Artefacts supporting family

A FATHER of four is venturing into artefact to support his family in Western Highlands.
Martin Yumbi, 46, from Limiale village in Imbonggu, Southern Highlands is a skilled craftsman and makes different crafts using cane and bush ropes to sell for his income.
Yumbi completed Grade 4 in his home province and moved to Mt Hagen at the age of 16.
“While living in the city, I have no education to find a job so with the knowledge and skills I learn from my family back in the village, I make artefacts using cane and rope to make all kinds of things and sell them,” he said.
He makes laundry and shopping baskets, coffee trays, mat, small bows and arrows, food basket, pots, stone axes, and few other things such as necklace made from pigs’ tusks to sell and earn his income.
“My price ranges from K20 up to K500, depending on the size and quality,” he said. “My customers are mostly tourists and churches, who come and buy my baskets.”
Yumbi said he does not have a steady income, instead it depended on the number of customers he received each day.
He called on concerned authorities in the province and the Minister for Culture and Tourism to build a proper market for artefacts vendors Mt Hagen.