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Alex Ukhevi dropped out of school in Standard Two but this did not stop him from nurturing his innovation skills. Ukhevi assembles ‘auto-mobiles’.
He says lack school fees forced him to drop out of school in 1988 but ten years later, he discovered that he could make motor-carts.
In 1998, he tried his hands on making a handcart for his daily farm chores. He upgraded this to a motor-car three years later.
“I started by making a pushcart but later on a bought a motorcycle engine. I advanced my innovation and made a motorised cart,” he says.
He says he has been innovative since childhood but he could not realise his dreams because of lack of money to develop his talent.
He put his innovation skills to work when he was 16-years-old after raising money by working on people’s farms. He used the money to buy some materials he used for assembling his handcart.
“I innovated the motor-cart in 2001 but the first pushcart was made in 1998. The skills are inborn, I did not go for any training,” he says.
He uses the motor-cart to ferry goods for people. His busiest during harvesting season.
Apart from ferries maize, beans and other crops during harvesting season, he also ferries sand, and gravel for his clients to and from the nearby markets and towns. He makes between Sh1,500 and Sh 3,000 per day.
The father of five has the only motor-cart in his Mulwanda Village in Navakholo.
He says when he gets enough funds, he will upgrade his motor-cart to a pick-up, tractor or lorry.
“If I get a sponsor or if any car assembling company offers me a chance to work in their firm, I will be able to assemble a pick-up, a tractor among other vehicles. I have the skills but I do not have funds or a place to put to work my innovative skills,” he says.
Ukhevi, 35, is the mechanic of his motor-cart, having attended a two-month workshop in Eldoret.
He says it takes him only one week to assemble his motor-cart if he has all the materials ready.
“The motor-cart has helped me raise fees for my children, their upkeep and also cater for other basic needs,” he says, adding that he has also assembled his own mountain bike.
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