‘PEACE GIRL’ – THE FIRST NAMIBIAN COMIC BOOK FEATURING A DEAF HERO

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Today the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) launched the comic book ‘Peace Girl’ at the National Institute for Special Education in Khomasdal, in the presence of ministry officials, ambassadors, various guests and the learners from the school for the Hearing Impaired.

Dr Talavera, OYO’s director, explained ‘When discussing with Deaf teenagers, they felt under-represented. They don’t see themselves on TV, in theatre plays, in books. They lack role models and heroes they would aspire to become.Representation is important. If you see yourself – or someone like yourself – on TV or in books, you know that you matter.’

Thanks to seed funding from the Bulgarian Development Aid, OYO could start the project ‘Hear me’ last year. ‘A group of learners decided to create Peace Girl. They decided on her superpower, they came up with the design for her costume, they thought of her name. They came up with situations they face on a daily basis they would like Peace Girl to solve. They ranged from being bullied or abused to having problems accessing medical services, as more than often nurses and doctors don’t speak sign language.’ Said Talavera

This year, thanks to support from FNB Namibia through the FIRSTRAND NAMIBIA FOUNDATION and a generous donation from Hans Molenaar of the Horizon Trust, OYO could produce the 36 pages comic book. It was officially launched by Felicity Philander representing the firstRand Foundation and Dr Patrick Simalumba on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture.

Dr Simalumba, in his speech, said ‘Creating a comic book with a Deaf heroine in Namibia holds immense significance for several reasons. It promotes inclusivity and representation, giving Deaf individuals a character they can relate to and be inspired by. In a society where people with disabilities are often underrepresented in media, a Deaf heroine in a comic book can break stereotypes and showcase the diverse strengths and capabilities of individuals with hearing impairments.’

The event was graced by a beautiful mime by learners from the school of the Hearing Impaired and a performance by the OYO dance troupe. The book will be distributed in schools and communities OYO works with. 

 

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