Charity Wangu Thuita at work
Why youthful Charity Wangu Thuita Decided To Embrace Technical Skills For Employment
By Wangari Humphery
Worth Noting:
- “The current demand for metal doors has pushed me to my dream of metal door making. I appreciate my welding skills,” the young female welder said.
- Her passion for metalwork developed as she grew up watching his father working as a welder at Dedan Kimathi Estate in Nyeri.
- “As a young girl I saw my father work as a welder and he provided for the family, paid my school fees, and developed our home even buying a plot to expand,” she said.
- When she finished her secondary education in 2019 at Kimahuri Secondary School, she joined 2021 Nyeri National Polytechnic under a Mechanical Engineering Department and specialized in welding for one year where she perfected the art of door making.
As the demand for technical skills grows and the opportunity for white-collar jobs decreases, the need to be equipped with technical skills is rising to fill in the gap.
Informed by this, youth are encouraged to pick technical skills for sustainable self-employment.
Charity Wangu Thuita from Kabaru village in Kieni, Nyeri County decided to pursue the mechanical engineering welding option to fill the gap and earn a living.
In a male-dominated field, Wangu has continued to impress her customers who first doubt her potential in welding but appreciate the quality of doors she produces.
“The current demand for metal doors has pushed me to my dream of metal door making. I appreciate my welding skills,” the young female welder said.
Her passion for metalwork developed as she grew up watching his father working as a welder at Dedan Kimathi Estate in Nyeri.
“As a young girl I saw my father work as a welder and he provided for the family, paid my school fees, and developed our home even buying a plot to expand,” she said.
When she finished her secondary education in 2019 at Kimahuri Secondary School, she joined 2021 Nyeri National Polytechnic under a Mechanical Engineering Department and specialized in welding for one year where she perfected the art of door making.
After her course in 2022, she went for an attachment of three months at Njamuku Casement and Hardware in Nyeri town where she was hired, a job she has embraced for one year and one month.
Wangu in her early 20s said her passion in door making has led her to master the art.
She explained that in a day she can make two to three metal doors.
“I like making doors, I start by visiting the site to take the accurate measurement then I give the client the breakdown of the material needed to make the door after the agreed deposit I start my work,” she said.
The young entrepreneur said it is important to understand the anatomy of the door, prepare space and measurement, select the material, build rails stiles and panels, door joinery, doorknobs, and hinges before the sanding and painting, and staining the last step.
Wangu said that one door can cost up to Sh14, 000 which ranges according to the size when the material is from the customer.
“Although I have passion for my job I am limited when lifting heavy metal which requires someone to assist me and health risks from the hot flames that are emitted by the welding machine especially since am a female and my face is delicate,” she explained.
Wangu said that she wears protective goggles when welding and washes her face regularly when she experiences burns.
“Some customers do not trust that I can do the job when they first see me they think am a receptionist here but when they see my work they trust that I can make doors,” she said.
The female welder said that many women fear joining the welding industry due to the risks while others associate the work with men.
“My dream is to start my workshop and at least employ more than five youths and start a women’s group to encourage them to embrace technical skills. I prefer having a technical skill first before venturing to the theoretical course for management,” she noted.
She calls for the youth to join technical institutions and gain skills noting that once any person understands how to do something the skill cannot be erased even in old age.
“Although office jobs are attractive we cannot fit there all of us the youth should take technical skills to fill the gap,” Wangu said.
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