The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is targeting youth to tap into Kenya’s cultural heritage potential through use of modern technology.
According to NMK Chief Heritage Research Scientist Dr. Purity Kiura, Kenyans can now take a tour of the National Museums of Kenya right from your hand-held mobile device, all from the comfort of your home, as the institution embraces the potential that the ‘Digital Age’ offers to reach more audiences.
“We want to bring our teenage youth into our cultural heritage, we have started talking to them, to listen to them and tell us how they can use technology to conserve our heritage while at the same time earning a living,” said Dr Kiura.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Youth Heritage Africa Sensitization Forum at the Swahili Pot Hub bringing together key stakeholders and development partners, Dr Kiura said Kenyan youth can take advantage of the digital technology and earn a living while at the same time marketing Kenyans heritage globally.
NMK has embarked on digitizing its collections and open them up to the world as it takes advantage of the interwebs to drive individuals around the world to engage with Kenya’s history and the arts.
“The reason why youth are shying away from our cultural heritage is because they have not seen direct benefit from our heritage, we are therefore sensitizing them on how they can leverage on technology to earn a living by selling our heritage outside,” she added.
David King, a representative ICOME organisation in Rome Italy said many countries have moved to digitize their heritage, thus earning foreign income.
“We need to make sure that youth are part and parcel of the digital transformation by creating space for them to earn a living through marketing Kenyans cultural heritage globally,” said King.
The Youth Heritage Africa conference brought together players from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Italy among others. The purpose of the conference was to educate youth how to harness heritage opportunities through use of technology and earn a living.
Cultural heritage is a legacy inherited from the past generation and passed on tangible or intangible forms. These valuable heritage materials have been preserved in many places such as museums, archives, libraries, and other repositories which are accessible to the public for ages to come.
“Kenyans can earn money by marketing our heritage through technology globally, we want youth to tap into this untapped sector, where we have noticed a very huge potential.” said Mohamed Noor Swahili Pothub founder and director.
The conservation and preservation of heritage materials can be done in two ways such as conventionally and digitally. Digitization is the process of converting conventional information into digital format with the aid of various software and hardware interventions.
“The digitization of heritage materials is crucial for preserving and conserving various materials housed in museums, archives, libraries, and other institutions to protect future generations,” said Noor.
By Hilton Mwabili
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