By John Muyamba
MPUNGU VLEI – Mpungu Vlei a village some 60 km west of Nkurenkuru in Kavango West is where you will find the inspiring female bricklayer and builder Hendrina Nankero Kavera, who is passionate about her work in the male-dominated field of construction work.
Kavera is a 34-year-old mother of four children – two boys and two girls. Her husband is a truck driver.
Her first job on a construction site was at a school in the village some years back when she started pushing wheelbarrows with mixed cement for the bricklayers – a job she didn’t like but had no choice as she needed the money.
Kavera said: “I didn’t enjoy pushing the wheelbarrow so I decided to learn to lay bricks and together with some other guys we were lucky to get a chance to learn as the company we worked for (Home Haart Construction) held some evening classes for community members who wanted to learn building for free and so I joined. I was the only female and the classes were held for two months. After that I was able to do the job well.”
When New Era visited Mpungu Vlei, Kavera was busy on a small building that she plans to finish soon and use as a hair salon. She said she herself won’t be doing the hairdressing but will hire someone to work in the salon for her as she prefers building work.
She aspires to own her own building and renovation company in Kavango West and maybe expand outside the region.
“As a mother I have the responsibility to provide for my family – not only wait for what the man brings home. I should also provide help to my man,” she says.