Africa-Press – Botswana. Ms Pelonomi Ramokgwana of Kebuang ward in Kanye is a senior citizen who puts her brain cells to work through handcraft, and in the process create an additional income stream for herself.
Specialising in knitting, the 72-year old Ms Ramokgwama makes a variety of handcraft products ranging from shoes, purses, handbags, hats, mufflers and ponchos.
She said she learnt the craft during her early years at school through a certain lady who often volunteered to teach them how to knit using match sticks during school break times and since then, knitting became her passion. Later in her years, she met another lady whom she found knitting some shoes and got interested to learn.
“That is how I learnt to knit shoes as well as bags,” she explained. Ms Ramokgwana said she was currently imparting the knitting skill and knowledge to her two grandchildren who were junior secondary school leaners.
She said she trains them using wool and not raffia, a plastic material she uses stating that it was expensive to buy and often less available at the shops around Kanye due to demand.
Ms Ramokgwama said despite availability of used plastics that she could recycle, she preferred using the raffia material.
She said that despite her age, her production turnaround was 48 hours especially to design a shoe.
She said that she managed through burning the midnight lamp when most of her age mates would have gone to sleep early.
Ms Ramokgwana said she buys her raffia roll at about P20.00 adding that her products ranges from P160.00 going up to P300.00.
Apart from buying the raffia roll, she also buys some accessories such as zips, the lining material for the bags and purses, as well as the shoe soles and their cushions.
However, Ms Ramokgwama said although she kept herself busy crafting the products, she had not figured out how to sell them except carrying a few she had made with her wherever she goes such that they could catch an eye of possible buyers.
She said house to house selling was a challenge since she cannot walk much due to old age, saying that she did not have anyone to send about.
She stated that she strove for excellence in her work as she understands that customers should not complain or look down the quality of her work.
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