First San coffin makers graduate

FIVE men from the Otjozondjupa Region, including three members of the San community, have received eight weeks of training in coffin making and spray-painting at Polyflora Namibia.

The training course is the brainchild of Deputy Prime Minister Libertina Amathila, who is spearheading the San Development Programme of the Office of the Prime Minister. Projects like scholarships for San children, provision of draught animals and seed have been implemented since 2005.During Amathila’s visits to the San communities she noticed that many bodies were buried in plastic bags or left in the mortuaries for long periods because people could not afford coffins.Her office then contacted Polyflora Namibia to help train San people to make coffins.Only three San men were included in the first group of five trainees, however.”In future, I call upon regional councillors to make sure that we empower San people, Amathila said.”It must be made clear that councillors should not sneak in other tribes when we specifically asked for San trainees.This is not tribalism but the San are a very poor community and this programme is initiated by Government to empower the San.”She further called upon the private sector to support the programme and help make it sustainable.The trainees have made 15 coffins, which will be given to the San community in the Otjozondjupa Region.The trainees will also receive start-up materials and toolkits.All five are now qualified coffin makers but they have also acquired other carpentry skills and are thus able to make furniture too.The programme will be repeated in all the other regions where San people live, with Omaheke being next on the list.Projects like scholarships for San children, provision of draught animals and seed have been implemented since 2005.During Amathila’s visits to the San communities she noticed that many bodies were buried in plastic bags or left in the mortuaries for long periods because people could not afford coffins.Her office then contacted Polyflora Namibia to help train San people to make coffins.Only three San men were included in the first group of five trainees, however.”In future, I call upon regional councillors to make sure that we empower San people, Amathila said.”It must be made clear that councillors should not sneak in other tribes when we specifically asked for San trainees.This is not tribalism but the San are a very poor community and this programme is initiated by Government to empower the San.”She further called upon the private sector to support the programme and help make it sustainable.The trainees have made 15 coffins, which will be given to the San community in the Otjozondjupa Region.The trainees will also receive start-up materials and toolkits.All five are now qualified coffin makers but they have also acquired other carpentry skills and are thus able to make furniture too.The programme will be repeated in all the other regions where San people live, with Omaheke being next on the list.