The Omwifi Combined School in the Omusati Region hosted the Outapi Constituency Annual Cultural Festival, bringing the community and schools together.

Outapi Constituency Councillor Selma Asino highlighted the importance of culture, saying that culture is heritage that must be passed down to ensure young people do not lose what their forefathers practised.

"They used to teach their children how to behave when they are young and how to behave when they are with elders. They used to teach them how to behave when they are with the young ones and the elderly people. Culture can also bring values in any person because if you know what it is that you believe in."

The principal of Omwifi Combined School, Shooka Efraim, says cultural events help learners to connect subjects such as history and language to their background and identity.

"So this event covers mostly what is happening, especially in our backgrounds. That like now we talk of it gives us a picture of where we come from, which makes it easy for us to know where we will be going."

Omusati Region Culture Officer Sakeus Katangolo says the event promotes, develops and preserves culture while teaching young people through the participation of elders.

"It is really for cultural groups to showcase their talent and skills by displaying traditional dances, as we can see in the background, to showcase our material culture and our rich material culture and traditional performances, and it also serves as a platform to educate our young ones, because we have to uphold the culture, and the presence of our elders through their participation is where our young ones can learn."

Katangolo further highlighted that constituency festivals serve as a filter to select groups that will represent constituencies at regional and national levels, with this year's national festival set for December.

The winning cultural group will represent the Outapi Constituency at the Omusati Regional Annual Cultural Festival, scheduled to take place from 14 to 21 September this year.