WOOD CARVERS CRY FOR STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT TO BOOST BUSINESS

Wood Carvers cry for stakeholders support to Boost Business. COVID-19 has brought to the fore the indispensable role of how the contemporary art market has changed as a result of the disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus. Silver Fm’s business news team set out today to visit Cavers at Cultural Center to ascertain from them how the pandemic has affected their businesses. How their work started, names and types of carvers they do, challenges they face and prices of their sculpture works. Touching on the effect of covid 19 on their business, they asserted to the fact that covid has impacted negatively on their works. They unearthed to Silver FM’s reporter Maame Ama that, most of their customers are foreigners and due to the effect of the pandemic worldwide they are unable to come to the country.

They added that, Ghanaians do not respect their work and it has greatly affected them because some believe that those items used in the local movies which they sweat to make is been classified as an” idol or has some demonic power” in them thereby making them afraid. Speaking to Nana Ama on behalf of them, one of the Senior Carvers, Agya Adu said, citizenry does not fathom why they should waste money to buy wood crafts instead of spending on other treasury or vital items to them. “They do not see the importance of our handy works”, he revealed. He further mentioned that, window-shoppers who come to make an inquiry sometimes get into a heated argument with them over the prices of the wood crafts. “They describe the prices of the crafts as too expensive”, he added. According to him, they get woods such as Mahogany, Odum, Wawa, Sapale mostly used for their works from the timber market or head to the Forestry Commission (FC) for a permit to get some from the various forests in the country. He added that, as people has been increasing their market prices because of the pandemic, they as carvers do not get the buyers to even buy from them not to talk of hiking the prices because people no longer buy from them and has made them to reduce the prices for buyers, to also get some money to feed their families.

The following price decreases exhibit the consequence of the pandemic on their business. TRADITIONAL STOOL - GHC 500 NOW GHC 400. SESEDWA (QUEEN MOTHERS STOOL) WAS GHC 400 NOW GHC 300. OSONO AND OTHER ANIMALS WAS GHC 70 NOW GHC 50 UNITY STOOL (BIG ONES) WAS GHC 400 NOW GHC 300. UNITY STOOL (SMALL ONES) WAS GHC 150 NOW 80.00. FACE MASK WAS GHC 80.00 NOW 50.00 They are pleading with stakeholders who wants to do business with them to come and invest so that they can produce more of their work because government no longer pay heed to their plea.