Digital Namibian Archive project (Polytechnic of Namibia)

The Digital Namibian Archive (DNA) is a project that aims to bring together international partners to develop a digital resource that reflects the cultural stories of Namibian people to individuals throughout the world. The collaborative project jointly led by the Namibian Archive, the Polytechnic of Namibia and Utah Valley University, have made these resources available to the public for research and outreach.

The digital archive will be accessible online providing a rich resource reflecting the diversity of the cultural stories of Namibian people. The urgency of the project is driven by the aging of elders who hold the oral traditions of the indigenous peoples and the personal stories of individuals who participated in the former South West Africa’s (Namibia’s former name) struggle for freedom. The Digital Namibian Archive will also gather and preserve images of independence, photo negatives of the colonial period, documents of transition, and other artefacts.

The project is not only intended to counter the loss of oral tradition, but also develop skills and capacity among Namibians and help to expand the archive. Utah Valley University faculty will conduct workshops for Namibian students and professionals on digital capture, restoration, design, editing and asset management.