When we realised none of our staff could sew, we suddenly had a new dream: to create a sewing workshop. We built the first workshop space out of empty plastic mineral water bottles filled with plastic waste and sand.
By October 2020, our sewing workshop had employed four women: Esther, Vivian, Merrina and Annie (an orphan since birth). Hailing from the villages in the Mayuni Conservancy, these women had never worked before, never been taught a skill, and never earned an income.
Today, their hearts are filled with gratitude for the opportunity created by a tiny dream, which became a reality in such a short period of time.
Nikita is the owner of The Collective Boutique in Windhoek and Swakopmund, and Sandra handcrafts leather bags under her brand Myeisha Namibia.
They were both instrumental in donating sewing machines and other equipment, as well as securing experts (including top South African fashion designer, Isabel de Villiers) to help train our team and design patterns.
We are also forever grateful to Avril Payment Solution, who sponsored ten sewing machines and two overlockers.
When we started the Sewing Workshop, embroidery was not a skill that crossed our minds.
With her passion to share knowledge and empower women, Isabel de Villiers taught the ladies to add embroidery to their repertoire.
Their hand-embroidered butterflies are showcased on our Kimono Jackets – each one representing the personality of the embroiderer through its stitch length and colour combinations.
Isabel de Villiers returned in January 2024 and spent two weeks with our team, designing three more garments and creating an entire embroidered linen and tableware collection.
In April 2022, Tinolla and her late husband Dusty, watched in awe as the embroidered creations from the ladies at the Sijwa project (under the tutelage of South African fashion designer, Isabel de Villiers) were walked down the ramp as show stoppers at the 2022 South African Fashion Week.
The magnitude of this accomplishment has simply not yet impacted this small team, and probably never will, as the objective remains a humble one – to touch and impact the lives of our community members and guests of African Monarch Lodges and The Sijwa Project.
This lies at the heart of everything we do at The Sijwa Project.
One of our most popular items is The Sijwa Dress – the very first dress we made, designed and created in collaboration with Chanique Rabe, Miss Supranational 2021.
Chanique also helped us create several other signature dresses, including The Monarch Dress, The Daisy Dress, and The Lily Dress.
And, of course, the piece that kickstarted the dream project, The Sijwa Bathrobe, was designed by Isabel de Villiers. It is made from soft, luxurious linen, in vibrant chartreuse – a colour carefully selected to blend with the natural foliage of the tree canopies. The Sijwa Bathrobe graces every suite at Nambwa Tented Lodge.
Our Dusty Men's Tunic is a timeless, simplistic linen top. The rough first sample was fitted on various staff and team members, and adjusted to fit according to their feedback – resulting in a modern design loved by the men visiting our boutique at Nambwa Tented Lodge.
Complementary to our clothing range, we also produce an exquisite range of bags – designed and created in collaboration with Nicole (Nockels) Werner.
Nockels is a true fabric enthusiast, driven by an unwavering passion for recycling and sustainability. After completing her apprenticeship as an upholsterer and curtain maker in Germany, she set out on a global journey – embracing the rich diversity of cultures and occupations she encountered along the way.
Inspired by The Sijwa Project, Nockels embarked on an exciting collaboration with our sewing team. The ladies embraced the challenge of learning Nockels' unique designs with enthusiasm, and together they crafted stunning bags that burst with vibrant colors and luxurious fabrics.
The commitment and love our designers have for our project and the team strongly support our holistic approach to inspire and connect with the people around us.
A 2018 study shows that the average Namibian girl misses around 46 school days per year during her menstrual cycle – mostly due to not being able to afford sanitary products.
So many factors hold back the African child. Something as natural as menstruation should not be one of them. And sacrificing education should never be an option.
We wished to help provide a solution to this age-old problem, and help local girls remain in school, with dignity, throughout the month.
On top of their donation of our valuable equipment, Avril Payment Solution sponsored 600 reusable sanitary towels manufactured by The Sijwa Project. These were donated to the Zambezi Region of Namibia through the Zambezi Girl Child Foundation.
We would appreciate any form of support.
Simply booking a stay at African Monarch Lodges, visiting The Sijwa Project, or buying any of the products produced makes an enormous difference.
Should you have space in your luggage when travelling to us, may we ask that you consider packing sewing items (like needles, threads and scissors) for our sewing team, or school stationery and books for the vocational residency and residency library.
The escarpment of the community land bordering the Bwabwata National Park lays littered with paper, plastic, glass bottles, and tin cans.
This rural area still has no running water, no electricity, no flushing ablutions, and no formal waste management services.
African Monarch Lodges created The Sijwa Project for exactly this reason – to protect our immediate environment by not adding its own generated waste to non-existent landfills.
It is our dream to embark on a bold project which hopes to see the end of waste lying scattered across this precious land. Join our hands as we embark on what could be one of the greatest success stories for this region.
