Fashion with heart
Charity Fashions specialises in garment and textiles manufacturing.
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
About 15 years ago, Beverly Kaposiao graduated from fashion school in Cape Town, returned home to Namibia and started her business with a small sewing machine set up in her aunt’s sitting room.
Passionate about developing human resources, Kaposiao has rooted Charity Fashions in a culture of empowerment through employment creation and skills development.
For her, making an impact in the lives of those employed in the garment manufacturing sector has been a priority. Through consultancy work with organisations like the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), Kaposiao works as an assessor, visiting vocational centres across the country with the aim of closing the gap between training centres and the industry. On top of that, she uses her extensive experience in the manufacturing sector to plough back into the industry by training others.
Since opening the doors to her first factory in Ovitoto, she has employed 48 employees who have either gained basic sewing skills or business administration skills during their time of employment in her company.
Fashion for a cause
The work she does in training and development is nothing new to this fashion designer with a cause, who in the early years of her career was already training seamstresses while volunteering at the Khomas Women in Development Centre in Windhoek’s Wanaheda.
“I did not only sharpen my skills at the centre; I also built relationships which have turned into good business connections,” she said.
According to Kaposiao, Charity Fashion is a brand that is synonymous with comfort and durability in texture and quality, and she said she understands that this wouldn’t be possible if her employees are not continuously trained and uplifted.
The same, she added, can be said about the industry at large.
“I see a lot of potential in the Namibian garment industry, but a lack of skills is slowing our progress. So there remains a need to close the gap and we have a lot of work to do in the skills development area in order to be fully equipped.”
Uplifting employees
As Namibia joins the world in commemorating Workers Day tomorrow, 1 May, Kaposiao urged industry leaders to do more to uplift their employees with the right skills.
As someone who has been fortunate enough to receive extensive training throughout her career, Kaposiao has reaped the benefits of a solid foundation, she said. She added that she has achieved numerous achievements, which include a third runner-up position at the 2003 JCC awards, being selected as a member of the technical working group of the NTA in 2010 and - her biggest achievement yet - receiving the 2019 ‘outstanding woman in Africa’ honour at the Ghana Outstanding Woman Awards (Gowa).
Her message to employers in the garment manufacturing and fashion sectors is to equip employees with the skills necessary to execute their work properly.
“The company not only benefits from the trained employees, but the employees also benefit as they are fully empowered to start their own businesses should they decide to venture off on their own.”
WINDHOEK
About 15 years ago, Beverly Kaposiao graduated from fashion school in Cape Town, returned home to Namibia and started her business with a small sewing machine set up in her aunt’s sitting room.
Passionate about developing human resources, Kaposiao has rooted Charity Fashions in a culture of empowerment through employment creation and skills development.
For her, making an impact in the lives of those employed in the garment manufacturing sector has been a priority. Through consultancy work with organisations like the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), Kaposiao works as an assessor, visiting vocational centres across the country with the aim of closing the gap between training centres and the industry. On top of that, she uses her extensive experience in the manufacturing sector to plough back into the industry by training others.
Since opening the doors to her first factory in Ovitoto, she has employed 48 employees who have either gained basic sewing skills or business administration skills during their time of employment in her company.
Fashion for a cause
The work she does in training and development is nothing new to this fashion designer with a cause, who in the early years of her career was already training seamstresses while volunteering at the Khomas Women in Development Centre in Windhoek’s Wanaheda.
“I did not only sharpen my skills at the centre; I also built relationships which have turned into good business connections,” she said.
According to Kaposiao, Charity Fashion is a brand that is synonymous with comfort and durability in texture and quality, and she said she understands that this wouldn’t be possible if her employees are not continuously trained and uplifted.
The same, she added, can be said about the industry at large.
“I see a lot of potential in the Namibian garment industry, but a lack of skills is slowing our progress. So there remains a need to close the gap and we have a lot of work to do in the skills development area in order to be fully equipped.”
Uplifting employees
As Namibia joins the world in commemorating Workers Day tomorrow, 1 May, Kaposiao urged industry leaders to do more to uplift their employees with the right skills.
As someone who has been fortunate enough to receive extensive training throughout her career, Kaposiao has reaped the benefits of a solid foundation, she said. She added that she has achieved numerous achievements, which include a third runner-up position at the 2003 JCC awards, being selected as a member of the technical working group of the NTA in 2010 and - her biggest achievement yet - receiving the 2019 ‘outstanding woman in Africa’ honour at the Ghana Outstanding Woman Awards (Gowa).
Her message to employers in the garment manufacturing and fashion sectors is to equip employees with the skills necessary to execute their work properly.
“The company not only benefits from the trained employees, but the employees also benefit as they are fully empowered to start their own businesses should they decide to venture off on their own.”
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