A young spirit within the foundation

Today, we dive into the life of someone from a big family. She has 5 siblings, 1 brother and 4 sisters. 61 years old, married for 34 years, 2 sons, 1 daughter, 2 granddaughters, and 1 great-granddaughter. She lost her father at the age of 8, “while my baby sister was only 1 year and 7 months old at the time,” she told me.

Valerie was born in the then “Western Township”, now Westbury. She started her schooling career at Westrand Primary school and proceeded to Westbury Senior Secondary to complete her high schooling. Interesting fact, the year Valerie started high school, grade 9, is also the year the school was launched. “Ons was die eerstes,” she said to me. She describes her younger self as “very introverted, no confidence, I tried my best to not be seen, what’s the word… invisible. I just wanted to be invisible”. “I was homebound, had very few friends, but I had 1 close friend, I called her sister”. Valerie states that during high school, she opened up a little; other kids became more attracted to her, but claims that she still didn’t go out much.

Valerie and her mom did not have a close relationship during her upbringing; she states that only when her mom became ill with cancer was their relationship changed. Valerie and her younger sister became her mother’s caregivers. “My sister and I would alternate nights taking care of mom, as at the time I was married and had children,” she stated. They lost mom 20 years ago. “I inherited my mom’s spiritual side,” Valerie said… “oooh, she was a very smart woman, never idle, she always had money, she was always doing something, or learning something; my mother also did sewing,” she said.

Growing up, Valerie had a desire to be a social worker, but her guidance teacher told her it is a very depressing job, so she just let it go, “there was anyway not money to study,” she said to me. She was fortunate enough to start a job at FNB on 3rd January of the following year. She worked there for about 2 years, after which she went to work for Standard Bank until she retired in 2024. When asked about her highlights during her time at Standard Bank, Valerie glows up when she starts to talk about her former boss, who’s younger than her… I don’t want to get into trouble by naming her former boss, but she claims that he challenged her in the most kindest ways. He taught her to keep learning, “Rudy, when I started there, we didn’t use computers; he introduced and trained me to work on computers,” she said. “He was just very caring and respectful.”

Valerie went on to disclose to me that she really does not like the idea of change. She’d rather do and stick to what she knows until the end of times, if it was up to her. She, too, like some of the other Upcyclers, has a fear of failure. She claims that her husband, with the most gorgeous name ever, Rudy, is total opposite of her; “he’s a go-getter,” she claims. Valerie states that she has many fears; when asked to mention a few, she stated “heights, cats… oooh, very much cats. And I’m not an animal person,” she said while shaking her head. “What happens when they die, I’d be broken; my heart breaks when my plants and flowers die…”

Since Valerie retired, she’s been keeping busy by volunteering at the HIV clinic at Helen Joseph hospital. She knew a couple from church who’ve been volunteering at the hospital and decided to join them. She prepares tea and sandwiches. Valerie also goes around visiting the elderly from her church. She would read to them, do cleaning, and other things these people are unable to do for themselves.

I’ve learned that Valerie has always been a hustler. She’s been selling lingerie as an extra source of income and also used the opportunity to teach women to start caring for and loving themselves. “If you’re gonna do it, do it for yourself first,” she stated.

Over the months that I’ve been interacting with Valerie, I’ve gotten to know that they own a coffee shop; “that’s more Rudy’s baby,” she said to me. When asked about their coffee shop, Valerie said that “Rudy’s mom is Amy, and my middle name is Amy, and so Rudy made it Amye’s”. She said it’s a little family business where they want to attract everyone, people from all walks of life, to come and enjoy a home away from home, where you could come and enjoy a spirit of friendliness and have a delicious coffee, with a toasted sandwich, or cookies and sweet treats, or scones, or a yummy chicken wrap in a cool, chilled, homely environment.

Amye’s is a coffee shop and takeaway on 7 Lewes Rd, Westdene. AT AMYE’S, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU.

Valerie seems to be a very busy body, and so I asked how or where she got word of Upcycle and the sewing program. After retirement, Valerie started taking self-care seriously. She started doing her nails. In conversation at her nail technician, the sister of the nail technician, who is a former Upcycler, told her about the sewing center. She gave her Petro’s details, and Valerie states that, “I came to see the place, and I must say, Petro is the reason why I came back. She was so friendly and warm.” Guys, Valerie actually stated that when she got here, I was one person she was afraid of… she was not sure if she could talk or laugh around me… really! Anyway, she loves how everyone shares information and is always ready to assist. She claims that it is a safe space to be in, to learn, and she feels that God brought her to the right place. She has now learned to master these machines, and she’s no longer afraid of them; “if you fail, just try again,” she says. She’s learned that one could truly make something of nothing and that nothing has to go to waste.

Valerie’s son Wesley has a clothing line, and she states that since she joined the sewing program, her son now confidently asks her to assist with his work, something she could never assist with before. Valerie wants to upskill by also signing up for garment construction. She wants to get more women from our communities involved to learn a skill and do something with it.

She is passionate about touching and changing lives and to continue spreading the gospel.