When hobby becomes business

Mr Osumanu Mohammed Ali has defied his childhood odds to nurture his hobby for handicraft into a full business venture now call WABEMBA Handicrafts. Ama Amankwah Baafi writes of his humble beginnings


In the early 1990s, financial constraints forced then young Mr Osumanu Mohammed Ali out of school.

The drop out, however painfully it was gave Mr Ali the opportunity to nurture his passion for art work into a business institutions that today boasts of a manufacturing unit at Mamobi and a sales outlet at Tetteh Quarshie , both in Accra.

He had started making nurturing his family trait and hobby for handicrafts arts at age 15. At the time, he made artifacts for friends and family.

Given that handicraft business was the main occupation in his family, he had fewer difficulties learning the art of making craft.

After acquiring the relevant skills from family members, Mr Ali said he entered into a partnership with a friend and together, they started their trade from the Arts Centre in Accra.

Although the young and enterprising entrepreneur is thankful to some government and institutions and NGOs for imparting basic handicraft knowledge in him, he said his family roots had the greatest say in his career today. His own imagination and market dictates inspires him to design and make craft.

“I have taken some basic courses through the initiative of some government and non-government organisations. But I still think I am a self-taught person. I learnt this skill on myself,” he said, winking a smile.

Over the years, Mr Ali has spiced his home-gowned appetite and skill for art work with formal trainings by participating in lots of training programmes in and around the Greater Accra region, where his WABEMBA Handicrafts shops is located.

From those training programmes came several certificates which he happily displays at his manufacturing shop at Mamobi, a suburb of Accra.

“To improve your knowledge (in the business) you need to be abreast with new information,” he stated.

Recounting the beginnings of his WABEMBA Handicrafts’, Mr Ali said he set up his current sales outlet shop at the Tetteh Quarshie craft market in 1999 to deal in antique figures, beads, brass and masks.

“I believe that to keep myself in business I need to always develop new designs. Every year, I add new designs to my existing ones,” he said adding that such designs are often the results ideas he picks from the market.

“I study the market to know what it wants, the expectations of clients and all that and that informs the designs I make,” he said.

For new designs, Mr Ali said it takes about two or more days for to get them in shape “but just a day to produce an existing one.

His WABEMBA Handicrafts currently employs four permanent staff. He, however, employs as much as 10 persons whenever there is an order to produce.

Through his participating in several trade shows and exhibitions, home and abroad, Osumanu said he has had more business opportunities which had earned him meaningful income.

On average, Mr Ali said he earns about US$8,000 from his trade owing to the volatile nature of demand for his products.

His handicraft business has since trained about seven people in craft making. Several others, he said have also being going to him sharpen their skills.

He commended the government for its support to the handicraft sector through the various initiatives and opportunities offered the sector by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA).

He appealed to the government to help waive excise duty on handcrafts that exported from the country as a bait to help grow the sector.

He believes that if they as people who make handicrafts are supported in the area of product development it will strengthen their knowledge base and open up new frontiers for them.

Although Mr Ali is aiming big for himself and his shop, lack of funds is denying the realization of such dreams.

“My major regret is when I have orders but do not have the capital to produce,” he said.

Osumanu set sights on setting up a large workshop, equipped with up-to date machinery to be able to produce a wide range of products, including useable household products which are currently on high demand.

“Gone are the days when people just bought craft solely for decoration. Now they want to make use of whatever they buy,” he said.

He advised the youth to develop interest in learning vocations such as handicrafts as there are available resources for almost everyone interested in learning about handicrafts.

“Start slow with the tools. Making a few projects will give you a really good idea of what you want to try out next,” he advised.

He was also unhappy with people who steal his designs to produce substandard products. Mr is married with two children and said he enjoys surfing the internet when he is not making handicrafts.

Mr Ali is on: wabemba2004@yahoo.com