WINDHOEK– Over 200 people gathered at the Bank Windhoek Theatre School recently to celebrate the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) tenth anniversary.
The evening was filled with a recollection of OYO’s work, with testimonies from young people who had taken part in those projects. A video of Ruusa Ntinda Maturwisa project (2003); Valerie Tjirimuje’s Isolation (2003) and Thanatos (2004); A crack in the wall (2008) by Loide Imasa and Elizabeth Katjiveri’s Outjo youth group (2007) allowed the audiences to learn from their experience.
Julien Geirises and Johannes Magongo’s The Namibian Odysseus (2008) and Bergo van Wyk and Barnabas Ochurub’s A crack in the wall paid tribute to the OYO dance troupe and OYO’s film productions. Early works of OYO involved the use of fashion and movement to create awareness. Extracts from Eros and Thanatos (2004); Rubber Soul (2006) and The Namibian Odysseus (2008) were presented with support of local from fashion designers, Maria Caley and Chakirra Claasen.
OYO was founded in 2001 by Philippe Talavera in Opuwo in the Kunene Region as a project dealing primarily raising awareness about HIV and AIDS and combating the disease. In 2003 OYO was officially registered as a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) in Namibia. “I started OYO on my own, voluntarily, with support from the Kunene Regional Council. It was just meant as a small project to help schools in Kunene North to integrate HIV education in their curriculum. The project was successful. In 2003, when we registered as an NGO, I had no idea that 10 years later I would stand here, among you, to celebrate a decade of OYO. A decade of fantastic projects with amazing young people,” said Talevera.
The OYO dance troupe presented The Dark Medea (2013) and a tribute to the OYO magazine (started in 2002) while the Rundu and Grootfontein youth groups closed the event with songs from youth groups repertoire (2007 to 2013).
“While last night was amazing and fun, I must say that watching the Dark Medea was excruciating. I found it so moving and so painfully beautiful. Young people need to see this. Thank you for last night but also thank you for all the lives OYO has changed in the last 10 years,” said one of the attendees.
“I must thank you for the invitation. I brought along my 16-years-old daughter and the whole event was such a great inspiration for myself and equally to my daughter. As I was sitting there I was like, “if only the whole Namibia could see this tonight”! It was just a touching, inspirational, educational and most of all encouraging at the same time entertaining moment not only to the young people/youth but to everyone.” added another attendee.
OYO has reached over ten years a million interventions. It has touched the lives of many Namibians and has also used its tenth anniversary as an opportunity to rebrand itself. Its new OYO logo was unveiled by OYO trustees Sandy Rudd and Kathleen Newton. “The evening was a great success and a chance to celebrate all the people who have shaped OYO to become what it is now,” said Talavera.
Among the guests who also attended the celebration were the former staffs, namely, Evelina Ashipala, Rikondjerua Mutambo and Alfa Sililo, who have worked tirelessly in the early years of OYO. “We are proud to work together and to know we are making a difference in people’s lives,” Talavera concluded.
OYO is a Namibian Trust aiming at creating social awareness with and among young people through the use of artistic means such as the presentation of theatre plays, modern dances, films, creative writing classes and similar project. For more information about OYO, check out the website www.ombetja.org.