Coronavirus impact: I’m ‘broke’, my talent on lockdown – Woodcarver laments

Daniel Ayikoi Tagoe sits in his fully stocked African artifact shop looking tired, lost in deep thought, and to stop himself from falling asleep, he uses his hands to support his head.

His posture gave him away, a clear signal that he is frustrated or extremely bored from being all alone in the workplace.

Daniel Ayikoi Tagoe confirmed in a conversation with freelance journalist and vlogger Selorm Helen, that he’s been sitting idle since morning and as at 4pm, nothing had been sold.

The woodcarver who owns an African artifact shop in Accra, opposite Alliance Français d’Accra says the outbreak of the coronavirus has brought unbearable hardship upon him because business has become unusually slow and patronage stalled.

The entrepreneur, laments over the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic on his small business and further detailed his losses.

He disclosed that not even a single ware had been sold since he resumed work after the ban on movement was lifted.

Daniel bemoaned how he had lost business deals due to the ban on international travels, tourism activities and festivals, a move by government to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

According to him, the artifact business is greatly dependent on tourism as tourists and Africans in the diaspora who visit Ghana occasionally, patronise his shop.

“I haven’t sold anything since I opened this shop in the morning. I don’t remember when last I sold something. My customers are not coming because of the travel ban and things are very difficult for me,” he told freelance journalist Selorm Helen.

Aside the carving job, Daniel who loves writing songs and singing as well, could have had a side job as a musician but he says “The plan was to make money from my carving business and use it to fund my music career but since this one is locked, the talent too is locked down inside me”.

He called on big music brands in Ghana to come to his aid and help uncover his talent.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic came as a shock to the world and apart from the unbelievable number of deaths recorded worldwide, the impact of the disease on economies cannot be overemphasised.

The global impact of the COVID-19 saw health systems break down, large conglomerates temporarily shut down, firms which could not withstand the shock totally collapsing, employees being laid off, among other adversities.

But businesses which were hard hit by the pandemic in Ghana are the small-scale ventures. A significant number of Ghanaian owned start-ups have collapsed leaving the owners in debts.