Namibians urged to embrace culture
The Uukwaluudhi Traditional Authority hosted this year's Omagongo Cultural Festival, which celebrates the marula fruit harvest.
For a peaceful coexistence and healthy lifestyle, Namibians are urged to embrace their culture and traditions.
This is according to the deputy minister of education, arts and culture, Anna Nghipondoka, and Founding President Sam Nujoma, who addressed the annual Omagongo Cultural Festival hosted by the Uukwaluudhi Traditional Authority (UTA).
Many Namibians gathered at the Uukwaluudhi royal homestead at Onalushwa village near Tsandi in the Omusati Region on Saturday to celebrate the event. Nghipondoka said she believes all the social problems Namibia currently faces can be attributed to Namibians neglecting their traditions. She said in order to coexist peacefully people need to embrace their culture and traditions.
“It is my view that the increasing social ills we are witnessing on a daily basis are attributed to the fact that we are neglecting our traditions from which we can draw the required discipline and norms for peaceful coexistence. We should therefore embrace our culture and tradition,” Nghipondoka said.
She added that the government had mandated her ministry to promote arts and culture to ensure that they are correctly and contextually understood, especially by the younger generation. She said it was sad and disappointing to see poor attendance by children at traditional events. She said parents who already know their culture and traditions opt to attend these events, leaving their children at home. “It should be understood that since time immemorial, traditional knowledge has been passed from generation to generation orally and through observation. “Inevitably, the changing of time requires adaptive approaches and that is why the directorate of heritage and culture was attached to the basic education ministry with the rationale to expose children to the significance of culture and tradition while still young,” she said.
Nujoma said many people in Namibia are living unhealthy lifestyles because they despise their traditional foods which grow organically and opt to consume imported foods, some of which are genetically modified.
“It is disturbing that there are some people who despise their own traditional food and opt for imported food. Some of these imported foods are genetically modified and can result in health complications while there are traditional foods that grow organically,” Nujoma said.
He said traditional food does not only improve health, but is far cheaper. The Omagongo Cultural Festival is an annual event hosted by one of the eight traditional authorities in areas where marula trees are found and harvested. It is hosted to celebrate the seasonal marula harvest.
The 'Oshituthi shomagongo' (marula fruit festival) has been inscribed on Unesco's representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognised for uniting the Aawambo tribes in the north of Namibia. The festival is a relaxed social gathering, during which communities and guests socialise, sing and dance, and the men recite stories of old.
The Ongandjera Traditional Authority will host the festival next year.
ILENI NANDJATO
This is according to the deputy minister of education, arts and culture, Anna Nghipondoka, and Founding President Sam Nujoma, who addressed the annual Omagongo Cultural Festival hosted by the Uukwaluudhi Traditional Authority (UTA).
Many Namibians gathered at the Uukwaluudhi royal homestead at Onalushwa village near Tsandi in the Omusati Region on Saturday to celebrate the event. Nghipondoka said she believes all the social problems Namibia currently faces can be attributed to Namibians neglecting their traditions. She said in order to coexist peacefully people need to embrace their culture and traditions.
“It is my view that the increasing social ills we are witnessing on a daily basis are attributed to the fact that we are neglecting our traditions from which we can draw the required discipline and norms for peaceful coexistence. We should therefore embrace our culture and tradition,” Nghipondoka said.
She added that the government had mandated her ministry to promote arts and culture to ensure that they are correctly and contextually understood, especially by the younger generation. She said it was sad and disappointing to see poor attendance by children at traditional events. She said parents who already know their culture and traditions opt to attend these events, leaving their children at home. “It should be understood that since time immemorial, traditional knowledge has been passed from generation to generation orally and through observation. “Inevitably, the changing of time requires adaptive approaches and that is why the directorate of heritage and culture was attached to the basic education ministry with the rationale to expose children to the significance of culture and tradition while still young,” she said.
Nujoma said many people in Namibia are living unhealthy lifestyles because they despise their traditional foods which grow organically and opt to consume imported foods, some of which are genetically modified.
“It is disturbing that there are some people who despise their own traditional food and opt for imported food. Some of these imported foods are genetically modified and can result in health complications while there are traditional foods that grow organically,” Nujoma said.
He said traditional food does not only improve health, but is far cheaper. The Omagongo Cultural Festival is an annual event hosted by one of the eight traditional authorities in areas where marula trees are found and harvested. It is hosted to celebrate the seasonal marula harvest.
The 'Oshituthi shomagongo' (marula fruit festival) has been inscribed on Unesco's representative list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognised for uniting the Aawambo tribes in the north of Namibia. The festival is a relaxed social gathering, during which communities and guests socialise, sing and dance, and the men recite stories of old.
The Ongandjera Traditional Authority will host the festival next year.
ILENI NANDJATO
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