Every day, wood is harvested by thousands of people living in Namibia. As informal settlements increase in size, more wood is harvested to make fires to complete their daily tasks. Over time, large portions of “brown space”, or vacant land, are consumed as people travel deeper into nature to set up their homes, resulting in negative long-term effects on the ecosystem.
It is important to come up with ways to create awareness about our global footprint and incite positive change. That is why Jumper Namibia, Namibian Youth on Renewable Energy (NAYoRE), and The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia (SDFN) have collaborated to create a short informational video promoting the awareness of renewable energy.
We also aim to partner with one main sponsor who can assist us in creating more content like this. We believe that this type of content is a convenient and impactful way for Namibians to be informed about social issues and create conversations on how to implement more sustainable solutions.
With this particular initiative, our objective is:
1. To create public awareness about renewable energy as an essential good, demonstrating how it can be integrated into our daily lives.
2. To encourage more conversation around the use of renewable energy as the prime energy option.
3. To make the relevant technologies more accessible to the public, allowing them to take charge of their energy systems in a more sustainable way.
The video was filmed in the Havana informal settlement. Before we filmed, Imelda Munika from Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia explained the challenges that the people in the community face. We learned how occupants—demonstrated through our main character, “Ndapandula”—wake up every morning needing firewood to perform their daily tasks. As stated earlier, this daily consumption of wood, a natural resource, can have harmful long-term effects on the environment if it is not mitigated. At the end of the video, we prompt the audience to consider other more renewable options available to Ndapandula, and many like her, to make their way of living better.
This initiative is a collective effort of three Namibian youth organisations. It aligns with our country’s National Electrification Scheme as well as the United National’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 which both focus on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. In these unprecedented times, collaboration is an effective way to challenge our current problems and spark conversations that lead to solutions.
Jumper Namibia is a visual communications platform that offers digital marketing services such as videography, photography, and graphic design, to businesses and organisations. We package and tell an organisation’s vision or story in a way that the viewer can more easily engage with. Winning at the StartUp Namibia Slingshot Fund program (2021) has led us to connect with NAYoRE and create an informational video advocating for sustainable energy use.
Namibian Youth on Renewable Energy is a non-profit youth organization that engages young people who are active in the renewable energy sector. NAYoRE finds entry points for youth to access renewable energy materials and advocates to the general public about sustainable energy use.
The Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia is a network of housing saving schemes set in place to improve the living conditions of low-income earners living in shacks, rented rooms, as well those without accommodation. SDFN is also active in promoting women's participation in housing saving schemes.
StartUp Namibia is a non-profit organisation that focuses on empowering Namibian start-ups by creating job opportunities and linking these start-ups to relevant resources.
The 2-minute video can be found on both the Jumper Namibia and NAYoRE Facebook and YouTube platforms. The video can also be viewed on Elob! Hanas, a Namibian media channel fully dedicated to the environment and sustainability. Here, viewers can contribute their suggestions.
For more information, contact: 081 698 0693 / 085 636 2065
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