Framing Technology Design in Ubuntu: Two Locales in Pastoral Namibia

Abstract

Situating technology design in the African philosophy of Ubuntu, emphasizes principles of humanness and connectedness in human interactions. Curiosity, interest and learnings have grown among those who have co-designed with us for the past eight years; whereas those who have just began co-designing endeavours take on it in different and also similar manners. This reminds us of our beginnings and initial aims as co-designers in diverse Namibians milieus. Thus, as we exit the known and arrive to anew terrains, we observe different but also similar values, protocols and behaviours amid diverse co-designer groups; also in the way we evolve as researchers co-designing always with the above. Human values at Ovaherero and Ovahimba rural locales depict and magnified differences and also commonalities that, altogether, come as Ubuntu in the sharing and in the practiced philosophy of African indigenous populations; also of us as researcher co-designers. This paper reflects on how Human-Computer Interaction and technology deal with communities' daily living and humanness in various ways.