Leather Craft Shop

Oukumwe Humanist Collective

Katutura, Namibia

Members: Ndapandula Shikongo, Selma Johannes, Tjipee Tjahuha, Hilma Amunyela, Nangula Iipinge, Uaatjo Kauuova, Aina Petrus, Vezemba Mumbuu, Ndeshi Hafeni, Maria Nujoma, Kautja Kamberipa, Hafeni Shilongo, Petrus Ndalikokule, Tjinjo Kamatuka, Immanuel Shikongo, Vejama Uandara, Tangeni Amathila

Email: katuutirejustus@gmail.com

Phone: +264 81 555 8390

What does humanism mean to you?

Growing up here in Katutura, community always meant everything to us honestly, it's how we survived. But for a long time, that sense of togetherness was deeply tangled up in heavy superstitions and strict religious rules. If you didn't pray the right way, go to the right church, or if you questioned the old fears about spirits and curses, you were quickly pushed out into the cold.

For my friends and me, making the shift toward atheism and secular humanism felt like taking a deep breath for the first time. We finally started letting go of those old superstitions and the endless waiting for a god to come down and fix our struggles. Becoming humanists wasn’t about losing our local culture; it was actually about reclaiming the very best parts of it: the mutual care, the deep solidarity, the looking out for your neighbor just without all the supernatural strings attached. Today, instead of praying for divine intervention to put food on our tables or keep us safe, we just roll up our sleeves and rely on human agency. For our group, humanism isn't some abstract philosophy you read about in a book. It’s our daily reality and a lived promise that we are the ones responsible for each other, right here and right now.

Project Description

On behalf of the humanist community in Katutura, Namibia, I am submitting this proposal to the Humanist Mutual Aid Network (HuMAN) to request a $700 grant to expand our existing recycled-tire footwear initiative into a full-fledged leather craft workshop. In our impoverished township, freethinkers and humanists frequently face systemic marginalization and are often excluded from the traditional, faith-based economic support networks that dominate the region, making the daily struggle against poverty deeply isolating. Building upon our initial success in upcycling discarded automobile tires into durable soles, this expansion will integrate genuine leather craft to produce high-quality uppers, belts, bags, and custom footwear. This initiative serves a vital dual purpose: cleaning up our local environment while equipping our marginalized community members with advanced leather-working and artisanal skills that generate a reliable, independent income. The requested $700 grant will be utilized directly to acquire 16 essential tools, machines, and leatherworking materials needed to establish a complete, professional workshop setup. By scaling up this cooperative workspace, we are not just expanding a small business; we are building a safe, self-sustaining secular hub where our members can collaborate, pool resources, achieve financial autonomy, and demonstrate the practical, life-changing power of humanist solidarity in action.

Budget - Please include links to verify the costs that you list.

● Heavy-duty manual leather sewing machine: $120

● Full grain leather hides & suede sheets: $110

● Heavy-duty tire cutting tools & replacement blades: $45

● Rotary punchers, pricking irons & stitching chisels: $40

● Shoemaking lasting pliers & cobbler hammers: $35

● Leather bevelers, skiving knives & edge groovers: $35

● Industrial shoe adhesives & contact cement: $45

● Wooden shoe lasts (assorted sizes): $40

● Heavy-duty cutting mats & granite tooling slabs: $30

● Hardware fasteners (rivets, eyelets, buckles, snaps): $35

● Waxed braided thread & harness needles: $25

● Edge beveling, burnishing dyes & edge kote: $25

● Abrasives, rasp files & finishing sandpaper: $25

● Leather strap cutters & edge bevelers: $30

● Measuring calipers, metal rulers & pattern shears: $30

● Safety gear (heavy gloves, eye protection, aprons): $30

Total: $700

Expected Income from Project, with Timeline

Expected Income from Project

The Katutura Recycled-Tire Footwear and Leather Cooperative expects to achieve significant revenue growth by expanding from basic tire sandals into full-fledged leather footwear and leather goods. Premium leather-and-tire shoes and handcrafted leather accessories are highly sought after locally for their superior comfort, style, and extreme durability against the township's rugged terrain. Following the workshop expansion, the cooperative aims to manufacture and sell 70 pairs of shoes along with smaller leather goods per month, averaging $15 USD (N$270) per item. This target will generate $1,050 USD in gross monthly revenue. After deducting roughly $350 USD for recurring raw materials like leather hides, adhesives, thread, and hardware, the shop will clear an estimated $700 USD in net profit each month. This profit will be pooled directly to provide reliable, independent stipends to our 17 humanist artisans and fund the ongoing expansion of the cooperative.

Timeline of the Project

The expanded project is structured to achieve full financial autonomy within a strict three-month timeline upon receipt of the $700 grant. Month 1 will focus on procurement and workshop installation: the first two weeks will be dedicated to purchasing the 16 specialized leatherworking tools, machines, and hides, followed by two weeks of intensive, hands-on leather craft training for our cooperative members. Month 2 marks the official launch of full-fledged manufacturing and expanded community marketing, with a goal of producing and selling our first expanded batch within Katutura and surrounding Windhoek markets. By Month 3, the project will transition into a fully self-sustaining business model, utilizing revenue generated from sales to completely cover all ongoing material purchases, break dependency on outside funding, and establish a permanent, independent income stream for the community.

Benefits to your Community

The Katutura Recycled-Tire Footwear and Leather Cooperative will deliver profound, multi-layered benefits to our township by simultaneously tackling economic exclusion, environmental degradation, and social isolation. Economically, the initiative provides a self-sustaining income stream and advanced leatherworking skills to marginalized humanists, breaking the cycle of extreme poverty without relying on the region's exclusionary, faith-based charity networks. Environmentally, the project directly addresses local pollution by removing hazardous, discarded automobile tires from our streets and upcycling them alongside sustainably sourced leather scraps. Socially, the cooperative establishes a safe, secular hub where freethinkers can finally gather, collaborate, and support one another free from judgment, demonstrating firsthand that humanist values and mutual aid can drive tangible, life-changing progress for the most vulnerable members of our community.