Moses likes women look good They’re all beautiful, says young Lusaka manicurist

By ANN ZULU

“I HAVE great interest in making women look good and more attractive,” 26-year-old manicurist Moses Phiri told this reporter.

And just from his facial expression as he does the nail art, one could tell that the young man enjoys what he does.

This reporter was recently in Lusaka’s Kamwala trading area when it ran into Moses.

‘‘Moze’’ Phiri attends to a customer at Kamwala trading area.

He was working on the nails of a woman and five others were waiting to be attended to.

Moze, as he is fondly called by his customers, told the Daily Nation that all women are beautiful and that he enjoys making them look good.

He said that the first time he saw men making women’s nails he felt it was like magic.

“It was something unique; I felt inspired and I told myself that if he can do it, then I could do it too.

‘‘I got so much interested and I would go to Kamwala just to learn how to make nails from my friends who were already manicurists and in three months, I learnt the art,” he said.

According to him, he makes about K1,000 per day when business is good and this has been the source of his livelihood.

“When business is good, I receive over 15 customers and I charge them K60 per pair. If they want both their hands and toe nails to be done the amount doubles to K120,” he said.

Asked whether he enjoys making women’s nails being a man, he responded that he loved it because it was his source of income.

 “I enjoy it a lot because I make a lot of money and I am saving to enable me attend college. I get more customers than ladies who do this job. I learnt it, I didn’t jump into it. So I do it better than them,” he said.

In the beginning Moses had a challenge finding customers due to competition.

“At first it was very difficult for me to find customers, because there were other people already doing this same business and they were good. But as time went by, customers realised my potential and started coming to me to get their nails done,” he said.

And a lady whose nails he was making at the time the Daily Nation visited him, showered praise on ‘‘Moze’’, saying he was the right person to do her nails.

“There is no problem with a man doing my nails, I see it as normal. It’s not like I prefer a man but to be honest Moze is the best person that can fix my nails,” she said.

The young male manicurist encouraged fellow youths to find ways of creating employment for themselves and lessen the pressure on the Government to provide jobs for them.

He believes that young people can make a difference and also contribute to the development of Zambia because they are more energetic.

“With current high levels of unemployment youths should stop being dependent on Government, but should rather create jobs for themselves and others.

“They should venture into business just like I have done and to generate income for themselves, not depend on Government for everything,” he said.