Maths man who loves the crafts
Beautifully designed cards bearing assorted designs displayed on the shelves almost turn the workshop into an art gallery. “This is what we do,” Benjamin Wairegi, the owner of Wawili Creations tells me.
In the three years he has been in business, he has served a big number of clients from all walks of life, turning the once humble venture started in his college cubicle into something very successful.
“I began by making graduation cards with my roommate at the university,” he said.
After graduating from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture Technology (JKUAT) with a science degree in Mathematics and Statistics, the 28-year-old went straight into his business.
Social media
Wawili Creations specialises in making invitation and season’s cards, gift bags and corporate stationary bearing an indigenous touch.
“I have not gone to any design or art school. I get inspired to come up with different designs by my surrounding and through research,” Wairegi said.
He uses recycled materials in almost all cases to make the cards as a way of conserving the environment.
“We also got into partnership with some Maasai women who provide us with African themed ornaments. That means we promote their business in the process,” he said.
Wawili Creations’ cards are handmade but Wairegi and companions outsource printing services and do calligraphy on small scale. He has five permanent employees.
He receives more than 20 orders a month and they range from Sh15,000 to as much as Sh200,000 per order.
These orders come from people hosting weddings, individuals and blue-chip companies such as KLM, Kenya Bankers Association, Hotel Intercontinental among others.
Seventy per cent of clients he has served in the three years he has been in business have been as a result of referrals.
Wawili Creations does product marketing through the social media which Wairegi says has exposed the business to international clients. He gets orders from Dubai, Ghana and as far as the USA and Europe.
The firm also takes part in wedding exhibitions like the Samantha Bridals and through building strategic partnerships with companies like Valentines Cake House.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Wairegi plans to pitch tent at the Thika Road Mall for ten days to promote his products.