NAIROBI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- John Onyango, a furniture maker, whistled as he picked a tiny nail and placed it on a canvas material and hit it.
He repeated the process on the material that he was using to cover a wooden frame before turning to another side.
It was evident that Onyango, who was doing the work on Sunday in Kitengela, south of Nairobi, was enjoying it.
But the trained carpenter does not only enjoy the work, he also earns a decent living from it.
He sells his furniture from between 50,000 shillings (about 467 U.S. dollars) and 767 dollars.
"This is my job, my source of living," said the father of three, including one at a university in western Kenya.
Onyango is among artisans in the east African nation, who are earning a decent living from their businesses and services, which have for years been regarded as low income.
Besides furniture makers, masons, welders, plumbers, tailors, electricians and caterers, are among the other people reaping handsomely from their crafts.
While furniture makers are reaping thanks to a shift from imported to locally made furniture, a boom in Kenya's construction sector has handed masons, plumbers and welders good business.
Interestingly, artisans are currently among workers in the east African nation whose jobs have remained stable amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hurt many other sectors.
Their businesses have remained resilient, enabling them to offer jobs to some of those affected by the pandemic.
"I have been working as a stonemason for 14 years and the job is good as long as you are patient," said Vincent Musyoka, a construction supervisor.
From the job, he has schooled his children and lives at his own home in Ruiru, on the outskirts of Nairobi.
"I am looking forward to retiring in about ten years," said Musyoka, who has trained tens of youths.
As white-collar jobs become scarcer amid a high number of unemployed youths, Kenya is banking on artisanal workers not only to boost employment but also to develop its economy.
"For any country to develop, technical and vocational training is the way to go because this is where most industries, including motor vehicle, construction and manufacturing get their workers," said Earnest Manuyo, a lecturer at Pioneer Institute in Nairobi.
The east Africa nation has increased its budget to the technical institutions and enrollment to train more skilled workers.
Currently, there are some 1,500 technical and vocational training institutions in Kenya, hosting some 400,000 learners. Enditem
