Form Two drop-out carves craft niche in macadamia shells

Mr Ngumo displays his products at his workshop in Mukurweini. “Conservation flows in my blood.” Photo/Joseph Kanyi 

By Stellar Murumba

In Summary

• Githinji Ngumo makes ornaments from waste, says no longer worried about about limited education.

Githinji Ngumo loves anything to do with keeping the environment green and clean. From sweeping his ageing father’s compound, the last born in a family of five moved to planting rows of trees in his father’s two acre plot as a pastime.

It was here that he spotted six bush trees which he later learnt were macadamia nut trees.

“Since I did not like the nuts lying around after falling from the bush trees, I knew there must be something I could make out of them as the shells were appealing,” he said.

“For my love of keeping clean and conserving the environment, I wanted to make good use of the shells to promote my course unlike cutting down the bush trees,” Mr Ngumo said, revealing that he now makes ornaments from the shells.

One day, after several attempts, he made something close to an earring from a shell and was happy.

“When I looked at the shells’ circular contours, I knew I could use its roughness to give me something stunning and I came up with an earring loop,” he says.

Mr Ngumo, 43, then embarked on collecting tools. He saves a lot since he does not spend on raw materials.    

“I developed a chisel and a needle for making holes for the earring hooks. Also, I improvise equipment like the kitchen knife to make shapes inside and outside of the shells.

After much reflection, he says his dream of making it big in mechanical engineering may have died.

The father of three and a Form Two drop-out says his sojourn in Nairobi for a jua-kali course in refrigeration and air conditioning did not bear fruit.

“It did not go well because they demanded a certain academic qualification which I was not lucky to have. For some 10 years I went to the city market in Nairobi where I just have picked up the passion for ornaments.

“I can now make these products instead of lamenting about my lack of proper education.”

His curious admirers, he says, pushed him to hone skills in earrings business that has enabled him to eye foreign tourists for customers.

“Foreigners are good in conserving the environment and once they get to know that I recycle waste to make such beautiful ornaments, I am assured of a market,” he says.

Mr Ngumo has a word for the government: Encourage entrepreneurship to create thousands of jobs. He volunteers information on how tortuous the climb has been. Lack of market and lukewarm appreciation of art rank top of his list.