STORY: Wood carving market in Windhoek boosts creative commerce in Namibia
SHOOTING TIME: May 24, 2024
DATELINE: May 25, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:44
LOCATION: Windhoek
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the wood carving market in Windhoek
2. SOUNDBITE (English): PAULINUS NDELETU, Chairperson of the woodcarvers open market committee
3. various of the wood carving market in Windhoek

STORYLINE:

A bustling open market is revitalizing creative commerce in the Namibian capital of Windhoek as locals turn to the centuries-old tradition of wood carving to make a living.

The products crafted include furniture, wildlife sculptures and accessories, known for their high quality and fair pricing.

Wood carving holds historical significance in northeastern Namibia, where cultural heritage skills are passed down through generations.

From three artists in 1998, the market now hosts 75 skilled artisans, primarily from the Kavango East and West regions.

The open market has also spawned a broader value chain, with suppliers providing materials to artists. A 100-meter plank, enough to create a wooden stool, costs 250 Namibian dollars (about 13 U.S. dollars). Women, although not carving, actively sell products.

To advocate for the artists' interests, they formed a committee.

SOUNDBITE (English): PAULINUS NDELETU, Chairperson of the woodcarvers open market committee
"A market like this is very much important in Namibia. We are doing something for our lives, for us to survive. Some of us we get money we use to pay our school kids' school funds. And our kids also going to school the money which we use to pay for them is the money which we are getting from this market."

The wood carving business also involves compliance and environmental protection. The wood comes from indigenous trees such as rosewood and teak in northeastern Namibia.

According to Ndeletu, artisans only buy from wood suppliers with valid permits.

With a forest cover of only 8 percent, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism imposed a timber harvesting restriction in 2018. Timber harvesting resumed in 2021, subject to mandatory approvals and permits to protect the forests, said the ministry's spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Windhoek.
(XHTV)