Did you know that you can learn some skills from different places! Chantal is 24 years and says that though she dropped out of school due to financial issues she learned some other skills that enabled her to grow. When she dropped out of school she couldn’t see any future, but slowly she started encouraging herself to hope for the best, though she did not keep studying. Today, she is a craft artist who makes nice stick shaped into gorillas’ images. What did it take her?

At the age of 16, Chantal went to visit her elder sister who lives in Rubavu and passed by a craft shop that sells materials made in trees with different shapes and asked them to teach her because she believed that she can do well. And they taught her. Chantal says, “after learning how to make different shapes like gorillas, sticks and other materials, I thought about doing it professionally.”

She started using materials from where she was taking classes from but later bought her own and started her own business as she grows. She is happy that she learned these skills and she sells those materials to tourists who come from visiting gorillas from Kinigi since that’s where she works. Some people are surprised to see a woman who is a carpenter, and some laughed at me. All these did not discourage her, she kept on working and she is proud that she has built her own house from the money she makes from the business.She concluded by saying “that there are a lot of activities, and whichever you choose enables you to make a good living, what’s important is to dare and try” She kept on saying that education is key. But if you can’t make it you should look for a plan b and make a good living.