When you look around, you may not realise how something so simple can turn into something so resourceful, and 24-year-old Damaris Uwase understands this. She uses paper to make decor such as flowers, and has had her designs used at events like birthdays and weddings, among others. Through YouTube and Instagram and the help of a friend, she got many ideas to put into practice. Once she started, she fell in love with what she learned, and in 2018, she started her Kiyovu-based company Uris Collections. Her company decorates events, and she believes that flowers add more detail to an event, thus making it colourful. She uses coloured paper known as construction paper. But if she fails to find coloured ones, she improvises by colouring white paper. Some of her handmade decor. She also designs events with balloons, candles, vases, deck chairs and tables, tents, using colours that add splendour to an occasion. For now, the designer uses a pair of scissors to cut out whatever design of flowers she prefers, but it’s a bit hectic. She looks forward to buying a machine that can make the designs easily. Her love for drawing and organising things started way back as a child and she yearned to one day ‘put things in order’. “My father has always supported me, he pushed me to leave my comfort zone. He always advised me to find something unique that can help me earn money so that I start a business of my own, rather than look for a job. He never stopped pressuring me to do something on my own,” she says. Uwase says that thinking of her father’s advice, she knew he wished her well, but she longed to start something she had a passion for, and that was decor and design. Being her own boss is something that she has always wanted to be because she never liked the idea of waiting for a salary. Although she is very skilled, the journey has not been easy because she is still building her company, and there’s a big gap to fill. Some of the challenges she encounters are convincing clients about the value of art (decor and crafts) as they think they are charged expensively yet it’s not worth it— without considering the time, energy, creativity, and material used. Uwase says that she doesn’t have enough capital to access more materials, and so on big events, she rents the chairs and tents. Social media, which is how she gained most of her clientele, has been of great assistance, and word of mouth has also brought her more clients. When it comes to charges, Uwase notes that small events or parties are between Rwf 100,000 to Rwf 300,000 depending on what the client wants. For weddings, the range is Rwf 1.5 m to Rwf 2.5m. One piece of a paper flower is between Rwf 4,500 to Rwf 8,000 depending on the size. For now, she has no permanent employees, but has part-time workers whom she pays once the work is done. For small events, she uses one or two, according to how big the project is. For weddings, she can hire up to six workers. Uwase says that small events take about three to five hours to set up, and for big events, about half or even the whole day. When asked what she looks at when choosing specific designs for an occasion, she says that she loves creating memorable events. She does research on what to do so that it doesn’t seem like every other function. Also, she notes that she challenges herself to do something unique from what she did preciously. She takes note of the location, client’s ideas, type of event and weather. She hopes to become one of the best in Africa, but fulfilling this will require investment in her business because she believes that design is one of the things that people need. “I know many people are doing the same business as mine, but I can handle competition because I believe everyone has got that one thing that they are good at. I am trying to always be the yardstick of quality,” she says. Uwase says that standing out in this business requires being familiar with social media, knowing how to advertise your craft appropriately to a suitable audience, knowing how to attract more customers by putting yourself in their shoes, and answering the questions they have. “You can also seek referrals from your existing clients, and offer discounts on a future service. You can give special offers just to attract new customers,” Uwase says. “As you create your own brand, a few questions to ponder on are; who do you want to attract to your business? What future do you see for your business? Who would you like to serve? How do you want to work with clients? What speaks to you? And how do you leave an impact?” she adds.
