•JOSEPH Nyondo (centre) with part of his staff at Mr JoJo Designs workshop situated at the former ESCO building in Ndola.

By OBED LIJIMU –
JOSEPH Nyondo, 45, is a single father of two who believes that creation of white collar jobs is not the solution to the high levels of youth unemployment in the country.
“There is no future in white collar jobs” said Joseph.
A holder of a craft certificate in carpentry and joinery from the Livingstone Trades Training Institute, Joseph owns a furniture business called Mr JoJo Designs in Ndola at former ESCO building.
He runs his business under the African Builders Merchandise Limited (ABML) workshop.
Joseph specialises in furniture making, a field which he believes remains unexploited in although it has great potential.
“This involves wood graining, cabinet making, using the very much abundant natural resource in our country- wood. It is easier because the resources are right in our country, so much available that the cost of doing business can be greatly reduced,” Joseph says.
Having completed his Grade 12, Joseph got employment at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Chililabombwe where he worked in civil works underground.
He then went to South Africa in 1992 for a number of courses related to wood work.
He then came back to Zambia in 2010 and worked at ABML where he brought his business idea to the management at the same premises where he currently operates,
But he was told that his business idea was not workable.
Over five months ago, Joseph presented his idea once again to the management at the same premises and this time around he was successful.
“Because I believed and still believe that this business can grow to the level where Zambia can be the exporter and not importer of these wooden finishes, I presented my business idea and this time around it was successful, probably because there was a new management in place,” Joseph narrates.
Joseph imports plain boards called MDF, usually called super wood, from South Africa.
With these, Joseph is able to make different wood joinery artifacts such as kitchen units and colours them according to his customers’ preferences.
He notes that this work is unique from the common carpentry work.
Joseph says, “Carpentry work is not only about  bigger works that involve wood but the finer works are simply called wood making or basically, joinery”.
Joseph says though not a youth, he is still passionate about the plight of the youth in Zambia. He has employed two male youths whom he describes as very passionate about business.
He desires to pass on these joinery skills to as many young people as possible as long as they have a passion for carpentry.
Joseph is hopeful that he will manage to start working from an environment that can support his desire.
So far, Joseph seems to be doing well.
At least he can afford to pay his staff and also pay for his general needs.
However, he says his business location has given him a little disadvantage as not many people can see the work that he is doing. He says people that have seen his products have been amazed at the quality and have not been able to resist the desire make purchases.
He says it is high time Zambians started to acquire loans not only for the purchase of their cars and for holidays but take serious thought about accessing loans specifically for furnishing and polishing of their homes, their kitchens, bedrooms and so on.
“In developed countries, one is able to access a loan specifically for their kitchen, living room or indeed the bedroom; a total opposite here where loans are usually accessed just to buy cars.
“I see a lot of cockroaches, rats in kitchens and damaged cars in garages but no one wants to clean them up,” he says.
Joseph would love to see more funds invested in developing professions like carpentry by the Government so that more people can be trained and mentored to become entrepreneurs who can earn a living on their own.
He also wants young people to begin seizing opportunities that can help the country become an exporter of carpentry products as opposed to the current scenario where people are importing carpentry products like pieces of furniture.
“We need both male and female youths in this industry just like I saw very passionate women in South Africa. A lot needs t be done by the Government in this regard,” Joseph says.
Apart from his business, Joseph is a part-time radio presenter at Ndola’s Chimwemwe Radio station where he promotes gospel music. He says if youths got involved in transforming the abundant raw materials the country has into finished products, the young people would be assured of sustainable jobs and Zambia would stop importing such products.
He says the country has the potential to become a major exporter of many finished products to neighbouring states and countries outside the African continent.