Ondangwa
The entrepreneurial spirit of 27-year old Admire Manyamba, who earns a living by weaving furniture for homes and recreational places, is indeed inspirational.
Manyamba starts work as early as seven in the morning and endures cut fingers and long hours of sitting, often in the scorching heat of the Namibian sun. That has never deterred him, however, from living his dream as a furniture weaver.
“This is my job, my passion, I have no desire to be employed elsewhere, weaving eembale (palm strands) is simply my job,” he chuckled.
Operating from a small, rental shack at Adolf location between Ondangwa and Ongwediva, Manyamba has become an interior decorator for many people in the area of Ondangwa, Oshakati, Ongwediva and Oshikango.
He has over time developed a reputation for creativity and neatness as he dexterously tugs, twirls and straightens the strands of palm with rapid movements to transform them into lucrative furniture.
Manyamba said that the process starts with collecting palm strands from the village. He then cleans the palm and dries the strands before placing them in water to ready them for weaving.
The weaving process is complimented by carpentry, as the weaving is also incorporated in furniture, such as beds, cupboards and headboards, among others. Thereafter, he selects the colours and also decides on the shape and design of the furniture, but he readily adds that clients are welcome to suggest a preferred colour and design.
Manyamba uses cardboard and paint purchased from local building shops, as well as wood from the Kavango Region. He said his dream is to expand his workshop, and employ more people, as well as grow his client base.
Currently, he only has one employee, but the construction of a bigger workshop is in progress at his home village, Adolf, and he plans to employ four people thereafter. In addition, he also plans to have his finished products sold all over Namibia in the near future.
In the meantime, Manyamba said he also imparts weaving skills voluntarily to those who are interested: “I learned how to weave from someone. It is only the carpentry skills that I acquired from school, hence I also teach people how to weave,” related Manyamba.