Meet Charles and MagdaleneÂ
Charles and his wife Magdalene are the owners of Craft Options. They carve & paint birds out of wood. They carve over ten species of birds, learning the designs by looking up the birds in a book. They try as much as possible to carve an exact replica of the bird. Charles started Craft Options over ten years ago. He had been working as a mechanic for several years but was not content with the earnings from the work. The project started with his family and extended to his friends. He is also teaching other artisans the art of carving birds.
Charles met his wife at the market. While he would go to the market to sell his products, he would meet Magdalene and they began their relationship. Now, working together, they care about the people that are impacted by their business. Magdalene says, âWe reach out to young teen boys who are idle in the markets. They have no jobs and are not in school. We give them work to do in the market and at our workshop. This gives them skills and an opportunity that they did not already have.â
Charles collects the timber from around where he lives. He goes to farmers and buys the cut off branches and logs. He then transports the timber to his home where he has his workshop. He has six employees who help in this work.
The handicraft process...
1. The wood is chopped into the bird shapes and sizes using a machete.
2. The finer shape & detail of the birds are hand-carved with a knife.
3. The birds are sanded down
4. Eyes are drilled.Â
5. Holes are drilled into the body and legs are inserted
6. The birds are laid out to dry up any natural moisture in the wood.
7. The birds are painted and covered with a protective layer of varnish.
After this process, the birds are ready to be sold. Magdalene takes the birds to the various Maasai markets in Nairobi. At these markets, she is the one responsible for selling the birds and taking orders.
  Purchase one of their birds online here:
 http://shopwithamission.com/?wpsc-product=wooden-bird-painted
