Placido Hilukilwa
WHEN Matheus Job dropped out of school due to the unbearable distance he had to walk to and from school daily, he already knew what he would do next.
His natural drawing skills were unearthed and recognised by education authorities while he was still a Grade 4 learner.
As a learner, Job walked from Okawe village to school in Okongo — a distance of about ten kilometres — which he said affected his learning and eventually led him to drop out in Grade 10.
He then decided to transform his multiple talents into a means of earning a living.
“If I can draw it with a pencil, then I can also carve it in wood,” said the 45-year-old resident of Okawe village in the Okongo Constituency of the Ohangwena Region.
Job’s natural skills are, however, not limited to drawing and woodcarving. He is equally a bricklayer and a painter.
He said he is making a comfortable living and has never felt a need to look for employment.
“What I need,” he said, “is some form of support to grow and expand my business, which would result in the creation of job opportunities for others.”
He pointed out that he has already knocked on several doors, including that of the constituency office, but has not yet received a satisfactory answer.
He said: “My time has possibly not come yet, but I remain hopeful that one day assistance will come… and that will be a wonderful day, not only for me but also for others who will benefit greatly.”
Currently, his only assistant is his wife, Hambeleleni. She sells and markets the products, while he mostly concentrates on producing handicrafts that include wooden bowls, wooden cups — locally known as omaholo — bows and arrows, knobkieries, walking sticks, and a variety of hand-carved animal figurines for decoration.
Job noted that there is fairly high demand for his products, with some customers ordering custom-made items by set deadlines, which puts tremendous pressure on his work schedule.
His advice to the youth is: “Dropping out of school should not be encouraged, but it is unavoidable under some circumstances. Therefore, when it happens, it should not lead to despair or be viewed as the end of the road.”
