Ben happy with his little business

National
Satisfied customer Wonga Albert trying on his repaired shoe while Ben Umoko completes mending the other side. – Nationalpic by Gloria Bauai

By GLORIA BAUAI
HELA man Ben Umoko says he has found an honest way to make a living by mending shoes.
Umoko moved to Lae as a teenager with his family in the 1960s.
To make ends meet, he started off on the streets, selling betel nuts and cigarettes.
The Tari native went on to join formal employment with two companies in Lae – Niugini Tablebirds firstly and later a plastic factory.
But he says his true calling came when he met young Hari Hirawi, also from Tari.
Hirawi was one of two first informal shoe menders around Lae’s Top Town.
“This (shoe mending) caught my interest so I began spending most of my free time with Hirawi,” Umoko said.
“I eventually caught the art of mending with string and needle, from watching Hirawi,” he said.
Soon Umoko was making his own money, mending shoes and perfecting his art over time.
“When we first started mending, the income was good,” he said.
“We would make up to almost a grand in a week,” he recalled.
Umoko saved enough money to buy a small property at Mata block, for K8,000.
“The small land portion I bought had a double-storey house with 11 rooms,” he said.
“I put the rooms out for rent and from that income, bought another block at Ass Mango.”
The simple shoe-mender was financially secure and raised his young family of nine in the second largest city of the country.
After almost 43 years in Lae, Umoko sold his properties and returned home to Tari, but not for long.
“There was a lot of fighting back home so after 15 years, I had to come back to Lae for a more peaceful life,” he explained.
Once in Lae, Umoko immediately hit the familiar streets of Top Town equipped with his needle, string, razor/ knife, shoe polish and brush.
Umoko realised that shoe mending business although popular now, did not generate the same kind of money it used to. With more shoe menders in the city peddling their services, the daily returns were low and depended on one’s ability to attract and secure customers.
“On a good day, we would make up to K100; otherwise, it’s normally K20 to K30 or sometimes as low as K12,” he said.
“Usually, customers bring their torn shoes from home or the office to the mender of their choice.
“But if someone walks by and the menders see a tear on their shoe, they’d call out to them.
“I, personally don’t like to calling out and forcing customers.
“A mender’s service is charged depending on the size of the tear and type of shoe.
“Sometimes, people sell us their torn shoes, we mend and resell at an affordable price – our prices are normally below K40.”
Their service extends also to vehicle seats and covers, wallets and belts.
Umoko, who is well into his 70s and with his second wife and their three children, says he needs to continue working the streets from 6am to 5pm six days a week just to make ends meet.
“The money I make is for my family,” he said.
“I sleep on the streets at times and when I make enough money, I go home at Talea compound, and give them money.”
Asked why he did not sell betel nuts and cigarettes to make money quickly, Umoko said: “I don’t want to break any law.”
“I came here for a peaceful life and I don’t want to be constantly looking over my shoulder and running away from the police.
“With this service, the police are happy, people are happy and I am happy.”