It is always a busy day for the youthful Sandrine Umuhoza, as she tries to make ends meet in a busy carpentry workshop. Although the 25-year-old is the only female in the furniture workshop, she is not about to let that bog her down.
It is always a busy day for the youthful Sandrine Umuhoza, as she tries to make ends meet in a busy carpentry workshop.
Although the 25-year-old is the only female in the furniture workshop, she is not about to let that bog her down.
She leads a group of seven men who specialise in designing stylish home furniture.
In a congested room at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) Kicukiro, Umuhoza, clad in light-blue overall, goes about filing the timber with expert precision when The New Times visited her work station.
"I graduated with an advanced diploma in Civil Engineering at IPRC, but I opted for carpentry because I fancied the sector that was dominated by men. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has shaped my career,” Umuhoza says.
TVET ‘revolution’
She says technical education has been a dream-come-true for her because it was a childhood dream.
Rwanda introduced TVET in 2008 with emphasis on courses that are demand-driven for job creation and improved skilled labour force.
"The skills I gained from the technical and vocational education have shaped my career I am able to make a living out of my work. On monthly basis, we sell furniture worth Rwf2 million,” she says.
Her carpentry workshop specialises in home furniture, including beds, wardrobes, sofas, coffee tables, among others.
"Having a beautiful home is up to the task of giving you the right kind of theme or style for your home. We are ready to spice up people’s homes using our furniture,” Umuhoza says.
Bread winner
Umuhoza, who is also the bread winner for her family that constitutes her mother and two siblings, says she has managed to look after the family using the income generated from the carpentry job.
Her furniture prices vary depending on the type. For instance, living room sofas range between Rwf300,000 and Rwf500,000, while a bed goes for between Rwf100,000 and Rwf200,000.
Umuhoza plans to own a fully-equipped modern furniture workshop in the future. Currently, she uses IPRC machines to do her work.
Early this year, she participated in the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s special annual programme, dubbed "Handicraft Excellence Award Programme (Heap)” competition.
She, however, did not win the contest.
HEAP programme aims at facilitating identification of talented artisans with high quality products, linking the winners to local, regional and international buyers.
"I had the guts to participate in Heap competition and, lucky enough, I excelled all the way to national competitions. The competition was very inspiring,” Umuhoza says.
Although Umuhoza did not win the contest, she says she had an opportunity to interact and share ideas with several compatriots in the TVET field.
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