Strike at community craft project

THE future of a community project at Keetmanshoop is in the balance after about 45 community members downed tools last week in protest against the way they claim it is run.

The People In Need (PIN) community project was set up to provide social services and job opportunities for poverty-stricken families, especially those affected by the HIV-AIDS pandemic. A Czech-funded project, it started in 2003 and is scheduled to run until next year.The 45 Nama-speaking community members, mainly women, employed at the PIN Wake Centre craft workshop are demanding the immediate removal of project leader Dagmar Zdenka.They claim she ignores their concerns and is running the project like a “dictatorship”.Zdenka declined to comment, saying an official statement would made after a meeting with the community members.The group handed over a petition to Karas Governor Dawid Boois and Keetmanshoop Mayor Simon Petrus Tiboth.”If something is wrong then we cannot speak our mind.We are denied our constitutional right to say no to certain things we do not agree on,” the petition reads.The project members also complained about what they say is the “little money” they earn from their crafts, which are sold in the Czech Republic.”The quality of our products is good and they sell like hotcakes at good prices, but we the producers are getting peanuts,” the petition claims.The group want the project to be closed down if their concerns are not addressed.A Czech-funded project, it started in 2003 and is scheduled to run until next year.The 45 Nama-speaking community members, mainly women, employed at the PIN Wake Centre craft workshop are demanding the immediate removal of project leader Dagmar Zdenka.They claim she ignores their concerns and is running the project like a “dictatorship”.Zdenka declined to comment, saying an official statement would made after a meeting with the community members. The group handed over a petition to Karas Governor Dawid Boois and Keetmanshoop Mayor Simon Petrus Tiboth.”If something is wrong then we cannot speak our mind.We are denied our constitutional right to say no to certain things we do not agree on,” the petition reads.The project members also complained about what they say is the “little money” they earn from their crafts, which are sold in the Czech Republic.”The quality of our products is good and they sell like hotcakes at good prices, but we the producers are getting peanuts,” the petition claims.The group want the project to be closed down if their concerns are not addressed.