OYO premieres ‘Kukuri’ – a Talavera film on child marriages

WHILE the Ministry of Gender and Equality conduct a study on the prevalence of child marriages in Namibia, Unicef estimates the number of Namibian children married before the age of 18 to be over 5 400.

Though the estimated figure initially inspires disbelief, one of those children may have lived a life much like the lead in the latest DVD from the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) Trust.

Directed by Philippe Talavera and premiering at the Warehouse Theatre last Thursday, ‘Kukuri’ (2018) tells the story of a young girl who must choose between respecting tradition and her parents or following her dreams.

A fictional story inspired by real events shot on location in the Kavango and Zambezi regions, ‘Kukuri’ is a 48-minute film starring Hanty Kashongo, George Antonio (‘Salute!’), Mbango Munyima, Renah Xuexom, Nangana Mushavanga, Diyanna Longwani, Christiaan Haingura Njamba and Rozalina Wanga. One actor (Antonio) and real members of the Omega community where much of the film’s data was collected.

“First during various trips to the Kavango and Zambezi regions, we interviewed girls who had been married before the age of 18,” says Talavera who says they interviewed at least 20 victims of child marriage and they weren’t so difficult to find. “Nine girls agreed to a recorded interview and shared their stories with us. Others only agreed to informal interviews as they were afraid to be recorded.”

As skeptical as most regarding the high Unicef estimate, once Talavera and his team – OYO’s Cecilia Petrus and Nyandee Mbarandongo, David Mushavanga from the Omega community as well as Klaudia Ndinondjnene, Hergal Nyathi and Namene Nekwaya – began listening to the interviews, they felt moved to give the girls a voice in their own languages including Khoekhoegawab, Mbukushu, Oshiwambo and Afrikaans. The film has English subtitles.

“Their stories needed to be told. Near Omega we met a girl who was 14, married and pregnant – yet her story is not told. I think sometimes we like to play the ostrich and enjoy our comfort but we have to get out of our comfort zone and tell stories that matter,” says Talavera who worked alongside Mbarandongo, OYO’s youth development coordinator, who spent weeks in the Omega and Chetto villages working with the community.

“The reality is that many girls are forced into child marriage and once they get married, they are forced to leave school and become housewives and look after their husbands,” says Mbarandongo.

“The sad thing about this child marriage story is that girls become mothers at an early age and once they become mothers, the husband usually disappears and leaves them alone to take care of the baby. Now imagine a child giving birth to a child and still having to look after this child alone while the husband moves on to find another wife.”

Hoping to start a real conversation about child marriage in Namibia after submitting proposals dismissed because the issue is not deemed a priority, Talavera argues that while it is important to respect tradition and culture, they are not frozen in time.

“Tradition and culture evolve. They actually need to evolve. In today’s Namibia, it is not right that some girls are still forced to marry at an early age and are still expected to have children soon after starting menstruating. We need to find ways to reconcile traditions with the rights of every girl to choose her life.”

Aiming to screen the film in various communities followed by discussions centered around the issues therein, OYO also plans to lobby members of parliament to take a stand and begin a proper campaign to say no to child marriage.

“We need as many people as possible to see the film and a collective voice to start rising,” says Talavera, echoing sentiments by Mbarandongo who is haunted by one encounter in particular.

“Life there is so different from the life we know in the city,” Mbarandongo says.

“One day, a girl walked up to me and told me: ‘It’s good that you are here because my parents are forcing me to get married in the upcoming holiday’. This was last December. ‘You guys must make them understand it’s not right. I want to finish my school. I don’t want to get married now’, she said. I still remember the look in her eyes.”

Call 061 254 915 and like ‘Kukuri – An OYO DVD’ on Facebook for more information. Purchase your ‘Kukuri’ DVD at the OYO Office, 4 Babies Street, Suiderhof.

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