Herero seamstresses of the Ugab River

The Herero seamstresses of the Ugab River are a highlight of the route from Uis to Twyfelfontein in central Namibia. The stalls with their well-made dolls, pencil cases and shopping bags line the road, adding a burst of colour and beauty to the landscape.

On the way southwards from Damara Mopane Lodge, I stopped to say hello and hear how they started this small and colourful industry. The women, dressed in their traditional layered skirts and cow-horn headdresses (otjikaeva) gathered around, warmly welcoming me and pulling up a chair for me to sit on.

Sitting in a circle, each woman related her story (some translated from Otjiherero) as passing cars coated us in dust, tourists stopped to buy their goods and the children giggled. I listened to how it all began in 1990 with the matriarch of the group, Fransiska Muheua. Self-taught, Franssika began to make the Herero dolls, sewing them by hand until she was able to buy a Singer sewing machine in Windhoek. Noticing that many travellers stopped to take a break from the road at the Ugab bridge, she set up her Herero dolls displayed on cardboard boxes. Her sister, Helena Kaunatje, joined her and they gradually began to construct stalls made from mopane branches along the roadside. Daughters, nieces and family members - Enethe, Annemarie, Lidia, Hilaria and Emmily - joined them over the years, learning their sewing skills from them. Enethe contributed her own story of how a puffadder bit her one night in her home and by the time she arrived at the hospital it was too late to save her leg. They also told me, smiling, how they’ve learnt a few words of Italian, French, Spanish and German and can converse with some of the surprised tourists who can’t speak English. The seamstresses hard work enables them to pay their children’s school fees and bring in money for the household. They are always appreciative of support and are delighted to receive fabric offcuts and old sewing machines. They continue to produce proudly-Namibian gifts for travellers to take home – and to brighten up the dusty road with their vibrant colours and eye-catching dolls.

After listening to the life stories of these lovely women, it was time to continue on my way. They happily posed for a few photographs before I left. Grateful for their time, I made a small donation to thank them and was touched when they returned the gesture by each giving me a small handmade gift. With my heart full, my arms full of gifts and humbled by their generosity, I climbed into my vehicle. Looking into my rearview mirror as I drove away, I could see them standing in the road in their striking dresses, waving goodbye.