Doll - Import export

Sara Basson, from Leonardville, produces useful, decorative pieces which are a variety of bead-edged doilies, dolls, placemats and mobiles. Sara was taught by her mother, which served to guide her entire life and its course to date were shaped by her skills at crafting. After moving to Windhoek, she initially sold her handicraft on the streets of the city before applying successfully for a stall at the Namibia Craft Centre. The curios and crafts at her stall reflect Sara Basson’s distinctly rural Namibian aesthetics, almost untouched by her urban surroundings, an innate sense of proportion (small dolls) and an endearing quest for quality as shown by the pristine finishing on her handmade doilies and knitted items. Sara vows to continue producing handmade craft until the day she dies because she enjoys working with her hands. Each item at Saras Sara’n, the name of her stall, is handmade and entirely unique; the singular manifestation of one brave, rural Namibian woman’s inspiration.

Claudia Hangara is a craft trader from rural Namibia, raised in a family loving all things leather. Fifteen years ago, when she started her own business, Josephine’s Leather Work, Arts and Crafts, Claudia’s range naturally focused exclusively on handbags, purses, wallets, jewellery and animals made of leather. The leather is sourced locally thereby lending to each item a 100% Namibian identity. As the years passed and her business grew, Claudia slowly incorporated other items into her range of products such as rawhide sandals of springbok hide, wire craft, dolls, key-rings and beaded products. Claudia Hangara has a unique set of skills in Windhoek and a visit to her stall in the Namibia Craft Centre is compulsory if you are looking for a beautiful animal hide to decorate and compliment your home or office.

Out Of Katutura is a collaboration of two projects, the IYaloo Project and the Matukondo Doll Project. The IYaloo Project was started in 2005 by four unemployed women of Katutura. Kornelia, Beata, Maria and Emilia combined their skills to alter, repair clothing and make pet baskets for cats and dogs, and later expanded to include the production of beanbags. While making beautiful beanbags, the IYaloo women also started making unique and interesting handbags using discarded vinyl LPs. The Matukondjo Dolls Project was founded in 2003 by a former kindergarten teacher, the original eight members of the Matukondjo Dolls Project are still the primary producers of a charming collection of 100% child-friendly rag dolls. The range of includes a Big Mama doll, a Sister Baby doll and a Simple Doll Dress.