To help sustain their traditions, language, and culture, Ovaherero from Namibia and Botswana joined fellow Ovaherero in South Africa on December 10 for their fourth annual cultural celebration. This year's meeting focused on finding support for development projects and self-sustainability. The celebrations included periods of reverence to their ancestors, a youth workshop, and speeches by representatives from local dignitaries. Many Ovaherero were forced to leave their traditional homes in Namibia during the early 20th century as the ruling colonial German government sought to decimate their population. Currently the Ovaherero are seeking reparations from Germany for the genocide and are following a legal strategy similar to Holocaust survivors.
