Auleria Wakudumo
A government funded youth training programme has yielded results: one of its beneficiaries is now an entrepreneur and employer, improving learning environments in schools across the Ohangwena region. Based at Ongha settlement, Immanuel Shangula (35) is the managing director of Pewa Omaano Trading CC, a business specialising in the manufacturing and repair of school furnitures.
His journey demonstrates how government-supported enterprise training can empower the youth to build sustainable businesses and create employment in their communities.
In 2019, Shangula was among the youth selected to undergo an enterprise training programme at the University of Namibia (Unam). The initiative, fully funded by the government, aimed to equip young people with practical business skills so they could start their own enterprises, earn a living and employ others within their constituencies.
“The idea was not just to teach us theory, but to prepare us to create opportunities for ourselves and others,” Shangula said.
After completing the course, participants in the Omulonga constituency formed the Omulonga Constituency Youth Forum to pursue collective business ventures.
However, challenges related to cooperation and other constraints later prompted Shangula to pursue his own path.
In 2021, he officially started Pewa Omaano Trading CC, after identifying a pressing need in schools for durable desks and chairs. His first breakthrough came when Onanghali North Combined School approached him to repair their school furniture.
“That was the first school I ever worked with, and it gave me confidence and motivated me to start marketing my services,” he said. Like many start-ups, Shangula began with limited resources. Without all the necessary machines and equipment, he relied on networking and rented tools. Then, he purchased his own tools as the business gained momentum.
He has since grown the business to employ four artisans on a permanent basis. He also creates short-term employment by hiring additional workers from host communities when travelling to distant schools for repair work.
“I usually take two artisans with me and hire the rest locally. That way, the work also benefits the community we are working in,” he said.
Pewa Omaano Trading CC today supplies schools, government institutions, private organisations, and serves community members who require furniture repairs. His greatest success is seeing learners and teachers learning in a conducive learning environment.
Despite his progress, Shangula says access to start-up capital and financial support remains a challenge.
He believes additional funding would allow the business to buy materials in advance, produce furniture proactively, and establish a fully equipped workshop.
Lineekela Naukushu Combined School in the Ohangwena region is among the schools that benefited from chairs and tables manufactured and repaired by Shangula for both learners and teachers.
The school principal, John Kanyemba, praised Shangula for his dedication and workmanship, noting that the furniture does not only enable learners to study in a conducive environment but also reflects high quality.
“The school previously faced a serious shortage of chairs and tables before engaging Shangula, adding that the services were affordable and met the school’s needs,” he said.
Shangula continues to give back to the community as the volunteer chairperson of the Omulonga Constituency Youth Forum, encouraging other young people to take advantage of training and entrepreneurship opportunities.
-awakudumo@nepc.com.na