My Zone concludes colourful year

Iréne-Mari van der Walt & Gerine Botha The past year has been a whirlwind year for the My Zone team and brand with the publication of school newspapers in a digital format and the addition of several shows to the brand’s already extensive list of offerings. ‘Ohole So Nice’My Zone started Namibia’s premier dating show in June this year under the careful leadership of show coordinator Wetumwene Shikage. Shikage says the journey with ‘Ohole So Nice’ has been thrilling. “The journey has been very exciting and entertaining,” she says. The ladies have found it easier to claim on ‘Ohole So Nice’, according to Shikage. “It has been easier for female bachelors to go ahead with the show than it was for males,” she says. From this originates Shikage’s hopes to accommodate male bachelors in the lead for ‘Ohole So Nice’.“I would really like to see more males being interested to meet new females. I would also like to see the youth want to be part of and share the show with their friends and peers. This will allow for the show to grow to become a well-known proudly Namibian show which is entertaining and partly educational to the youth,” says Shikage. ‘Ohole So Nice’ consists of a series of four dates in which a guest meets four different dates before choosing one to go on a final date with. Here, the couple enjoys a meal and plays icebreaker games to get to know one another. Viewers can then catch every steamy moment on the My Zone Instagram and Facebook as well as NMH’s oneuptwo.com streaming platform. ‘Straight Talk’My Zone hosts a debating and spelling bee competition show in which learners from various schools are invited to take part. The coordinator for ‘Straight Talk’, Rivaldo Kavanga, is in agreement with Wetumwene Shikage that his involvement with this show has allowed him to grow. “The journey has been amazing. I’ve spent time with various children and young people and the best thing was learning from all the people I interacted with. I’ve also learned to embrace diversity,” says Kavanga. ‘Straight Talk’ is a show that invites learners from various schools to participate in a spelling bee and debates. Kavanga believes that ‘Straight Talk’ has a unique approach to its offerings. “Our debating and spelling bee system is unlike anything else. We have customised them to bring out the best from learners and to test their ability to manage time,” he says. Kavanga hopes that ‘Straight Talk’ will gain momentum in the future. “It will grow into a far bigger competition with more schools participating,” he says. He adds that he would like to include more schools in ‘Straight Talk’. Media Camp The annual media camp sprouts from the My Zone school newspaper project which challenges learners from high schools nationwide to create a five-page school newspaper twice a year with the guidance of My Zone. The media camp is intended to serve as a platform for learners to meet peers from other My Zone editorial teams nationwide and exchange knowledge, as well as introducing learners to industry experts and exposing them to further opportunities in the media industry. The head of My Zone, Octavia Tsibes, says the annual My Zone media camp is immensely important to the brand. “The school newspapers are a big deal and it’s important that the learners network and get to know each other,” she says. Tsibes envisions that the media camp will grow to accommodate more learners in future. Currently, the My Zone media camp is able to accommodate two learners each from most of its participating schools at the media camp. “We are looking into accommodating more learners by having a media camp every semester, as well as potentially having regional media camps in the future,” says Tsibes. Educational booklets In the pandemic, Namibia Media Holdings took up the challenge to assist the ministry of education, arts and culture in lessening the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on education. This year, NMH celebrated the printing of the 10 millionth education booklet. The result was the NMH school booklet project through which thousands of booklets are distributed to learners throughout the country in various indigenous languages as well as in English. “ECDs across the country were approached and now over 500 of these centres receive weekly educational material in various languages. This number continues to grow as more centres contact us seeking materials. Other kindergartens, day-care centres and after-school facilities have also reached out to receive educational books,” said the project coordinator, Sharnay Botha, at the time of printing the 10 millionth education booklet. The ministry of education, arts and culture said it was grateful to Namibia Media Holdings for taking the bull by the horns and helping them navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic. “The educational materials are crucial in the holistic development of our young children to ensure that they have a solid foundation towards academic success and lifelong learning, especially during the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the ministry’s executive director, Sanet Steenkamp.Active Kids 300th episode My Zone’s kids show, ‘Active Kids’, produced its 300th episode this year under the leadership of Mariselle Stofberg. Although Stofberg has handed the baton to Jeanette Diergaardt, the fun is not stopping on ‘Active Kids’, says Diergaardt. “My most precious memory at ‘Active Kids’ is playing the xylophone with the Marimba band of Sunshine Private College,” says Diergaardt. She says new friends are always welcome at ‘Active Kids’. “My biggest challenge with ‘Active Kids’ is finding friends to host the episodes with me,” she says. However great the challenges, Diergaardt’s passion for ‘Active Kids’ stays ablaze. “What keeps me at it is knowing that there is not a lot of original Namibian content for children, and being a part of the creation of one of the few episodes for kids is an honour. I would like to see the programme grow in terms of not only being in studio and at schools with the kids but actively making a difference in the lives of children, especially children in marginalised communities.”Regional engagements In the past year, NMH has further extended its countrywide footprint, with correspondents now based at Keetmanshoop, Rundu, Ongwediva, Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein. Besides regular news and video contributions for existing broadcasts, the latest offering, ‘Regional Review’, made its debut on 1 November. This programme features news from our correspondents, along with interviews with role players and personalities in their respective towns. The show is broadcast at 14:00 every day on all NMH platforms.In line with the expansion of its regional network, My Zone saw two colleagues, Michelline Nawatises and Iréne-Mari van der Walt, trade places. Previously, Nawatises was based at the Namibia Media Holdings head office in Windhoek while van der Walt worked from NMH’s Erongo branch. This shift will see Nawatises coordinate the My Zone school newspaper project in 12 Erongo schools, while Van der Walt will manage the project within three schools in Windhoek and Gobabis. Nawatises says the shift has taught her many valuable lessons. “The experience is nice; I learnt a lot with regards to journalism in a short time,” she says. Before the duo are set to change back to their original places in July next year, Nawatises hopes to learn more. “I’m seeing more that I can learn. I am challenged to broaden my spectrum, I am challenged to do anything and everything.,” she says. She strongly advises a change in scenery to anyone looking to broaden their horizons.

My Zone concludes colourful year

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