Mr Thomas Ndou, better known as “TT” Ndou of Misevhe B, has found his niche in making clay pots. Not only does his new trade allow him to be creative, but it also enables him to supplement his income.

Ndou taught himself how to make clay pots. “How could I sit around and watch my children live in poverty? We are all gifted in some way or another, but some people are just too lazy to use their brains to make ends meet,” he said.

He explained how he suddenly found himself in the clay-pot industry. “I initially thought of buying flowerpots to sell, but I did not have the money to start such a business. It quickly came to my mind that I could make my own flowerpots to sell, and that is where my clay business originated from.”

Ndou makes flowerpots, bowls, containers, and many other decorative items. The trick, he says, is knowing where to get the clay and how to prepare it. He carries the clay, which he collects from the bushes several kilometres from his home, on top of his shoulder using bags, as he does not have another means of transporting it. Using the traditional method of making and baking the clay, he starts the slow process of kneading the clay, coiling it into pots, and shaping it.

“After making the desired products, I collect firewood and cow dung from the bushes for heating the clay products. I heat them for the whole night in a special hole that I dug at my home. I then wait for it to cool down before I do the final touches with paint.”

This might sound simple enough, but Ndou says a lot of patience is required. The industry itself, he says, has its own challenges. “This is an informal business that does not guarantee any income. I sometimes go for two months without a single customer.”