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Honouring Courage, Compassion & Connection: Penduka Welcomes Yes Women Monaco to Namibia
- May 18
- 5 min read
On 7 May 2026, Penduka had the privilege of welcoming Nicole Savard-Dionne from the Yes Women Monaco organisation to Penduka Village for a deeply meaningful and emotional morning — one that reminded us how powerfully women across the world are connected through compassion, resilience, and shared humanity.
Together with Nicole, prominent members of the Namibian community, friends, partners, and the women of Penduka, we gathered to honour a journey that stretches back many years — a journey shaped by courage, hardship, hope, and the unwavering belief in human dignity.
The event formed part of the growing partnership between Penduka, Yes Women Monaco, and Fight Aids Monaco, following the Yes Women Monaco Gala Dinner held in Monaco in December 2025, where Penduka founding member Christien Roos was recognised alongside Princess Stéphanie of Monaco for Penduka’s longstanding contribution to supporting women and communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
During the Monaco event, Christien personally handed Princess Stéphanie a handmade Penduka bag together with a Namibian Desert coffee-table book as gifts from Penduka and Namibia — symbols of appreciation, connection, and cultural exchange between the two organisations and countries.
In return, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco presented Christien Roos with a ceremonial quilt from Fight Aids Monaco as a gesture of recognition, remembrance, and solidarity. During the 7 May ceremony at Penduka, Nicole Savard-Dionne now officially hands this ceremonial quilt over to the women of Penduka — creating a deeply emotional moment of connection between Monaco and Namibia, and allowing the women of Penduka to honour and remember those affected by HIV/AIDS.
But for Penduka, the morning in May was about far more than recognition.
It was about remembering.
Remembering the women who suffered. The families who struggled. The lives that were lost. And the women who kept going anyway.
Founded in 1992 by Christien Roos and Martha Muulyau, Penduka — meaning “Wake Up” — was built on the belief that women deserve the opportunity to awaken to their own worth, strength, and potential.
What began as a small income-generating and skills-training initiative for women from marginalised communities slowly became something much deeper. As Namibia faced the devastating impact of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, Penduka became a place where women could find support, dignity, belonging, and hope.
During those difficult years, Penduka walked alongside women who were grieving, afraid, rejected, or uncertain about the future. It became a space where women could work, create, laugh, cry, heal, and slowly rebuild confidence in themselves again. Through awareness and support initiatives — alongside the broader efforts of clinics, healthcare workers, and community organisations — Penduka became part of a larger movement helping communities navigate one of the most painful chapters in our country’s history.
During the ceremony, Christien shared the story of meeting Nicole Savard-Dionne and her husband, Dr Gervais Dionne, many years ago at Penduka. Dr Dionne was part of the pioneering work involved in developing one of the first antiretroviral therapies for HIV in the mid-1990s — medication that has gone on to save millions of lives around the world.
Yes Women Monaco — an initiative founded by Nicole Savard-Dionne and Sophie Girone — was created to shine a light on women-led organisations supporting vulnerable communities and to bring people together through solidarity, compassion, and awareness.
The ceremony at Penduka was filled with deeply meaningful moments. The women of Penduka welcomed guests through song, dance, and celebration. Messages were shared by Penduka Director Kauna Mudhengi, Nicole Savard-Dionne, Sophie Girone, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, and Christien Roos.
One of the most emotional moments came when Penduka handed over beautifully hand-embroidered red scarves carrying the Fight Aids Monaco and Penduka logos to Nicole Savard-Dionne to take back to Monaco. The scarves were specially commissioned by Nicole as part of a support initiative for Penduka and will be sold within the Monaco community. Every year on World AIDS Day, Fight Aids Monaco hosts a memorial event where people affected by HIV/AIDS create and unfold artworks while the names of those lost during the year are honoured and remembered. During the event, attendees wear red scarves as a symbol of solidarity, remembrance, and compassion.
Every scarf handed over at Penduka was stitched by hand.
Every thread carried a story.
A story of resilience. Of survival. Of women choosing dignity despite hardship.
The ceremonial quilt handed over during the event became another deeply symbolic moment of the morning — representing not only remembrance, but also friendship, solidarity, and shared purpose across continents.
The quilt created a space for reflection and healing, allowing the women of Penduka to honour those who were lost and to reconnect with the importance of continuing awareness around HIV/AIDS.
It also served as a reminder that although the world’s attention may shift, the reality of HIV/AIDS remains deeply present in many communities, and awareness, education, and compassion remain as important as ever.
A one-minute silence was observed in remembrance of those who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. In that quiet moment, everyone present was reminded of the importance of continuing to speak openly, support one another, and protect the dignity of every human being.
Although the event honoured Penduka’s role in the past, it also reminded us that the work continues.
Today, Penduka still empowers women every day through craft, embroidery, hospitality, skills development, and entrepreneurship — helping women become financially independent while rediscovering confidence in themselves and their abilities.
And as always, new dreams are growing.
During the ceremony, Christien briefly introduced Penduka’s upcoming “Penduka’s Period Plan” initiative — a project focused on reusable sanitary panties and training women across Namibia to produce and sell them within their own communities.
The initiative seeks to address period poverty while empowering women through local production, entrepreneurship, and sustainable income opportunities. It is another example of Penduka’s long-standing belief that empowerment begins when women are given both dignity and opportunity.
This gathering reminded us that when women come together with purpose — transcending borders, language, and culture — extraordinary things become possible.
And perhaps that is what Penduka has always been about.
Waking up to the power we hold when we stand together.
One Woman. One Euro.
As part of the broader Yes Women Monaco initiative, a fundraising campaign titled One Woman. One Euro. has also been launched to support organisations working with vulnerable communities and women affected by HIV/AIDS.
The campaign encourages collective giving through small contributions, reminding the world that meaningful change becomes possible when many people choose compassion together.
Its message is simple yet powerful:
“Alone we can do little, but together we can accomplish a lot.”
People who would like to contribute to the campaign can do so here: https://www.leetchi.com/fr/c/yes-women-monaco-1619862?utm_source=copylink&utm_medium=social_sharing
One Woman. One Euro Fundraiser
Contributions can easily be made via Visa and Apple Pay.
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