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Kavango Woodcraft

It is known from the past that Woodcraft is made from Timber Wood. Timber wood is being carved into useful shapes or wood pieces using sharp objects such as knifes. Wood carving takes much energy and time in order to produce Art craft. Carving requires potential skills and great training as people think as it’s the work for unskilled people.

The Kavango Region that borders Angola in the North eastern part of Namibia is a home to different variety of woodcraft. Kavango people known as "Vakavango" in Rukwangali language had created a source of income through wood carving, since most of them are unemployed and poor.

Many of the wood carvers are being spotted at villages like: Masivi, Kakuni, Mile 10, Mile 20, Mile 30 , Mbeyo and Epingiro. Therefore mentioned villages are situated alongside the road from Rundu to Mururani. Most of the wood crafts are sold to the tourists who tours in Kavango region.

Markets

There are no good markets in Kavango region for wood crafts, so wood carvers had found their way in creating craft-shops in Windhoek and at the big roadside markets at Okahandja and Swakopmund. There is a Museum at Sambyu Village which is about 30km east of Rundu where Tourist can buy Woodcraft [www.namibiatourism.com.na/uploadedFiles/NamibiaTourism/Trade_and_Media/North_America/Kavango.doc] In the Town of Rundu, there is a place called Mbangura, where visitors and residents can buy wood Art.

Types of wood crafts

Some of the craft that is being sold in Kavango includes:

• Animal figures such as for: Elephant, Zebra,kudu, Lions etc.
• Wooden mags for Beer
• Walsing sticks
• Toy trucks
• Wooden Aircraft and Helicopter
• Wooden Spoons, Plates, forks

Tools used in carving Woodcraft

Some few tools that are used to carve timber wood are as follow:

• Nzimbu (Hatchet)

Is used to chop and shape wood logs

• Mbere (Knife)

Is use for shaping crafts

• Sivera (Metal)

assist in carving and metal objects are extracted from the big piece of metal

• Makende (broken Bottle pieces)

Broken pieces of bottle is used to soften a wood art and help in removing scratches

• Ekuva (Axe)

An Axe is used to chop down Trees and extract Wood logs

Most of the Woodcarvers in Kavango are the Chokwe people and they are being known to come from Angola.They have great skills in wood carving which makes them as the wealthiest group in Angola, Congo and Zambia. They make Woodmask which symbolize their Tradition.

External links

1. Martin N. (04/10/2012) Retrieved from [www.namibiatourism.com.na/uploadedFiles/NamibiaTourism/Trade_and_Media/North_America/Kavango.doc]