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Pearl Millet

WINDHOEK — The Onankali Mahangu Paper Making Cooperative, a small enterprise initiative in Namibia’s Oshikoto Region, is manufacturing paper out of pearl millet stalks to save trees.Sylvia Amutenya, production manager of the Onankali Mahangu Paper Making Cooperative said the environmental friendly manufacturing project was established in 2002.

The enterprise is run by 11 community members from the village, making it the first Namibian Mahangu (pearl millet) factory in the country.

“The cooperative offers a wide range of hand made and finely crafted papers and paper products utilising the pearl millet (and sometimes maize) stalks and leaves, a stable crop cultivated throughout north central Namibia,” she told Xinhua on Tuesday.

For the manufacturing process, Amutenya explained that after the pearl millet harvest season, the team collects stalks of the pearl millet or maize from the fields. “We cut them, cook and wash the fibers before we couch it. We than roll it to produce the product (paper) before marketing it,” she further explained the process.

“The aim is to do business while we keep the environment clean. Thus, we also recycle paper remains and make fuel out of it as a substitute for firewood,” said Amutenya.

Assistant manager of the project Secilia Katondoka said that from the paper produced at their enterprise, many products are developed.

“We create and design photo albums, cards, envelopes, fridge magnets, note books, bookmarks, conference folders, A4 to A2 sheets amongst others,” she said.

The cooperative is a community based enterprise established to provide employment opportunities and income for the group and community at large. However, business is picking up slowly as most of their clients are tourists. “Our office is located deeper in the village; hence the number of people visiting the area is few,” said Katondoka.

To curb this, the small scale paper manufacturer is eager to participate in business and social expositions across the country.

“That’s why we decided to come to COP11 to show case our products and promote our initiative,” said Katondoka, referring to the ongoing 11th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. – Xinhua.