braided woman taking photo beside yellow painted wall

🟡 From Unemployed to $300/Month:

4/28/20252 min read

woman smiling sitting on sofa
woman smiling sitting on sofa
🟡 From Unemployed to $300/Month: How Tariro Started Earning as a Virtual Assistant Without a Laptop

Tariro is a 26-year-old woman from Chitungwiza who never imagined she could make money online. After graduating with a diploma in marketing, she couldn’t find a job for over two years. Her turning point came in early 2024 when she joined a free WhatsApp workshop on digital hustles. She had no laptop, no connections, and zero confidence—but she had hustle.

Within three months, she was earning an average of $300/month doing simple virtual assistant work for clients in South Africa and Canada. Here’s how she did it:

🔹 Step 1: She Started With Her Phone
Tariro didn’t wait until she had a laptop. She used her Android phone to learn how to use Google Docs, Canva, Gmail, and Trello. She watched YouTube videos and followed tutorials shared in the group.

🔹 Step 2: Built a Simple Portfolio
She used Canva to create a one-page portfolio listing the services she could offer: email management, social media posting, customer support, and basic data entry. She added screenshots of practice tasks she had done for free.

🔹 Step 3: Got Her First Client on LinkedIn
Instead of relying only on Upwork or Fiverr (which can be hard to crack), she started connecting with small business owners on LinkedIn. She sent 5 short DMs a day introducing herself and offering help. After 21 rejections, one South African fitness coach gave her a chance—paying her $100/month for just 5 hours of work per week.

🔹 Step 4: Delivered Value, Got Referred
She didn’t just do the work. She offered suggestions, created Canva posts, and was available on time. That coach referred her to two more people. Now she works 15–20 hours a week and is saving for a secondhand laptop.

💡 Key Takeaways for You

  • You don’t need a laptop to start—just resourcefulness and your phone.

  • Your first client doesn’t need to be American. Start with nearby countries too.

  • Rejection is part of the game. Keep pushing until one person says yes.

If Tariro can do it with no job, no money, and just a phone—so can you. The internet isn’t just for browsing. It’s for building your future.

👉 More case studies coming. Want a breakdown of how to build your first portfolio with Canva? That’s in next week’s newsletter.