Freda Tawana, Facilitator of the 2003 Convention © UNESCO

Shaped by her experiences as teacher in senior high school and instructor at Oluno & Hardap Prison, Freda Mwalyana Sampati Tawana is since 2009 a senior culture officer at the Ministry of Education Arts and Culture in Windhoek, Namibia.

‘The first time I came to learn about the 2003 Convention was in 2010 during a workshop organized by the UNESCO office in Windhoek. Looking at how the facilitators have been training the experts and supporting the implementation of the Convention in their countries, I had always looked forward to say, ‘I would like to be like them one day’. This is one of my dreams being fulfilled.’

Freda Tawana participated in the UNESCO Training of trainers’ workshop for Africa (9 - 13 July 2019) in Algiers, Algeria, where she was trained on the key concepts of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the development of community-based inventories and safeguarding plans. This training allowed her to learn about the role as facilitator in the Global network of facilitators and the implementation of the Convention. She hopes to apply what she learnt to map relevant activities in her country, starting with a needs assessment.

‘The contribution of ICH to sustainable development is undeniable. ICH plays a role in agriculture, food security, peace and social cohesion. What type of future would the youth have if they leave their ICH behind?’ As National coordinator of intangible cultural heritage in the Ministry, Freda Tawana has been coordinating awareness-raising activities regarding the implementation of the 2003 Convention and community-based inventorying in the 13 political regions of the country.