New Sandals...New Experience!

My running friend Philip told me he wanted to buy me some new sandals. I was resistant at first, but he was so insistent to bring me to a specific place and buy them for me, that I couldn’t say no. We took bikes to this place that was far off the main road and all areas of commerce and if I hadn’t been with a trusted friend I might have been a little apprehensive. However, when we arrived we entered inside and I encountered a small, functioning factory!

I met the owner and designer and he showed us around. Besides two sewing machines that were present, all the other cutting, forming and detail work was done by hand. There were approximately When I started asking the young owner about how he was able to get his small business going, I realized that I had met him back in 2009 when I had lived in Jalingo. I had broken the unwritten taxi rules and struck up a conversation with him and learned about his fledgling shoe factory. I had always retained a desire to check it out, but it had never happened. You can imagine my delight when I realized that my happenstance taxi meeting had come full circle with my visit to buy sandals! The cute sandals (they stretch my style) were made all the more beautiful when connected to the experience of being reunited with the designer and witnessing the production process. Thanks to Philip: the sandals are appreciated, but the experience is treasured! :)