When Abel Sawe entered the world of glassmaking, he was simply searching for a way out of the tight clutches of poverty that had plagued his community for decades.
Today, he is the CEO of the Glasshytta Fredrikstad Glass Blowing Company, which is one of the largest manufacturers of glass products in Fredrikstad, Norway.
He has been running the business since 1991, when he acquired the company. For three decades, he has etched a name and an enviable legacy out of the business.
Background
Sawe was born and raised in Kosirai, Nandi County.
Hailing from a humble background, he saw an opportunity to escape poverty after visiting a Finnish family who were residing in the Lelemokwo area near his home in Nandi County.
It was there that Sawe got his first glimpse into the business of glassmaking. The Finnish family ran a small glass manufacturing factory using locally manufactured materials.
The family was gracious enough to give Sawe a part-time job in the factory, and they were so impressed with his hard work that they offered him a scholarship to study the craft of glassblowing at the University of Industrial Arts in Finland.
In 1982, Sawe decided to advance his studies at the Orrefors Glass School in Sweden, now known as the National School of Glass (Riksglasskolan).
There, Sawe graduated three years later with a diploma in Glass Blowing Technology.
“I was the only African in a multitude of foreign students. My dream was to ensure that I harnessed the glass-making skill, and I did not take any lesson for granted,” Sawe said in an interview with The Standard.
How he started the business
After graduating in 1985, Sawe landed a job at the Hadeland factory in Norway, where he worked for three years before landing a better-paying opportunity at the Fredrikstad glass manufacturing Company.
“My new role gave me the opportunity to purchase some shares in the company,” said Sawe.
In 1991, Sawe, together with his Norwegian wife, Kari Spernes, combined purses and bought half of the Fredrikstad glass manufacturing Company’s shares.
Having acquired the business, they changed the company’s name to Glasshytta Fredrikstad Glass Blowing Co.
Since that time, Sawe has managed to survive the turbulent waters of business competition by focusing mostly on African designs.
According to him, a single glass product sells for as much as Ksh 6, 000.
The business has been so successful that Sawe has attracted students from as far away as Germany and Japan, who have expressed interest in starting the venture in their own countries.
Societal impact
Back home in Korisai, Sawe’s impact is undeniable.
The father of four has used his success and influence to renovate his local primary school and build a new secondary school, with support from some of his Norwegian friends.
“I felt obligated to give back to my community because most of the residents of Korisai are not well off, ” he said, adding that the area’s main economic activity is charcoal selling.
Aside from building classrooms, Sawe has introduced several chicken-rearing projects in the area.
These projects have benefited at least six households, with each household getting a free chicken coop and ten egg-laying chickens.
His knowledge and skills have also made a significant impact on Kenya’s economy, with Sawe being a regular visitor at the Kitengela Glass Company.
There, he shares nuggets of hard-earned wisdom on the art and business of making glass products.
Takeaway
Despite his evident success, Sawe maintains that his efforts deserve more than praise and accolades, and that he is simply playing his part in making a better Kenya.
“I think it is important for those of us who have found success in the diaspora to look back home and give back to the community, ” he says.