Fair Trade Wood Djembe Drum 'Think Together' Item ID: 2671816000

“It was a good decision I made in the year 2007, because now Novica is the only company I work with. And I have achieved so much working with them. I don’t have to advertise my products myself; they do that for me. I don’t know how to market my products myself; they also do a great job with that. Trust me, I have really gained a lot working with this company.

“Business has improved; I have been able to build my own house where I now work; and I no longer pay rent to anyone. I feel that’s an upgrade in my personal life and in my professional life also. Production has also expanded in scale. The only problem is that my flow of income is not constant. I wish that every two weeks I could make good sales. That would improve my life and also improve the number of products I make.

“I’ve also been able to train a lot and bring a lot of people to this company. I am happy to see them make sales and earn something for the family. I have also been able to take care of my children; my very last one is in the university. I have also been able to see other children through their education, and without the help of Novica I couldn't have done that.

“Now my goal is to create businesses for my children and for family members who are unemployed. I don't want my skills and my brand to die when I'm not around, so my goal is to pass it on to someone so the legacy will still remain. My other dream is to travel around the world and see God's creations. I thank the customers of Novica and I hope they purchase more of my products.”

Original Artist Story

"I was born on April 22, 1969. I learned how to carve from a brother in-law Samuel in 1998 at Aburi, before then I learned carpentry in 1989 in Accra. I use sese and tweneboa woods for all my products. I specialize in the making of mask and drums. There is high demand for my products, but due to financial constraints I'm not able to produce more work to meet the demand.

"People come for my products for exhibitions and, when a contract is won, they bring it to me to produce. I get a commission on the amount paid, but I'm happy to work with Novica because I won't be cheated again.

"I have taught more than ten people how to carve and they are also well-established in this trade.

"I love to create new designs, so I constantly work to diversify my collection of masks and profiles.

"I'm married and I have four children but, I also look after five other children."