The stone that the builders rejected

Continuing with a glimpse into the projects that I am working on, I will introduce you to One Stone. One Stone, owned by Sam and his wife Judith, is a wonderful handicraft shop. They sell a wide variety of goods from jewelry, to wooden masks, clothing, and their main items, carved furniture and Djembe drums. Sam creates wonderful carved furniture, from beds to coffee tables to chairs. From what I understand, the furniture is constructed of mahogany and he carves wonderful African scenes. In addition to the furniture, he also carves drums. The drum bodies themselves he buys from a supplier but he carves the design and hands the building of the drum to his "brother" Lamin. Of course, they are not the only ones producing these drums (or any of their products for that matter), they do have a workshop in Accra where he has employees turning out drums as well. My time spent with the entire One Stone family has been great. More times than not, work around there turns into a round of drumming. Lamin is a wonderful drummer and he has certainly been showing me a thing or two. Sam (aka RastaSam) is a great guy to work with and is never lacking a good Bob Marley quote. Judith essentially holds the group together and has been touted as the best saleswomen on earth. She is also responsible for giving me my first taste of goat. I will just say that I will not be replacing elk with goat in my diet anytime soon. There is also young Marcus Garvey, their son, running around terrorizing the shop. Oh yeah, can't forget about their dog George Bush. So that is the crew that ensures there is never a dull moment when working on this project.

My role there has essentially been consulting the business and finding ways to bring them more business. Unfortunately, they do not have the best location. There are a couple of nice "beach" resorts nearby but the people visiting places like these do not get out and explore their surroundings. Many of the tourists pass in a car and never take the time to stop and take a look around. So we are looking to increase their sales through the internet and marketing to specific drumming groups and organizations. Initially we are concentrating on moving more drums but will eventually try to sell more of his furniture. It is great to be working with them because they are thrilled to have the help and are passionate about their business. So if you are in the market for a new bed or table and chairs, I know a great place to start looking!

Sam's fine furniture and Djembe drums

Drums built and ready to be shaved and tuned

Marcus ensuring that I do not lose my place while reading the sign

Smiley Lamin and the shop