A co-created digital repository of the ovaHimba heritage on display at NUST
By Freeman Ya Ngulu.
A vast collection of artefacts has been collected over the years about the rich and intriguing ovaHimba culture. However, many times these artefacts are not validated by the ovaHimba communitities themselves, and the exclusion of their input results in inaccurate representations of their culture.
A project has thus been borne to preserve the culture of the ovaHImba communities by co-creating a digital multi-lingual, multi-media cultural heritage collection endorsed by the community, therefore representing their perspectives.
Photo, audio and video recording collected by researchers such as Dr Colin Stanley who is the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Partnership at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) will be exhibited on Monday 14 August at the University’s lower campus.
Dr Stanley is also a principal investigator of the ovaHimba nation in Namibia with the ultimate goal of establishing a representative digital collection of the dynamic ovaHimba culture, both present and historical. The exhibition will be supported and visited by elders from the community with the translator, Mr Uariaike Mbinge, unlocking their wisdom for the student audience.
Demonstrations will also be showcased of the curated repository by Mr Immanuel Kandjabanga, a Master’s student in Computer Science.
A vote of thanks will be conveyed by S Uama Hamunyela, the Associate Dean of the School of Informatica, Journalism and Media Technology.
