Going beyond carpentry
Life skills
From the time when he was still in primary school, Matia Kasirye knew the profession he wanted to pursue in life – carpentry. “In 2010, when I joined a technical institute in Masanafu, I was advised to spend a week visiting all the classes before I settled down on the course of my choice. So I went to the hairdressing, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical classes. However, my love for carpentry remained. It was easy for me to learn because I had the passion for it.”
After graduation, Kasirye was retained as a worker by the institute for two years. “I was only working while using carpentry machines. I discovered that whenever I got a contract off-site, I found it hard to work because the contractors did not have the machines that the institutes had. I found that working with machines alone was putting me at a disadvantage.”
With his savings, Kasirye opened up a workshop in his family’s compound in 2012. “I can invent a furniture style and make it for a customer. Also, I can look at a design or picture and copy it. Most of my clients visit furniture shops around town and take pictures of the furniture they want made using wood.”
Currently, Kasirye operates a furniture shop in Namungoona. He buys the timber he uses from Bwaise, cuts and treats it there before ferrying it to his workshop. “I can make anything. The benefits I have from this job include taking care of my family and buying a plot of land.”
