The first edition of the ‘Women in Culture’ festival, known as ‘Oukazendu Movjombazu’, will be hosted at the Eldorado Secondary School in Windhoek on Saturday.

The event is being hosted by the Elite Pioneers organisation, founded over five years ago by Ukorua Kangwatjivi and Uatengapo Tjirondero to promote the Ovaherero people’s culture and customs via fairs and exhibitions.

Tjirondero, in an interview with Nampa on Thursday, stated that the event will provide a platform for people to share and learn about various Ovaherero traditional customs, as well as develop cultural understanding and solidarity.

It is hoped that the festival will foster cultural variety while also preserving intangible cultural legacy, ensuring that practices and knowledge are passed down through generations.

‘Culture is one of the most powerful tools nations and people use in international diplomacy. Cultural diplomacy is an important player in the global community because it helps people understand each other by highlighting their
traditions and practices,’ Tjirondero said.

She also added that, while the event represents the Ovaherero tradition, everyone is encouraged to attend and learn more about it.

‘Our event symbolises the Ovaherero ethnic group and the Ovahimba group will also be represented. We realised that we are the next adults and that the youth will have to understand how things are done. Our generation is very interested in the modern world; they do not want to preserve our culture, and we want to change that narrative,’ Tjirondero emphasised.

The event will also feature lectures on how to prepare traditional cooking oils, including traditional songs and dance performances.

‘If these activities are ingrained in young people, they will be able to sustain and preserve their culture without being ruined by Western patterns,’ she said.

Last year, the organisation held a similar event for men called ‘Oviwondo’, where they were taught numerous aspects of culture.

Venuscor Investment Group, Otji FM, Erari Carwash, and Pamue
Trailers are among the event’s sponsors, along with individual sponsors who participated in the Campaign 300 initiative.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency