LiveEd offers Namibia an opportunity to engage fully with issues of world development. As a new and developing country, Namibia can play a strong part modelling global partnerships in mutual sharing, respect and growth.

The Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) meaning Red Ribbon, is a Namibian Welfare Organisation (WO199) and Non Government organisation (NGO) which was created in 2002. It’s aim is to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic in the three regions of Kunene, Erongo and Khomas. Through working with young people, especially in the northern regions, they help facilitate the creation of materials based on Information, Education and Communication (IEC). These are represented through the creative industries, design, fashion, poetry, dance, theatre, music & media and shared in performance events for local communities. There are a great many talented young people keen to share their skills and ideas with others. There is also a strong need for building capacity for this organization to reach more people with it’s vital messages about responsibility and respect.

Through creative arts exchange LiveEd can create:

1. An opportunity to host international visitors and share skills and resources.
2. An opportunity for a group of young people to practice hosting international visitors and share their views and experiences.
3. An opportunity for several hundred young Namibians participants to learn how other young people manage and handle themselves in rehearsal and performance preparation.
4. An opportunity for over 1,500 audience members to share a vision of development and information sharing through creative arts partnerships.
5. An opportunity to reflect on how international visitors perceive young people in Namibia and to explore the impact of tourism.
6. An opportunity to share repertoire and performances directly with international exchange visitors.
7. The sharing of specific skills and practices in rehearsal.
8. An opportunity to challenge perceptions of how young people in Namibia measure themselves against young people in other countries.
9. An opportunity for 3 young people and 3 performing Arts Leaders to visit Newham in 2006 and to explore all the above in a contrasting context.
10. A chance for these 6 people to record their experiences,reflections, perceptions and discoveries through film, photographs and written reports and to report back to a wider audience of school, and Community groups in Newham.

About Namibia

The Republic of Namibia is a country in southwestern Africa, on the Atlantic coast. It is bordered by Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to the north, Botswana to the east, and South Africa to the south. It gained independence from South Africa in 1990, and as such it is one of the youngest nations in the world. Its capital is Windhoek.