Namibia: Revamping the City One Spot At a Time

A YOUNG couple is currently on the move, revamping old bus stops in Windhoek.

A teacher by profession, Kat Stahl, and game designer Wynand Lens spend their free time giving the capital’s old bus stops a makeover.

Stahl says they decided to change the look of the bus stop near their house, because it was not a pretty sight.

“We always drive by the bus stop, and it looked ugly, with not-so-good graphics on it and trash lying around it.

“We decided sometimes you should stop complaining about things you don’t like, and see if you can change it,” she says.

Stahl says they decided to buy paint and intially started painting graphics inspired by nature and the Namibian landscape on some electricity substations.

“After we painted the first two substations two years ago, we got lots of positive feedback from the public, who asked if we could continue.

“We recently finished painting the bus stop in Dr Kwame Nkrumah Street,” she says.

Stahl says decorating the city in their free time has become a passion.

Her boyfriend, Lens, says they first got approval from the City of Windhoek, but no financial support, and are happy that many Namibians have reached out to them in support.

“We get a few people who are always looking for jobs and are sitting at the robots, so we work with them either to help us clean the place […] also for them to be in a conducive area with no trash.

“We are also fortunate that Dulux Namibia has reached out to us and is willing to assist us with paint,” he says.

Lens says they are first revamping stops in their own area as it reduces transport issues.

“We really have very little time, and we just take at least an hour from our schedule or skip a movie or a braai for this.

“We chose these specific areas, because we live closeby,” he says.

Lens says they love the compliments they get from the public and have not encountered any challenges while doing their work.

“So far we haven’t been disturbed while doing our work. People are vey nice – some even give us a cold beer or sunscreen, which is good.

“Maybe the only challenge is the heat, but it’s okay,” he says.

Lens says they would like to see public trash cans at every bus stop to prevent littering. “It would be great and would keep the city clean,” he says.

He says they are planning their next project over the weekend in Nelson Mandela Avenue.

The City of Windhoek is aware of the revamping project, city spokesperson Harold Akwenye says.