As I couldn't possibly imagine summing up one month in a flowing format, the following post is more by subject; things that I think are important, relevant and more importantly interesting to read about... enjoy!
A “typical” Week….
If there is such a thing as a typical week in Namibia for a
PCT (Peace Corps Trainee), I guess this is it… Monday to Friday we have
training, which includes language, Tech sessions to go over the skills that we
will need to do our jobs, cross cultural sessions, a few health sessions, maybe
some safety stuff and most certainly a shot, or two. Every Saturday we have had
some type of training, one weekend we went to Windhoek and learned some
History, another weekend we took our LPI, Language Proficiency Interview to see
how we are progressing in our language training. Sundays are family days, I
spend time at home, eat a delicious lunch and then I go play soccer, either
with fellow PCT’s or we play against the local team here in Okahandja… There
are a few PCT’s who are incredible at soccer, but mostly it’s just for fun. So
far we are winning, with one game 2 to 1, and the other a tie… I guess we can’t
be that terrible.
As I said in my last post, I go home most nights and I am exhausted. I am
always in bed by 9, sometimes sooner. I wake up most mornings by 6 and I lie in
bed catching up on news in the US and in Utah, I am one of the lucky volunteers
who has wifi at home. I wake up, get ready, which is super easy to do when you
don’t do your hair of apply make up, I eat breakfast, take my Malaria meds and
head to town.
I guess things were a little hard to adjust to, but now that
I has been a month, everything is pretty much the same as home… except for tea
breaks, I don’t know how I ever lived without them, and I don’t know how I will
go home and not have them. Nothing hits to spot like cookies, or a BP&J
with a hot cup of coffee at 10am sharp, every single day of the week.
Taken at Market day... which was the culmination of all of our training events for CED.
Learning Rukwangali
This might be my greatest challenge yet. Rukwangali is part
of the Bantu Languages that exists in Northern Namibia and Southern Angola.
Rukwangali is a really old language which means hardly anything translates to
English and there are many things that don’t have words in Rukwangali. Learning
a new language feels like I am trying to re-wire my brain… it’s pretty tiring,
but I scored well on my LPI so something is working out.
My teacher is named Maggie, she is from Rundu which is the
town that I will be working in, and she is WONDERFUL! She gave me the nickname
Nepemba, which means born in June (which I am not) in Rukwnagali. June is Pembagona, but Nepemba is much cuter so she and the other trainers
call me Nepemba all the time now and I love it.
My Host Family
A big part of the Peace Corps immersion program is to place
all volunteers with a host family for the length of training. I was lucky
enough to be placed with the Strydom family! They live here in town, Okahandja,
so I am able to walk to and from training, which, as turns out, is quite a
luxury. I live with my Otate, who is a teacher, my Onane who works in Windhoek
my Uncle, Adlrin who works for FNB, a Bank in Namibia and my two adorable
siblings, Wailyn, age 5 and Gabi who is almost two. Gabi has finally decided
that we are best pals, I think that’s pretty great and Wailyn and I have been pals
from day one. It’s pretty great having them around since I have always wanted
little siblings and it just so happens that these two are pretty freakin
wonderful.
My host family has hosted many American Volunteers before me
so they are used to having me around. They think it’s strange that I don’t like
sugar in my coffee, and that I don’t eat very much meat, but they still like
me, I think.
Gabi and Wailyn... I sure do love these two! I think I will officially adopt them and be their Auntie forever!
My Birthday
My Onane is an amazing baker, much like my own mother! She
made me two cakes for my birthday and the whole family wished me a Happy
Birthday with many more blessed years to come. The first person to wish me a
happy birthday was my little brother who started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me
the minute I walked out of my room, not going to lie, it was pretty wonderful.
The PCT’s got together for some Language training, and
soccer that afternoon, which is always a blast and I was able to call home and
talk to Mom, which was wonderful! A little bit of a homesick meltdown took
place that evening but it was quickly cured with a good cry and a hug from onane.
All it all, it was a pretty great way to ring in my 25th year.
Adla Ningira
The CED program focuses on areas of Youth and Adult
financial literacy, small business development, entrepreneurship development
and HIV/AIDS. Part of my training for the CED (Community Economic Development),
Program is being partnered with a Local IGA (Income Generating Activity) owner.
IGA’s are small businesses here in Namibia that are informal in their structure
and generate low levels of income for the owner. Most of these are road side
businesses where the owners sell fruits and vegetables, Braai meat (BBQ), Fat
Cakes (delicious), Tuck Shops, that are little shops that sell small items like
flour, sugar, malty meal, and toiletries, and other things that one might buy…
on the side of the road. Other IGA’s could be small catering companies where
the person cooks out of their home, or another small service that is offered
outside of someone’s house. Rarely will an IGA have a separate storefront.
My business partner is name Adla and she is hoping to get
her catering company up and running again. She has been running her own day
care for a while, but it isn’t where her heart is at so we are going to work on
getting her catering & take away business back running. She cooks
traditional Namibian food, which is sooooo delicious. It is going to take a lot
of work and time, but I know that she can do it! I am so excited that I have
been placed with her, and I get to help her with this goal. She and I clicked
from day one, she like my mother is a single mom, she loves with all of her
heart, and she is committed to making sure that her son has a great life. I
can’t wait to see what the future brings to her.
Enoch, Adla's helper and Adla's son... working really hard at Market Day
For Market day we decided to make personal pizza's on Roasted Bread, which is made on the Braai (BBQ). They were delicious and she is back in business. I am so excited for her!
A Brief History of Namibia
Namibia has a pretty rough history for such a young country, I recommend looking into it if you have some free time. In the early part of the 1900’s Namibia, South West Africa (at the time) was colonized by the Germans, who unleashed their second Reich on the tribes of Namibia; their target, the Herero people. the Germans, in an attempt to colonize Namibia systematically killed off thousands of Herero peoples, and forced their tribes out of their lands. Years later Europe decided that Germany need not worry about Namibia, rather, allow South Africa to keep an eye on the country. This decision spread apartheid into Namibia, which created the wounds that young Namibians are now working to heal.
Namibia is only 23 years old, it is now very peaceful but the problems that Namibia faces persist. The main problem would be skyrocketing unemployment. Last year unemployment was reported at 50% and this year it is around 27%... however unreliable statistics can be, those are shocking numbers regardless. Alongside troubling HIV rates, Namibia has a very large problem with alcoholism. Apartheid was also responsible for the creation of less than poor education system leaving a percentage of Namibians with a less than 6th grade education, while the youngest generation is changing that, most Namibians have very low levels of education. Namibia has a very painful history, and it is still so young, and fresh in the hearts and minds of the people.
This last weekend we celebrated Hero’s Day, which is celebrated to commemorate those who lost their lives in the genocide. The Herero people gathered in Okahandja and celebrated for days, followed by a parade on Sunday where they marched to the graveyard where the Herero Chiefs are buried, so that they could pay their respects to their ancestors.
The following are photos of Herero women and men waiting to pray to the chiefs.
Other pictures capturing things that have been happened...
This is Hope... she is from Illinois. She is my person & neighbor in Okahandja, we will also be in the Kavango region together. We do laundry together, walk to training together, study language together, basically everything together... most days you could go as far to say that she is my wife...
Hope and I made Mexican food for our families... they kinda liked it...
My family and Hope's family eating dinner...
Sunday Brunch at the Reit Club in Okahandja, it was wonderful! Just like a mini vacation...
Happy Birthday Otate Bill!
Enjoying a leisurely Sunday at the stables of the Reit Club... it is a beautiful place.
Love, love, love these two!
I spent the first week in Namibia rooming with these beautiful women, I love them all so much! (Me, Hope, Rouchelle, Lacy, Shannon and in front is the beautiful Ali)
My two favorite gents... Eugene, looking thoughtful as always... and Derrek... photo-bombing us... good thing I love him a ton!
The Community Economic Development group with our Program Director, Linda (right of the photo) and some members of the Okahandja town council. We are a pretty fantastic group if I do say so myself. This photo was taken at the 2nd annual OSMEC (Okahandja Small Medium Enterprise Club) Market Day. They are an amazing club in Okahandja helping to promote small businesses, it was an honor to be a part of this event.
I ate this little guy... tasted like a dirt flavored Cheeto... they are a staple in the diet in the Kavango region... good thing I didn't hate it...
I also had my hair done... I loved it, but it was heavy and kind of itchy... so it lasted for about two weeks, but it was great while it lasted.
Welp, that's all for now folks.
xoxoxox
