Woodworker gives street children a second chance

“Sometimes we just need nurturing,” said Swakopmund resident Arnoldus Marvin Hoakhaob as he continues to craft a wooden table in his small workshop in Swakopmund.

Hoakhaob, a self-taught woodworker, runs a makeshift workshop from his home in Mondesa.

Here, he transforms young people labelled as troubled youth, helping to restore their dignity and using woodwork to rehabilitate them from social evils such as drug and alcohol abuse and theft.

He said he has made it his mission to give back to the community by teaching young people from the streets the basics of woodworking and helping to restore their dignity and self-worth.

Speaking to New Era about his efforts to restore and nurture vulnerable young people, Hoakhaob said that many children who end up on the streets are often judged by society, yet what they need most is guidance, encouragement and an opportunity to rebuild their lives.