The Zimbabwean caught up with Chakanyuka as she was making her nicely hand-woven handbags and mesmerising passers-by with her talent.
The enterprising Chakanyuka from Old Tafara said she had high hopes that, one day, she would be able to reach out to more clients and be able to realise greater returns from her work.
She trained to make the handbags at Glen Forest Training Centre in 1991, but couldn’t start her own project because of lack of finances. She had to resort to begging in the city centre.
“I started this business in early November after I received $220 from the Leonard Cheshire Trust. I had the skill to make the bags but the biggest obstacle was the lack of finance to enable me to start my own project,” she said. “I used that $220 to buy materials.”
“I discovered that the city centre is be the ideal place because more people get to know about your work. Since I started, several people have come here to see my products and some have given me orders that I’m currently working on,” said Chakanyuka.
“I have a dream that, one day, I will be selling my bags in such places as Victoria Falls where they can be sold at a much better price. I also hope that I will be able to get the necessary assistance given to some artists to enable me to grow, especially on the marketing side of things,” she added.
“It takes me a day to finish a small bag that costs $25 while the big ones that cost $40 take me about two days.
Post published in: News