Olukonda Exhibition to Boost Struggling Museum

by Villager Reporter Mon, 26 October 2015 16:32


The Nakambale museum in Olukonda, Oshikoto region received a much needed boost through the means of the ‘Black and White’ exhibition following troubling times. The museum has seen a drop in general interest which she attributes to a lack of marketing resources.

“The significance of the museum is to inform and educate the local people about the early life of the area that was formally known as Ovamboland [and] to inform them about the early work of the Finnish Missionaries in the north. It represents the local heritage of the Aawambo people, and we are hoping that the Namibian community and international tourists support the exhibition,” she said. The Nakambale Museum, which Tjizezenga said garnered more visits from foreign tourists than locals, ran the exhibition from 8 October under the theme ‘Black and White’ as, “It symbolizes unity between the Finnish missionaries and the Namibian community,” she said. She further explained, “The exhibition portrays the hardship of natural disaster, Christianity and Royalty. What we want the Namibian community, particularly the youth, to take away from this exhibition is the pride in their heritage and ancestral history and to understand issues such as natural disasters, history of the traditional kingdom, clothing and hairstyle. The exhibition also assists to foster issues related to National reconciliation.”

Speaking at the launch of the exhibition, former president of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba said, “I believe that the hosting of this ‘Black and White’ exhibition, which depicts the life and times of the Missionaries and the communities in which they worked and lived, provides a useful and informative glimpse into the history of Namibia during the late 19th and early 20th Century.”