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Indonesian batik gains popularity in Namibia
Walking down Windhoek's busy streets, or other parts of Namibia for that matter, you will notice a large number of Namibians wearing batik shirts
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W
alking down Windhoek's busy streets, or other parts of Namibia for that matter, you will notice a large number of Namibians wearing batik shirts. An increasing number of this southern African country's 2 million inhabitants are wearing the Indonesian fabrics.
More and more Namibians, including President Hifikepunye Pohamba, are taking a liking to batik. Most people here are well aware they are wearing Indonesia's national garment.
Given this fact, the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, organized a series of batik workshops to teach Namibians about batik.
The free of charge workshops were held in Windhoek from May 26 to 29 this year.
"The purpose was to bring the two countries and two peoples closer through batik, which is also part of cultural diplomacy," the Indonesian Embassy in Namibia stated in a press release.
The event was held simultaneously with the Embassy's participation in this year's Namibian Tourism Expo.
It came as no surprise for the Embassy that the public welcomed the batik workshops with great enthusiasm. The significant number of participants who expressed their profound interest led to the decision to run five separate workshops in four days to accommodate the more than 150 participants.
Besides the Indonesian Ambassador's residence, the workshops were held at the University of Namibia's Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the Franco Namibia Cultural Center.
Participants in the workshops came from various backgrounds and regions in Namibia, but a large number were lecturers and students of textile design from the University of Namibia, Polytechnic of Namibia and College of the Art.
After the workshops, participants expressed their great appreciation and satisfaction, their only regret being the lack of time for further practice. They therefore strongly encouraged the embassy to organize similar programs in the future.
The success of these workshops was in part thanks to the expertise of Venny Alamsjah, a highly qualified batik instructor with teaching experience in more than 30 countries.
With such a positive response, we hope the number of Namibians finding a fondness for the fabric continues to rise.
