AT 35, he has perfected his skills in interior and exterior
design, an art which involves carving flower designs and other kinds of
beautiful patterns on walls.
However, away from the usual wall designs that incorporate stone carvings, Nickson Ekirapa’s touch is quite different.
He
makes a variety of designs of flowers and other patterns, using cement,
soil, paint and coffee tray wire. His business sees him earn about
Sh50,000 profit on average every month.
It
is his uniqueness that has seen him secure contracts to work on
buildings not only here in Kenya, but in nearly all East African
countries.
“I have been receiving
calls from impressed customers in Uganda and Tanzania,” he says. For
instance, early this year he signed a contract to beautify a perimeter
wall in Uganda, a deal that saw him pocket Sh350,000 in two months.
PLENTY OF WORK
“Two
weeks ago, I completed beautifying a perimeter wall and also managed to
pocket a similar amount of money,” he says, adding that he is already
working on another project in Ruiru, in which he expects to make
Sh180,000 in just a month.
The
workload normally depends on the seasons, but even in times when there’s
plenty of work, he has to complete one project at a time, as every
pattern comes with unique challenges.
With the help of his students however Mr Ekirapa has been lucky to complete all his projects in time.
“My
students usually step in to assist in simpler tasks such as measuring
and mixing ingredients as they continue learning from me,” he says.
On
the other hand, he provides transport and lunch for his learners. “The
thought of charging them a substantial amount of fee kills me,
considering that many of them come from poor families,” he adds.
Hotels,
schools and individuals who feel that they need an extra touch of
beauty on the walls of their buildings form a reliable stream of
customers for him.
“The design and
the cost depends on the needs of an individual, with the average time of
completing a simple design ranging between two and three days, and at
least three months for a perimeter wall,” says Mr Ekirapa whose passion
for art began 15 years ago.
“At the
beginning, things were a little bit hard because I had to learn all the
skills while on the job meaning there were times when I made many
mistakes. This made it difficult to find and retain customers. I also
did not have the crucial tools to succeed in this trade,” he adds.
It
is for this reason that he sought employment from one local company,
with a plan to save money in order to revamp his business.
PREPARE FOR LOSS
However,
he soon ran into troubles as his employer could hardly pay him. It is
for this reason that early this year, he quit employment to take a leap
of faith in business.
When Money met him, his phone couldn’t stop ringing as customers who want a taste of his unique art sought his services.
But
the going hasn’t been all easy for Mr Ekirapa given that the increasing
number of customers has brought forth a number of hurdles, with the
main one being how to deal with defaulters.
“Sometimes a client pays the down payment for the start of the work but immediately you are through, they disappear,” he says.
It
is a challenge that has seen him lose up to Sh1.2 million through
non-payment of contracts but he insists that this has not in any way
dampened his dream.
“As a business person, you have to be prepared for losses as much as you anticipate to make profit.”
Further,
the high cost of construction materials, which forces him to adjust his
price upwards, hurts his trade. However, he says that is part of
business, as he seeks to registering his company, as well as set up a
college in future.
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