From cobbler to modern shoe manufacturer

When Michael Habumugisha completed secondary education in accountancy about ten years ago, he believed he could get a job to apply the skills he had attained and earn a monthly salary. But his hopes were shattered after he failed to secure a job for almost two years. The resident of Bigogwe Sector, Nyabihu District could only stay home supporting his parents in family chores. Habumugisha became so hopeless that he wished for any odd job that could help him afford the necessities of life but it was not forthcoming. The 35-year-old continued to rely on his parents for virtually everything he needed. “I became desperate after failing to get a job, you know when you are still a student, you expect to find a job waiting for you upon completion, but this has never been the case ever since I completed secondary school,” he says “I remained redundant at home and always wondered what my future would be like,” he says. The now father of four says the hard life he faced even compelled him to regret the time he spent at school. Joining a street shoe repairer With no hope of getting a job, Habumugisha joined a street shoe repairer who struggled to earn a living – just to pass time and overcome boredom. “I had no intention of becoming a cobbler but as I shared with him, I developed interest and became eager to know how to repair shoes,” he says. “I started learning from him and helped him on some occassions to repair shoes. I could earn some little money to buy some basics,” he adds. He says despite discouragement from colleagues and neighbours who nick-named him ‘Gakweto’ in relation to his ‘job’, he stood his ground and continued mending shoes. “After working with the man for quite some time, I started getting my own clients who appreciated my service,” he says, adding that repairing shoes suddenly became his daily job. Habumugisha became a renowned cobbler in the area and started enjoying proceeds from a job despised by many. He, however, says that his initial income was invested into buying materials and meeting daily life’s demands. Habumugisha shows off one of his unfinished product. Leather products business As he warmed to his new fortune, luck came his way when, in 2007, Habumugisha was selected among other artists to train in making leather products at Rwanda Leather Products in Kigali. “The training equipped me with basic skills on how to make leather products. I learned how to use sewing machines and other machines used in making leather products,” he says. “From the training, coupled with the little money I had saved, I went back home and started improving my products. I also secured a Rwf200,000 bank loan and bought a shoe repairing machine. I graduated from thread and needle and started using modern technology,” he says. A year later, Habumugisha was chosen by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to go to Ethiopia for further training. The training, organised by the Ethiopian Leather Institute, attracted participants from countries comprising the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa). Habumugisha attributes his achievements so far to the trainings he acquired. He says the training in Ethiopia enabled him to become a professional shoemaker. “I had few materials but was hungry for success. I saved money and secured bank loans to buy other machines and raw materials,” he says, adding that he shortly started making shoes for sale. “I am now an entrepreneur and no longer on the street. I have achieved a lot thanks to the training I attended. I can now easily support my family and contribute toward national development,” he says. Achievements Habumuremyi has managed to buy modern materials, including machines such sunstar sewing machine, singer sewing machine, leather machine, cutting machine, among others worth Rwf4 million. “I have also constructed a modern house and I saved Rwf300,000 per month. I am also able to send my children to school as well as meet other family needs,” he says. Habumugisha was among exhibitors in the recently concluded EAC Jua Kali exhibition in Kigali and says it was a platform for him to sell lots of his products and exhibit them to the regional market. His products cost between Rwf15, 000 and Rwf20,000 for male shoes and between Rwf5,000 and 7,000 for female shoes. He also makes belts, carpets, bags among others. Target “I am committed to working hard to boost my earnings. I want more leather products to be on the regional market with ‘Made in Rwanda’ brand,” he says. “I also want to establish a technical and vocational training centre here where talented people, especially the youth will be trained on how to repair and manufacture shoes as well as other leather products,” he adds. But he says his products are still facing a challenge of people preferring foreign to locally made products. Another challenge, he says, is he still imports raw materials from neighbouring countries which makes his products more expensive than those from his regional competitors.

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From cobbler to modern shoe manufacturer