Tom Close and wife at Made in Rwanda expo
Afrobeat singer and medical doctor, Tom Close real name Thomas Muyombo is currently showcasing his other gift on top of treating patients and entertainment.
Tom Close has kicked-off reading culture campaigns through writing of short story books for children.
Close is exhibiting his books containing short and interesting tales for children during the ongoing Made in Rwanda expo that kicked-off November 28 at Gikondo Expo Grounds, Kicukiro district, Kigali City.
His books that are designed for pre-school and primary school, include; Domestic Animals, the books that introduces animals to children.
The multi-talented Tom Close also wrote Ana Umukobwa wintangarugero (Ana, the exemplary girl), a book that tells the story of Ana, a diligent, polite girl, Zaza n’inyoni nini (Zaza and the big bird), a fiction story.
Close works on this project with his wife, Ange Tricia Niyonshuti.
They use local materials to do the drawings and to write the small texts including; papers and pencils. Some colors are however imported from UK and Germany.
Prices for books in the Expo ranges from Rwf1500 to Rwf2600.
“I had passion for writing books before even music. When I got my first child I decided to write and design some short stories to help her. However, I realized that many children need to improve their reading culture and I shifted to mass production,” Close said.
“I produce 100 different copies monthly, but targeting 1000,” he said.
The books, written in Kinyarwanda, have illustrations that focus on the Rwandan values to help children grow with that knowledge.
Other exhibitors
Among other exhibitors at the ongoing ‘Made in Rwanda’ expo is a local fishing boat produced by Dolphin Industries Limited in Bugesera district, Eastern Province.
The company uses fiberglass to produce swimming pools, marine boats, individual boats, fountains, doors, tables, chairs, kiosks, among others. However, they also use local materials like wood and paint.
“The ten people boat costs Rwf1 million, we make boats depending on order and our products are affordable compared to imported products,” Sachith Menon, director of Dolphin Industries Limited told KT Press.
“Apart from fiberglass local materials used in production are; woods, colors, “we have two trainers from India who train locals on how to make boats,” says Menon.
Also Global industrial and Agro Technologies exhibited agricultural produce’s weighing machine to help farmers weigh their agriculture yields in gardens with ease.
Elsewhere in decorations, the youth have exhibited concrete garden chairs and tables that are replacing wooden and plastic movable equipment which are defying climate change.
“They are made out of cement made in Rwanda and water, so, it’s a 100% Made in Rwanda,”Simbi Aime Jules, the manufacturer told KT Press.
A Set of chairs, worth Rwf600, 000 are targeting hotels with gardens and homes
Meanwhile, Rwanda has now got investors producing electric cables.
Based in Kigali City, Alpha Cables Limited produces cables used in car wiring, building wiring, engines, to mention but a few.
The company finds Rwanda in need of electric equipment of good quality.
Anita Mukandayisenga, sales and marketing manager says only Copper is imported from china while colors used in making insulators are locally made.
