Weaving rugs for a living

When Paul in the book of 1st Corinthians 15:33 says bad company corrupts good morals, he wonders how two can walk together except if they agree. It goes without saying that the people we associate with have great potential in influencing how we turn out to be in life.

For Patricia Tusingwire, three years ago, she was taught a skill that is helping her earn a living by her friend. “I had gone to visit a friend one day and I found her making the shaggy rugs. Looking at what she was doing and the beautiful pieces she had made, I picked interest and decided to learn,” she says.

While many have to part with huge sums of money to learn a skill, Tusingwire was lucky to learn this skill for free. “My friends offered to teach me for free.” Grateful to have mastered the skill within a short time, the business woman that had a stall to run, turned making and selling rugs into her side hustle.“I use every free moment to make rugs. So even when I was not busy tending to clients in my store where I sold shoes, I made rugs,” she says.

Making all sorts of hand woven shaggy rugs, Tusingwire says she started with Shs60,000. “I used the money to buy materials that consisted of a tapestry, on which the thread is sewn, threads and hooks.
However, considering that each supplier has their own price, the money needed to buy the same may vary today,” she narrates about her start.

The rugs can be used as doormats, bedside rugs, centre pieces or decoration hangings. As such, Tusingwire says they also vary in size. “For instance, a doormat may be 1m by 60cm or 80cm. The size is dependent on how big a client wants their mat because sometimes, what I would use as a bedside rug, some clients may want as a doormat,” she elaborates.

Tusingwire says the prices of doormats range between Shs100,000 and Shs120,000 while bedside rugs go from Shs150,000 to Shs180,000.

Generating money from two avenues, Tusingwire says besides the market from her workplace, she has turned to social media to market her rugs. “I belong to several WhatsApp groups which are avenues for me to market my work. I also market to friends, family and neighbours,” she shares.

Working from the comfort of her home in Kyaliwajala, one would think that Tusingwire has no woes considering that she does not have to commute to work and does not pay rent.

However, the biting effects on businesses caused by Covid-19 has not spared her shoe business.
Uncertain of when she will return to her business, or if she ever will, making rugs has become Tusingwire’s sole source of income. “Since March when we were put under lockdown, making rugs is all I do. It is now my full time job.”

More to that, sales were low during lockdown, something that has crippled her business. “Most of my clients have been home for months, which affected their income. That reduced the market for the product since it had become expensive to afford,” says Tusingwire.

Even when lockdown was eased, still some hurdles arose. “Previously, travelling was impossible but with transport possible, post lockdown measures on the sector saw transport costs more than double, yet I still need to go to town to make purchases and deliveries.”

Besides that, with no business going on in the last few months, materials have become scarce. “Most of our materials are imported from Nairobi and now that borders are closed, cross border transport and chances of finding materials have become slimmer.”
Depending on the size, Tusingwire says it takes her four days to make a doormat.

Overcoming challenges
She says: “I now order for materials in bulk to reduce on the number of trips to suppliers. That way, I will also have a balance to cater for some orders that may come in after making purchases.”
Business has taught her that patience and commitment are the rules of the game. For one to weave a rug for a whole week, it only takes patience to soldier on in order to realise profits.

For the last four years, Tusingwire has embarked on shrewd strategies of marketing her product extensively and understanding her clients.
As part of her expansion plan, Tusingwire plans to open up a wholesale shop dealing in materials for shaggy rugs. Her desire is have my mats and to widen her widen my market.

She also plans to start importing raw materials herself and train more women in weaving . She says: “This will mean employing more people. That way, I will able to produce more rugs and beat deadlines.”