Local lifestyle influencer and content creator Iyaloo Nghandi has refused to join the controversial Russian employment scheme known as Alabuga Start programme.
The programme was marketed as a glamorous work-study opportunity for young African women aged 18 to 22.
These opportunities were promoted on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, as well-paid international placements, promising professional careers in Russia’s Tatarstan region, and which include flights, housing and language classes.
The programme was reportedly pushing young African women into the Ukraine war.
In a TikTok video on 26 August, Nghandi said she turned down the offer because the programme faced criticism online and she did not want young Namibian women to be at risk.
“This is a very serious case, it’s peoples lives we are talking about,” she said.
Nghandi, who has over 100 000 followers, urged young people to verify information before sharing.
Some media reports have alleged that many recruits who made it into the programme had their passports confiscated and were forced to work in drone factories producing weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Bloomberg reports that the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan, one of Russia’s flagship industrial hubs and a key player in producing Shahed-type military drones used in combat, is among the main recruiters.
Last week, South African influencer Honour Zuma apologised for promoting the scheme.
The Russian embassy in South Africa, according to media reports, has denied the allegations, calling them unfounded.
Youth activist Armando Pieter says the country’s leaders must discuss why young people fall for such schemes.
According to him, the inadequate distribution of resources and digital divide has led to these schemes becoming a hope to curb poverty among the youth.
“Namibia as a nation should stand in solidarity, leaving no room for compromises to discuss the principle of such schemes and how the youth can protect against them, leaving no society behind,” he says.
Pieter adds that the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology should go out into communities to ensure that the youth, especially those in the marginalised communities, receive the digital literacy they need.
Police national spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says the police are working tirelessly to ensure that young people do not fall victim to social media programmes that could raise potential risks, such as the Alabuga programme.
“All in all, our police can only assist through education, promoting ethical responsibility, through encouraging every Namibian to think before they post, verify before they share, and engage without harm, and encourage victims to report.”
On 13 August, the Namibian Police launched an ethical use of social media campaign at the Namibia University of Science and Technology as one of the initiatives to create awareness.
– Iyaloo Ndjaba is a first-year media student at the University of Namibia.
