At the end of 2019, the Orange Babies Foundation Namibia (OBNAM) reached out to local organizations and businesses to solicit sponsorship for the upscaling and maintenance of its Sewing project. The objective of the Sewing Project is to provide women with sewing and needle work skills which they can use to generate incomes for themselves and their families.
OBNAM was very fortunate to receive sewing machines, related materials and funding for a trainer from the Debmarine –Namdeb Foundation, GIZ and Elna Sewing Company to officially launch a new sewing program.
Hertha, the trainer and a few experts in the field of needlework and sewing drafted a training manual, and began teaching six ladies from the Otjomuise community how to sew. Unfortunately, their training was interrupted by the level 1 lockdown. However, the project commenced again in April 2020, and the trainees began making face masks for all OBNAM staff, beneficiaries and their families. Some external orders were also received by the Namdeb Debmarine Foundation and Debmarine Namibia.
The donation and support received by the Namdeb Debmarine Foundation empowered these women to make a large number of masks in a short time, assisting vulnerable members in their community to protect themselves from contracting the coronavirus.
In the future, the beneficiaries of the sewing programme will continue to utilize their skills to create other items and products which can be sold.
Contributed by the Debmarine-Namdeb Foundation
