Maria David
IN a meaningful tribute to the legacy of the Founding President and Father of the Namibian Nation, Sam Nujoma, and in celebration of Africa Day, the Rob Youth Foundation Namibia, in collaboration with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), Project Green Earth, and HWPL, conducted a tree-planting ceremony on Sunday.
The event served as a poignant commemoration of the pivotal role played by the former president in the nation’s journey from the liberation struggle to freedom and development.
It also marked the 62nd anniversary of the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 25 May 1963.
In a statement issued on Monday, Robert Maseka, the Founder of the Rob Youth Foundation Namibia, said that the tree-planting event reflects the values the Founding President embodied—most notably his unwavering dedication to nurturing peace, unity, and promoting national development in Namibia and Africa as a whole.
He further emphasized that the occasion serves as a call to action for all young people in Namibia and Africa to uphold and carry forward the legacy of the Father of the Namibian Nation—a legacy rooted in unity, peace, and development.
The initiative was themed: “Preserving the legacy of the Father of the Namibian Nation and celebrating one of the founders of the OAU, now AU.”
Natalia Shifeta, a member of the Rob Youth Foundation Namibia and a student at the International University of Namibia studying Environmental Management and Sustainable Development, highlighted the environmental aspect of the tribute.
“As young Namibians, we stand here to honour the work and legacy of the Founding Father, in his efforts to transform the desert and restore the land of our country,” she said.
Connecting the event to broader African and global agendas, she indicated that as they honour and celebrate Africa Day—and answer to the call of President Nujoma—the term Ubuntu sounds louder.
Moreover, she said that as the theme highlights preserving the legacy of the Father of the Namibian Nation and celebrating one of the founders of the OAU, now known as the African Union, they are reminded of how far they have come, and of the journey yet to come—not just in preserving these legacies, but also in ensuring that they pave the way toward the development of Africa, particularly under Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She also added the recent International Day of Biological Diversity, underscoring the importance of environmental preservation in the face of climate change.
“Thus, we also come here today not just to celebrate President Nujoma’s legacies and call to plant more trees, but also to appreciate his impact toward land restoration,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, Sem Nangolo, a representative from the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), indicated that as they plant trees, they do more than place roots in the soil.
“We root ourselves in the values President Nujoma lived by: unity, peace, hard work, and nation-building,” he said.
Man Hee Lee, the Chairman of HWPL, emphasized the power of collective action for peace, saying just as water drops merge to become a huge thunderstorm that covers an entire area, their collective actions (voices) will become a thunderstorm that wipes away the world tainted by the atrocities of war and brings about a new era of peace.
