Jonathan and Fiona explaining an activity to the Opuwo youth group.
A year ago I was working as a Theatre Director at the National Theatre in London when I had a phone call. A choreographer and director from Namibia was visiting, and he wanted to come and see a rehearsal. That was my first meeting with Philippe Talavera, and the first time I heard about the work of OYO. I was inspired, as was my partner, Jonathan, a theatre lighting designer and stage technician. We decided that we would come to Africa for the very first time and volunteer for six weeks with OYO.
On the 5th of October, we waved goodbye to rainy England, and three days later, tired but excited, we arrived at the OYO headquarters in Windhoek.
By our second day in Namibia we were hard at work. Philippe was directing the DVD of two plays which had just completed a successful tour of schools. We were drafted in to help organise the wardrobe, a job which sounded simple but was actually pretty complicated, as each of the seven actors had up to twelve different costumes. The schedule was tight and we worked long days, but it was a great opportunity to learn new skills. In London, both of us work professionally in theatre, but neither of us in the world of film, so it was interesting to see how different the process is for the actors and the director. There is much less time for rehearsal and there is a need for intense focus, because any mistakes waste time.
 Once the film was complete, we headed north to Opuwo to lead a five-day drama workshops with a youth group. The participants worked very hard, and after three days of exercises and practising technique, we had devised a thirty-minute drama, which they performed successfully to a large group of learners. The youth of Opuwo and the OYO staff were incredibly friendly and made our first trip a pleasure. We started to learn more about the country, about the differences between the tribal groups, about the languages. Coming from a country where tribal distinctions have largely disappeared and one language dominates all public discourse, it was fascinating to learn more about the rich and varied traditions of Namibia.
We were then asked to visit different youth groups to run intensive two-and-a-half day drama workshops, giving the youth an opportunity to develop their performance skills and the OYO staff a chance to learn new techniques. We visited Usakos, Khorixas, Okahandja and Rehoboth, and in each place were privileged to meet truly talented and committed young people. I was hugely impressed by the passion of the majority of the young people we met. I am used to working with young people in the UK who frequently couldn’t be bothered to try, or who think that they are above making any effort. In contrast, I feel that the young people here are better mannered and more aware of themselves, their effect on the group and their own futures. Working with OYO gives participants skills which are important for drama, but which can also help in job interviews, in meetings and in problem solving. It also creates opportunities for young people to perform on national and international stages. It was wonderful to see people improve in such a short period of time. I hope the young people who took part feel more confident, more articulate and more imaginative as a result of the workshop.
In between regional visits, we stayed in Windhoek. One of the highlights was watching the amazingly talented OYO dance troupe perform in front of MPs in the Parliament buildings; another was working with West and Nyandee, two incredibly talented and driven young actors whom we hope will be our colleagues of the future.
Volunteering with OYO has enabled me to see Namibia in a unique way. We have had the chance to visit schools, UNAM, people’s houses – to see things that tourists never normally see. We have had the chance to visit different communities and meet many different people, and to be united by their warmth and friendliness. However, some things also shocked me. In the UK we are spoilt by so many opportunities, and our benefit system, whilst flawed, means that it is unusual for anyone to really suffer from poverty. We were saddened to see the level of alcohol abuse in Namibia, particularly by older people, and reading the OYO magazine has made us realise how common violence, and particularly violence towards women, can be. It was also hard for us to learn how many people are infected with the HIV virus. HIV/AIDS is present in the UK, of course, but it affects a far smaller percentage of the population. We are proud to have worked with OYO and helped to raise awareness.
Namibia has helped us get a broader perspective on life. We live in London, a city with eight million people crowded on top of each other, and whilst it is our home and we love it, it has been great to get away, to come to the vast spaces of this extraordinarily beautiful country and meet people who have lived such different lives on the other side of the globe. We have frequently been astonished by people’s strength, determination and kindness. It is inspiring to be in a place where people are working together to improve their country, and where people still have the time to talk to, help and support each other.
Over the last six weeks we feel we have met, in the OYO youth groups, the leaders of the future; we hope we have inspired them, because they have certainly inspired us.
Fiona Morrell and Jonathan Goldstone
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