financial challenges stop me. I decided to pick what I had at home and from friends and started building my workshop. It finally came to fruition, and we now have a workspace.”
He further encouraged those employed with dreams outside of their jobs to avoid complacency and actively strive towards their aspirations.
“You do not need a 10-hectare piece of land to start a farming project; start from your backyard and nurture your talent, and it will grow. If you have a kettle and an oven, that’s your seed for a bakery and coffee shop.
It is the humble and small beginnings that grow to unimaginable heights. It started as a hobby for me at home, but I decided to shift and treat it more professionally.
“Even with clients, I treat them very professionally even if they are friends and family. I have graduated to treat the hobby into a professional business where everyone is treated the same and they must in turn return the favour and pay for services rendered,” he emphasized.
Mr Brown highlighted the importance of formalizing small businesses.
“It is vital to register them with the rightful authorities and also to keep business relations formal with acquaintances to ensure one makes a profit from their ideas,” he stated.
Looking ahead, he shares his ambition for the future.
“In 2025, I plan to expand and offer services in the CBD and also train young people in the trade to help them steer clear of drug and substance abuse and get back to their purpose in life.” — @NyembeziMu
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