A mini-car ‘fit for a president’

• ELIASER NDEYANALE

ISABELA Shongolo (47) is stands in the shade of a marula tree outside Olukonda Church on Sunday.

She’s trying to sell an intricately crafted miniature Toyota Land Cruiser made entirely from discarded cans and wire.

The toy is complete with a miniature caravan – furnished with a bed and pillows.

As some worshipers exit the church yard, they gather around Shongolo’s miniature 4×4 vehicle.

“This is a beautiful car. How much effort has gone into this?” asks one of the onlookers while taking photographs of the silver toy.

The man says president Nangolo Mbumba, who also attended the church service, will be impressed by the car and will buy it.

But Shongolo never got the chance to showcase her work to the president.

Her miniature car is no ordinary toy. It sells for N$20 000 and boasts a small luggage rack on top, doors that open, a bumper, and a bull bar.
“If the materials are available, it takes about two weeks to complete a car like this one,” she says, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“We also make intricate motorbikes and bicycles,” she says.

Shongolo, who is from Ondonga village, says she has been making small cars, motorbikes and tractors since she was a child.

Today, alongside fellow artisan Martin Nakathingo, she collects discarded cooldrink tins and pieces of wire, and transforms them into small cars, bicycles, motorbikes or tractors.

Some of the little cars even feature working lights and built-in speakers.

“You can play music,” Shongolo says.

A mini-motorbike or bicycle costs N$10 000.

“They are finished, we don’t have them in stock at the moment,” she says.

Nakathingo says after selling one motorbike for N$10 000, she and her business partner bought some building materials with the aim to build a workshop where they can craft their products.

“We are faced with the challenges of getting wire, as a wire roll is very expensive,” he says.

The plan is to train young people on crafting the toys.

“I’ve trained a schoolboy on how to craft a car,” Nakathingo says.

Born at Oshali village, also in the Oshikoto region, he says apart from crafting toys, he also repairs shoes and draws pictures.