19 Jul 2016

The US ambassador, Earl Miller has assured Ngamiland basket weavers that his office will do its best to market their products in the United States and Europe.
He said lack of access to market has historically hindered craft artists especially women in the Ngamiland district from producing baskets and other crafts.
Miller had attended an event aimed at celebrating creativity in the district where he also noted that with collective efforts from USAID, Travel for Impact and Nhabe Museum, they would purchase crafts directly from the local artists and market them internationally.
He said the US government was delighted to support building sustainable livelihoods in particular artists adding that the museum was positioned to create a conducive environment for all artists to trade, exhibit their work and also to attract tourists.
The museum has been undergoing renovation with some new wooden structures which would house the artists’ artifacts thanks to the US Self-Help Grant and the European Union which financed the project.
The new structures comprised of an enclosed auditorium for use by Poetavango, a coffee shop named Kana Jang, five small studios, a communal space, office space and ablutions.
In his welcome remarks, the chairperson of Okavango Artists Association, Ompatile Sebuelo said their coalition with the museum would continue to create a vibrant arts and culture network in the district.
He noted that the new buildings were becoming visible to the public creating a renewed interest in what was happening at the museum and the entire district.
He thanked the American and European governments for supporting developments of arts and crafts sector in the region.
For her part, basket weavers’ representative, Mosipidi Ledimo who is also the coordinator of Ngwao Boswa Trust in Gumare thanked the American embassy for their support noting that lack of market access would be a thing of the past.
She said now they have a centre where they could display their baskets for sale.
She also thanked the embassy for organising workshops for basket weavers which aim at teaching them new designs and patterns.
“We would move away from our traditional way of doing things and apply what we have acquired as we know what the market wants,” she added.
The co-founder of Poetavango Legodile Seganabeng thanked the organisers and the sponsors for a job well done in transforming the museum.
He said the place has become a creative hub where visual and performing arts, baskets weavers will meet and make their products accessible to tourists and the public at large.
 The event was organized by the museum in collaboration with Travel for Impact, Poetavango Spoken Word, Okavango Artists Association, American Embassy, European Union Commision, Kana Jang Coffee Shop and Craft hood. ENDS