Meme Dingi Namibia promotes culture among pupils

The newly crowned Meme Dingi Namibia will embark on an awareness campaign aimed at educating school pupils about the importance of preserving and upholding local cultures and traditions.

Event organiser Ndawana Ndume said this during the crowning of Meme Dingi Namibia at Oshilemba village in the Ohangwena region on 28 December.

The pageant is aimed at women aged 40 and above.

Laina Mwetupunga was crowned Meme Dingi Namibia, with Naemi Sheyaouyuni as the runner-up and Tresia Hipepaali the second runner-up.

“The winner’s objective is to organise events, particularly at secondary schools, to sensitise pupils on the importance of celebrating our culture and traditions, understanding them and proudly preserving and practising them,” Ndume said.

After the crowning, Mwetupunga said she wanted every child to spend their early years steeped in local customs and traditions.

“If I had children of my own, I would, at every opportunity, move them to the countryside – just enough to experience the atmosphere of cultural practices and not just for their physical health,” she said.

The organisers said the pageant showcases the cultural beauty and traditional know-how of Namibian women.

The competition was organised with the overall goal of making people proud of the rich heritage of the country and to conserve culture.

“This was the first ever occurrence in Namibia, which tried to look beyond the advent of the Westerners among us, and revel in our own culture,” said Ndume.

The competition was divided into three rounds: the first round was ‘Nowadays Imitation’, in which the contestants wore ‘modern’ clothes, which the older generation view as negative but that is trending among young people. In this round, the participants explained why such trends are misleading.

They then changed into their Odelela [traditional attire] for round two, and finally into Onguwo for the last round, which is traditionally worn during ceremonies.

According to Ndume, participants were picked for their profound knowledge of traditional attire, herbal remedies and cultural practices.

Ndume said this year’s winners researched lost cultural elements which they presented through carefully prepared artefacts.

The event featured musical performances by Dama Monique, Kaboy Kamakili and Keitu MK Ozonguvi Za Kaoko, among others.

“We’ve heard people say our cultures and traditions are archaic, that they delay nation-building and should, therefore, be discarded for new ways of living. Some even call them ‘filthy’ and ‘uncivilised’. These perceptions are much more common within the younger generation. It is very dangerous to lose our identity as Africans without our traditions,” Ndume added.