Don’t drink in otjikaiva, ohorokova …pass on what can’t be downloaded, Geingos tells Ovambanderu

Selma Shiwaya Former First Lady Monica Geingos has called on parents and traditional leaders to deliberately pass on culture, history and identity to younger generations, warning that technology and social media are increasingly shaping how young people understand themselves. Speaking during the 130th Commemoration of Chief Kahimemua Hiakungairi Nguvauva, held in Okahandja over the past weekend. Geingos also highlighted the significance of the Ovambanderu traditional dress, particularly the ohorokova and otjikaiva, as symbols of cultural continuity and leadership. In no uncertain terms, Geingos discouraged the community from consuming fermented beverages [alcohol], while adorned in the dress. “The ohorokova communicates something profound about women’s leadership that no policy document can ever match. Every woman who wears it has become the keeper of history,” she said, while encouraging mothers to teach their daughters the meaning behind traditional attire and customs, saying such acts preserve identity and strengthen communities. “When a young woman puts on this dress, she is not playing dress-up; she is making an argument. She is saying we survived the genocide, we survived the executions, we survived the displacement, we survived the confiscation of our cattle, and we are still here, still beautiful, still ourselves,” Geingos said. She further appealed to young women to respect the cultural significance of the dress, describing it as “a dress of dignity” that carries the weight of history and identity. Addressing parents directly, Geingos said many young people are vulnerable to outside influences because they lack a strong connection to their heritage. “We must respect the rules that have been set. The social media companies of today are not so direct, but the effect is the same. They offer young people a new identity,” she said. Geingos urged communities to preserve and teach their heritage to future generations. “Teach your own children their history, but also teach all of us, the Namibian nation, this history. The Ovambanderu tradition of double descent already contains this wisdom in its very essence,” she said. Geingos said culture and family remain the strongest foundations for nation-building and social stability, stressing that young people need a strong sense of identity to navigate modern challenges. “Let young people see that love and respect are not in opposition to our tradition. If you want to contribute to nation-building, have a stable family and raise stable children. We are losing control of our children,” she said. Drawing parallels between historical colonialism and the influence of modern technology, Geingos also warned that social media platforms and artificial intelligence are increasingly competing for the attention and identity of young people. “Your children are growing up with phones in their hands and the world’s loudest voices in their ears. Those voices will tell them who to become. If they do not already have a strong answer to the question, ‘Who am I?’, they will accept the answers they find on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere,” she said. According to Geingos, artificial intelligence can generate stories, images and identities at an unprecedented scale, but it cannot replace the role of family and community in shaping a child’s sense of belonging. “Your children can find information on any screen, but they cannot find belonging there. That is what family gives. That is what culture gives,” she stressed. She described the digital age as the colonial encounter of recent times, arguing that, unlike historical colonisers who sought land and cattle, modern digital platforms compete for young people’s attention, identity and sense of self. “It wants your children’s most valuable possession. Not their land this time, not their cattle. It wants their attention, their identity and their sense of self,” she said. She urged families to ensure that children know their lineage, traditions and stories, arguing that these provide a sense of belonging that technology cannot replicate. “No algorithm, however sophisticated, can do what a mother does when she sits her daughter down and teaches her who she is. No artificial intelligence can replicate the moment a grandmother ties the otjikaiva onto a young girl’s head for the first time and says, ‘This is who you are; this is where you come from’,” she said. *Selma Shiwaya is an Information Officer at MICT Otjozondjupa. The post Don’t drink in otjikaiva, ohorokova …pass on what can’t be downloaded, Geingos tells Ovambanderu appeared first on New Era. ]]>