At 28, Severina John, a mother of three, pulls all strings to ensure her children have something on the table.
She vividly understands the role of parenthood, having been the sole provider for her family since her children were born.
Severina, a resident of Nagero County, Western Equatoria in South Sudan, has become the talk of the town, notably being one of the few women who has ventured into a male-dominated bricklaying business.
Some residents have frowned at her whenever they see her laying bricks because they believe she has ventured into a male domain.
But an undeterred Severina prides herself as a living example of what positivity can result in keeping afloat and striving to succeed.
She quite understands that besides feeding her children, other responsibilities, including educating and providing them with shelter, stock her, hence her unending determination to soldier on with her struggles.
Severina confesses that parenting isn’t a walk in the park, as many believe. However, fate has never been on her side as she feels her situation hasn’t changed over the years; she has adopted a year-in, year-out struggle formula to make ends meet.
Unknown to many, Severina is an orphan; her parents died several years ago, and they lived in a place called Mboki in the Central African Republic.
This situation exposed Severina to hardships, hence her belief that anything is achievable.
“I have faced struggles in trying to establish my life through brewing local alcohol and running businesses, but unfortunately, however, these ventures have not been successful,” she says with a ray of hope flashing across her face.
Today, Severina is a brickmaker and believes this could be where her luck lies. “That’s why I find myself here, engaged in this work.”
Severina advises women, “I encourage ladies to join us in laying bricks to earn money. We can even work together in groups. The challenge with women here is that some claim the work is too difficult and they cannot do it. My response to them is that they may not understand my situation, as I am an orphan and feeding my children through this work.”
In an interview with Radio Tamazuj, Severina says she ventured into bricklaying business because she has seen growth in her income compared to any other previous business she ever did.
Her earnings came in handy, morose when her younger brother faced court cases in Wau a few years ago.
“When we approached other relatives for assistance, they declined to contribute. That’s when I decided to engage in bricklaying, hoping to earn enough money to secure my brother’s release from prison,” Severina explains, her eyes swallowed in tears, which she struggles to keep off.
She says that despite the challenges she has waded through, she remains confident that her bricklaying business is finally paying off.
“I chose this path because I believe it can bring in more income. I encourage other women to focus on building their own capacities rather than relying solely on their husbands.”
She, however, advises fellow women that bricklaying business comes with its own unique challenges.
These include securing firewood or charcoal to bake the bricks and at a cost.
“Currently, we are facing financial constraints. We had some income from selling charcoal, and we used it to pay someone to cut down trees for us. However, at the moment, we are short on funds,” she said.
Severina has accumulated 15,000 bricks, all ready for the burning process. Knowing very well that her husband does little to supplement her efforts, Severina steps up her efforts to ensure she makes as many bricks as possible before the clouds open up for Mother Nature anytime, starting April.
She appeals for financial support from well-wishers and local organisations to boost her business.
Severina has strayed her eyes into days when she would be having her own house. She has been dreaming of putting a roof on her children’s heads and believes this would only be achieved through her bricklaying business.