Shoe-making is not for school dropouts — Horseman founder Tonyi Senayah

Founder of Horseman, Tonyi Senayah, says his shoemaking business is driven by a broader mission to create fulfilling employment opportunities for artisans and challenge the perception that vocational trades are meant for people who fail to progress through formal education. Mr Senayah said his interest in developing people, which took shape towards the end of his studies at the University of Ghana, had influenced his decision to build a business around shoemaking and craftsmanship. Speaking on Personality Profile on JoyNews on Friday, October 30, he said that although he once dreamed of becoming a pilot, he had become increasingly drawn to work that would help people develop their potential. As he approached the end of university, he said he knew he wanted to work in a field where he could contribute to human development.

He subsequently applied to several international non-governmental organisations working in that area. His eventual entry into entrepreneurship through shoemaking, he explained, remained consistent with that ambition. “When the entrepreneurship started and it happened to be shoes, working with artisans, it wasn’t so far off. It was still a calling to help shape and develop people, create opportunities for people who had learned the skill of shoemaking and craft in general,” he said. Beyond making shoes Mr Senayah said his experience working with artisans had drawn his attention to the circumstances under which many people entered vocational trades. He observed that some people learnt shoemaking, sewing, mechanics and carpentry not necessarily because those were their preferred careers, but because they had been unable to continue their formal education. According to him, that reality reinforced his determination to build a business that offered…