ChiNamibia Arts education for Development organization founded in Namibia on the 10th January 2013 by former graduates of the College of the Arts who studied Diploma in African Performing Arts and Development , who would love to share their acquired skills and knowledge in Arts and Culture by educating children and young Namibians. It was officially launched on the 15th March 2013 by the Directorate of Arts, Ministry of Youth, National services, Sports and Culture and the Manager of Chipawo Zimbabwe. CHINAMIBIA Develops, Educates, Empower and create awareness among the children through arts and culture on social issue and preparation for themed events, to enrich the Namibian Arts industry and broaden Arts education nationally. “CHI-NAMIBIA” stands for children of Namibia.
We are currently registered with Ministry of Youth, National Services, sports and culture. We are affiliated to CHAREWO and Pascal Norway.
HOW DID CHINAMIBIA START?
CHINAMIBIA was inspired and derived from CHIPAWO Zimbabwe which was established in 1989. CHIPAWO is an arts education for development and empowerment trust that works with children and young people in child development. CHIPAWO is an organization that has been working with children and young people for over twenty years and been involved in many international festivals and exchanges has learn from its own experience what children and young people can perform in this regards.
Through its international arm, CHIPAWO World, CHIPAWO is committed to sharing its experience and methodology with children and young people in other countries. As a result, the following have been founded CHIEDZA (Zambia), CHISA (South Africa) and CHIPABO (Botswana). CHINAMIBIA is being founded as a sister organization, working closely with the other like-minded organizations in the region and in the world .
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
• Ensure knowledge of diverse culture in Namibia
• Appreciate Arts and culture and education in our society
• Respect children Rights
• Involve children and youth in creative learning process regardless of their gender, race, social status, ability and disability.
• Giving a platform to children to voice and air their opinions through the means of Arts and culture education.
• To be the foundation of self discovery through exchange programs that showcase talent.
• Provide initiative with a powerful capacity to bring change through the arts, media, and other child and youth friendly methodologies.
• Provide initiative to inform and effect behaviours and mind-set change on issues such as health (HIV/AIDS), democracy, gender, abuse, rape, teenage pregnancies, climate change, sports, arts and as well as children rights.
HOW THIS WILL WORK
• To install creative development that will cultivate the children and youth into well groomed adults who will become active members of our society.
• Be part of the Organization
• Establish a network of participatory arena that will give exposure for the children and for our country at large, as we present our country in cultural events in different parts of the world
• Reaching out to all pre-primary, primary and secondary learners and orphans as well as vulnerable children and educate them about the arts and culture weekly and get them involved in events.
• Generate role models that will empower the youth and self driven to become self sufficient.
• To decentralise and branch out to other regions in Namibia and share the arts education with children and youth from other regions, towns and rural areas.
• To create an environment where young people can express themselves without fear of being judged or discriminated against their creativity and artistic abilities
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG NAMIBIANS
• Music (Singing)
• Theatre studies
• Dance Studies
• Visual arts,
CREATE JOBS FOR THE YOUTH
• And many more, for age groups 5-23 years .