KOTA BHARU: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is an apt expression for 49-year-old Yusran Hamat, who transforms coconut shells into artsy handicrafts to generate extra income for his family.
The pandemic has greatly affected his income, and now he relies on sheer skills and grit for his livelihood and care for his family.
With a background in selling recycled goods, the idea came to the father of five when he saw coconut shells being discarded at a shop selling coconut milk near his house.
He began collecting the shells from the shop owner, who generously gave them to him for free.
After watching YouTube tutorials and multiple carving attempts, he was able to produce his first successful design of an island and a coconut tree.
“I will draw the desired design first on a piece of paper before placing it onto the surface of the coconut shell. Then, the coconut shell will be carved into the required shape and painted to prevent damage, and this can be quite tricky,” explained Yusran.
With about five kilograms of coconut shells every week, Yusran has produced handicraft of various forms, such as birds, ships, money boxes and cups, and sold them at prices from as low as RM5 to as high as RM40 at a nearby handicraft shop, earning him about RM300 monthly.
Yusran also has plans to market his creations to other parts of Kelantan.
