Clarendon residents carving out a living

Jody-Ann Elliot and her partner Casmore Smith have carved out an enduring woodcraft business at ‘Rasta Corner’ in Free Town, Clarendon.

The driveway to their small, humble, board structure is a mishmash of creations – chopping boards, mixing bowls, ashtrays, cups, black pepper shakers, trinket boxes, spoons, forks, and mortars.

Smith travels as far away as Great Bay in St Elizabeth to source lignum vitae – the tree bearing Jamaica’s national flower – to make his craft. He also uses mahoe and pine.

“These items were all cut in the hills and carved and polished right here ... . These items have gone all over the world due to the high quality that we produce here,” Smith said, in reference to the wide array of products.

Illustrating the manufacturing process, Smith showed how he uses his power saw to cut the wood into pieces before carving and varnishing the finished product.

“We have to get the material which is very durable and gives a great finish to the products, which keeps the customers satisfied,” he said.

NATURAL DISASTERS

Smith, who said he did not receive formal training in carving, revealed that his business has survived natural disasters because of his sheer determination.

“I lost a three-apartment house during the floods in 1994, but I was already established in the craft business and know the potential, so gradually I rebuilt it and keep carving,” the 45-year-old Rastafarian said.

Many of their customers purchase the items as gifts and keepsakes. Others, like Karen Dawkins-Linton, find more practical use for his woodcraft.

“I just bought a herb crusher, as it helps with getting my pimento, black pepper and other seasoning properly ground. I realised that the wooden ones are better, so that is why I am here today,” Dawkins-Linton told The Gleaner.

Elliot said that bypassers constitute the majority of their customer base. Word of mouth draws others.

“There are others who got information from others about our products and they stop and patronise us,” Elliot told The Gleaner.

The financial fallout from COVID-19 has forced the couple to adjust their offerings, producing smaller items for sale that are more affordable and trade faster on the market as disposable income dried up.

The Jamaican workforce haemorrhaged tens of thousands of jobs to COVID-19-containment measures, and while many businesses are in recovery mode, the unemployment rate has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Despite the downturn in business, Smith said he has learned to roll with the punches.

“I have been here for more than 20 years and I suffered from the flood, so this (COVID-19) just causes us to make smaller items that attract the mixed market,” he said.

He is pressing the Government to deliver targeted aid to the craft industry, which has lost revenue streams because of lower-than-average tourist arrivals.

“It is difficult for us who sell craft items. It would be helpful if we are offered some financial help from [the] Government; but if not, we aren’t giving up,” Smith said.