From behind the wheel to vehicle manufacturer

KARACHI: A craftsman, living in a rented house in Karachi, is making a living for his family through his passion for making model trucks.
Before Muhammad Sarwar, 50, took up model making professionally, he worked as a driver of public vehicles. But for the past 20 years, he has redirected his passion for trucks into designing and creating mini vehicles.
Sarwar told Arab News that when he worked as a public transport driver he was dissatisfied and longed to turn his hand to something creative. But he has not totally abandoned his former day job as most of the models he makes are trucks and other vehicles that reflect his past association with driving public vehicles.
He makes up to 40 pieces in a month with the help of his wife and three children, fashioning the models out of sheets of thermopole, art paper, tinsel, glue and nails.
It costs him between 300 rupees ($2.7) to Rs 500 to create each model and he sells them for between 500 to 1,000 rupees.
Sarwar has discovered there is quite a demand for models of traditionally decorated trucks, as his models have found a market with both local and foreign buyers.
His two sons and daughter not only help him to make the models but also trawl the Internet looking for inspiration for new designs.
Sarwar, who used to live in Lahore, moved to Karachi because he found that it provided a better location from which he could market his products. He sells his models around Model Colony, to the northeast of Jinnah International Airport, for four hours each evening.
Plans for his work to reach a wider market have had to be put on hold so far. A government offers to help him display his work at exhibitions has had to be turned down as does not currently have the resources to do so.
There is no sign of him regretting his change of career. He notes that if he had continued to work as a driver his monthly income would not exceed 20,000 rupees.
Even so, the long-term future of his business remains in doubt as so far there is no sign that his children plan to follow his lead. “I ask my children to take this model making as a profession, but apparently they are not interested,” he told Arab News.

From behind the wheel to vehicle manufacturer