Splash of colour brings joy to Okahandja Park
Local artist gives back
After children in the informal settlement inspired one of his artworks, Nghipandulwa returned to pay it forward.
Okahandja Park, an informal settlement of 1 000 shiny corrugated iron homes, is changing - or at least a small part of it is.
Along Hereford Street, formerly Brakwater Road, a cluster of 22 houses have been transformed with vibrant hues.
The man behind the colour, upliftment and joy is Namibian artist Ndako Nghipandulwa.
"Two years ago, I drove past here. I stopped at the top of the hill and took a picture. There were children playing - they rolled tyres down the hill - and I used the children in an artwork I was working on," he said.
After completing the piece, he realised that the people in it will not benefit from the art, and so he went back to Okahandja Park.
"I showed the people the photos of the children and traced their parents. I told them that when I sell the artwork, I'd donate the money to them."
He sold the piece three months later and used the money to buy food and school shoes, among other things.
‘Slave, poor man’
"When I went back to distribute the goods, I saw a house where the owner wrote ‘slave, poor man’ on his door. This encouraged me to paint and beautify the zinc houses. I thought this is how the man sees himself and if I can spruce up his surroundings, he might start to see himself in a different light."
Nghipandulwa met Lukas Dinyando, an electrician who lives in this part of Okahandja Park, when he started the project.
"The people who live here are very excited about their painted houses. We teach the community to paint and at the same time to keep their environment clean,” Nghipandulwa said.
Dinyando added: “Everyone wants their house painted, but we don't have enough paint, so do what we can with what we have. The people of the area are happy and they now like their neighbourhood”.
‘We just need paint’
According to Nghipandulwa, they painted 22 houses in 15 days, with about 100 more houses in the works.
"Next year, I want to get other artists involved and put them to work. We would like to keep painting and spreading the positivity - we just need paint. The project started with a grant I received from the National Arts Council of Namibia. In the meantime, I have already received N$8 200 from members of the public to be able to buy more paint. Many people also contact me and offer their time,” he said.
"If there are people who have paint lying around that they no longer use, contact me and I will use it here, as long as it is watercolour. Any colour or quantity is welcome. We just need paint; we have manpower and willpower in abundance."
Along Hereford Street, formerly Brakwater Road, a cluster of 22 houses have been transformed with vibrant hues.
The man behind the colour, upliftment and joy is Namibian artist Ndako Nghipandulwa.
"Two years ago, I drove past here. I stopped at the top of the hill and took a picture. There were children playing - they rolled tyres down the hill - and I used the children in an artwork I was working on," he said.
After completing the piece, he realised that the people in it will not benefit from the art, and so he went back to Okahandja Park.
"I showed the people the photos of the children and traced their parents. I told them that when I sell the artwork, I'd donate the money to them."
He sold the piece three months later and used the money to buy food and school shoes, among other things.
‘Slave, poor man’
"When I went back to distribute the goods, I saw a house where the owner wrote ‘slave, poor man’ on his door. This encouraged me to paint and beautify the zinc houses. I thought this is how the man sees himself and if I can spruce up his surroundings, he might start to see himself in a different light."
Nghipandulwa met Lukas Dinyando, an electrician who lives in this part of Okahandja Park, when he started the project.
"The people who live here are very excited about their painted houses. We teach the community to paint and at the same time to keep their environment clean,” Nghipandulwa said.
Dinyando added: “Everyone wants their house painted, but we don't have enough paint, so do what we can with what we have. The people of the area are happy and they now like their neighbourhood”.
‘We just need paint’
According to Nghipandulwa, they painted 22 houses in 15 days, with about 100 more houses in the works.
"Next year, I want to get other artists involved and put them to work. We would like to keep painting and spreading the positivity - we just need paint. The project started with a grant I received from the National Arts Council of Namibia. In the meantime, I have already received N$8 200 from members of the public to be able to buy more paint. Many people also contact me and offer their time,” he said.
"If there are people who have paint lying around that they no longer use, contact me and I will use it here, as long as it is watercolour. Any colour or quantity is welcome. We just need paint; we have manpower and willpower in abundance."
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