Former hotelier turns junk wood to rustic gold

It is a cold day in Kanunga village, on the outskirts of Kiambu County, and workers at Gathoni’s workshop are busy making rustic furniture while others pack finished products into a delivery truck parked outside. 40-year-old Gathoni makes several trips in and out of her mabati warehouse which is packed with huge tree stumps and logs. Today is a busy day and she has several orders to deliver.

In 2007, Susan Gathoni, a mother of three, left her previous job in the hospitality industry where she worked as a purchasing officer to chase her childhood dream.