17 -year- old Sheila Gashumba: The NTV presenter

How would someone describe you?
One could describe me as a brown girl that likes making friends. I am also approachable.

When and how did you get on TV?
I got on T.V a long time ago; this was 8 years ago when I had escorted my dad to WBS TV for an interview. From there I was just told to try out and there I was.

What’s your father’s opinion about you working on TV?
My father is a very supportive person; he watches all my shows and also corrects me where he thinks I didn’t perform well.

Talking of your father, is he a single parent because I have never heard you talk of your mum?
My dad is a single parent, I don’t talk about my mother because she is a businesswoman who is out of the media, and she likes to do her things alone. I don’t live with her but I go out with her a lot; we go for movies and hang out.

Do you think your friends like you because of the T.V thing or they just like you as you are?
I have two categories of people; friends and people who know me. My friends like me because we have been together since childhood. I think the other people who know me like me because I do TV.

How do you balance education and work?
Right now I am not in school; I will be joining next year. I am not yet sure where I am going to study. It is a big decision; I may go to South Africa or Holland. It will depend.

Since you work and at the same time study, when do you read your books?
Like I said, I am out of school currently. While still there, I used to go for night preps at school even though I was a day scholar. That was the time I could read my books.
People say you dress like someone who is not a teenager, like an adult, do you do your own shopping and from where?
I dress according to the event and the people I am going to meet. When I am at corporate events where there are older people, I dress to suit the event. That’s when they say I dress like adults. On school events I dress in normal outfits like jeans.

Your job puts you in the spotlight, so how do you handle guys who stalk you?
I don’t really call it stalking but the way I would define stalking is different. This is whereby someone calls you and knows where you are and the clothes you are wearing. This does not really happen to me. On Facebook I get many messages but being that I have many followers, I don’t get time to reply all of them.

How much do you earn and what do you do with your salary?
(Laughs) at least no one would tell you how much they earn. By the way I don’t use the money I get as my salary. I have saved it ever since I started working. I am planning to use it when I am 18 years old and above. My father gives me the money I use to take care of myself.

Your dad promised to deal with broke guys who hit on you, does he dictate who you should date and who you shouldn’t?
Yes, he said it on TV, but then no one would want to date a broke guy. Right now, I am not into dating.

What is good and bad about being a working teenager?
The good thing about being a working teenager is that you make so much money at a young age, interact with people and your level of maturity is increased. The bad thing is that you grow up so fast hanging out with grownups all the time. There is also drama involved. You need to smile at everyone because they know you, basically it is full of drama.

Do you wish to work on T.V even after your studies or are you eyeing another career?
TV has become a part of my life because I have been doing it since childhood. While growing up, we all have those childhood dreams. My dream was to become a lawyer.

What do you do in your free time?
I am a business girl. I sell the things that I have like accessories, shoes and clothing. When people see me on TV dressed in them and they like them, they call me, we link up and sell to them.

If you had to choose between staying at school forever where parents provide for you and being in the real world where you have to work to eat, what would you choose?
I believe I want to be in the real world where I work.