Turning disaster into an opportunity amid the global pandemic, three carpenters from Nanong Gewog in Pema Gatshel are minting cash with the skills that were otherwise limited to the demands within their community. The carpenters, now in Samdrup Jongkhar, are fully engaged since the pandemic forced the closure of border and restriction on entry of foreign workers.
After remaining closed for about three months, Sangay Dorji Furniture Store in Samdrup Jongkhar thromde opened for business earlier this month. The three carpenters from Pema Gatshel came to the rescue and addressed the shortage of workers that forced the shop to pull down its shutters earlier.
Karpo, one of the three carpenters at the store, says working in a furniture shop is more profitable. “In villages, the charges are minimal. We are hardly paid Nu 400-500 as daily wage. But here, we earn Nu 800 daily. It is a good opportunity because back in the village, we live hand to mouth. I now earn enough to spare for my children,” he said.
Similarly, Namgay Phuntsho, also a carpenter shares how brisk the business has become amid the pandemic. “The rate is not fixed in the village. At times we make Nu 300 in a day and some time, it drops to Nu 250. Here, we are paid Nu 11,000 monthly. We no longer struggle like in the village,” he added.
For the shop owner, looking at the current sales, it was a matter of when the shop would resume business. As soon as it opened, orders were placed from as far as Thimphu and Paro. Within the first 20 days of re-opening, he got orders worth Nu 250,000.
“With the border gate closed, business is going good since people need furniture urgently, but I don’t have many workers. I will be happy to hire more Bhutanese workers if they are interested to work, I am paying them handsomely and my business is also going well,” said Sangay Dorji, the owner of Sangay Dorji Furniture in Samdrup Jongkhar.
For now, it is a win-win situation for both the owner and the carpenters. How long would the case be? This is something to be left for time to testify.
Kinley Wangchuk
