The Shoe Technician.

PHOTO: Mwangi

You will meet him very early carrying a sack ,with his belongings inside, crossing along Uganda road highway in Uasin Gishu County, he is heading towards the District Hospital  before a blink, he is seated opposite Eldoret High Court unpacking his tools ready to work. He is commonly known as Mwangi wa viatu but to his younger friends, he is called Itwitwi a name that its origin is not known. He is a medium sized man with a  great smile to every customer that passes by his small shop.

Mwangi is a business man dealing with repairing of worn out shoes and shoe polishing having more than ten years of experience in this business. His services are loved by most clients in town because he offers exemplary and satisfactory services to his clients  both the young and the old. His day is usually packed with clients of all types ranging from the rich, poor and the commonly known `Hustler.` With his skills, he is able to modify a shoe meant for the left leg to be worn by the right leg that's a skill not possessed by all cobblers.

PHOTO: Mwangi serving his customers.

 When asked about the challenges he goes through in his profession, he first breaths in heavily then highlights the following;

• Expensive products you have to purchase with the harsh economy being the biggest challenge.
• That there are different company products and at times being hard to tell what the customer prefers, he gives an example that you can buy Kiwi and the customer prefers Lude shoe polish.
• Friends who come to beat stories during working hours of which you cant dismiss them.
• weather being the biggest challenge, him being in the Jua Cali sector, the scorching sun can be a great hindrance and also during rainy season you cant do much work.
• The challenge of a customer purchasing a new shoe then dumps the old one with him for repair and never to come back.

Amidst all the challenges, he finally gets to have sufficient income that enables him  feed his family and educate his children. With the business, he gets to interact with all types of people  from diverse cultures.
With him seated directly opposite the judiciary, he has served many high profile personnel such as High court judges, court prosecutors and even the members of the County Assembly.

PHOTO: Shoes after polishing.

 His parting short to the youth is that there are many opportunities available to venture in, that being employed should not stick in ones mind but rather create employment and eventually be employers and not employees.

BY: BIWOTT EDWIN