07 Apr 2016

Unlike other youth, after not doing well in form five examinations in 2010, Mpho Ngande did not despair and give up. This 26 year old lad of Boseja ward in Maun searched his soul for his talent which he can use to survive.

The young dreamer is now enjoying the benefits of making sculptures of animals and shoe modelled flower pots.

He said he started using paper mache to mould animals but as many people got into the same business as his, he took a different route of designing shoe shaped flower pots. Ngande said as business minded person one needs to do something that is unique and different to others in order survive the unfriendly condition of the market.

Currently he has ventured into shoe modelled flower pots that sell like fat cakes at a reasonable price of P500 per bigger size. A smaller flower pot according to him goes for P300.

To come up with this nice looking flower pots,  Ngande explained that he uses wire mesh to shape the shoes then fills in with cement. After moulding, he uses disposed electric cables as shoe threads and paint with the desired colour.

Reflecting on where the roots of the talent lie,  Ngande said he started having passion for drawing at a tender age where some of his art was exhibited, as well as winning awards at primary level.

“I remember when I was the best in art at Boseja Primary School, bringing home presents and certificates. This feeling made me believe that I was born to be an artist despite not having artistic education,” reminisces Ngande.

Moreover his artistic skills and knowledge changed positively when he was among the few who were chosen to go to Bulgaria for Africa meets Europe activity tour in 2013.

He said this tour was sponsored by Ncongo, a talent promoting NGO, and young aspiring artists from around Africa and Europe were invited to come together and share ideas on how to utilise everything that is around them for survival. We were taught how to use materials around us that are rendered waste,” said Ngande.

 “I also learned that to use some of the materials like elephant tusks or any wild animal horns I have to get permission from the wildlife department. By so doing I am putting myself in a position to sell my artwork at any place without being afraid of the law,” he added.

Ngande stated that his potential customers are business owners who run lodges and a few households that are interested in decorating their homes.

However, he lamented that there are some hindrances to his business like lack of motivation from Batswana as they tend to think that buying an artwork from a local was like doing a favour to that person because that person has nowhere to sell or nowhere to get money.

 He said this bad habit towards local artists is not good because coming up with such artwork is not easy. Ends