EXPLORING AND LEARNING IN THE KUNENE

Researchers and students from the IK research cluster under the SCIONA project (sciona.nust.na) collaborated over five days with 26 community para ecologists from Epupa and Okangwati conservancies. The IK research cluster has been promoting digitisation of Indigenous Knowledge as a means of safeguarding and at the same creating synergy between different knowledge systems.

During the trip the the IK cluster team learned about plant usage and wildlife conservation endeavours during the ethno-botanical walks along the Kunene river with the para ecologists as part of exploration to develop more appropriate technologies.

In line with the long term objectives of the cluster, a long term collaborator, Uaraieke Mbinge, gave training to the paraecologist on how to use the Media Collector Tool (MCT) application for data collection. Prof Mbinge has been involved in the design of the MCT application, thus his expertise in the use of the MCT and co-design. As part of the cluster’s objective Prof Mbinge, through the training, shared his experience and knowledge regarding co-design and the use of the MCT application. At the end of the training, there was a handover of the MCT application to one of the paraecologists, Muahapikua.