The Namibia SHE knows

My friend Kathy wrote this entry in her blog and I loved it ... She has been working here on and off for 5 years now and I think she has a wonderful personality and outlook on life

The Namibia I know….

• is a place where children walk miles through rain, piercing sun, and soaring temperatures to get to school.


• is a place where people always say good morning.


• is a place where children who have nothing are happy and joyful.


• is a place where mothers are superwomen.


• is a place where people live in the moment, in the day.


• is a place where family is central to life.


• is a place where zebras, elephants and lions roam free


• is a place where people take the time to know and help their neighbors.


• is a place where friends are welcomed like family.


• is a place where grandparents, aunts, uncles, and even strangers take in orphaned children.


• is a place where villagers greet health workers with smiles and waves.


• is a place where children recognize and are thankful for the small things.


• is a place where there is no shortage of smiles and laughter.


• is a place where clear nights bring skies filled with a million sparkling stars


• is a place where children take care of their ailing parents and siblings


• is a place where the elderly are valued for their experience and knowledge.


• is a place where parents dream of better lives for their children and try to make that happen.

Namibia is also….

• a place where children go to bed hungry.


• a place where alcoholism is an epidemic and men spend their family’s money on beer.


• a place where nearly 1 in 4 adults (15-49) is infected with HIV/AIDS.


• a place where teenage pregnancy is extremely common.


• a place where only primary education is free.


• a place where women have little power in relationships.


• a place where rape is common.


• a place where poverty is the norm and % of people survive on less than $2/day.


• a place where few people have more than secondary education.


• a place where orphans and other vulnerable children are turned away from school because they cannot pay for fees or uniforms.


• a place where funerals, especially of young people, are too plentiful.


• a place where hundreds of people are made homeless each year by flooding.


• a place where 40% of people are unemployed


• a place that has the highest income gap in the world.

T.I.N. (This is Namibia)

So I love Namibia and my town and I think some of the things that make me love it so much are its little quirks...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

It is respectful and just a common practice that someone does not walk in your property with out your permission. In theory its a great idea, but in reality you have someone standing out side your fence yelling your name until you answer and allow them to come to your door. I first experienced this when I was with my host family still and my brothers friend came over when I was the only one home. I was sleeping in my bed and I was woken to a little boy yelling "Chief" for a while until I realized that he would just keep yelling there until I went and told him no one was home but me and then he went home. It does not happen all the time if you are family with the person or don't have a fence they just come to your house and knock on the door or yell "Morokeni"(in my experience). I have learned that if someone is yelling for me I will go right away or they will keep yelling at me they will not just leave and go home.

Honking is the new Wave

There are many taxis in town and they are constantly looking for people to get in the taxi. I walk to my school and home everyday and everyday I get at least two horn honks. I used to make the mistake and try to ignore them, until I learned that they will keep honking until they either pass you or you turn and shake your head no. Sometimes it makes me laugh like today a taxi passed me a laid on the horn and I turned around to see a full taxi. So basically he was just honking to be honking!

KIND HEARTS

I think the most special thing in Namibia that I appreciate the most is peoples kindness. You will constantly meet people who greet you or offer to help you. As I said earlier I walk home from my school every afternoon and at least once a week I have someone (private car or taxi) pull over and offer to give me a free ride into town. Then they thank me for working in the schools and drop me off at my destination. It just makes me think when I was home if I saw someone walking and was heading the same direction would I have stopped for them and given them a ride? I like to think I would, but I know I was usually too busy to even stop and look at what was going on around me.

Global Warming?

It is SOOO hot here! Today was a cool day so I am not as worn out as I was before. The Namibia sun is BRUTAL!!! I don't understand when I see kids playing soccer in the middle of the day I try to hide in the shade or by a fan whenever I can. The rainy season is supposed to start in the end of Nov. however I am pretty sure the weather is all screwed up this year. Winter was colder than in the past, the wind didn't come until a month late, and the rain started in Sept. granted its not everyday, but it rained at least 3 days last week. Even some of my co-workers do not understand it ... who knows what the actual rainy season will bring!

All Hail Florida, Hail!

So I have been trying to keep up with the Gator games on my phone...the time difference is a little hard. For the LSU game I set my alarm for 5 am so I could look at ESPN mobile the last few minutes of the game.I basically sit with my phone on the internet refreshing the screen every 30 seconds for the play by play. Not as good as real life especially when I did not know some of the players and I got confused during the Troy game which player was which team, but my sister and brother in law are recording them for me so I can watch when I am home. I am glad the Arkansas game was at 9pm my time because I don't think I could have handled the stress that I am sure all my fellow Gators were feeling that night. I miss the feeling when the boys score a touchdown and I miss tailgating all morning, screaming in the game all afternoon then celebrating all night! I miss singing in the end of the 3rd quarter. I miss screaming the fight song or yelling orange and blue across the stadium. I miss dressing in the most orange and blue I can find in my closet.

Fall is my favorite season of the year. In one season you get the cooling of the weather, pumpkin carving, Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream (aka night roller coasters!), Candy Corn Pumpkins, Thanksgiving which means great time with family over too much delicious food, and GATOR FOOTBALL!!! How can this not be your favorite time of year???

I must say "Its GREAT to be a FLORIDA GATOR"!!! I can't wait to see what the rest of the season will bring!

To Windhoek or Bust...

This month has been a lot of travel for me. I have had to go to the capital twice now for different meetings. Let me put you in the mind set of a hiker... Your day starts at 5 am when you wake up, shower and eat a filling breakfast then you walk to the "hike point" which is where you will try and flag down a ride. Since many people here do not have cars this is how most of the population gets around the country by depending on the people who can afford cars to give them a lift. So you wait on the side of the road until you can get a lift either to your town or the destination of the driver. There are 3 main towns in between Windhoek and Rundu so it is very likely I will be dropped off in each town and have to do the process all over again. Windhoek is 700km from Rundu so it should take about 6-7 hours to get down, but you have to give your self at least 10 hours. Sometimes you get lucky and get an air conditioned car going 120-140km (maybe more?!?) and other times you get a hike in the back of a truck where a little girl pees on you...all depends on your hiking luck!

It is nice to hike with other volunteers because then you can take turns talking to the driver or watching your bags in the back of the car when one person goes to the bathroom. I have debated when I come home if I will get a car or just try to free hike it across america!