Dirk Matheus spends his time crafting stylish plant pots by using old clothes and cement to finance his family where he resides in Groot Aub, some 45km south of Windhoek.
“I use cement, t-shirts, trousers, socks, pillowcases and shoes to make my products,” the 36-year-old Matheus told VIBEZ!
He used to sell his products at the bridge in Groot Aub, but did not get customers every day. He thus moved to the Windhoek Rural Constituency office, where his products get more exposure and sales.
He uses the proceeds to take care of his children.
“I do this because I have to put bread on the table for my family. I cannot go and steal money; I cannot go and steal other people’s things,” he reasoned.
Inspired by a video which he saw on the internet in 2020, Matheus started crafting the pots that year, but it was a failure for about eight months.
When the pot design did not match his imagination, he would break it down and start all over again.
For him, giving up is not an option as he would repeat the process until he gets attractive results from his artwork.
It takes him about three days to complete one product; sometimes only two days, if he has enough time.
“My responsibilities of cooking and cleaning affect my work progress. Hence, the completion of projects sometimes takes longer,” said Matheus.
He uses discarded clothes and his pots range between N$50 and N$900, depending on size.
He highlighted that “God gave us knowledge, and we have to use that knowledge”.