Internet spreads power to far flung corners
“ALPHONSE CHAYI creases his face into a broad grin. “I suppose you could call
me the Ikea man,” he says cheerfully, sitting on the wooden step outside his
carpentry workshop.
Mr Chayi’s spartan workshop does not look or feel much like Ikea. It sits on
the outskirts of Sengerema, in Tanzania — a dusty settlement one hour’s drive
from the shores of Lake Victoria.
He hardly fits the Ikea stereotype in his torn shirt and red baseball cap
tipped back over his wiry grey hair. But it soon becomes clear that he has an
awful lot for which to thank the Swedish furniture company.
After growing tired of customer complaints about his furniture designs, Mr
Chayi, 60, began surfing the internet in search of inspiration at the suggestion
of Joseph Shigulu, a friend and fellow carpenter. They hit gold after finding
the Ikea website and adapting its designs.
“We had never thought of using softwood before,” Mr Chayi said. “All our
traditional furniture was made from mninga, a hardwood that is very expensive.
After seeing the Ikea designs we started using cypress, grown locally in the
Mahindi forest. We found it was much easier to work with.”
Since he has changed his furniture design, Mr Chayi’s monthly profit has
risen from 25,000 Tanzanian shillings (£12) to 60,000 shillings (£29) a month.
The money is welcome, as he has six children. Mr Shigulu has saved enough to
build a house and send his 6-year-old twin girls to school….”
“Internet spreads power to far flung corners”
By Alexandra Frean
Times Online
