The story of one carpentry workshop in northern Tanzania is a great example of how training and tools can help turn round the fortunes of a small business in Africa.

Furniture makers Kitauli Carpenters used to struggle to make ends meet. They had neither the tools nor the skills to make a decent living. Without tools, they could not complete jobs on time and the quality of their work was poor. Without training, their prices reflected what they thought the local market could afford rather than how much things actually cost to make.

Through their local trade association and our partner the Small Industries Development Organisation in Moshi, Kitauli received a furniture making kit and training in business skills and product finishing in 2009–10. They paid Tsh 50,000 (that’s about £25) towards the tools which helped pay for their transportation from Dar es Salaam.

The training got Kitauli thinking about their market and what else they could do. They decided to branch out and now repair roofs as well as make furniture. The roofing work tides them over until the end of the planting and harvesting seasons when their regular customers return.

Group coordinator Gasper Alphonse said: “We are no longer guessing prices. Our income has gone up 65% and we have started saving. Over the past four months we have saved Tsh 400,000 (£200).”

Kitauli intend to use these savings to improve the business. This includes building a concrete floor and installing a three-phase electricity supply which will enable them to expand.

Having chisels means we can design our furniture properly. With more tools we can do more, and we can work more quickly.Gasper Alphonse, Kitauli Carpenters

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