Windhoek entrepreneur Kathy Namundjebo has started training youths with hearing impairments as a form of empowering them and as part of her company's social responsibility.
Namundjebo is the owner of Kathy's Joinery, a company she started in 2010 to manufacture built-in cupboards, beds and window rails. It is based at the Old Compound incubation centre at Katutura (behind the Red Cross offices) in Windhoek.
Namundjebo says she is the first indigenous female carpenter in Namibia, and she was influenced into taking up the trade by a number of German women carpenters she used to see at Swakopmund while growing up.
"I was inspired by them even though my parents did not believe in that career because, as a black community, they believed in sending children, especially girls, to institutions like the University of Namibia. Sending a girl to a vocational training centre was a taboo then, especially when doing courses like woodwork," she said.
But she made her way to the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre, where she took five years to graduate instead of three due to financial challenges which sometimes forced her to drop out to take up a job to raise the required fees.
"Nobody in the family believed in my dream at first and they did not help me much financially. Luckily, I was sent to Germany on an exchange programme by one company and I was able to make money to pay for my training.
"In Germany, I learnt a lot, including that you can make a house from the floor to the roof from wood," she said.
Namundjebo said carpentry is special to her because every house, office or building needs furniture.
"Houses are being built every day and they all have kitchens that need furniture. It becomes more special to me when I put a feminine touch to it and my women clients love it," she said, adding that one of her biggest jobs was providing furniture for former president Hifikepunye Pohamba's rural home.
She also supplied furniture to NamPower managing director Simson Haulofu, as well as the National Youth Council offices.
Namundjebo says her secret to success is her professionalism, which she wants to use to empower people with disabilities.
In addition to her six workers, she has taken in three youngsters with hearing impairments as trainee carpenters.
"I enlisted the help of the Namibia Training Authority to impart skills to these youths as a way of empowering them so they do not just end up cleaners and shelf packers but can stand on their own and have a better life.
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"I have trained a lot of people and I encourage them to start their own businesses when I see they have acquired enough skills. Many have come back to show me their cars and to thank me," she said.
Namundjebo said her biggest challenge has been giving instructions to trainees, as the translators she uses are not artisans and they sometimes convey incorrect messages to the trainees.
"I have learnt some basics in sign language to enable me to communicate with the trainees but would be happy if other artisans who have time to spare can help out."
She said the trainees were more productive because they had few distractions.
Namundjebo appealed to the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, and well-wishers including the German organisation GIZ, to donate old equipment so she can take in more trainees with disabilities.
"In the next five years, I want to start a few training centres for people with disabilities outside Windhoek," she said, adding that people with hearing impairments can safely use carpentry equipment.
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