Educate 20000 Namibian teenagers on HIV using Arts

As you know, the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) is a Namibian NGO that uses Arts to create social awareness. We believe that solutions can only be found with young people for young people within a given context. Each project works closely with students (called learners in Namibia), their schools and, when applicable the surrounding community. We use non-threatening means of communication, including role-plays, dances, songs, our youth-friendly magazine and we create safe spaces. 

After a very successful accelerator campaign in June, we found it very difficult to sustain the effort. We would really like to thank wholeheartedly the few of you who have continued supporting us, either donating monthly or when you could. We greatly appreciate.

We got a large disbursement in July and a small one in August.

In September we performed for a University event on HIV – both during the Official Opening and for the students. We performed in two locations in Katutura (Windhoek’s township) and in two schools (Westmount High School and Ella du Plessis).

In October, we had a chance to continue with our project in two correctional facilities in the north, in Rundu and Divundu. In Rundu we performed for all three Units, discussed issues around HIV testing and encouraged inmates to go for the test. In Divundu we performed for the whole facility. We had not visited any of the two facilities in 2019 and both inmates and officers appreciated the visit.

In October, we also had a chance to work with a renown French artist, William Domiquin. In November, we welcomed a young dancer from Finland, Isabella Mansnerus. We are busy preparing for the World AIDS Day. This year, we will entirely self-fund over 12 performances around World AIDS Day in Windhoek and two regions in the South (Hardap and Karas). This is thanks to your generosity.

You may also want to know:

• Thanks to the joint UN program in December (from 15 to 20) we will organize a series of events in the Erongo Region, at the coast. We have identified hotspots and will perform there. We will be collaborating with I-TECH, a wonderful NGO that will provide much needed on-the-spot services such as HIV testing, risk assessment, PrEP and Gender-Based Violence Counseling.
• Thanks to the FNB Foundation will plan two events early 2020 to engage the public in Windhoek around burning social issues. 

But - we still need your help

The more funds we can generate, the more young people we can reach. There are 14 regions in Namibia and young people represent more than half of our small population. Since donor funding is tight to specific projects, we can’t always go everywhere. Your support helps us reach more young people in areas where creating awareness is much needed. We have a limited network overseas, but maybe you can help us by encouraging your friends, colleagues or family members to learn about us and support us too. Our link is still: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/using-arts-educate-4000-namibian-teenagers-on-hiv