THE LIBRARY IS OPEN!!!!!!!!! (or sort of at least)

Me & Rach at Epupa Falls

The library's youngest users

A library user being helped by Helena at the front desk

1/27/11

After setting up a system for library users to check their bags at the door and getting a very modern alarm system installed (not so different from the one in our house in Scotch Plains), we are FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY open! The alarm system was quite a triumph since I knew we couldn’t open until it was installed so I have been working towards that since I got here. To have it completely installed now is really exciting. We haven’t started promoting the library yet in the community mostly because we are not completely open. People can use the internet, the space, and the resources we have but we are not allowing anyone to check out books because we’re not yet completely organized. Despite not actually telling anyone that the library is open, people are streaming in! Most of the people who come want to use the internet but some are taking advantage of the tables and chairs to study and read, looking at all of our newspapers and magazines, and some little ones have even come in to read and play with our small amount of kid-friendly materials. I can’t wait until this place is open in full swing.

I’ve encouraged the kids who are living on my homestead to come in and use the computers, and they’ve started to listen. On the first day, Sakeus came in with a friend after school and it was pretty clear that at 17, he’d never even placed his hand on a mouse before. I explained to him that he could basically find and do anything with the internet and after a few minutes of contemplation, he said, “I want to look at pictures of Michael Jackson.” So I quickly taught him the basics of Google and Google Images and he got to work. While I walked away to help someone else, he had figured out how to get back to the search page and found pictures of Gazza, a very popular Namibian rapper.

There is also a woman who came in and expressed that she was really interested in starting her own business. We couldn’t find any entrepreneurship books in the library so I got to searching online myself after she had already left one day. When she returned the following day, I showed her the website of a Namibian bank that gives small business loans and explained how to search online for tips on starting a business. I also showed her a template for writing a business plan, which she would need if she wanted to apply for the loan. I explained to her that I would love to help her but she also needed to put in a lot of work herself, and she seemed really excited and motivated. I’m thinking if she finishes her business plan, I can find a Peace Corps SEED volunteer (who are here to help the country’s small businesses) to assist her further. I think she has awhile to go before that happens but she has been coming to the library searching and reading and learning more everyday. Through the opening of the library and computer lab, my amazement has been renewed for all of the things you can find on the internet. (Someone asked us to help him search for a meat bandsaw the other day - whatever that is! But sure enough we found information on it for him!)

So before the library opens in full capacity, a librarian sent by the head office in Windhoek is going to come for two weeks in mid-February. He will help us set everything up properly, decorate and help us with a user-friendly layout, and explain to us all of the necessary procedures to make sure the library runs smoothly. A librarian from the regional office and my supervisor also said they’d come to help. I’m hoping this will be the last push we need before actually opening and then we can start hanging fliers around town, talking ourselves up to anyone and everyone, and sending an announcement into the local Oshiwambo radio station. From there I kind of feel like the possibilities are endless and I have lots of ideas for projects, etc.

Aside from all of the logistics of opening the library, Neil, the future Peace Corps Namibia volunteer, and I are continuing to struggle to find a method to get the 1,341 books and other materials that he was worked tirelessly to collect shipped to Omuthiya library from the States. In addition to all of the atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, etc. that have been donated, Neil will send notebooks, craft supplies, games (thanks David for those Bananagrams!) and several LeapFrogs, which are an educational toy that helps young kids learn to read. We keep finding shipping methods that seem like they could really work, and then for whatever reason fall through. Of course it is a bit frustrating at times, but it’s been awesome working with Neil, who has truly made the process a pleasure. He is a ROCK STAR and is incredibly dedicated and I can’t wait to see what he gets accomplished once he actually comes to Namibia in February as a volunteer. In the meantime, we’re still looking for viable shipping options (affordable/subsidized/free?!).

So while all of this has been going on at the library, I was lucky enough to get a non-volunteer VISTOR! Rachel, one of my closest friends from GWU, just moved to Cape Town in preparation of starting her Master’s Degree in February and before classes started, hopped on a 2-day bus to come visit me in Namibia! It was really amazing having her here, especially since I hadn’t seen her in 8 months basically since we graduated college. We had LOTS to catch up on and it was so nice having someone around who knows me from life before Peace Corps especially to see what my day-to-day life is like here. Having two worlds collide - college and Peace Corps - was also awesome and she met several of my volunteer friends.

Having her as a visitor was also an excuse to do some traveling and we spent her last weekend here in Opuwo, which is a really beautiful town in NW Namibia. Opuwo is surrounded by lots of nothing (which is pretty common in Namibia, the 2nd most sparsely populated country in the world!) and you have to drive for miles on a dirt road to get there. Once you do, however, the scenery completely starts to change: trees, mountains, red sand, and the Himba. The Himba are a tribe who still follow a really traditional way of life. Their standards of beauty and dress are really visually stunning. The woman paint themselves and their babies with a red mixture of ochre and butter or fat and coat extensions in their hair with the same mixture. They wear animal skins, lots of ornamental traditional jewelry, and bare breasts. One of my favorite Himba looks is how the adolescent boys wear their hair very short except for one long chunk of hair braided towards the back of their heads. It makes for a cool ponytail and they usually wear something around the chunk of hair that covers it (it’s either cloth or animal skin, not sure). Opuwo is a pretty modern town by Namibian standards. There are gas stations, electricity, running water, and 2 grocery stores. The combination of the scenery, Himbas walking around next to people dressed in western clothing, and all of these modern amenities really gives the town a magical feel. It is a cool place.

Rachel and I borrowed a tent from another volunteer who lives in Opuwo and set up shop at a campsite in town. There was one other guest there, a German guy, Hardy, who was in Namibia on business but was traveling before he had to get to work. The first night we were there, Rachel, Hardy, Brian (another volunteer who lives in Opuwo) and I sat around chatting with the campsite owner, Westin, a Himba man. Well, Westin had quite a story to tell. At around 13 years old (he’s unsure of his age because Himbas don’t keep track), he decided that he really wanted to ride in a car. He had seen kids from other tribes in the area get picked up and driven to town because they had to go to school and decided enrolling in school would be a good way to make his dream of riding in a car come true. So one day mid goat-herding, he left the goats and started walking. He walked the 100 km (about 62 miles) from his homestead into the town of Opuwo. He explained that because it was not long after Namibia became an independent country (in 1990), the new president had declared that all children should go to school and receive equal education, which they hadn’t been receiving under the recently abolished system of apartheid. Because of the president’s declaration, Westin was immediately enrolled in school and lived in the school’s hostel when he showed up there after his 100 km walk. At 13 years old, he started in grade 1 and quickly excelled in school. He mentioned that it was a bit awkward heading back to his Himba homestead on school holidays since his parents originally thought he had died, but explained that they eventually forgave him. Westin completed all 12 grades and even transferred to a school in Swakopmund that specialized in his favorite subject, science. After grade 12, he was asked to stay and teach because he was such a good student, and did so for a few years before getting his master’s degree. He now owns his own business (the campsite where we stayed) and told us that since he was the oldest boy in his family, he also became the village Chief after his father died. Although he lives a modern, westernized life in Opuwo, his village cannot make any big decisions without his approval. Every two weeks or so, in Western clothing, he travels that 100 km back home to decide which cattle to slaughter and make other important village decisions. He was beaming as he told us that he drives to get back to his village, and I thought it was pretty cool since riding in a car was the original reason he left. These days he owns a car, a motorcycle, and a 4-wheeler quad.

Also that same evening, we got to chatting with Hardy, the other guest at the campsite, and he told us he was taking his 4 wheel drive car to check out Epupa Falls the next day on his own. Epupa Falls is a four hour VERY bumpy drive away from Opuwo on a gravel road. It is something that we’d discussed trying to do but just didn’t have the finances to afford renting or hiring a car to get there. When Hardy invited us along after we hinted heavily that we wanted to go, we jumped at the chance and couldn’t believe our luck. Early the next morning we bought some picnic ingredients & beers and hopped into the back of his covered truck to head to Epupa. Epupa Falls and the surrounding area is absolutely beautiful. We went at a great time because it’s currently rainy season and the falls were flowing in all of their glory. We hiked up a bit on a mountain next to the Kunene River and could see miles and miles of the river, tons of different waterfalls and into Angola which is the other side of the river. It was a great day with breathtaking views which we had a hard time believing were real. At one point Rachel mentioned that it looked like we were in the movie Avatar and I think that’s a perfect way to describe it.

While Rachel was here, we had two noteworthy cultural DUH moments. As you can imagine, these happen OFTEN here but it was pretty nice having another American to share them with. Since returning from vacation, rainy season here has really picked up and is now in full swing. On the one hand, it’s really amazing how quickly everything became green and it’s really cool getting to witness and participate in the farm work that my entire family does in Tate’s fields now that the muhangu is growing. On the other hand, however, getting caught in the POURING rain is not uncommon (and seems to always happen when I have my laptop with me) and my normal route to walk to the library is now literally a lake. One of the kids on the homestead showed me a better route to take to get into town that’s much more bush-esque (think tiny walking path through grass up to the knees) with lots more jumping over fences, trudging through muddy fields of muhangu and absolutely no chance of a car coming by to offer a ride. At one point in my first walk on the new route, I noticed a huge thorny branch (and by branch think half of a thorny bush) blocking part of my path and moved it. The next day it was there again...and the next day...and the next day and I continued to move it and usually pricked or scratched myself somehow in the process. I was starting to get really fed up and assumed that someone was being spiteful and didn’t want me to walk through their property. I told this all to Rachel who saw it on our first day walking to the library together. Good friend that she is, she dragged the branch and hid it really far away from the spot in the path where it was being placed. We felt like that would send the message that we wanted to give and went on our merry way feeling pretty proud of ourselves. The next day the thorn branch was back in the exact same place except it was now tied to a tree with wire making it nearly impossible to move. We were besides ourselves. When we realized that the owners of the land were watching us struggle to move it again, we decided we’d need to confront them and ask them what the deal was. After a very broken conversation in Oshiwambo (and lots of help from a village kid who spoke decent English), we discovered that the landowners were not even being a little bit spiteful. They were equally as perplexed about the branch as we were and didn’t understand why we kept moving it. This is when we discovered the term “traditional door.” LIGHT BULB! It turns out the people who owned the land couldn’t afford/didn’t want to buy more modern gate materials and used the thorn branches to keep their goats and cattle in. We felt a little silly after that. Why was our first reaction to assume that someone was out to get us? Whoops. So now everyday on the way to and from work, my skin continues to get a little tougher as I move a half of a thorn bush out of my way and politely place it back where I found it.

The second DUH moment we had was the morning that we were set to leave for Opuwo when we needed to get into town to start the journey early. Unfortunately, it was POURING rain and we didn’t want to walk there and get soaking wet. We decided to ask my Tate for a ride into town and assumed he’d be in his room hiding from the rain and trying to avoid getting wet which is what we were doing. With this assumption, we stood outside the door of his bedroom for about 25 minutes dressed in complete rain gear and with our backpacks on calling his name and knocking on the door. We were really confused when he didn’t answer and thought he might still be sleeping. Rachel then made a genius (DUH) suggestion. Rather than just standing there, why not call Tate and see what he was up to? He picked up the phone and agreed to bring us into town with a true Namlish (Namibian English) “I’m coming now.” About 10 minutes later, he appeared as a soaking wet figure ready to drive us. Why did we think just because WE wanted to avoid the rain he would be doing the same thing? As one of the hardest working 70-year-old men I know, he was true to form out in the fields hoeing in the pouring rain. Also as one of the nicest 70-year-old men I know, he stopped his work in the pouring rain to hop in his truck and drive us into town.

After spending 12 days hanging with Rachel and doing lots of fun stuff and moving non-stop, it was kind of a bummer when she left. Having someone to share every funny/crazy/scary/sillly/thoughtful/(fill in the blank with adjective here) experience with was really nice and I was sad to see her go. On the day she left, however, I was walking home feeling kind of bummed out and suddenly 5 learners (schoolkids) appeared on the path next to me all in their matching school uniforms. This included Lynette, one of the kids who lives on my homestead. I swear it was cosmic and they were sent to keep me company and cheer me up! Well, thanks to Michele for sending me lots of current American pop music and to Apple for making the iPod Touch play out loud because we ROCKED out on the way home and my sad mood flew right out the window. The kids giggled, I sang a horrible rendition of “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry and the walk went by quickly. “Miss, can you dance?” “Miss, what does “S-O-L-O spell?” Giggles and hand-holding all around. I especially enjoyed translating “Ridin’ Solo” by Jason DeRulo since it obviously has a very deep, philosophical meaning. The walk was a reminder that life here is rarely dull unless you allow it to be and that moods can (and usually do) change in an instant.

Traveling around Namibia!

New Year's Eve midnight bonfire on the beach in Swakopmund

Me with my host sister & her new husband at their wedding

The wedding procession

One of many hikes during Reconnect

Me & my Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole (inspired by Aunt Janet!)

Me with my new Himba friend

Some of my co-workers and I (including baby Danke!) on a hike in Ruacana

Wow...I have LOTS to catch up on. I just got back two days ago from the past 6 weeks traveling around the country. Since mid-November, I have been home in Omuthiya for only 3 days total and for 2 of those, I was at my site with other volunteers who were visiting me. You can imagine it's been a bit of a whirlwind but it feels great to be back and not living out of a backpack. It will be a bit of an adjustment not having Americans around all of the time, but I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine again.

Highlights of the past six weeks:

I learned to make oshikwila, a delicious traditional Owambo bread! Apparently my Meme is well known for being great at making it. It’s really easy: butter, sugar, hand-pounded muhangu (the traditional grain), and water all poured into one of the huge cast-iron pots they use to cook and left for about 40 minutes on the open fire. I took some liberties with it and cooked the batter in a pan on my gas stove like pancakes. I also added some strawberry yogurt. Although it wasn’t exactly traditional, my family loved it!

I've also been trying to run (or at least go on walks) a few times a week. It's nice getting some exercise and it's definitely mentally healthy to have some alone time to think and not struggle to communicate with anyone, etc. I also like exploring the village to see what's around (even though it's mostly just the bush). I also go at a certain time so that by the end of my run the sun is setting and I can watch it. Anyway, one day as I was running, I heard "Julie! Julie!" And a girl that I'd met earlier in the week saw me and wanted to run with me. We picked up another kid along the way, too, and pretty soon the homestead dog joined us as well. We must have looked like such a spectacle: me in my running gear - sports bra, nike shorts, running sneakers, ipod and the kids: wearing normal clothes and no shoes! At the end of the run, I was TIRED, really sweaty and out of breath and these kids hadn't even broken a sweat! I was amazed and I’m excited for my little running club to continue.

So at the beginning of the 6 weeks of travel, I went to a workshop for librarians in a beautiful town called Ruacana about 3.5 hours northwest of Omuthiya. Ruacana is way greener than Omuthiya, built into mountains, and filled with red sand. There were librarians there from all over the country which was very cool and I think the best part of being there was the cultural experience.

I roomed with 2 of my co-workers, including one who has a 4-month old baby, Danke. Little Danke was actually one of the highlights of the week - he is ADORABLE and was so much fun to room with. The ministry made arrangements so that my co-worker could bring him along with a babysitter since she is still breastfeeding (and in Namibia, breastfeeding happens anywhere, anytime...). It’s kind of cool that the Ministry provides for childcare. I don't think that'd be the case in the US. Anyway, one of the most interesting things about being in Ruacana is that my roommates prayed and sung (in Oshiwambo, the local language) in our room for 2 hours every night we were there. They are a lot more religious than I realized and trying to explain Judaism to them has been surprisingly difficult and made for some very interesting conversations during that week. Being a Jew in Namibia in general has actually given me a pretty interesting perspective on religion but being in Ruacana has really made me think about it. People here are very overwhelmingly Christian - I think 98% of the population. Most aren't anti-semitic. They just have no idea what Judaism is. I've tried to explain that Jews don't have the New Testament & don't believe that Jesus is the savior but I usually just get blank expressions. I think Namibians have a hard time understanding that someone could believe that Jesus isn't the savior since mostly EVERYONE thinks that here. This experience is definitely making me appreciate and embrace the religion more mostly because I have to think about and explain it more. I don't consider myself very religious but I now definitely see what is meant by "cultural Judaism."

Another interesting cultural thing I noticed during the workshop is the personal hygiene. Everyone here thinks it's weird that I don't shower twice a day and they scrub, scrub, scrub their bodies when they shower. There's obviously nothing wrong with that but they also think it's weird that I can shower in 10 minutes as they're scrubbing and pumicing every part of themselves for 25. Very interesting. Also interesting is the communal shower room (the accommodations are hostel-like). I have now seen all of my co-workers and supervisors naked. And they've seen me naked too! Another thing to love about Namibia haha....

One of my favorite parts of being at the workshop was the amazing landscape that surrounded us. Each day, I rounded up some of the other librarians to get some exercise. Most Namibians (or at least the ones I was with) aren’t into exercising and healthy eating like some Americans are but they were all pretty good sports about it and watching them exercise made for some hilarious moments. On the first day, I was jogging with one of my co-workers and we were laughing and having a grand old time. Suddenly, I looked over and realized she was no longer next to me but was 20 feet behind me sprawled out on the ground and panting. That was her overly dramatic reaction to getting tired but I laid down on the road right next to her and we shared a good laugh about it. We also went on several hikes that week and some of the women were wearing high heels. Climbing back up from inside a beautiful valley was hilarious - the women were shrieking and struggling the whole way.

On one of our hikes, we ran into some Himbas who were traveling by foot back to Opuwo (an over 130 km walk). The Himba are a nomadic people that live mostly in NW Namibia and that live traditionally without too much modern influence. If anybody saw the movie "Babies,” the Namibian baby in it is a Himba. They're pretty recognizable because they paint themselves red. One of my co-workers spoke a dialect similar to their language and it was amazing to see and speak with them a little bit. This was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Namibia so far.

One of the most valuable parts of the workshop was that I got to talk up the library in Omuthiya to all of my fellow librarians and the bigwigs who are in charge of the country’s libraries. I even convinced them to come see our progress so far and on their way back to Windhoek, several of the workers from the head office came to check it out. I think they were impressed and they told us to contact them if we needed help with anything in the future. I will definitely be taking them up on that offer!

After spending a week in Ruacana, I was home for one evening before traveling down to Okahandja for a Thanksgiving celebration with a few of my fellow volunteers. I stayed with my host family from training while I was there and it was GREAT seeing them. I compare it to coming home for a weekend from college: just long enough to make you remember how much you love it there but not so long that you want to kill your parents. When I arrived at the house, I asked where I should put my bags and my host sisters looked at me like I was crazy. “That will always be your room,” they said and pointed to where I had stayed during training. I’ve never felt more at home in Namibia than I did in that moment.

Minus a few minor setbacks like losing power while the food was in the oven and on the stove, the Thanksgiving meal was unreal (and the power eventually came back on!). We had sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, roasted chicken (no turkey in this country!), corn, beets, rice, etc. etc. It was a feast and made up for the fact that it was the first Thanksgiving away from our loved ones. One of the best parts: I went to an agricultural project on my way home from Ruacana where I was able to pick the corn and sweet potatoes myself. It may have been some of the freshest veggies I’ve ever had on Thanksgiving!

After a few days in Okahandja, the traveling continued down to Windhoek where the 43 of us who came with Peace Corps in August had “Reconnect,” which were debriefing sessions to discuss our first six weeks at site. The best part of Reconnect was spending 2 weeks with all of the other American volunteers. We had a doppelganger party where we all dressed up as each other which was HILARIOUS and we took lots of hikes and watched lots of Glee. I think we were all kind of in disbelief that we were in Peace Corps. The conference center where we stayed was up in the mountains just outside of the capital and was absolutely breathtaking. Most of us are at sites where the landscape is very flat and that have no stairs at all so we were NOT used to the constant uphill walks. That was probably the only bad part, though. There were amazing sunsets daily, the food was almost as awesome as the views and one day a few of us took a hike to watch the sunrise. What an AWESOME two weeks!

Also while in Windhoek at Reconnect, I was able to see the new Harry Potter movie. I wasn’t terribly impressed but sitting in a movie theater eating popcorn was pretty exciting. I also went to a steakhouse there famous for their “meters” of beer and for serving tons of funky meats. I was able to try zebra, crocodile, oryx, kudu, and ostrich. I think my favorite was oryx but I’ll have to head back there again to confirm that...

On one of the last days of Reconnect, I left at 5:30 in the morning to head up north to attend the wedding of my host sister from Okahandja. Traveling there was a bit of an ordeal but arriving on the homestead where they were preparing for the celebration was an experience! There were people, food and meat EVERYWHERE and everyone was buzzing with excitement. Traditionally, an Owambo wedding is two days long. The first day takes place at the bride’s father’s homestead and most of the guests (including me) set up tents there and stay overnight. The second day is a repeat of the first but at the groom’s father’s homestead. This wedding was a mix between traditional and modern customs and it was really interesting getting to witness it. After the church ceremony, all of the guests made a procession in front of the bride and groom waving horse tails, dancing around and shouting “lalalalalalala” back to their cars (which I attempted to participate in). Most were wearing traditional Owambo outfits. The whole process took about 30 minutes. The “lala’s” and the dancing and the procession continued back on the homestead where everyone lined up to give gifts after another short ceremony and eventually we all got to eat and drink. The food was homemade collectively by all of the guests and there was a TON of it: several types of meat, fried chicken, potato salad, macaroni and ketchup, sweet potatoes and more!

After the excitement of the day died down, my host sister asked me if I wanted to take a shower and I agreed without realizing exactly what I was getting myself into. On this homestead (which was pretty rural), there was no running water or electricity and that meant I’d be bucket bathing. A bucket shower is basically an outdoor enclosure with four walls and stones to stand on to bathe. It’s pretty open and you use a giant bucket filled with water to clean yourself. I didn’t think about how strange this would be to do while surrounded by several hundred people still partying and celebrating a wedding and walked into the shower with another older woman who I’d met before and didn’t think much of it. Aside from being surrounded by all of the wedding guests, it turns out washing my too-long hair in a bucket bath is NOT easy. The meme I was with saw me struggling and grabbed my bucket from me to help. I should also mention that Namibians use the shower area to urinate especially on a homestead like this one, which had no plumbing at all. To relieve yourself on a homestead without a pit latrine, you can either go to the shower or walk way out into the bush, and most people choose the shower. So this Meme and I were standing there completely naked and she was washing my hair as multiple wedding guests came in to pop a squat. I have a strange suspicion, though, that they may have just wanted to see a white girl naked...

Once both days of the wedding were over (which was more than enough for me!) I spent a few days in the North traveling to visit other volunteer’s homesteads. It is REALLY interesting to see each other’s sites - even though they are all Owambo homesteads they are all really different. It’s also really nice having people see my site so they understand where I’m living. One of my favorite parts of that week was when two other volunteers, Ryan and Allie, came to visit and we decided to teach the learners on my homestead about Hanukkah. Mom sent me candles and a menorah and Grandma sent me gelt and a set of dreidels so we told them the story behind the holiday, lit the candles and taught them to play dreidel all underneath a thatched hut on my homestead. I think they probably enjoyed playing dreidel the most, especially when we revealed that the gelt was actually edible. It was really cool.

Spending 10 days camping on the beach in Swakopmund with other volunteers was awesome as our campsite was a 5 minute walk from the beach and a 5 minute walk from a bar. Swakopmund definitely highlights the HUGE income gap and crazy amount of inequality that exists in Namibia. It is a beautiful coastal town filled with boutiques, upscale restaurants (sushi!) and even two movie theaters with a consistent ocean view. Its charm kind of reminded me of Newport, Rhode Island.

On Christmas morning, we all woke up and exchanged gifts through our Secret Santa. One of the volunteers made everyone stockings and another made Christmas cookies with green icing! My gifts were awesome - a beautiful bracelet from the Kavango region and a shitenge which is basically a big, colorful multi-use piece of fabric. I also got little tags to tie onto my stuff since I guess I’m known for losing everything (funny how these people know me so well already...). It was the best first Christmas celebration I could have asked for!

New Years was also pretty cool. We partied on the beach all day next to the local bar and a huge bonfire was lit at midnight. Shortly after the bonfire, however, I was attacked by a giant tidal wave which cut the evening short. (Continuing the party soaking wet wasn’t so appealing). But it was a blessing in disguise because I changed into sweats and roasted marshmallows at our campsite with some other volunteers.

One of my favorite parts of the week was climbing Dune 7, one of the highest sand dunes in the world, with two of my friends. It was hard work but well worth it once we got to the top of the natural wonder. Although I’m still picking sand out of my ears, running and rolling down that dune was definitely a highlight of my time in Namibia so far.

So I’ve had an awesome time in the past few weeks. Now I’m back in the village waiting for things to pick up again after the holiday! Stay tuned!

Working in Omuthiya

So...LOTS has happened since I last wrote. The first few weeks at site have been exciting and lots has happened with the new library. The 10 computers in the computer lab are all set up and the materials from the old library have been transferred over to this building. After LOTS of obnoxious phone calls on my part, an electrician and the internet technician came on the same day to work together to get us connected to the web. Now, community members will be able to use the internet for FREE when the library is finally open (although when that will be is unclear...and might not be for awhile). It also took FOREVER to shelve all the books that we already had even though the materials only fill three of our MANY shelves (our library is big - two floors!). The result is kind of a sad, lop-sided looking library.

I’ve been corresponding with a volunteer who will arrive when the new group of health volunteers comes in February, Neil, and mentioned to him how pathetic looking all of the empty shelves were. He jumped at the chance to help and has been running a book drive out of North
Carolina, where he lives, to gather books and materials for the library in Omuthiya. SO many people have been coming to the library to check it out even though it’s a bit of a walk off the main road. They all seem really excited and can’t wait for it to be open. Due to security, we aren’t allowed to let anyone use the materials in the library, but as people have been coming, I’ve asked them to write down what types of books and materials they’d like to see here. (I’ve also been asking them to write down their information if they are interested in taking computer classes when the library opens and we already have a full page of people who have expressed interest!) I passed the materials list along to Neil in North Carolina and he has been working his
butt off. What started as a small supply drive for the holiday season with the goal of collecting 10 boxes of books has exploded. So far, over 40 boxes of books have been collected and the drive is still going strong. Neil estimates that there are about 1,000 books worth $4,000 US dollars including atlases, dictionaries, encyclopedias, teacher resources, college textbooks, and K-12 textbooks. So many different organizations and entities are involved: the local Gold’s Gym, ECU AmeriCorps, the local NBC affiliate, several local schools, the local library and the local college bookstore to name a few. It’s been amazing to see how Neil has rallied his community to help ours here in Omuthiya and I can’t wait to see the results.

The one issue is getting all of the stuff that he’s collected shipped over here. It’s going to be VERY expensive and there’s also VAT tax that costs an additional 15% of the value of what is entering the country. I’ve been trying to figure out the logistics of shipping which has been (and probably will continue to be) a slow, frustrating process, but hopefully we can figure something out before Neil leaves to come to Namibia in February. Any ideas from anyone at home?

I am really excited about the opening of the library. As I said before, people inquire all the time about when it will open and it’s really tough to have to turn them away (by instruction of my boss) when I know there are so many great resources available to them here. One day, I saw two of the learners (what Namibians call students) who live on my homestead in town and invited them to come check out the library. They were astounded when they walked in. They both immediately picked up books and magazines, plopped on the floor and started flipping through totally enthralled. It made me feel really good about what I've been doing and really excited about getting the place up and running.

I’ve also been helping my supervisor work on a 5-year plan for all of the libraries in our region. I attended the meeting where the plan was presented and was pretty excited because I felt like the Ministry of Education employees were actually listening to me. It will be cool if/when the things that I helped to plan will actually be carried out.

Additionally, I met a local teacher at the event that Meme and Tate took me to where Namibia's first lady was speaking. He teaches English and I think is also the HOD (Head of Department) for English at the school in my village. I get the feeling that he is a real go-getter and I was excited to meet him at the event. A few weeks later, he called me to say that he had acquired a donated set of Scrabble and asked if I would be able to come help teach his English class how to play the game. Teaching those kids Scrabble was REALLY fun. They were SO enthusiastic about it would 11th grade American students be enthusiastic about Scrabble? I don't think so...) and were also pretty excited about improving their English. The circuit inspector (the person who is in charge of all the local schools in our circuit, or district) heard about what we were doing and was so excited about the idea that he asked us to teach all of the local principals about Scrabble. So this local teacher and I presented what we did at the circuit principals' meeting to about 40 principals in the area. It was exciting. I also gave my contact information to the principals to tell them I'd love to come help at their schools. I already got a call from one who needs help with the computers at her school so hopefully I will be starting that project after everyone returns from the holidays in January.

LOTS more has happened since I last wrote but I will stop here for now. This week I will be headed down to Swakopmund, which is a coastal town here in Namibia, for 10 days of camping on the beach and to celebrate Christmas and New Years with my fellow volunteers. I hope to get Chinese food and see a movie on Christmas because both of those things are available in Swakop! The entire area of Swakopmund is supposed to be beautiful: one of the few places in the world where the desert meets the ocean and home to the biggest sand dune in the world. We may also take a road trip up the coast for a few days and who knows what other adventures we’ll find while we’re there (skydiving, duneboarding, four-wheelin', bungee-jumping…)? I CAN’T WAIT!

P.S. Sorry no photos on this blog. I'm not typing from my own computer! I'll upload some photos of the library and the kids playing Scrabble ASAP!

Hobnobbing with the Namibian Politicos (HA!)

Meme & Tate on stage with Madam Pohamba

President Pohamba speaking in Omuthiya

Dinner after President Pohamba's speech

10/26/10

The past few days have been crazy. On Friday night I stayed late at the new library helping a technician set up the tables and computer lab. It was a VERY long day but it’s pretty exciting to see the library finally coming together with my help! Anyway, when I got home Meme & Tate told me I would be going with them to a school inauguration ceremony the next day. I politely explained that I was very tired and just wanted to stay home and organize and clean my new house but they insisted, so I couldn’t really say no. I begrudgingly got up and got dressed the next morning and the three of us climbed into the cab of Tate’s pick-up truck and were on our way.

Well I’m glad they insisted I join them! When we got to the school, it turns out that the Namibian First Lady was there for the ceremony! Because Meme is Omuthiya’s Deputy Mayor and Tate is Ekulo Villages’ Head Man, I personally met and shook hands with the First Lady, Madam Pohamba, and was introduced to her as the new Peace Corps volunteer in Omuthiya. I also got to sit in a room with her as one of maybe 12 people while we waited for the ceremony to begin. During the ceremony, Meme & Tate were up on the stage sitting right next to Madam Pohamba and kept being introduced as “distinguished guests.” The ceremony was LONG, started late, and the microphone system kept losing power, but I enjoyed Madam Pohamba’s speech. When the whole thing was over, we proceeded to a local conference center.

At the conference center, we got a catered lunch with lots of VIPs including the First Lady and the Japanese Ambassador to South Africa. I kept feeling like somebody was going to ask me what I was doing there and tell me to leave, but people could not have been more friendly. Although I didn’t get a chance to chat with Madam Pohamba or Ambassador Sakamoto, I introduced myself to lots of other important community members - teachers, principals, bankers, etc. and was really excited about the day. When I thanked Meme and Tate for bringing me with them their response was, “Of course. You need to get to know how things work around here.” I wanted to hug them - I feel like they truly GET it and I feel SO lucky to have been placed on their homestead.

As if the First Lady wasn’t enough, on Monday, President Pohamba himself was in Omuthiya to inaugurate the new Town Council building. Since my Meme is on town council, she was asked to help cook the food for the post-speech meal, and I was allowed to skip work and go watch his speech. I think Namibia is going to make me a professional waiter. I arrived in town from the village around 11 and the ceremony didn’t start until 3. Although I wish I brought my book, it was pretty exciting just to observe all of the preparations. The crowd was buzzing and almost everyone was wearing the colors of the President’s political party, SWAPO. So I was surrounded by blue, green, and red as everyone speculated excitedly about when Mr. Pohamba would arrive. Unfortunately, since the president is from Owamboland, his speech was entirely in Oshiwambo but the woman next to me was nice enough to offer some translation. He spoke about Omuthiya’s development as a major town and all of the exciting new things that were coming (i.e. a big hospital). He also spoke about how Namibia itself is developing (how everyone has cell phones, how more roads are being built) but also about some of Namibia’s major problems (alcoholism, violent crimes). It was really exciting to see him speak and worth the wait, I’d say.

After the speech, I noticed a man walking around that I had met during the 6-hour church service I attended during site visit. I was pretty proud of myself because I even remembered his name, Mr. Shavute (most definitely spelled wrong). I’m pretty sure he’s also on Town Council but am not completely positive about what he does. He remembered me too and we had a nice chat about my move to Omuthiya and the President’s visit. Well, when I told him it was very nice to see him and tried to say goodbye, he gave me a confused look, and told me to come with him to the post-speech VIP dinner (?!?!?). Well, I was NOT going to say no to that, and Meme & Tate were nowhere to be found, so I went with him. Everyone at the door was pushing trying to get in until Mr. Shavute came through, and they all cleared the way for him. I guess I picked the right guy to chat with. As soon as he was inside, though, the crowd started pushing and shoving to get in, but he called me through, and everyone made way yet again. I have no idea how I joined the Peace Corps and managed to rub shoulders with all of these Namibian politicos, but Mr. Shavute pointed out some of the people who were there: the Mayors of various towns, SWAPO bigwigs, even military hotshots decked out in their uniforms. I’d never even been to a ceremony like this in my four years in DC! One of the coolest parts was that a few people I’d met previously greeted me by name and remembered me. During the first few weeks at site, we’re supposed to be working on integration and introducing ourselves to community members, so it felt great to be in there!

The ups & downs of the first week at site...

10/22/10

Meme & Ajax hanging on the homestead

Fillemon...milking one of the homestead's many cows

Group 32 at Swearing-In

So we’ve been at our sites for almost a week now and so far, so good. I was SO pleasantly surprised when I got to the homestead this past Saturday. When I was here three weeks ago for site visit, the house was FILTHY. I was prepared to come and clean the place for days. But when I actually arrived, it was relatively clean! No more bird poo on the walls and the bugs’ nests in the rafters had been removed! On top of that, much of the furniture was new (or at least clean!). My supervisor had apparently dispatched a cleaning crew before my arrival. I couldn’t believe it and it was certainly a nice and completely unexpected welcome to my new home.

Unfortunately, one thing that wasn’t working when I arrived was my (gas) refrigerator so I survived on macaroni and potatoes for a few days. WELL, the repairmen who came to fix it decided to come when I was at work, and since I didn’t know they’d be coming, the door was locked and I didn’t leave a key. SO they decided that the best course of action would be to...break into my house!!! Very logical, I know. As a result, the front door to my house wouldn’t close (or lock). When I thanked the repairmen for fixing my refrigerator and inquired about fixing my lock, he told me he was only responsible for the fridge and the door wasn’t his issue. I thought that was a rather interesting perspective. Eventually, someone came (they remain a mystery) and my door now functions normally, but there were a few days there where I was convinced a chicken was going to wander in and I’d get a new roommate...

Our swearing-in ceremony seems like it was forever ago already even though it was actually less than a week! It was awesome though. The best part was getting to sing the songs that we’d been singing every morning at PST as a group although it was bittersweet since it was the last time we’d be singing them all together. After the ceremony, a bunch of us went hiking with lots of celebratory drinks. It was so much fun, and nobody got overly dehydrated or accidentally danced their way off the mountain. It did make the 7-hour ride to site the next day a little rough but we all managed.

Living on the homestead is definitely full of new, constant challenges, and I’m finding that I’m dealing with all of these challenges by laughing at myself A LOT. I have constant visions of being stampeded or head-butted by all of the animals that roam the homestead (goats, cows, donkeys) and everyone who lives there thinks my fears are hilarious. This morning, I woke up early to help Fillemon, a learner on my homestead, milk the cows. By help I mean stand 300 feet away and try not to make eye contact with any of the giant beasts but my reluctance provided an early morning comedy show for everyone. More comic relief: my skin is not reacting too well to constantly sweating (because it is HOT here), and I get questions about “the mosquito bites on my forehead” at least once a day. Everyone wants to know “WHAT HAPPENED?!” to my face (with genuine concern). I guess acne does not exist in Namibia? One of my favorite hilarious moments so far was when I was changing my shirt in front of my 23 year old host sister in Okahandja. She looked at my bare stomach, gasped, and immediately grabbed my love handles. “THIS IS SO NICE!!!!!” she exclaimed as she proceeded to tug on my fat. “YOU WILL LOOK SO NICE IN A SKIRT!!!” That’s not usually the first thing I think when I notice my love handles, but what else can you really do in a situation like that except laugh? No matter how hot it is, or how long it takes for something to get done, or even how badly things are going, the Namibians that I’ve come into contact with seem to all have the “everything will be OK” attitude. As I discovered with my host family in Okahandja, Namibians love to laugh and do it as often as possible at everything they can. That’s one lesson I’m really hoping to take from this whole experience, and so far it’s serving me well!

My walk to work at the CLDC is not going to be easy but I’m thinking (and hoping) that it might become one of my favorite parts of the day. It’s about 4 km (2.5 miles) through thick sand in the blazing sun and as I’ve clocked it so far, takes me about an hour. I did the trek for the second time this morning and it actually wasn’t so bad. I popped on my headphones, blasted some Dr. Dog, and enjoyed the scenery. And since I am surrounded by nothing but muhangu fields, you better believe I will be (and have been) singing, whistling, snapping, and clapping out loud along to my music. It’s kind of nice to have some built in exercise/”me” time in my day where I don’t have to try to figure out something new or struggle to communicate with anyone. I’d love to see myself walking, though. I probably look ridiculous.

I experienced unbelievable Namibian kindness yet again yesterday. I spent the day traveling with a man who works for the Ministry of Education (which is the Ministry that brought me here). I got the chance to check out several different libraries, which was nice since I will be a librarian, and also see some of the fixes he applied to the library computers which is another part of my job description. One of the most exciting parts was that I got to travel further North than I have so far and see a different part of the country. At the end of the day, we realized we were running really late and my ride back to Omuthiya wouldn’t wait so he agreed to bring me ALL THE WAY HOME even though it was about 260 km out of his way (which is 160 miles or so). I had mentioned at some point during the day how I still needed to buy some things for my house that weren’t available in Omuthiya or even Ondangwa so he offered to stop in Oshakati and we went shopping there for AN HOUR. Not only did he wait for me while I got stuff for my house, but he also drove me all the way home, and when I continuously thanked him profusely, his responses were simply, “It’s not a problem” or “My pleasure.” Would that happen if he were American? I’m thinking no....

So after about a week at site, there have been lots of ups and lots of downs, and it’s a little bit overwhelming just because there are so many new things to get used to. Despite the frustrations, I am enjoying learning and laughing at myself. I’m really looking forward to feeling more settled here in Omuthiya and starting some meaningful work.

Wrapping things up in Okahandja...

10/9/10

Ester & Emily at Host Family Appreciation Day

Stephanie cutting up some veggies for our pizza.

Caitlin dancing as we were serenaded and surrounded by learners.

Since most of the other volunteers will be teachers at schools (I am actually one of only two in our group of 44 who will not be), we have been assigned to different schools around Okahandja this week to observe and practice co-teaching classes. It’s actually pretty interesting being at the schools and while there are definitely a lot of differences between American and Namibian schools, the kids are the same. A 13-year-old Namibian is really very similar to a 13-year-old American. As far as I could tell, the main difference in the schools are the teaching and discipline methods. While I was in school, I have memories of kind, supportive teachers oozing with positive reinforcement for their students, and that’s not really the case here. It seems like kids rarely get praised for their work and that the teachers tend to be very strict and serious in order to maintain control of their classes. They take no crap and I think their learners are kind of scared of them. This also means that corporal punishment is a reality here. I’ve definitely been trying to see it as a cultural difference and not impose my American opinions because it’s just so far removed from anything we’d do in the US, but it’s a pretty difficult thing to get used to. In the staff room one day this week, I was having a conversation with a teacher and another volunteer who grew up in Korea. The other volunteer’s opinion on corporal punishment was very different since she was hit in schools as a child, and we all agreed that this is an interesting time to be in Namibia since corporal punishment was made illegal recently so the country is kind of in a transition phase. One teacher explained how she really does not want to hit her learners, but she doesn’t feel like she has any alternatives to keep control of her classroom. That conversation definitely got me thinking about ways to help educate teachers about alternatives to corporal punishment.

One highlight of the week was when I helped another volunteer, Caitlin, teach a science class about ecosystems. The learners finished their group work pretty quickly and before we knew it, we were surrounded by 8th graders touching our hair and asking us questions about ourselves. “Did you know Michael Jackson?” “Are you friends with Rihanna?” “Have you ever been to a Chris Brown concert?” All very important questions. The circle of kids decided they’d like to show their singing talents off to us and pretty soon we were all dancing and singing “Stand By Me” together. This was definitely one of my more amusing moments in Namibia so far.

It hit me how sad I was to be leaving Okahandja when I got home on Wednesday of this week. On Tuesday night, I had showed Emily (my little host sister) all of the stains in my clothes which my handwashing skills are not yet quite adept enough to handle, and she agreed to help me with them the next day. Well, when I got home the following day, I looked everywhere for the dirty laundry to get started on it, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. Emily was laughing as I looked around in every room of the house and sorted through all of the closets and hampers and claimed she had no idea where it went. And then she brought me outside. All of my clothes were clean, stain-free, and drying on the line because she had decided to surprise me by washing them. I was amazed. It is literally one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I can’t believe I have to leave this amazing family in one week! Not to mention the 43 other American trainees who I have spent every day with for the past two months!

There are a few things going on as we approach our final week of training. We have our final language exam - I’m excited for that one to be over. We had a host family appreciation day today where we recited speeches in the Namibian languages we’ve been learning to thank the families and cooked American foods for them. We weren’t sure the Namibians would like the food we made but it was a definite hit - there was NONE leftover. My family found it hard to believe that the chocolate chip banana pancakes were actually a breakfast food and LOVED pumpkin pie. Chili, fajitas, pizza (which is what I made!), mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, baked beans, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, onion rings, and fried chicken were all also on the menu. It was pretty nice to eat American food and I think we were all kind of food coma-esque when the day was over. At the end of the week, before we actually go to our sites next Saturday, we’ll have a swearing-in ceremony. It’s weird because it really feels like something huge is coming to an end, and in a way I guess it is, but really everything is just beginning!

So THIS is Africa!

Inside the CLDC where I'll be working

Meme & Lynette sorting some beans on the homestead


My future little house on the homestead



One of the homestead's many huts

Yesterday we got back from site visit and I got to spend a few days in Omuthiya, where I’ll be living and working for the next two years starting October 16. The experience started with the bus ride there. We stopped several times so the driver could do errands, listened to the same scratched reggaeton CD the whole ride on repeat, busted and changed a tire, and also picked up a few random people along the way. After about 7 hours of traveling, we finally arrived at Omuthiya Community Learning and Development Center (CLDC) where I was met by my new supervisor, Elizabeth, who could not have been more enthusiastic. She greeted me with a huge hug and kept calling me darling and proceeded to introduce me to the library staff. They thought it was HILARIOUS when I greeted them and introduced myself in Oshindonga but hopefully that means I made a good first impression!

The CLDC, where I’ll be based, is relatively small but seems to be pretty popular and widely used among the community members. At one point during my days there, a few girls were hanging out and playing Scrabble and there was always at least one person there reading or working on the computers (which unfortunately DON’T have internet). As far as I understand it, my primary job responsibility will be to help transfer materials and set up a new library that they’re hoping to open nearby. I think I will also be able to start my own projects, too, after doing a community needs assessment. I’m excited to get there, find out and get started!

The town of Omuthiya itself is a pretty interesting place and kind of an anomaly. It is the capital of Oshikoto region and has several pretty key amenities - bank, gas station, medical clinic, post office, and a hospital that’s being built. Its classification was upgraded from village to town by the government in 2008, but it’s still definitely in the process of developing and is not fully developed yet. The developed part of town is surrounded by villages like the one I’ll be living in, Ekulo, and there are still goats roaming all over the place and an open market in the center of town.

After spending some time at the library, Tate Nakaziko, my host dad, met us to take us to his homestead. As soon as we turned off the main road, a bumpy sand road began and pretty soon we were in the bush surrounded by muhangu (spelling?) fields and termite mounds. It’s hard to believe that a decent sized town is just a few kilometers away. I was amazed when we got to the homestead - it is HUGE and filled with round wooden huts! People were everywhere speaking Oshindonga a mile a minute and working - sorting beans, pounding muhangu (a traditional grain) and tending to the animals. We walked through the soft sand with chickens squawking at our feet until we got to my section of the compound. My little house has four rooms - two bedrooms, a common room, and a kitchen. It needs some serious cleaning and the current bug residents need to vacate but it has lots of potential. I’m PSYCHED to move in and get settled (even if it’s not a hut!).

Nights on the homestead were the most interesting. I definitely have never given a second thought to walking into a room and turning on the lights but wow! It’s definitely an adjustment to not have electricity. What is most amazing is that the work never stops on the homestead, even when the sun goes down. My meme and the rest of the women kept working, even in the dark, until they finished what they needed to for the evening. Although it was a little bit frustrating not having lights, there was also definitely a certain romance to having dinner on the sand by starlight and eating with my hands and then reading by candlelight after dinner. I think I will slowly get used to not having electricity...and will get a lot of reading done!

On Saturday, I hung at the homestead all day and helped sort some beans and pull the seeds out of these little nuts for one of the ingredients for traditional bread, oshikwila (which is delicious!). Sunday was a different story. It was decided that I would go to church with Meme & Tate. Going to church here is a good way to get to know people and make them aware that I’m here and will be working in the community so I was all for going. Well, I should have known this wouldn’t be any normal church service when Tate kept asking me if I had enough water and Meme insisted that I take some oshikwila in my purse. Nobody really explained this to me beforehand, but it turns out we went to a different church than the family normally goes to. There was a collection competition between two towns to see which could raise more money to build a new church. So aside from the normal service, there were several rounds of people dancing up to the front of the church to put money in a basket or give food or promise to give goats, chickens, or cows as part of their donation. This process took SIX hours and the whole thing was in Oshindonga so I really had no idea what was going on. Of course, I did my dancing up to the front to participate too, which was pretty fun. All in all, the whole experience was pretty amusing. At one point during the service, the pastor pointed to me and said something in Oshindonga (as if the whole church wasn’t already staring at me curiously), and I’m still not quite sure what he said. So I survived my first time at African church and it was quite the experience. It paid off, too. On Monday, as my supervisor took me around town, a few people came up to me, introduced themselves, and exclaimed that they had seen me in church on Sunday!

The trip to Omuthiya made it all real for me. I was on my own (without the 44 other Americans) for the first time in the country, and as you go north, the landscape definitely changes and becomes more like stereotypical Africa. After a few days in Omuthiya, I was exhausted and definitely ready to come back to Okahandja. The greeting I got from Ester and Emily made me a little sad because I realized how soon I’ll be moving out of here and leaving them. Of course I’m excited to get started with what will come next but it’s definitely bittersweet to leave my Okahandja family and the rest of the Americans and start all over as I’m just starting to get comfortable here...