Born on February 2, 1936, in Quilengues (Huíla), Faustino Tchinduamba started out as a shoeshine boy in Moçâmedes (Namibe), aged 36.
His life as a shoe shiner came after he left his homeland, which he currently visits little due to his age and financial difficulties.
Living in Forte de Santa Rita, Moçâmedes, the shoeshine boy told Jornal de Angola that he leaves home very early to install his chair and wooden box at the intersection between Kahumba and José F. Vieira streets, in Moçâmedes.
Best known as "Jovito", due to his physical shape and discernment, Faustino said that for each grease he usually charges 150 kwanzas. However, on the busiest days he makes around 2000 kwanzas, including the tips that some customers and friends give him.
He confessed to having been regularly helped by the former administrator of Mocamedes, João Guerra, and revealed that he is working as hard as he can to avoid having to beg.
On the personal side, he made it known that he had nine children, but only one daughter is still alive, explaining that the other eight children died in tragic circumstances.
He also spoke about covid-19, admitting that the pandemic had a strong impact on society at large, but was proud that he had already been fully vaccinated.
Speaking to Jornal de Angola, he took the opportunity to give advice to the younger ones, so that they get vaccinated because the disease "is killing a lot of people around the world".
He also admitted that better days are to come and that covid-19 will come to an end and everything will return to normal.
