Mengipo was a cherished member of the Marienfluss Conservancy, community and surrounding areas, and leaves behind an enduring legacy over the many years that we have worked closely with her. She, among other fellow outstanding community members, played an instrumental role in facilitating the Himba village experience that significantly contributed to our organisation's success. Many of our guests and staff had the privilege or meeting Mengipo personally during the Himba village cultural experience, and will cherish the memories of such experiences.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family, Serra Cafema staff and the rest of the community during this difficult time. Mengipo’s memory will forever be entrenched in our hearts, and we honour her contributions by striving to live up to the high standards she set.
With our deepest sympathy,
Alex, Carina and Agnes
Mengipo was born in Orutue and grew up in in the small village of Otjitenda. Her family moved to Otjinungua (in the Marienfluss Conservancy) during her teenage years. Here, she met her first daughter’s father, and gave birth to Vemutarera Tjambiru (now a Housekeeper at Serra Cafema). Unfortunately, he died right after Vemutarera was born.
Due to the war up north in Angola, in 1985 she took her daughter and fled from Marienfluss to the Hartmann’s Valley where she met her now husband (Tueizara Hepute) who was in the army. They married in Okanguati, thereafter moving to Etanga, a village on her husband’s side of the family.
Mengipo gave birth to her second daughter in Etanga, after which they moved to the village of Oruumwe, where she had her twin daughters, and made the village her home. Mengipo and her family were among the first to move to Serra Cafema when Wilderness set up the camp in the Kunene region.
