On 8 August FNB Namibia handed over their financial support of N$ 75 000 towards the NUST Cultural Festival. At the official opening, Clara Bohitile, Chairperson of the FNB Namibia Foundation Trust expressed her delight with the theme of this year’s festival, which is Embracing Cultural Heritage in Modern Days.
Clara added: “I am so pleased about the theme for this year’s Cultural Festival, because cultural heritage is such a valuable facet of public and individual life in this multicultural world. We have to work toward channeling our efforts to ensure that our cultural heritage is embedded in our modern days so that our sense of uniqueness does not succumb to cultural exportations and appropriation. We have to embrace it and bring it to the Namibian context.”
She highlighted the importance of the NUST festival because heritage commemorates culture beyond any border and beyond the continent, and creates and develops identities. She wished NUST well and said: “I look forward to the activities. Remember the Swahili saying: Jasiri haachi asili – The brave do not abandon their culture.”
Dr. Tjama Tjivikua, Vice-Chancellor of NUST said the festival had become a signature event for NUST over the past 22 years and without it the university would be incomplete. “This event speaks about a nation’s strength. He quoted the renowned American architect William Ralph Emerson saying, “A nation without a cultural heritage is like an orphan who has nothing to feed upon”. This apt phrase speaks to the fact that there must be a root and a value for people or for institutions to continue growing. Growth brings about change and change brings about growth.”