Like every other country on the African continent, Namibia has not always been free. First colonised by the Germans and then later by South Africa, Namibia had to fight for its freedom. Independence finally came March 21, 1990 after nearly 30 years of armed struggle. The leading force behind the fighting was the South-West African People’s Organisation or SWAPO. SWAPO, which almost exclusively consisted of Owambo, carried out their guerrilla campaign in the North of the country and into Angola. SWAPO today remains the dominant political party in Namiba and still has a strong Owambo influence.
Needless to say, the Owambo are proud of their accomplishments and Independence Day does not pass with little fanfare. Even in Enguwantale, where cattle are more abundant than people, independence was publicly celebrated in a relatively exquisite way. Important people from the government attended to take part in the festivities. Throughout the day speeches were given, surrounding villages performed traditional dances, and cows were slaughtered. It was a fun occasion, even for me who understood very little of what was being said. It was great to be part of the community and witness how they celebrate their independence.
The highlight no doubt for me is to watch the traditional dancing, especially the dancing of the learners that I have come to know. I am always proud to them dressed up and so beautifully respecting their own culture. Below are a handful of pictures from the celebration. Note that they have been doctored up a bit; not that the originals were not good, but more because I was having fun playing with photo editing software. Even after doctoring the photos, they still do not do it justice; my photos never will.
1 comment:
Very cool GC! Save the original photo files, you might find that you're able to to get what you want out of your images with Lightroom. Nevertheless, the images are great! Thanks for sharing!
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