Pinehas K Pinehas

In the heart of Katutura, Brendon Bam pushes a truck, a toy made from wires and other materials.

Bam is an enthusiastic young adult male who collects recyclable materials such as scrap metal as well as empty beer bottles that he would then store in the makeshift toy truck that he uses to transport the material.

“I make these trucks so that I stay away from crime. I do not want to steal or touch people’s things; hence, I walk around the city looking for anything recyclable that I can sell or take to the scrapyard,” he said.

Bam has built a total of six trucks of his own since he first started making these kinds of toys in the late 2000s, with the sole purpose of using them to collect scrap material around Windhoek. 

He said that over the years, he would come across people who would show interest in owning a toy of that kind, sparking the potential of a business idea.

“People would come to me to help them modify, repair and fix their own wired cars, and some would request me to build them one from scratch, and I use such opportunities as business,” he said.

Through this, Bam generates around N$300 from modifying and repairing broken or damaged makeshift wired toy cars, and he charges N$1 800 to build up a new truck for a client.

“I do not have a phone, which makes it difficult for those who would like to reach out to me for my services and products to get hold of me, but as for those who know me, they would usually find me in the Damara location behind Auas Primary School,” he added.

– ppinehas@nepc.com.na