Last year, Windhoek lost the status of being the cleanest city in Africa to Rwanda’s Kigali but today, Gabriel Hamunyela is hands on deck, aiming at keeping not only the city but Namibia as a whole, clean through his company, Gee and Sons Trading.
The company was established and registered in 2017, but the making of swinging steel drums/dustbins started in 2019.
Hamunyela, a marketing graduate from the Namibia University of Science and Technology, said the mission is to alleviate litter in residential areas, schools, universities and so forth.
“My main aim is to clean up the informal settlements by providing these bins, especially for those areas that have been neglected by town councils. If you visit most of these informal settlements, you will see there are no bins and there is dirt all over. With these bins, you can erect them at one point or junction, so that you can prevent people from littering,” Hamunyela told Youth Corner.
He said he always wanted to start something that will be beneficial to the masses and not only himself.
“I wanted to do something that will stay in the market longer, a product that will not only benefit me alone but the community. I thought of something that would upgrade a certain community, and that’s what I am striving for,” informed Hamunyela, who is producing the drums with four employees.
He said the health and education ministries can approach him to supply the bins to schools and clinics, which sometimes are not as clean and hygienic as they should.
“Deep in the villages, school premises and surroundings are filthy, soccer fields are dirty. Something that shouldn’t happen,” noted Hamunyela.
The 37-year-old Oshakati-born stated collaboration is important and he would want to work closely with town councils, who can buy these bins and station them in their towns and informal settlements.
“I would also like to work with companies such as Pupkewitz, Agra, and Build It. It is of utmost importance to partner with these retailers, because support from these relevant stakeholders is key. I would like to produce bins in large numbers at a reduced cost,” projected Hamunyela.
One of the biggest projects he handled thus far is producing more than 300 bins for Adaptive Building Land Construction, which were later donated to the Kunene region.
“The obstacles we have been facing include low sales, but teaming up with such companies will be great. Other than that, the procurement process for getting such a tender is cumbersome and killing such innovations,” highlighted Hamunyela.
– psiririka@nepc.com.na