MAKING and selling craft items from ship rope and materials from the coconut tree for over 35 years have become not only a means of earning but a way of life for Ivan Sancho, a 53- year-old Rastafarian of West Watooka, Linden. Sancho, who calls himself the ‘Original Craftsman of Linden,’ has transformed his entire home into a craft workshop where he toils day and night on his products. These include mats, hanging baskets, calabash and coconut shell works, ornaments and pointer brooms.
Sancho who is originally from New Amsterdam lives with his four-year old grandson in West Watooka where he practices his skill in addition to doing subsistence farming. He describes himself as a private person who ‘minds his business.’
The Rastafarian said that the genesis of doing craft began over three decades ago when he joined the Rastafarian religion and since he had no formal training or practice, he knew it was a gift from God.
After perfecting his skill, Sancho decided to sell his products and it is now his primary means of earning. He says that he sells his craft so that he can get money to buy fertilizers, seeds, manure and other necessities to plant the crops to provide for his family.
“Without me doing this I can’t get to farm. When I sell the stuff I buy back things to get to farm.”
Being a vegetarian for most of his life, Sancho says that he farms his own food so that he is confident that he is eating fresh organic produce as he needs to stay healthy to make the items.
“I plait in the day and stitch in the night but I mostly work after hours. I does deh pun it all the time even if sales not coming is something within me that I can’t stop,” the craftsman revealed.
He journeys to Georgetown regularly as there is where he sources his ship rope from. ‘First we used to use the rice bag but after the rice bag start get scarce, I started using the ship rope because I use to work on the ship as a small boy so when I go rope always there for me.”
With the advantage of getting the material free, Sancho said that he takes his time to craft quality items which serve his customers a long time. This may be a disadvantage because the demand is sometime very low.
“For now I have no market but I does still deh on it, if they get exhibitions and so I would go out and get sales but what mostly sell is the pointer brooms and the mats,” he revealed.
Being a private person, he prefers not to have a permanent shop in the market arena but believes that the government agencies and the corporate community should support local craftsmen as products made in other countries do not last long. In addition, Sancho believes that if tourism is boosted in Linden, his sales will increase as tourists are more interested in locally-made products.
Sancho concluded that though business may not be booming, he will not give up the craft and it allows him to live and pay the bills. “All like the other day the water girl tackle me for the bill. I sell couple broom and get to pay me bill. Sometimes I would go out and get a little painting work and so.”
Sancho is hoping to live a long life filled with strength to continue crafting so that for a long time he will enjoy the title – ‘Original Craftsman.’