ANYTHING is possible in life if you work hard. This is according to Patrick Mapetla (38) from Ga-Selelo Village in Limpopo. Even though Patrick is disabled, he has a business making window frames, burglar bars and gates.
His workshop is under the trees in his mum’s yard. Patrick was born paralysed from the waist down. His mum couldn’t afford to buy him a wheelchair. Patrick told Daily Sun: “She worked on a farm in Mookgopong as a domestic worker.
“She went through a lot of difficulty raising my younger sister and I.”
He was unable to start school until 1996, when he was 18, because he didn’t have a wheelchair. During that period, Patrick decided to build his own wheelchair using old bicycle frames and wheels from wheelbarrows.
In 2002, Patrick dropped out of school because his wheelchair couldn’t go on gravel roads. He then started making window frames last year.
“I went to hardware stores in town and researched the different metals,” said Patrick.
“I didn’t have any tools but two good Samaritans in the village lent me a grinder and a welding machine.
“In the beginning, it was difficult to use the machines. I would often fall over.”
Patrick soon attracted a lot of customers and they started asking him to make burglar bars and gates.
“With the money I made, I was able to buy myself a portable light welding machine and a grinder,” he said.
Patrick succeeded because he was never ashamed of being disabled. He wants to pass on his skills to the youth.
His workshop is under the trees in his mum’s yard. Patrick was born paralysed from the waist down. His mum couldn’t afford to buy him a wheelchair. Patrick told Daily Sun: “She worked on a farm in Mookgopong as a domestic worker.
“She went through a lot of difficulty raising my younger sister and I.”
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In 2002, Patrick dropped out of school because his wheelchair couldn’t go on gravel roads. He then started making window frames last year.
“I went to hardware stores in town and researched the different metals,” said Patrick.
“I didn’t have any tools but two good Samaritans in the village lent me a grinder and a welding machine.
“In the beginning, it was difficult to use the machines. I would often fall over.”
Patrick soon attracted a lot of customers and they started asking him to make burglar bars and gates.
“With the money I made, I was able to buy myself a portable light welding machine and a grinder,” he said.
Patrick succeeded because he was never ashamed of being disabled. He wants to pass on his skills to the youth.
