Selma Shiwaya
Boarding and taking off to his dreams with his handy crafts and talent, the nature of his former job has compelled Jonas Teofilus to take on the art of designing and pursuing his God-given talent. Teofilus who has worked as an aircraft technician at Tsumeb Airport says he was inspired by his former boss to start crafting aircraft like ornaments.
Teofilus uses corrugated irons and a variety of other materials to design aeroplane and helicopter-like ornaments. “My products are handmade because I do not have any machines to help me bend the materials,” he said.
“When I left my job at Tsumeb Airport, I started designing these ornaments as a hobby. However, it was my nephew who fuelled my efforts to really pursue the talent,” he added.
Having started in 2018, Teofilus says he is still on the pursuit of finding clients for his products. “I have tried getting a stall at Ongwediva Trade Fair to sell my products but couldn’t secure any. I have also reached out to the constituency councillor of Okaku and the governor of Oshana to sell these ornaments. However, I will keep trying my best,” he said.
Ideally, Teofilus says, his target customers are hotels, airports, tourists and anyone who likes décor and would love to have the beautiful ornaments in their spaces.
“I have encountered customers who wanted to buy these ornaments for their children but they are unfortunately not toys. These are not child friendly and may cause injury because of the helicopter blades. However, I am working on fixing that to make sure that I craft toys for kids as well,” he said.