Staff Reporter
THE “Speak Up” project addressing gender-based violence in the Hardap, Erongo and Omusati regions of Namibia has been funded by Germany with 84,432.35 euros (N$1.59 million).
The German Ambassador to Namibia, Dr Thorsten Hutter, signed the agreement with the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO), represented by its founder and director, Dr Philippe Talavera, on Monday, 30 March. The project will run from 1 April to 31 December 2026.
The main aim of the project is to encourage conversations in schools and intergenerational dialogues in communities around the issues of mental health and positive masculinity in order to effectively address and prevent gender-based violence in the Hardap, Erongo and Omusati regions, which have high rates of GBV incidence.
The German Ambassador to Namibia, Dr Thorsten Hutter, said: “We must not let up in our efforts to fight gender-based violence wherever and whenever we can. 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 among the younger generation, and is combined with professional psychological and social support for those in need.”
The OYO director, Dr Philippe Talavera, added: “GBV is everywhere – in the news, on social media, and in political discourse. We hear so much about it that, in the end, I wonder if we still pay attention. 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 and you can change. 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 one of the most pressing human rights challenges in Namibia. While legislation such as the Combating of Rape Act and the Combating of Domestic Violence Act is in place, access to support services remains difficult for many, especially young people in remote areas.
The “Speak Up” project goes beyond raising awareness by addressing the root causes of GBV, promoting positive masculinity, challenging harmful cultural practices, and encouraging participants to become the change they wish to see.
Through school-based sensitisation, intergenerational community dialogues, individual counselling, and a specially developed comic book, the project equips teenagers in schools and their communities with the tools and knowledge to recognise, challenge, and ultimately prevent gender-based violence.
The support for the “Speak Up” project by the German Embassy forms part of the German federal government’s global commitment to human rights and the prevention of gender-based violence worldwide. The Federal Foreign Office human rights programme supports 130 projects every year in emerging and developing countries across Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe.
The Ombetja Yehinga Organisation is a non-governmental organisation registered as a Trust (T109/09) in Namibia. Since its inception in December 2002, OYO, under the directorship of Dr Philippe Talavera, has used creative arts such as films, dance, comic books, and educational materials to raise awareness among Namibian youth on social issues including HIV/AIDS, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and gender-based violence.
Photo: Ombetja Yehinga Organisation
