Bummin Around

Wow it's been a while, neh? I'm still chugging along. I just finished another vacation with my Dad and his wife, Kim. It was nice but unfortunately they both got sick and we had to trim some things off our trip. I sure am lucky to get all this free time to roam around Namibia, and other countries. Sometimes I forget I have a job. Speaking of which... Our support group is still going pretty strong. The ladies are finishing up their sewing classes and soon will be making there own dresses and other clothing. I'm in the process of buying the necessary materials now. We have to spend the rest of our grant money before the end of July. I hope to post a blog in the next couple months showing what we've produced and maybe even sold. Wish us luck.

Sorry I don't have more. I'll get some pictures up soon. I promise.

To rant or to praise...hmmm?

I spent the last couple days working with the Ministry of Health on what I think is called a ‘Youth Mobilisation Campaign.’ I’m not really sure why it’s called that. We’re going around to several of the churches here in Tsumeb and discussing HIV, STIs, Alcohol & Drugs and Teen Pregnancy with young people getting ready to be confirmed. I really enjoy the 30 minutes I get to spend talking to the kids. The rest of the process I could do without. It starts with poor planning. The Ministry came to Meameno Centre a couple months ago asking for help. That part impressed me. That’s way ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, they didn’t really have a plan. Sure they have an outline of what the government wants them to cover and a budget for a snack (without this I’m not sure anyone would show up). The lady in charge asked us to present HIV, Alcohol & Drugs. She got a nurse to do Teen Pregnancy. She herself managed to cover STIs. She did this by taking a pamphlet on STIs and reading it word for word at our presentations. If I had to take it away from her and ask her about symptoms of STIs I’m afraid what her answer might be. On top of that, when she tried to offer her own additional information it was often false. This lady works for the Ministry of Health at a regional level. The nurse was better at being interactive but her English level is low. The kids had a hard time understanding her. We showed up to both sessions late which didn’t bother me nearly as much as the fact our leader had to list off excuses for why we were late... most of which were lies. At the end of Friday’s session we ended up short about 10 sandwiches. Some of the ten who didn’t get to eat were the boys who who were busy reorganising all the desks and chairs before they got into line. Who says extra effort pays off?

This probably sounds pretty bad neh? I think I made it sound worse than it is. I was just laughing as I re-read it. I just wanted to give you a picture of some of the difficulties here. Don’t feel sorry for me. This stuff doesn’t really get to me. The fact is Namibia is a very young country and things like this are happening everyday. I think they’re working pretty hard at trying to make it better. The lady who I put so much blame on here is not a bad person. She grew up in the Apartheid era. She was taught a lower level of education specifically for blacks, and she had to learn it all in Afrikaans, not English. Now she holds a great job. She’s kind and seems to really care about these kids’ future. Working with her makes me feel relaxed and needed. I like feeling that way.

Here’s some pictures of me and my sis. She was here for two weeks in May. We did a lot. We went to Victoria Falls/Zambia and Chobe Game Park/Botswana (pictured). We hitchhiked (pictured) a lot of it. It may have been the best time we ever had together.

In Peace Corps I...

Travelled to Africa... almost learned a second language... gained a new family... challenged my beliefs... read a lot of books... quit yoga... quit running... walk a lot, at a slower pace... made new friends... broke my caffeine addiction... learned to deal better with depression and loneliness... ate new food, like worms and goat face... found some romance... grew my hair out... feel it’s too hot about 320 days of the year... started sleeping on a box spring... got terrible diarrhoea... became an expert texter... hitchhiked through Namibia... was robbed... became closer with people back home... helped support people living with HIV/AIDS... decided I want to be a counsellor... learned British English... swam in the Indian Ocean... spent New Year’s Eve in Capetown... wish I would’ve accomplished more... gained serious appreciation for music... learned how to make tortillas... really miss Mexican Food... drove on the other side of the road... almost hit a giraffe... stayed on a traditional homestead... learned about stars in the Southern Hemisphere... crossed the Tropic of Capricorn... climbed a sand dune with my mom... became a master of making lemonade... enjoyed working with teenagers... have seen a lot of American influence here... won a gold medal playing basketball... met the Namibian Chess Champion... kinda feel like I’m in college again... stopped bathing daily...love saying hello...

And I still got 7 months to go!

Sewing Classes & School Lessons

They began on Tuesday at 8h30. Five ladies from our support group are learning to sew. It makes me very happy. It's so tangible. They are there sewing three days a week now. It's a skill they don't have, and one they would otherwise have to pay for to obtain. It's also one that could earn them a living if they get good at it. We always talk about trying to make sustainable contributions as volunteers. Finally I think I'm part of something that truly qualifies. The instructor says they are
learning fast. Right now they are only practising lines on copy paper but in a few months we hope they can begin making their own dresses.

I also got to go out to one of my favourite communities this week, Ondundu. I think I've mentioned it before. It's about 2km outside of Tsumeb. It's a pretty walk and the people there always greet me warmly. My colleague Jacob and I gave some basic HIV education to grade 5, 6 & 7 at the primary school there. The students were much better behaved then the last time I was there. It helps having a Namibian adult in the room with them... unfortunately it's their fear that keeps
them in line, but that's a topic for a whole other blog. Anyway, we got to speak to about 100 students on topics like HIV transmission and ways it is not transmitted; how to treat someone living with HIV/AIDS; and what HIV does in the body.

It felt like a very productive week, even though I only worked 3 1/2 days. The month is flying by, just like the year, which begs the question... what will I do next year? I'll let you know when I figure that out. Ta ta for now.

Nelson Mandela

I have lived nothing short of a privileged life. I come from a loving family. I was given a free education. I was riding a bike - that was mine - by the time I was 6 years old. I was driving a car - that I owned - by the time I was 17. I was given the right to vote, and the opportunity to work and earn a living. My country allows me to live where I want and basically do what I want to do. In my 32 years I’ve never known anything but freedom.

Nelson Mandela spent the first 72 years of his life without many of the basic freedoms I know… and he spent most of that time trying to get them, not only for himself, but for everyone in South Africa. His speeches and writings inspired millions to stand up against the European government and its system of apartheid. By 1964 the ruling white party realised the only way to thwart the African National Congress (ANC) movement for equality was to throw as many of them into jail as possible... and that’s where Mandela stayed for the next 27 years. Nelson Mandela was a moving speaker and an even better writer from what I can tell. I just finished a book called ‘Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is My Life’. It’s a collection of his speeches and writings. I was astonished by his command of the English language. It’s no wonder so many people rallied around him. At the age of 34, after graduating with a law degree, he became Deputy President of the ANC. The ANC fought against the apartheid government, mostly through non-violent protest, until South Africa finally gained its freedom in 1994. Nelson Mandela was accused of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964. Imagine being told you would spend the rest of your life behind bars because you sought equality among people. Mandela was a major threat to the ruling racist government. That’s essentially what it boils down to and why he was imprisoned. He was released in 1990, and eventually became the free country’s first president. The thing I suppose I’m most impressed with is his composure, and ability to suppress his anger. Those who were close to him in prison say you didn’t see him get angry, or rant about the wrongs done to him. He just kept talking and planning over what their next move should be. And after 27 years in prison for committing no real crime he wanted no revenge. He didn’t want the leaders of the former government rounded up and jailed. He just wanted a new beginning. This is a man who suffered for the betterment of his people and sought no recognition. He sought only justice and peace.

What is suffering? What does it feel like? Will someone of my background ever really know? I want to understand what people who suffer go through. What was it like to be a Jew in Germany during World War II? What was it like to be hunted by your own countrymen in a genocidal war like that of Rwanda? What’s it like to be stripped of basic human rights based on the colour of your skin? Part of me feels like I’ve missed something by not suffering. I think we learn a great deal through our most painful times. If I had suffered I think I would have more wisdom, more passion, and more empathy. I guess I feel I would have more to offer had I suffered.

A Wonderful Weekend

Last weekend was one of my best experiences to date in Namibia. I spent the weekend in Owamboland, about 2 hours north of Tsumeb. I stayed in a village just outside Ondangwa with a friend. By the end of the weekend I didn't want to leave.
The trip began a little ominously as we sat in the back of a taxi watching modest homes being taken over by flood waters. This is the second straight year Northern Namibia has experienced dangerous flooding. Many people have had to vacate their homes leaving furniture and other ruined valuables. Even a few Peace Corps volunteers were evacuated for precautionary measures. The village I stayed in, while impacted by the flood, did not pose any real danger. Still, to reach the homestead where I stayed we did have to cross an oshana with water at a depth of about 2 feet. Oshanas are like small valleys where the water collects. The water surrounded the property, taking over a piece of the farmland where healthy mahangu (like millet) had been growing. You can see the water and the mahangu field in this picture, as well as my friend Aune. She is one of nine living on the homestead. The family consists of Meme, Tate, children, grandchildren and cousins... a normal mix for a village family in the Owambo culture.
After crossing the oshana we arrived at the homestead and I was soon greeted by the Meme, a super kind woman... I don't speak her language, but sometimes you can just tell. Then I met Tate. He does speak some english. In fact he speaks a lot of it, broken but spirited. I managed to understand him most of the time. He would probably say the same about me. Then I quickly met some cousins who came flying in holding the fresh fish they just caught in the flood waters. We ate them the next day, although I had only a small piece of fish for worry it could make me sick. Luckily that didn't happen. As evening set in that Friday night I remembered I'd be spending the weekend with a million friendly mosquitoes and without electricity. I also remembered there was no toilet or shower. Imagine that, I got to spend one weekend roughing it like a real Peace Corps Volunteer. The only real problem were the mosquitoes... thank God for a mosquito net. I don't know how I could've slept without one.
On Saturday I got to work in the field hoeing down weeds. Then I got to pound
Mahangu, as shown in the second picture. This is the process of turning the mahangu seeds into flour. This is traditionally a woman's job but they allowed me to give it a try. I wasn't very good at it. The girls proved to be much more efficient. After a little work I helped prepare lunch. This is also usually a woman's task but they understood I was one of those crazy new age Americans and humoured me. In the afternoon the girls were back to pounding the mahangu. They had to make a batch of extra fine flour to prepare a special sweet bread called Oshikwida (sp?). I spent a couple of hours just watching them pound. I was completely entertained. It's amazing how much work they put into pounding. As the sun was going down I grabbed a bucket and filled it with water to bathe. It was one of the best baths I've ever taken. The mens' bathing area was at the corner of the homestead looking west. I peered out over the mahangu fields and palm trees watching the sun come down... while bathing. When's the last time you can say you did that?
On Sunday we went to their church. It's about a 30 minute walk from the homestead. I knew we'd have to cross the oshana again. How was I going to wear church appropriate attire and do that? Well I carried most of it. I walked across in my dress shirt, shorts and sandals. The ladies had to hike up their dresses. Really it was fun. If I had to do it every weekend it would probably grow tiresome. The service was all in Oshiwambo... except when the pastor spoke english to personally greet me in front of the congregation. That was really nice. The whole thing was enjoyable. I just kind of sat in my own world appreciating all the joys the Lord had given me that weekend. I was supposed to leave right after church but I didn't want to. I stuck around for
lunch, a couple more conversations with Tate, and some time under the shade tree. When I finally reached Tsumeb it was already dusk, but I'm pretty sure people could still see me smiling as I walked to the house. Some experiences just leave you giddy inside. I can't wait to go back.
This last picture is of one of the many huts as well as some of the squash growing on the homestead walls. While mahangu is their main crop they also have mango trees, guava trees, and pumpkins growing on the premises. In the corrals they had about 20 goats, maybe 10 chickens and 4 donkeys for plowing.

Just a little update

Well our support group is under way. We had seven attendees for the first meeting, all ladies. They don't speak any English. In fact, they are all Oshiwambo speaking. It's nice to have counterparts who speak the language. I went through the agenda in English while my counterparts translated. It's a funny feeling speaking to a group when you know they don't understand you. I had to do it so my colleagues had something to translate, but I felt really awkward. It's like speaking just to hear yourself talk. Anyway the first meeting went well. We discussed our plans for the group and requested feedback from them. We are still waiting for our sewing equipment and materials to come in and there isn't much work to be done on the garden right now. One of the ladies suggested we start with a bead project where we can make different types of jewelry from beads. That should be underway in the next couple weeks.

I just returned to Tsumeb yesterday. I spent last week in Okahandja with another new group of volunteers. It was myself and two other current volunteers there to answer questions, and my lord did they have them! I felt like a search engine being surfed all day. It was tiring, but also rewarding. I hope I gave them a good picture of Peace Corps Namibia. I guess that's all I have to say. I promise a more interesting blog next time. I'm reading a book on Nelson Mandela, one of my heroes, and would like to write something about him. Ta ta for now.