While many 18-year-old teenage girls are studying to become doctors and lawyers, Khadijah Allie is focusing her efforts on making a name for women in a profession that society views as a “man’s job”: she is a technician and specialises in repairing brushcutter machines and chainsaws.
This young lady has been employed with M&K Auto Sales and STHIL Dealership for close to a year.
Allie surely fits the description of driven and is on her way to carving a career path that is destined for success. Like many out there, she quit her studies at the University of Guyana where she had majored in Communication Studies. She explained she was forced to abandon her studies because she had nowhere to live and, more so, no money to rent an apartment. Added to that, Alli was plagued with other problems. So, she packed her bags and went back home to the mining town of Linden and commenced working with her uncle, the owner of M&K Auto Sales.
But right there and then, Allie realised that this was what she wanted to do; this would be her way of bringing about changes in the world.
The teenager expressed, “This is my passion and I love every bit of it.” Every day she wakes up and goes to work and says she is not stressed at all. In fact, Allie said that after working and dwelling in the field she had developed a passion for it.
However, it is worth acknowledging that while Allie is blazing the trail for young women in the industry, she has had her share of naysayers. She related that persons would tell her that her job is too masculine.
Nonetheless, despite the doubts, Allie said she enjoys interacting with customers since her job allows her the opportunity to reach out to people who use machines on a daily basis to earn a living. She pointed out, “I enjoy helping people get their machines up and running. I love assisting people in buying the correct parts for their machines.”
Her biggest motivators are her uncle and aunt, who jointly own the workshop. And by venturing into this field, she now wants to pursue studies along these lines. She aims to soar high and wants to establish her own workshop. Allie admitted that one of the biggest challenges she faced was limiting her own potential because she never thought she would be able to get the job done.
When Allie is not working, she enjoys reading, cooking, and applying makeup. Her personal key to success is, “Not forgetting to always stay positive and keep a strong self-esteem.”
