00:00When the drum of passion beats, the feet of purpose cannot stay still.
00:05Today, we are stepping into a world full of sodas, sweat, and guess what?
00:11Some serious skill.
00:13I will be joining a hardworking lady who turns raw timber into a stunning work of art.
00:21One cut, calf, and polish at a time.
00:24Without further delay, let me introduce to you our Osula for today.
00:31I'm Nicole, the Queen of Wood.
00:34We specialize in the manufacturing and marketing of wooden tableware and decorative objects.
00:40Before any carving or sanding begins, Nicole's day starts right here at the sawmill.
00:46She carefully unpicks the finest logs.
00:50These raw materials are the soul of her creation.
00:54Nico, now I want to know, how do you know which wood to choose?
00:58For my tableware, I use Iroko, Teak, and Milena wood from Liberia.
01:04I only use these woods because they're strong, durable, and sturdy.
01:09So guys, as you can see, I'm really learning a lot from my boss.
01:13But then, Nico, how are we going to cut this wood?
01:16First we trace it out, then we cut the groove.
01:18For that part, I really need help.
01:20If I start cutting the wood myself now, I'll end up sore all over.
01:24I can imagine that.
01:27So, once the groove is done, we move on to planing and then to the sawmill.
01:32There are already workers there who take care of that, you see?
01:35There's not much left for me to do.
01:37They cut the wood, plane it, and then...
01:39Let's go to the water and the cocoa.
01:42We've just arrived at the workshop.
01:44Thank you very much. I'm glad to be here.
01:47Here's the wood we brought back from the sawmill.
01:49That's what we're going to work with.
01:51Now we have our plank.
01:53So, the plate we want to make now, this is the template we're going to trace to create it.
02:04This is the chisel for carving. It's for tapping and carving.
02:08Wow, this is like hammer and this one is for scraping.
02:11Then we have the clamp to keep the wood fixed so it doesn't move.
02:15Yeah, for tightening it, to make it firm.
02:18Firm, firm.
02:21So, Nicole, I want to ask you, for how long have you been doing this work?
02:24I've been in the business for five years now.
02:27Oh, five good years. You are a strong lady.
02:30Sam, here's the electric sander.
02:32This is what we're going to use to sand the inside.
02:35We'll use 60 grit sandpaper to do the polishing.
02:38What are the challenges that you faced at the beginning?
02:40I'm basically self-taught.
02:43At the beginning, I had no experience.
02:45I didn't know anything about the field.
02:47I worked with different craftsmen and collaborated with them.
02:51The first time I came across wooden tableware, I fell in love with it.
02:55So, I contacted a craftsperson and asked if they could make some for me.
03:00He said yes.
03:01So, I gave him all my savings.
03:04He left and I never saw him again.
03:07It was a real shock for me.
03:12After that, I worked with other artisans, but the big problem was always the delivery time.
03:18The finishing wasn't really what I wanted either.
03:21So, one day I said to myself, okay, I'll do it myself.
03:25I slowly started and now, here we are.
03:28It's a real source of pride for me.
03:33It also brings me joy to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary and to hear people say, wow, when they
03:41look at my creations.
03:43So, that's it.
03:48So, we position it like this.
03:50I can see that your hand is very smooth, like you cut everything perfectly.
03:55Have you ever enjoyed yourself or have any difficulty in getting this chip?
03:59Yes, we often get hurt, especially the electric saw.
04:02It's sharp.
04:02It cuts quickly.
04:03So, guys, after several hours of smoothing, of carving, here is our final product.
04:10Very smooth and ready for food.
04:13Nicole's story isn't just about wood.
04:16It is about resilience.
04:18A woman who refused to let betrayal or failure stop her from building something beautiful.
04:25Deep full.
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