My name is Oabile Otukile, I am a carpenter, living in Mochudi with my parents, sister and her 4 children. I have an intellectual disability, I have difficulty in reading and writing.
After completing my form 5, I enrolled in Motswedi rehabilitation center for two years from 2018- 2020 to learn carpentry and joinery. I learnt how to make different types of furniture like beds, chest of drawers and chairs. After graduating from Motswedi, I kept on applying for jobs and school to further my skills but I haven’t achieved that, for now I do part-time jobs fitting doors, ceilings and tiles around the village.
I need different types of tools to make furniture, for instance to fit a door I need a star and flat screwdrivers, circular saw,chisel, claw hammer. I usually buy the material I need from different building material shops and I go to Motswedi to use their facilities. I dont pay to use the facilities, however I leave behind any material that gets left after making the furniture.
Some of the challenges I face is competition from shops, customers would commission me to make a piece of furniture, then they would not collect and go buy from the shops because they are more affordable. The other challenge is that I do not have enough tools to make furniture. Some of the challenges I face is competition from shops, customers would commission me to make a piece of furniture, then they would not collect and go buy from the shops because they are more affordable. The other challenge is that I do not have enough tools to make furniture.
Otsile Mathibe
