The Community Skills Development Foundation – COSDEF Arts and Crafts Easter market showcased local products with the aim of boosting small businesses in Swakopmund.

The COSDEF Arts and Crafts market provided a platform for small local businesses to market their products.

The Centre serves as a base for technical and vocational education and training throughout the year.

"Entrepreneurship is now the route that will be able to liberate us from poverty and enable us to generate income and sustain our households. We want our community to be able to at least afford bread and the basic necessities. The art and culture industry is one of the industries that was previously least served, so with that, we want to support this industry; we want to ensure we create the market and ensure that this market grows."

The COSDEC Agriculture Project, based in Mondesa, was among the exhibitors at the event.

Its mission was to empower households to produce their own food in backyards.

"It is actually a training and production centre, so the produce that you see around here is produced through training. We also teach you how to make compost from your own food waste. We have a lot of food that's going to waste in our households, which we can put to good use and produce more food."

Others hailed the market, describing it as a poverty reduction platform, and called on the public to support local businesses.

"I know for some of us who are young like me, we actually have this issue of, 'Ja, why would I want to do things and go sell it out?' I think we are ashamed of that. Please, guys, you can make your things, and don't be ashamed to make an income for yourself. It's better to come and do your thing and market it yourself."

"It gives the local people a chance to show their products to more than one group of people. You get young entrepreneurs who are selling things for the first time, like this scrunchy. I got it from that little stall over there; it's amazing, and I think it gives them passion to keep driving. You never know when something this small can become much bigger."

"It really helps to overcome poverty because the people who are collecting the cocoons and raw materials have to go by foot in the fields, and they pick them up and bring them to us. We buy from them, and then we make this unique product. Those people who are collecting get income from us, and they can help their children go to school because we are living in a very, very poor small village."

"It showcases your products; it showcases your businesses for you to gain visibility. Some people don’t know what is out there. If we are inside our houses doing business, no one will know, but a platform like this brings us all together."

The entrepreneurs emphasized the need to increase similar platforms to grow industries.