Branding Workshop for Young Women in Namibia | Thrive Collective | Community Project @ NOMAD

Описание: Thrive Collective launches its first community workshop, “Design That Sells” — a hands-on branding and design workshop for young women, hosted at NOMAD: Home of the Arts in Swakopmund.

Life in Namibia (LIN) caught up with Charene Labuschagne, Brand Manager at Emssence in Windhoek and the brainchild behind this fantastic initiative at NOMAD, when she was there to receive a sponsored computer system from Michele Labuschagne, Sales and Finance Manager at Timeware.

Sisters Charene and Michele Labuschagne operate in two different worlds — one in skincare and branding, the other in technology and systems — yet they share a single mission: uplifting women who lack the means to grow their businesses and creative ideas.

Charene explains how NOMAD first crossed her path: “My mom forwarded me a Facebook message from Karin (the creator of NOMAD: Home of the Arts) calling for businesses to get involved in her community project at NOMAD. She was asking for sponsorship to roll out a free five-day workshop for unemployed women, with the goal of inspiring them to start small businesses in Swakopmund.”

The message resonated instantly, and in August last year Emssence sponsored ten women for the workshop. But Charene went further — adding a special hamper for one standout participant and personally leading a branding session on how presentation and identity shape perception.

“NOMAD’s ethos spoke to me,” she says. “At Emssence, women’s upliftment is core. That’s why we got involved, and now Karin’s NOMAD has a very special place in my heart. Emssence is lock, stock, and barrel invested in the work happening here.”

During the workshop, Charene noticed something essential: the new skills being learned needed to be sustainable, practised, and rooted in the digital world — because that’s where business lives today.

Coming from an entrepreneurial family — her mother Marianne founded Emssence and her father Ettienne founded Timeware — Charene knew exactly where to turn.

Timeware specialises in time-and-attendance systems, fingerprint readers, and payroll solutions, and shares the same passion for female entrepreneurship. Paratus soon joined too, strengthening the project’s digital backbone.

Michele explains: “Charene contacted us, explained the needs, and asked how we could contribute. We didn’t hesitate for a moment and sponsored a full computer system, which will be a permanent feature at NOMAD for the attendees to use.

“Now women can access design tools, business platforms, and practise their skills digitally. It gives them the tools to promote themselves and establish a foothold in the Namibian economy,” Michele says. “There’s huge space for women’s incredible ideas — it’s all about access.”

Over the next 12 months, Charene will present workshops at NOMAD under the umbrella of Thrive Collective. The first, Design That Sells, introduces participants to Canva, a powerful and accessible tool for building and promoting a business.

Anyone interested in participating in this workshop can send a WhatsApp enquiry to Karin at 081 627 7692.

Workshop Details:
• Application deadline: 12 February
• Workshop date: 14 February
• Venue: NOMAD: Home of the Arts, 202 Nathaniel Maxuilili Street, Swakopmund
• Capacity: Limited to six participants
• Fee: Registration N$100 (N$50 refundable upon attendance)
• Includes: Light lunch

Charene’s Thrive Collective is a collaboration between Emssence, Timeware, and Paratus, hosted at NOMAD: Home of the Arts.