Penduka

Penduka is a craft enterprise on the edge of Katutura that has been training and employing women from marginalised communities for more than 30 years. Its name comes from Otjiherero and Oshiwambo and means "wake up". It was founded in 1992 as a development project for women from rural and underdeveloped areas, and today it sells embroidery, batik, jewellery and recycled "trash to treasure" products, providing income that supports the makers' families and communities.

The setting is part of the appeal. Penduka sits near Goreangab Dam in the Goreangab area of Katutura, and the grounds, which it calls The Village, include a shop and gallery, a restaurant, and simple accommodation in bungalows, a round house, backpacker rooms and campsites. Visiting gives you a very different picture of Windhoek from the government quarter and the malls, and it fits naturally into a day spent in Katutura.

The shop is the main draw for most visitors. Products are grouped for the kitchen, bedroom and living room, so it is a good place for practical gifts as well as decorative pieces, and there is also an online shop. FlyNamibia's in-flight magazine has highlighted the batik workshops run by women artisans here, many of them hearing-impaired. The Village also hosts functions and events, and has its own gallery space. Travel News Namibia has described optional batik workshops and paddle boating on the dam as part of tour visits; ask in advance if you would like to try either, as activities depend on availability.

Penduka does not publish opening hours on its website, so phone or email ahead (+264 81 207 9911 or [email protected]), particularly if you want a meal, a workshop or a bed for the night. Several Windhoek city and township tours include a stop here, among them the half-day city and township tour run by Chameleon Safaris, which is the easiest way to visit if you do not have a car.

Allow one to two hours, more if you eat at the restaurant. It suits travellers interested in crafts, community projects and seeing beyond the city centre, and buying here puts money directly into the project.