About F Man

A little bit about my friend, Fazili Gama, shared originally by Empathy Action.

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Meet Fazili, otherwise known as F Man. He lives in a town called Kasungu in Malawi, and is THE man to go to if you need your phone fixed.

He started out young, fixing his teachers’ phones when he needed to pay for his school fees (only primary education is free here).

But in 2009, just before his final exams, his mother passed away. Fazili put aside his ambition to progress to further education as he needed to support his two brothers. There was no one else who could help.

He focused all his energies into his nascent business. Today he earns enough money to pay his rent, and support himself, his wife and youngest brother. He works seven days a week, and especially hard when there are no power cuts so that he can meet the demands of his clients.

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Fazili’s aspiration to study must wait until he has put his brother through secondary school.

Recently, he and his wife suffered the tragic loss of a still-born child.

He says, “That was a dreadful time. But here in Malawi, things happen, we accept them, and we move on.”

Fazili exudes kindness, joy, intelligence and determination. He dreams big and hopes to go far – literally – by travelling to other countries to widen his knowledge and develop his craft. He doesn’t know yet when (or if) those opportunities will arise.

In the meantime, he is busy making a name for himself as an iPhone specialist in Kasungu. If you find yourself there, with a broken phone, do pay him a visit. You’ll get fantastic service, wonderful conversation, and that brilliant Malawian smile.