STORY: Namibian initiative uses art to empower women
SHOOTING TIME: April 4, 2024
DATELINE: April 5, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:03
LOCATION: Windhoek
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of activities at Penduka Trust
2. SOUNDBITE (English): CHRISTIEN ROOS, Co-founder of Penduka Trust
3. various of dance, textile and other activities at Penduka Trust

STORYLINE:

Penduka Trust, a women-empowering initiative in Namibia, is utilizing art to help locals secure a better life.

The programs under Penduka Trust are diverse and comprehensive, catering to women with limited education and young mothers. 

They provide a wide range of training in skills, from storytelling and embroidery to pottery, agriculture, and jewelry making, showcasing the versatility and adaptability of the women involved.

The initiative, which started with six women in Windhoek in 1992, has reached over 1,000 women in other parts of Namibia, where poverty is prevalent.

SOUNDBITE (English): CHRISTIEN ROOS, Co-founder of Penduka Trust
"We have trained a thousand women, and we call them members of Penduka. The majority, luckily, are on their own. It is a group of 140 women, and we still keep them as members doing embroidery work for us. Currently, we have 24 staff members."

The handicrafts and items are sold locally, and many embroideries are exported to Asia and Europe.

Over the years, through the program, women have improved their skills and effectively improved their livelihood.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Windhoek.
(XHTV)