What is Penduka? Penduka is a social enterprise and training centre for local, less privileged women in Namibia. After skill training our artisans become part of the Penduka Village production team, earning a fair income from sales of our unique handmade products. Those with entrepreneurial skills will be supported to start up on their own. If art and crafts are not your cup of tea, we have developed a hospitality side and our restaurant and overnight and conference facilities might just suit you perfectly. Penduka is based in Katutura, the former black township of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. Established as a Trust in 1992, Penduka is self-supporting, except for large investments. We have seven Trustees governing the organization’s mission and vision. Penduka embraces the Fair Trade principles, and looks for partnerships with other institutions, companies and organizations to build strong relationships. Penduka (“to wake up”) brings hope and encourages the women to wake up, take the lead, gain self-confidence. As we offer a broad range of skills and services, the Penduka women are exposed to this full range and learn its different aspects and processes. They grow with their work. Penduka’s products speak for themselves. | What we do Before the pandemic, Penduka provided work for about 499 women, 39 on a permanent contract and 460 working as contributing members. Unfortunately Penduka had no choice but to let go of half of our staff in December 2020. We now have 138 registered members. The ultimate goal of Penduka is to create a strong brand position built on social relevance. To this purpose, Penduka also: - serves as a training and network centre. -organizes exchange programmes with the Netherlands and other European countries - gives out interest-free loans and helps women get loans for their study or an important investment - trains women in crafts, design, hospitality, and management skills, and educates them on health risks like tuberculosis or HIV AIDS. This way, women have the opportunity to develop themselves broadly in a variety of fields and life skills - assists mothers with school fees for their children if they can’t afford them Penduka is about respect, self-confidence and empowerment. | Activities Our team members’ income-generating activities include: - storytelling embroidery - African batik - GlassRecyclingJewelry - storytelling pottery - small-scale farming - doorstep gardens - aquaponics For all these, we use natural resources, recycle, and use water recycling and alternative energy. A visit to Penduka is an experience. Visitors can partake by attending a workshop or dance with the women at the end of the day when the work is put aside. Penduka has a local Think Tank for sharing ideas on product development, collaborating with artists, and fine-tuning tourism products and services for the local market. Social media helps us at Penduka to deliver our message across borders through assistance from Foundation Penduka NL and VZW Belgium. Distribution of our unique handmade products to clients worldwide is via webshop, www.penduka.com |
