In an effort to preserve culture and ensure that future generations are not lost, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (nbc), through Omurari Radio, will be producing quality programs, infomercials, and inserts on the upcoming Okuruuo ceremony and its concomitant rituals.
Culture creates a sense of security and safety for individuals and is important in giving people a united and unified sense of belonging.
Yet the world is becoming a melting pot of influences where foreign cultures hold dominant sway.
That makes preserving and guarding Namibian cultures all the more imperative and in need of jealous preservation.
For the Ovaherero people, the sacred ritual practice of Okuruuo, meaning 'Holy Fire', is central to their cultural values and social practices.
It is therefore critical that education and awareness about the Okuruuo ceremony and its rituals be raised, according to Vetumbuavi Mungunda, founder of the Ombu Cultural Village.
"The avenues that are out there to transfer knowledge about, for example, Christianity, the number of churches in Namibia, those are avenues, but where are the avenues for transferring the traditional belief system? It is nonexistent, so the teaching is sometimes formalized through formalized systems, but none of the traditional systems are formalized into a government teaching structure."
Okakarara Constituency Councilor Ramana Mutjavikua says not recording culture results in it being practiced inharmoniously.
He, however, says the Holy Fire is more related to religion than culture.
"It is also critical for us to ensure that the Holy Fire is enlisted everywhere as a religion and not just a culture or a way of doing things because the very moment we refer to it as holy, it will conform to some kind of holiness, some kind of supernatural power, and this being a religious but not an attitude or an attribute."
Mutjavikua says key participants in the program will be people with in-depth knowledge of the Herero culture.
That is to ensure a unified understanding and practice of the culture.
The nbc's Omurari Radio signed an agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation - UNESCO, facilitated along with the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture and the Heritage Council - to produce programs on the Okuruuo ceremony.
"Although the agreement between the stakeholders caters for three months for these specific programs on Okuruuo, I can assure all of you here that Omurari FM will continue producing this kind of content throughout the year, especially on its popular cultural program 'Omaraaua Njambikootate'. "We owe it to ourselves, future generations, and the custodians of our history and culture not only to maintain the strong foundation laid down by our ancestors, but also to build on it and, more importantly, to safeguard it," said Marina Matundu, acting Head of Radio Services at the nbc.
The success of the collaboration will be used as a benchmark for similar projects at other radio stations.