WIRED MORIS DAVID Moris David has become known in the city centre for his consistently happy face and generous, warmhearted nature.
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t is with these tools that he approaches the business of selling his intricate and beautifully crafted wire and bead-craft pieces, many of which are made from recycled materials.
Handling all the steps from production to sales means that Moris sometimes works up to eighteen hours a day, but he says he doesn’t mind the long hours. “This is why I ventured into this industry – it is my talent and it’s something I really love. I like being self-employed and if you’ve got determination to work hard, then demand goes up. I tell myself that I should do it like I have a degree in this. Because it’s my profession, I must be an expert in it.
At his workshop and sales floor, while we are discussing what has enabled him to upscale his once hobby into an incomegenerating business, Moris greets passers-by as if they are his dearest friends – most likely the biggest contributor to his business success.
“It’s been a good year so far. I now have the vision of achieving my goals through arts and crafts. My wish is to sell my products online, and let the whole world know about me. This is what I seek.”
Moris explains that his business started because he wanted a toy. “I was in need of a toy and was trying to make one. A stone-carver in my neighbourhood inspired me when he told me that whatever he carves, I could make as well with wire, because wire was the only resource I had. I started off with a bicycle, then I made a lizard.”
For the time being, seven days a week, you’ll find Moris always ready to greet and chat to locals and visitors alike, at the Namibia Craft Centre. By remaining mindful of the hardships he’s experienced in his career, Morris is also aware of how far he’s come. “I’m very thankful to those people who supported me from the beginning, from my early stages, when I was on the street. For all the people who wished me well, and for all the people who support me now, the guests and the locals who have helped me to grow, thank you for your support in helping me make it.”
Battling to find employment later in life, Moris once again turned to his craft. “After school, because of unemployment, I produced crafts and tried selling them, but it was a battle. I started selling my crafts on the streets, but I wasn’t allowed to sell on the streets and often got chased away by the police.” Without a permanent location, the battle to establish himself and his business continued until he met Shareen Thude, manager at the Namibia Craft Centre in Windhoek. “Shareen saw the quality of my work and she coached me for a while. Then she called and said, ‘I am going to offer you a space where you can do your work and you can display your work.’” Now Moris has a permanent home at the Namibia Craft Centre, and the constant flow of buyers means that he’s able to pay the rent for his space and earn a living off his craft. For the past four years, this has been his permanent workshop and sales floor. “There is a good advantage to working under the banner of the Craft Centre. The place is well established and I’m getting well established now too. My work is successful because I do the production myself. I make sure it’s neatly done, I’m the chief product designer, and I do the sales and distribution as well.”
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