JUST after midday, Tafadzwa Chivaura (38), Bruce Machingura (40) and Patrick Kachingwe (35) are not bothered by the summer heat as they go about their day-to-day routine recycling old vehicle tyres at their start-up project, Belu Tyre Land.
Located at corner Roydon and 63 Avenue in Haig Park, Mabelreign in Harare, Belu Tyre Land is the trio’s workstation where they are breathing life into old motor vehicle tyres, converting them into flower pots and furniture of all shapes and size for resale.
With the unemployment rate at 85%, the trio decided to think outside the box and self-employ while at the same time working towards clearing mountains of tyres that might be littering communities.
In some communities, the tyre stashes are also an environmental nightmare, that can serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
From the dead tyres, Chivaura, Machingura and Kachingwe are showcasing their creativity using old tyres to make a wide range of beautiful and attractive furniture and other household items.
The trio’s recycled creations include, but not limited to a range of both indoor and outdoor furniture, coffee tables, flower vases and hanging rubber macaw parrots. Their products also include washing baskets, tyre glass tables, tyre wood tables, tyre mental tables all with chairs.
They are also making customised colourful garden decorations, playground equipment and they can also do landscaping.
Interestingly, the trio did not undergo specialised training. Most of their items are custom-made.
Unlocking ideas under COVID-19 lockdown
“We are friends who reside in the same neighborhood. We decided to start this initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic era. As we were under lockdown, Bruce came up with this idea having got the inspiration from his stay in neighbouring South Africa for about six years,” Chivaura says.
“We agreed to Bruce’s idea so as not to remain idle during the lockdown period, but to have something that would occupy our minds. This saw the birth of Belu Tyre Land which operates outside Bruce’s parents’ home.
“As youths we are saying we are open for partnership to save our environment and youths from substance and drug abuse. Youths in our community who are interested in what we are doing are free to come and learn as long as they have the passion,” said Kachingwe.
Machingura added: “Already we have Kudakwashe who has shown some interest and he is the one doing most of our paintings. He is someone living with disability, but hs proved that it’s not inability from his paint works.”
“When Kuda showed interest, we told him that we were not able to pay him since we are doing this on zero budget. He is someone who is not motivated by money. He agreed and he has showed great commitment in his paintings.”
He continued: “We have so many people who are coming to us saying we can do professional painting, but we are not able to pay them. So, we are doing it ourselves learning as we go, as they say practice makes perfect and we are happy with our progress.”
“With the little that we have, as a way of giving back to our community, we have donated a bin to a nearby tuckshop so that people do not litter the community. If you buy something at the tuckshop if it’s consumable you can throw the rubbish in the bin. We are just helping to keep our environment clean.
Desire for EMA partnership
“In line of our work, we would want to work hand-in-hand with organisations like the Environmental Management Agency on different environmental campaigns to raise awareness on how best we can safeguard and protect our environment,” Machingura said.
“Even the Mabelreign District Municipal office has showed interest in partnering with us. We are able to make some bins from disused materials. All what we are advocating for is to keep our country clean using dead material.”
Need for more space
Chivaura chipped in: “We are in serious need of a conducive space to operate from. So far, we have taken our request to the municipality who encouraged us to identify a place and notify them. We are in the process of doing that. So far we have identified a free space along Kirkman and Sherwood Road close to the National Sports Stadium.”
“This is an ideal space along the road that we believe is suitable for a showroom to advertise our products. We, however, also need space to use as a workshop where can be able to work from and also use as a warehouse for stocking of material.”
“We are hoping that we can also be able to get some orders from schools to provide swings, ride-on toys and tunnels for their playgrounds. These tyre creations are good for children as they are soft and not harmful for children’s play activities, reducing injuries, slips and falls during school break time,” Machingura added.
“We wish to make a range of creations, but shortage of resources is our major challenge. We need better tools for designing, cutting, framing, and painting. The tools we need include grinders, compressors and a generator in the event of electricity outages,” Chivaura said.
“At the moment, we are using modified tools, mainly designed by Bruce. In terms of materials, we are also in need of paints and brushes as well as spray guns. We have been getting assistance from Mr Hinze, popularly known as Kedha (coloured) in our community.
“Kedha has been financially helpful our works. At one point, he took our flower pots and vases to sell in Bulawayo. He also bought us a grinder, this has been great support to us.”
Said Kachingwe: “We want to introduce some products made out of tyres and drums like animal feeding pans for farmers, but due to financial constraints we are not able to get the drums.
“We are, therefore, appealing to those who might have the drums they are not using to just donate them to us. If we can also get better tools, this will go a long way in improving how we are working.”
Timing and products pricing
“On a good day depending on the availability of material, we can make up to about 60 flower vases, a coffee table set and four chairs. We can make six to 10 king-size sleeping beds per day, but also depending on availability of material,” Chivaura explained.
The prices of the products depend on the designs and the type of material used.
“Our products are distinctive, durable and comfortable. These are some of the unique qualities of our innovative range of products made from tyres. For an ordinary chair, the minimum cost is US$25 while the one with additional wood material costs US$35. Metal and tyre chair goes for US$45 also depending on type of material used,” Chivaura explained.
“A common tyre table costs US$25 while tyre and glass table goes for US$50. The tyre and wood table and tyre and metal table cost US$35 and US$45, respectively.”
Main message
“From what we are doing with these recycled tyres, we are simply sending the message of safeguarding our environment. We are saying no to air pollution. Instead of burning tyres causing major environmental disasters, just dump them at our place and we produce something from the dead tyres,” Kachingwe noted.
“We are not yet able to enjoy the rewards of our sweat, maybe because we are operating in a small community. We are, however, not much worried about monetary returns for now as our major focus is to let people know that dead and unwanted tyres can keep communities and nation at large.”
Machingura added. “Sometimes we pay for the tyres, but it is not always that we can afford to pay. For material sourcing, we are not that financially stable as we are operating in a small community. We still have a lot of needs and we are, therefore, appealing to those who can assist by donating tyres to us instead of burning them.”
“We are appealing for support from the government and the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training so that we continue to fulfil our dreams. The transportation of the raw materials is also a big challenge.
“The market is another major challenged we are facing. Our target market is where there is better human traffic. We need to take the creations to the people. We are, however, still stuck here in our small community where almost everyone has purchased some products already,” said Chivaura.
“Our desire is to grow our business and be able to export our creations. We are also operating on an open space, we hope that we will be able to get assistance to put up a shed as we are fast approaching the rain season which unlike summer becomes difficult for us to operate.”
Recreational park
The trio’s creations have caught the eye of fellow resident Mavis Mnangagwa and together they are now working towards setting up a small recreational park on an open space that residents used to dump garbage. They have already cleared the ground, but are facing a number of challenges chief among them unavailability of water.
“The place was something else. It was a dumping area and we started clearing it on Africa Day, (May 25). I am working together with these youngsters to bring a new look at this former dumpsite,” Mnangagwa said.
“I urged them to make this place a small park so that residents can shy away from throwing rubbish there. It had become an eyesore. Our desire is to make this space of great use unlike before. I know together with these youthful stars who work hard in their creations, we can definitely achieve something.”
She continued: “The major problem in our endeavour is water. We have water problems here, so it is one of the issues that will delay our progress as the floras need to be watered. Our hope now is the upcoming rain season.
“This park can also be used to advertise products being made by these youths. They can even use it to advertise for others who can bring their own creationshere for display. It is going to be a great park if everything goes according to plan.”