Not all scrap is litter

A rectangular grass-thatched shed, a half meter-high charcoal-fired brick oven and sand molds of different types and sizes complete Michael Jailosi’s simple solution to a build-up of scrap metals on the street-side.

The 28-year-old’s small factory, based in Lilongwe’s Area 50, recycles scrap aluminum metals to produce kitchenware.

These factories are slowly mushrooming in the country as indiscriminate disposal of scrap metals remains a major concern.

In 2013, government reported that the country imports over 3 000 used vehicles a month. In garages, a pile-up of discarded vehicles is a common sight.

Jailosi’s factory clears metallic waste from garages.

The youthful entrepreneur buys disused car engine heads, rims and other redundant aluminum parts.

Some community members sell him aluminum castaways.

Jailosi heats these metals to melt in a traditional oven.

From the molten material, he fashions pots, spoons and frying pans which some customers described as durable.

“To produce a pot, we heat aluminum materials in the oven and pour the molten material into the shape sand molds we made using sample pots and wait until it cools down. Then our pots are ready for smoothing and finishing.” He explains.

The skills needed to produce useful tools out of scrap-yard metals are easily transferrable.

Just like that, the man who suffered the pangs of youth unemployment is breaking the mold.

He has created employment for himself and six others, reducing unemployment which affects one in four Malawians aged below 35, according to the International Labour Organisation.

Jailosi learned his trade from a friend in Area 49 some eight years ago—and it is transforming his life.

Apart from his assistants, he has created employment for middlemen who order and resell the pots to different parts of Lilongwe City and surrounding districts.

Leonard Chimbayo is one of Jailos’ employees. He admittedly leads an independent life and supports his family “without begging from friends and relatives”.

“I take care of the final product, ensuring it has a smooth, attractive finish. We use the files to shine the outer side and small knives to smoothen the interiors. Everyone has a role. The other three sell the pots to different markets,” he explains.

Chimbayo salutes Jailos for offering them valuable skills and an economic lifeline that is making a difference in their lives.

“When I joined in, I had no skill. One day, we hope to have our own businesses and employ others as well,” Chimbayo said.

Lilongwe resident Anne Magombo says the pots are durable, cheaper and offer an eco-friendly cooking solution.

“I have been using these pots for years. They cost less than aluminum pots in superstores. They catch the heat fast, making cooking easier,” she explains.

Chancellor College student Edson Ntodwa says the pots from Jailos smelting place are popular among off-campus students in the populous Chikanda Township in Zomba City.

There are five of these pots in his house and almost everyone loves them, he says.

“The metal is thick and it cooks fast. When we use them, we are promoting a fellow young Malawian who is putting scrap metals to a good use instead of disposing it anyhow,” Ntodwa says.

Ministry of Industry and Trade spokesperson Wisikesi Mkombezi said government is pleased to see youthful Malawians embarking on productive and creative businesses that change both their lives and communities.

“Entrepreneurship is about harnessing innovation to create new things,” he said. “The ministry is excited and applauds them because it shows that the youth can come up with novel ideas.”

Slowly, the business is making the capital city a little cleaner at a time three Rs—reuse, recycle and reduce—have become the mantra of waste disposal.

However, liquefying the metals consumes large amount of charcoal, a phenomenon which wipes out forests in the outskirts of the city.

Interestingly, the young entrepreneurs are looking forward to the day they will upgrade to cleaner and environmental-friendly source of energy for heating up the metals they rake from the streets. n