Ten Mens Work

Each year we head to the Bahamas, we meet someone new. Well, that’s obvious, but what I meant was someone who we will build a relationship with. Initially it was Raoul and Karen, followed by Terry, Jurel, and Clevie. Last year we met Marlon, one of Raoul’s many relatives on the island. Marlon has a skill. What started as a hobby and a passion is now a burgeoning business opportunity. Marlon is a master at woodworking. Not building furniture, but wood-art. He has learned how to craft images of animals, people, figures, and objects out of the fallen branches and trees on the island. Beautiful pieces of pure art. Last summer, Raoul decided to give Marlon a space in the Karazim Ministries workshop to do some carving. The only caveat was that Marlon would also be part of the staff of Karazim, doing odd jobs and being a general helper wherever Raoul needed him. His first few days on the job were the week we arrived and his initial job was to trim some of the branches on the trees that surround the feeding center. So after a day of this, Marlon took the wood into the shop and began working. When he first arrived, he had a handful of items, but by the end of the week, Marlon had created a table full of beautifully crafted statues, crosses, figurines, and even walking sticks. He set up a table for us on the last night where we subsequently gobbled up his entire inventory. When we arrived home, there was a lot of buzz about his work – How much? Is there more? Can I get something? I called Raoul with a plan, and if you know Raoul, he never met a plan he didn’t like. The plan would be to drum up enough business that Marlon could open his own shop and sell his items full-time. He already has a name – “Ten men creations” which came from one of Marlon’s previous employers because he said Marlon does the work of ten men. But with any new business, you need customers and something to show the customers. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking about this on the trip and didn’t take any pictures of the items. But when I went back this winter, I made sure I snapped up a bunch to share with all of you. I don’t know the specific prices of each, but they range from $10 to $70. If you see a particular item, email Raoul at Raoul@karazim.com and he’ll get back to you. They al have a PayPal account set up on the karazim.com website if you want to purchase something. And if you have an idea about a possible creation, send that as well.