WINDHOEK – The Namibia Film Commission (NFC) yesterday launched the Eco-Kids Project (EKP) which aims at introducing children between the ages of 6 to 13 to filmmaking.
The project falls under the Ministry of Information and Communication (MICT) and will enable children to use modern technology to voice their concerns in a creative and empowering way. “The project will inform them about environmental issues and will foster respect and fascination for all life,” said Minister of Information and Communication Technology Joël Kaapanda, in a speech read by the ministry advisor Mvula ya Nangolo.
The ministry said empowering children to become confident media literate high school learners, helping support and develop a growing healthy vibrant media industry and having Namibian children burst with national pride are some of the several key objectives of Eco-kids Namibia. “This is why the ministry has invested more than N$500 000 00 in the Eco-kids Namibia Film Project,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Eco-kids will ensure that in future, a greater percentage of our school children will be media literate and familiar with the digital world,” said the minister, adding that the future of environmental change and uncertainty, which children will grow up in is one faced by all, therefore the opportunity to combine environmental awareness and information and communication technology was too good to be missed.
According to chairperson of the NFC board Roselia Penda, the NFC has been neglecting children dealing only with adults. “This is the reason why the NFC has shifted its focus also to cater for and include this important group of our population,” she said.
Penda said in the long run the project would educate Namibian children on media issues. “They will be better informed about what they want to see and better able to evaluate the implications of their choices,” she said.
By John Travolter Matali