Renthia Kaimbi
Germany has committed €84 432.35 (about N$1.59 million) to support efforts to fight gender-based violence in Namibia.
The funding will support the “Speak Up” campaign led by the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO).
The project will run from 1 April to 31 December 2026 and target the Hardap, Erongo and Omusati regions.
The agreement was signed on 30 March 2026 by German ambassador to Namibia Thorsten Hutter and OYO founder and director Philippe Talavera.
The campaign will focus on schools and communities. It aims to promote dialogue on mental health and positive masculinity as ways to prevent violence.
“We must not let up in our efforts in fighting gender-based violence wherever and whenever we can,” Hutter said.
“The respect for fundamental human rights starts in families, classrooms and communities. OYO’s approach of addressing this challenge through music, dance and play raises awareness, especially with the young generation and is combined with professional psychological and social support for those in need.”
Talavera said the project will take a different approach by focusing on how people experience the issue.
“GBV is everywhere – in the news, in social media, in political discourse. We hear so much about it that, in the end, I wonder if we still pay attention,” he said.
“This project, using the arts, will not add to the discourse. Instead, it will encourage participants to feel. I strongly believe that if you feel, if you can put yourself in the shoes of the survivor, for instance, you can react, you can change.”
He said participants will take part in activities rather than observe.
“Participants in the project will not be mere spectators. Instead, they will be active participants and, hopefully, will learn that there are better ways.”
Gender-based violence remains a major challenge in Namibia despite laws such as the Combating of Rape Act and the Combating of Domestic Violence Act.
Access to support services remains limited, especially in remote areas.
The campaign will use school programmes, community discussions, counselling and a comic book to help young people understand and prevent violence.
Germany’s support forms part of its wider human rights programme, which funds projects across Africa, Asia, Central and South America and Eastern Europe.
Founded in 2002, the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation uses film, dance, and education to engage young people in issues such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.
