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After Winning the Namibia Young Entrepreneur Award (2002) I
have made it my aim to make my business work and to share
all my experience with my local community, thus sharing with
them every step on the way.
I talked to my community about what I wanted to do.
They were very touched by all of this. I started my tour
only involving women and children, so that they could
benefit through this project. The ladies involved are
domestic workers and they have a very low income and this
initiative contributes to putting Bread on the table for
their families.
Many people started coming to me and asked about my award
and how I started my business. They wanted me to include
them in my tours and it was some times difficult for me to
turn away someone as I did not know how to fit them all in,
but I made it my aim not to turn away anybody. So I was
willing to find out what they do and assist them with the
possibility of creating their own business, thus supporting
them by bringing them foreign clients to boost their
business.
For starters, there is a lady in the township that is very
skilled in designing African jewelry and paintings and is
very creative in many things. So I empowered her to start up
a little shop in the township whereby I can pass her shop
with the tourists to buy souvenirs for themselves, since she
was just hawking on the streets in town and was rejected
many times by clients or robbed by people.
She has now built a little shack next to her house and it is
so cozy and African and my clients are very impressed and
feel good to contribute. I also set a standard for her goods
and encourage her to welcome art work from other people in
the township and sell it in the shop. Now we have this
leading “win- win” situation in the community.
Another is a Herero lady whom I suggested to open her home
for tourists. So the tourists can talk to her about their
culture and traditions. She is also talented with her hands
and makes very beautiful herero dolls, after seeing her
handiwork I encouraged her to make more dolls to sell to the
tourists. This has enabled her to have regular income and
boost her confidence as well as her life style.
Aunty Lydia (from the Oshiwambo tribe) also another lady who
approached me and wanted to know if I could help her as she
wanted to start a women’s group cooking traditional meals
for my clients and dancing. As a domestic worker she really
had this dream and did not know how to go about it. I set up
meetings with her for brainstorming to get an idea what she
really wanted. It was not long and she got the picture
clearly and we started working on the product, this time
it’s an African restaurant with a difference at her home, we
called it OLUPALE LETU, meaning Our kitchen. She now has
started to cook for tourists and for local people who want
to indulge themselves in traditional oshiwambo cuisine. She
also started cooking for organizations that held conferences
in Swakopmund. She recently catered twice for 100 delegates
from the SADAC countries. And her income is also more secure
whereby she can sustain her family needs better.
I am also supporting a local Support Group of ladies living
with HIV and AIDS. They wanted me to take my clients to
their stand in order to buy some art and crafts that they
made themselves. All of the ladies are unemployed and find
it difficult to find work because they are discriminated
against.
I am the Secretary and board member of TEARS OF HOPE, a home
based care for Vulnerable Children and Children Living with
HIV. The project was started by Mrs. Naftaline and we are
working together to raise funds for the HOME. I have already
found a possible funder for this Project from the SAGA
HOLIDAY & CHARITABLE TRUST ENGLAND
I donate a lot of stationery to schools and crèches.
Recently I donated soccer clothes to a local school team and
soccer balls. I made it my aim to donate all stationery to
the crèches in the township and the shanty town called the
DRC.
Once a week I devote my time voluntarily to the Lucky
Kindergarten to do reading and drama plays and music with
the children.
Not only do I share my experience within community projects
but I do extend a helping hand to anyone I see who needs
some guidance. Recently I assisted a lady with entering a
competition to start up her on a Nappy-making business. She
won the first prize of the Innovative Start Up Business and
I am currently working on another project assisting a young
man who is talented in Electronics and intends to start up
his own Cell phone Business. After a lot of brainstorming he
is confident enough to get the ball rolling.
I opened a community fund account at Standard Bank Namibia
for projects and for assisting children who don’t have
enough money or school stuff and clothes, but this has not
been so successful as I find it difficult to raise enough
funds…
HOW IS THE COMMUNITY BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS
Community tourism makes a positive contribution to the
conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of
Namibia, and to preserve the world’s diversity.
We promote a cross cultural experience, for foreign visitors
to learn and to observe etiquette and be exposed to the
languages (even to speak a few words). Residents experience
and deal with foreign attitudes that may differ from their
own, which is culturally sensitive, and cultivate respect
between tourists and host, and thereby encourage local pride
and confidence in a responsible manner.
WHAT OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES HAVE I ENCOUNTERED?
Being a previously disadvantaged enterprise and the management,
ownership, control in the tourism industry of Namibia is in the hands of
the minority...
The challenges are financial and how to promote, market,
become competitive and part of this prospering economy.
As locals are usually left with low paying service jobs such
as porters, chambermaids, workers watering the lawn, and
food and souvenir vendors, I do my best as a cultural
activity operator to involve local people as tour guides,
musicians, artists (handcraft) and encourage people to open
their houses for foreign visitors and make use of local
services as far as possible. In this way the tourism dollar
is spread to local communities and in consequence empowers
our people to uplift themselves.
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