Artisan weaves tidy sum from reeds

Along the busy Uganda Road in Eldoret is Westy, a popular marketplace in the town.

It is Friday and the centre is abuzz with business. People from all walks of life are coming to buy household items or second-hand clothes.

About 100 metres from the market, Mr Tom Omondi, is weaving a sofa set using strings of papyrus reed, a plant that grows in swampy areas.

“Many people consider them (reeds) useless but they are important to me. Our products, as you can see, are distinct. They are blend of modern furniture with African finesse,” Mr Omondi said.

Soon, a lorry parks by the roadside, just a few meters from his workshop and the driver dashes out. “I want a pouf stool, how much does it cost?”

Our interview is interrupted. Mr Omondi tells him it costs Sh2,000, a price which the driver says is a lot. Bargaining ensues before the buyer parts with Sh1,500.

“Kenyans love to bargain, it seems as if it is ingrained in our DNA,” Mr Omondi says as he reluctantly gives the buyer a nod to take the stool.

His business location seems ideal. But he thinks otherwise.

“I have sold goods to hundreds of drivers plying this route and other customers. But the biggest challenge has been getting customers from all walks of life since some feel ashamed standing by the roadside.”

The entrepreneur makes seats, shoe rugs, beds, mats, baskets and TV stands, all from reeds. The dried reeds, bought and transported from Busia town, are bundled into rolls which cost him Sh2,000 per each. Once the items are woven, he cushions them with leather or cloth.

To make them more durable, he reinforces them with metal frames. He also varnishes them to ensure they are water and dust proof.

“We make wooden products which are bit cheaper compared to those made of metal frames. For example, a seven-seater leather sofa set goes for Sh40,000.”

He attributes the growth in his business to the rise in real estate in Eldoret and its environs, which is opening windows of opportunity to traders in the informal sector.

“New buildings are set up daily within and around the town. This implies new tenants. Our work is to furnish them with quality and modern furniture.”

So how did he venture into reed weaving business?

“I used to see an old man making furniture and how university students, his main customers, bought all of his products. So, I thought, why don’t I give it a try?” Mr Omondi who is the proprietor of Sahara Homes Expo says.

On interacting with the old man, he got handy tips on what it takes to create good furniture. At first, he made some stools for his house.

BETTER PRODUCTS

And as the golden rule of business dictates, learn the flaws of your competitor and capitalise on it to win his/her customers.

“I realised that though the customers used to stream to his workshop, the furniture was of low quality. I decided to come up with better products,” Mr Omondi told Money.

“From the venture, we make about Sh200,000 in a month when the business is booming,” says the 34-year-old.

His customers come as far as Nairobi, Busia and Kisumu besides Eldoret and its environs.

University students, who form his main market, like trendy items which they can afford, “so I always try hard to match their expectations,” he notes.

Already, his work has generated a lot of interest.

In September, he was invited by organisers of Eldoret Trade Fair to showcase his wares.

The event brought together stakeholders in the housing sector such as cement makers and multi-national companies.

And the artisan is proud to be an employer. “At the moment, I have four permanent workers aged between 20 and 29 years but I occasionally contract welders to design metal frames.”