By Firmain Eric Mbadinga
In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the creations from Sakinah Musafiri's carpentry workshop in the town of Goma are the object of admiration, pride and amazement.
Although Goma's claim to fame is its troubles with militant groups and the frequent eruptions of the Nyiragongo volcano, Sakinah Musafiri's "Made in DRC" furniture are adding a positive note to life in the city.
Sakinah Musafiri named her business ''La Mano'', Spanish for hand, to pay tribute to the workmanship of carpenters who are at the heart of the workshop.
Her furniture and accessories are the result of a lifelong love for beauty, creativity and the wood of her country, she told TRT Afrika.
''I found that in the Congo, we had a number of exceptional woods, but they weren't necessarily used as they should be. So I decided to learn more about wood, how to treat it, and how to work it to make something interesting and important in our country, in Africa, and why not in the world," Sakinah tells TRT Afrika.
To start the "La mano", the entrepreneur relied on her personal savings to buy the equipment and lease the premise, before reaching out to unemployed men and women whom she offered training before employing them.
The first creations made by the group were wooden lamps which immediately caught the eye of Gomatracians, the local name for residents of Goma.
The initial returns on the investment strengthened Sakinah's conviction on the potential of the business venture as sales soared, although profitability was not her primary objective.
"We wanted to train young people professionally, we wanted to promote our local products and our Congolese timber.
"We wanted to encourage the Congolese to consume and to promote our local products. As for profitability, we'll see in the long term," says Sakinah.
La Mano has a workforce of nearly 40 people serving in various roles in the accounting, carpentry, technical management and welding departments. There is also a carving department and an upholstery department.
The carpenters produce their own creations but also develop models suggested by customers. The artistry strikes a balance between naturalism and modernity.
Her company devotes one day a month on a reforestation initiative with a view to giving back to nature.
In just three years in business, Sakinah Musafiri and her colleagues have built up a customer portfolio that is 90% Congolese. The remaining 10% is composed of Africans, Europeans and Americans.
''That's our goal and we're proud and happy to see that we're achieving it," says Sakinah.
The 27-year-old who has a degree in development management has no intention of stopping there. She plans to open other ventures like La Mano that train and employ young people in difficult situations in the DR Congo and beyond.
