G010 - Penduka (Namibia): Promotion products centre for disadvantaged women through internet

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1 G010 - Penduka (Namibia): Promotion products centre for disadvantaged women through internet Question Create the best possible ranking position for Penduka on digital web search engines, with respects to all aspects Penduka has to offer. Voor deze opdracht bezoek je de GENE startconferentie in Zwolle op 30 september. Zie: Situation Penduka is a local non-governmental development organisation, working with women in Namibia. The word Penduka' means in the Oshiwambo and Otjiherero languages literally Wake Up!' and figuratively Stand Up'. Penduka is registered at the Ministry of Health and Social Services and at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Penduka was founded in 1992 by Christien Roos from The Netherlands and four Namibian women. The main centre is situated just outside Windhoek (the capital) on the outskirts of the black suburb Katutura. Women in Namibia suffer from a low social status and often the entire family lives in poverty. This is often worsened by a physical handicap or by diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and HIV AIDS. Penduka tries to break this negative circle by training these (disadvantaged) women in different fields of income generating activities. The objective is to empower them through craftsmanship so that they can enroll themselves into an income generating part of Namibia. These women learn skills in e.g. fabric design, embroidery, sewing, batik, pottery, making glass beads and narrative art. Penduka women make beautiful products. They also develop creating income out of tourism (they offer accommodation, a conference centre and they have a restaurant) and they organize workshops (e.g. in traditional dancing and drumming) and excursions. Penduka not only facilitates in education, but also promotes the selling of products, e.g. by means of the web shop. Penduka provides in fundraising, requests for donations, writes to grant providers, provides micro credits and fights TB. Nearly a thousand tuberculosis patients are treated in nineteen clinics. All the women suffering from this disease receive health education and drugs on top of the crafting and tourism education. In addition, the women are trained to run Penduka independently and thereby provide an structural income for themselves. Penduka started in 1992 with 4 employees, and now has a total of 150 people on the payroll. More than 600 women throughout the country are members and work on piecework from home, getting their only income out of Penduka, which gives an idea of the strength and determination of these women.

2 Penduka cooperates with many organisation worldwide. These organisations assist in developing the web shop (Stichting Penduka Groningen), purchase sustainable fabrics for furniture (Blooms) or support in ways of communication (Buro Reng). Penduka also cooperates with Worldschool. Young people often generate new and innovative ideas and they are computerised. Penduka is already very excited about the fact that it has computers and internet connections. Utilizing the net in a much more professional way is complicated not knowing where to look for what. Young people in Europe have a knack for computers and are working with them on a daily basis. They can be of great assistance in getting Penduka on the worldwide digital map.

3 Penduka products Hospitality team Penduka fighting TB Introduction to the assignment

4 Penduka wants to attract tourists who stay overnight or, preferably, for a longer period. Penduka welcomes tourists who attend the workshops, visit the restaurant and spend as much time there as they like. The world needs to know that it is welcome. Penduka wants to sell the products made by the 800 Penduka women, the type of products that you would like to put as an ornament in your house, or use on a daily basis. There are two outlets and a local shop in Namibia. Stichting Penduka in Groningen assists in further developing the web shop (to be found at This web shop needs to become better known all over the world. Penduka wants to receive assignments in home decoration, in interior design, in furnishing business centre, hotels, hospitals, and rehabilitations centre from all over the world. In Norway several lung and heart clinics were already decorated with curtain fabrics, pillows and bedspreads, products not only customer-specified, but also with the Penduka signature. Who to approach for more assignments? How can the world find Penduka in this market? Penduka needs extra funds for new investments and exchange programs. The Dutch government has reduced the amount of development funds drastically. How do charities and development organisations find Penduka? In order to attract people, sell products overseas and be found by organisations, you need acquaintance. This can be advanced by a high ranking position on web searching engines. Penduka has a lot to offer. An overview of their areas of activity, concern and care: Tourism (backpackers, accommodation, food, excursions) Products made by Penduka women (relation gifts, home decoration, business furnishing, etc.) Workshops in African cooking, traditional dance and drumming, batik, making glass beads, embroidery, basket weaving, pottery, hair braiding Kcymaerxthaere (a global parallel universe of 3-dimensional story telling) Internship for foreign designers Improvement of the social position of (disadvantaged) women in Namibia The fight against sexual abuse of women The fight against tuberculosis and patient treatment Respect for mankind and nature Fair trade Preservation of cultures Use of sustainable/natural materials (leather, ostrich eggs, palm leaves) Creation of more opportunities for further education and development of employees Desired endproduct All the money generated in Penduka goes to the women in need and largely helps to improve their quality of life, and with that the quality of life of their surroundings. It is therefore very important that the world knows about Penduka. A high ranking position on digital web search engines would definitely help. In this ICT-assignment your goal is to get Penduka on a maximum ranking position on digital web search engines. People all over the world interested in products, activities and/or accommodations Penduka has to offer should be able to consider Penduka. We would also like you to analyze our current website with respects to this assignment. Do you have any thoughts on how we can improve our product promotion?

5 Contact Contact in Namibia: Rudolph Tjaveondja; general manager of Penduka Namibia Tel: Contact in the Netherlands: Christien and Evelyn Christien Roos-Toxopeus Paterswoldse weg BG Groningen Tel: (available during office hours) Mobile: (please always copy her on all s) Function: marketing and product developer for Penduka (Namibia) in Europe. Initiator of Penduka Namibia and director in office. Background: occupational therapy, ergo therapy, fashion design (The Netherlands), degree in Anthropology, took courses on business management South Africa and Namibia. For more information on Penduka see: Worldschool advice (also refer to the Worldschool manual at 1. Contact with the foundation We kindly request you to contact the foundation

6 A. when you have chosen the assignment -introduce yourself (name, school, name of assignment, motivation) -inform them about your timeline (important dates, deadlines etc.) -make clear arrangements about the frequency of your communication B. when you have made a plan of approach for the assignment and need to ask the foundation for approval C. for regular updates on the progress of your work D. to send your final report Please be polite in your correspondence 2. Think globally, work locally Discuss your work with our experts: foreign students from ISS and IHS or Dutch PUM experts from field. In this way you will prevent intercultural mistakes. Ready-made solutions do not exist. Everything that has been done before has to be adjusted according to the local situation. Try to collect as much information as possible locally. Prevent westernised solutions. 3. Research solidly Make use of Worldschool's knowledge centres and the support from the Universities. Base your work on research; analyse comparable projects to find pitfalls and success factors; meticulously test designs; check your plan with scientists.