This Flats handyman is making it his business to find work for young, idle hands in his community.
The self-taught jack of all trades is not afraid to get his hands dirty to create his own ornaments, like a kwaai fish tank complete with back light and speakers.
For 38-year-old Kervin Sampson, 38, from Manenberg, another man’s trash is truly his treasure.
He was six when he started collecting scrap or tearing things apart to create almost anything else.
With years of experience and raw talent, Kervin was able to help reconstruct his mother’s house after it was damaged by the 1999 tornado.
He jazzed up a plain wall in her living room by making display racks for her ornaments using an old PVC pipe and wood he carved himself.
Similarly, the black and white stair rail in their home is also made with recycled wood.
He also created every one of the five stunning mirrors in his mother’s living room using recycled wood.
“This is my passion,” he tells the Daily Voice.
“It’s what I have been doing since I was very young. I can make almost anything and I don’t really have to put a lot of thought into it. I decide on the design as I go along,” he says.
Kervin does all his work from his bedroom which resembles a mini workshop.
His proudest creation is the “multi-functional” fish tank made entirely of recycled goods.
The tank stands on a refurbished cabinet and plays music, has a UV light to check for fake money and even a home-made water purifier.
“It took me two months to finish it because I didn’t have all the materials,” he says.
“I used old toys, made the side with pallets, and used old election posters to create the roof,” he says.
Kervin says he’d like to teach youngsters in his community, and anyone who knows him is welcome to klop aan.