Week 13

Southern Travel Seminar Blog by Sami Vadakin and Emily Newton

 Our week started with internships as usual on Monday. Knowing that goodbye was coming soon, I (Sami) took the time to cherish every moment left I had with the kids and my coworkers at Family of Hope Services. On Wednesday, Professor Ndamanomhata and Ndaku took the religion class on a field trip to visit two different pre-schools in Windhoek. We first visited Kabila Village, where young children playing on a playground stopped what they were doing to greet us. A staff of six, some of whom teach the children while the others maintained the school’s garden, runs Kabila Village. Next, we went to Kilinjaro Village. We visited two different classrooms, each with children eager to sing us songs. Before departing, we stopped in the kitchen where we purchased freshly made bread. After saying goodbye, we loaded up into the van and were touched when all the children began running after the bus. I personally really enjoyed the preschool visits. It seemed to me that all of the teachers we met were good at making the best of limited resources, as well as managing their large groups of young children.  I also thought it was so interesting that both schools had an additional side business. At Kabila Village the garden is used to help feed the children. At Kilinjaro Village, bread was sold on the market to raise funds for the schools. I found them both to be very resourceful.

On Thursday, the history class gave historical comparison presentations. I found Elise, Colin, and Amanda’s project to be especially intriguing. The group designed a jeopardy game, asking historical questions regarding racism and housing inequality in the United States and Southern Africa. I felt the game effectively demonstrated the existence of spatial inequality. Their presentation, along with the rest of our projects, really got me thinking about the lingering effects of racism today. I think that prior to my study abroad experience, I really could not begin to grasp the degree to which racism still exists. Prior to the trip, I understood there is definite evidence of racism today in the U.S. However, I did not comprehend the feeling of belonging to a minority. My experience has shed light on this feeling, and given me empathy for minorities in the United States. Racial equality may be institutionalized but that does not mean it is actualized in social reality. Romanus’ history class has given me the opportunity to see that the ‘white man’s world’ is not unique to the United States. White oppression has been experienced globally in a variety of contexts. What I wonder is how long it will take for social, economic, and political power to be even distributed across races. And am I dreaming too big if I can even think it will someday happen?

            After history class, our weekend adventure to the south began. We arrived at Ganigobes Community Campsite just before dusk. The absolutely gorgeous site is perched on a hill overlooking Fish River. After setting up our tents and while we waited for dinner, CGE staff and students gathered around a fire, admiring quite possibly some of the brightest stars we’ve witnessed in Namibia.

Waking up to the rising sun and the smell of a burning fire will be one of my (Emily’s) favorite memories of Namibia thus far. After sleeping so soundly at the Ganigobes Community Campsite, we had a mini-class session where we discussed the topic of Community Based Natural Resource Management. Linda facilitated the discussion, prompting students to question the definition of sustainable development: sustainable for how long? For whom? In what context? We quickly realized that one simple sentence cannot possibly begin to describe the process of sustainability or appropriate usage of resources.

After discussing the theme for the next few days, a community member from the Ganigobes Community Campsite briefed us about the area. He explained that despite its opening in May of 2010, we were the site’s first guests. We started questioning how it could be that no other people have visited the beautiful, pristine campsite. We began to learn that other community campsites have similar issues of attracting visitors because of lack of advertising, funding, and marketing; these pose serious restraints to the success of community campsites. Throughout the weekend, our group started to reflect on why so few people came to community run campsites we were visiting.

Next we departed for Keetmanshoop to be met by representatives from the Namibia Development Trust and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. We learned that southern conservancies are very low on funds because of the inability to attract tourists to the area; this is partly because of the absence of trophy hunting.  Because of the lack of funding, we wondered, will some of these conservancies cease to exist? We also questioned if the lack of funding was related to Namibia’s recent classification as an upper middle income country. I (Emily) have seen the legacy of this categorization through my experience as an intern at the NANGOF Trust. In particular, many civil society organizations are unable to fulfill their mandates, visions, and goals because of a lack of funding. My internship supervisor explained to me that even though many people in Namibia are in the same if not worse economic situations than prior to independence, international funders may not see Namibia as viable for donations. This makes it difficult for places like southern conservancies to continue to operate and thrive.

Our next day was spent with Petrus Fleermuys at the Brukkaros Community Campsite. Waking up with the sun, we prepared to hike to the top of the Brukkaros Mountain with Petrus and the Berseba student choir.  We were so lucky not only to have our own tour guide leading us up the long and windy path, but also to have the opportunity to speak candidly with students about their experiences in Namibia. Together we discussed topics like school, family, and our thoughts about Namibia. After three hours, the smoldering heat and bright sun, we reached the summit. We could see out for miles and miles – it was absolute bliss!  Sitting on top of the mountain with our new friends made me so thankful for the experience I have had in Namibia. Although I felt so small in comparison to the natural world, yet empowered with the knowledge I have accumulated the last few months. Not only have I learned from classes, lectures, and presentations, but I have understood so many new perspectives from talking candidly with Namibians such as the Berseba student choir. I feel motivated to be part of a lasting change.

After our hike, we were able to spend more time with our new friends as we shared lunch at the Berseba School. Petrus so graciously thanked us for staying at the campsite, and even played his trumpet while the school children sang us two songs: one in Nama and one in English. As we were leaving, it started to rain; I almost thought of this as a metaphor for our departure. We had such an idyllic time climbing the mountain, talking with students, and learning more about community campsites. Berseba was sad for our exit.

Our next day was spent at the Gondwana Kalahari Anib Lodge where a representative spoke to us about the running of the campsite. We were shocked to learn that the Lodge receives around 30,000 guests per year whereas the community campsites receive around 40-50 guests per year. Questions started circling our heads, such as what enables one lodge to be so successful whereas another can barely survive? What role do international NGOs play in enabling or inhibiting success? All these questions looped back to our initial discussion on the first day of the travel seminar – what does sustainable development really mean and can it be sufficiently achieved? These open ended questions could not be easily answered, and we will continue to think about them the next couple of weeks as the semester comes to an end.

Week 12 Gabrielle Krus & Carolyn Glynn

Class Field Trips

On April 3 the Politics Class visited the University of Namibia to listen to a joint lecture by Dr. Blau and our own politics professor, Dr. Kaapama. Dr. Blau went first. He discussed Namibia’s latest statistics on socio-economic issues including poverty, employment, and HIV/AIDS and the Namibian government’s role in trying to make these problems subside. Next, Professor Kaapama gave his insight on the past, present, and future of Namibia’s government. Both gave informative and interesting presentations, which generated many questions in my mind. One of them is in regards to poverty. According to Dr. Blau’s presentation, the poverty rate is around 50%. Reflecting upon this statistic now, I (Gabrielle) am curious if the poverty rate has only been measured by only one method or if multiple methods have been used. I feel it would be one-sided to stake a claim without exploring various angles. In order to produce more accuracy, it would be resourceful to measure poverty by more than one method. This makes me wonder, what truly defines poverty? What is the income threshold that determines who is labeled poor?

After the presentation, students and faculty that attended were invited to indulge in some refreshments. While eating some snacks, a reporter with a camera man approached one of my classmates and me, eager to ask us a couple of questions. Charise and I offered answers about what it’s like to study in a foreign country, how we have participated in the United State’s 2008 election, and how politics in Namibia compares to politics in the United States. Hopefully, Charise and mine’s interview will be broadcasted on local or national Namibian news!

On April 4 in Religion Class, the students visited a Jewish Synagogue and an Islamic Centre in Windhoek. Both of these religions are minorities to the majority religion of Christianity in Namibia. We first stopped at the Jewish Synagogue where the rabbi spoke about the history of Judaism in Namibia. Over time, there have been different amounts of Jews residing in Namibia, yet in recent years the numbers are decreasing at alarming speeds. Today, there are around than 60 Jewish people in all of Namibia. This seemed to me like it could cause a bit of trouble with funding for the Jewish community. With only 60 individuals identifying as Jewish in all of Namibia, funding for the Synagogue in Windhoek and other synagogues throughout Namibia is dependent on these few people. Further in the conversation with the rabbi, the topic of discrimination came up. With Judaism being a minority and Christianity playing a significant role in the lifestyles and beliefs of the majority of Namibians, the idea of discrimination against Jews in history and in present day is very plausible. The rabbi told us that there have never been any successful attacks against the synagogue in Windhoek. However, once in the 1970s, the synagogue did face a threat, thus resulting in the construction of grenade safe shelters around each of the windows.

The visit to the Islamic Centre was of particular interest to me, due to my lack of exposure to Islam. Learning about the introduction and history of Islam in Namibia was interesting, especially compared to the history of both Christianity and Judaism. At the temple, our speaker got very emotional when he spoke about his belief system and how they relate to Christianity and the United States. While I do believe that it is very important to hear everyone’s viewpoints and that there are both sides to every story. When these points are presented in anger, it is hard to take every point seriously and with the respect and consideration it deserves. Thus, when the foundational beliefs of Christianity were being picked apart with aggressive words and in an aggressive tone of voice, it was difficult for me to politely consider his point of view.

Week 11 Elise Rudolph & Abigail Struxness

New perspectives in Windhoek

This week we transitioned back toliving in Windhoek from being on Spring Break for the week. Most of us went toVictoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Zambia and had a great time! The falls werebeautiful and there was a lot to do including white water rafting, bungee
jumping, and observing the wildlife. It was interesting to be in a new culture
and experiencing another country in Africa.
In our classes, we enjoyed hearingfrom speakers from a variety of less represented groups in Namibia. In ourReligion class, we had a speaker come to talk to us about making the connection
between human rights and religion. The man that came to speak described himself
as a half Communist; half Christian which was a combination I have never heard
before. He made some great points about homosexuality in Namibia that I really
enjoyed. He explained about how in Namibia gay people are mistreated and not
accepted in society, but there are so many other issues going on that this
should be the least of his worries. There are men, women, and children that are
struggling to survive, starving, and suffering, but people choose to focus on
how to punish those who are openly gay. He began to laugh at the ridiculousness
of the situation, which made the whole class laugh in return. It made me happy
to know that there were some people with their head on straight and made me
hopeful for the future of the gay community in Namibia.

In history, we visited the University of Namibia to hear a lecture from a history professor there. He is an AfrikaansNamibian and he gave us an interesting and unique perspective on the history ofwhites in Southern Africa. He specifically highlighted the historic differences
between the English colonists and the Dutch or Boer settlers. In the 1800s, the
British in power did not practice apartheid, instead they had a more liberal
outlook on the native people in South Africa. They allowed Africans to get
civil rights, and own property. It was the Boers, who were traditionally poor
farmers, who advocated for policies of separateness because they felt
economically threatened by both the better educated English and the African
farmers. As they rose to political power, they employed apartheid, which lasted
in Namibia until independence in 1991. It was very interesting to hear this
part of Namibia and South Africa’s history, and to get the chance to visit the
University of Namibia, which is the largest university in the country.

Indevelopment class this week, we discussed gender and the struggles women must
face in Namibia. We went on a field trip to visit Sister Namibia, a feminist non-profit advocacy organization. Theorganization produces their own magazine to reach out and empower women in thecommunity. The women we spoke to voiced frustration that Namibia still faces
gender based violence despite the fact that Namibia’s constitution promotes
gender equality. One woman specialized in working with young women to educate
them about their bodies and sexuality. Like many non-profit organization in
Namibia, Sister Namibia is strugglingto get funding from international donors to keep their programs running. It wasunfortunate to hear because the women that worked there were so passionateabout women’s rights but lacked the money to make their dreams a reality. We
left the organization feeling empathetic towards the victims that we heard
about in the presentation, but also hopeful that the future will be much
brighter. All in all, it was refreshing to learn from speakers whose
perspectives are in the minority here in Namibia.

Cara Gross & Samantha Vadakin

Week 9 Home stay & Etosha

Ofall the experiences in this program, the rural homestay in the North demanded
the most of us. We had to leave our
computers, toilets, running water and showers behind to spend a week eating,
bathing, and doing everything in between, outside. Wewere required to use Oshiwambo to
communicate with family members, some of whom spoke little to no English. We stayed with families who had us
participate in all aspects of the traditional lifestyle,from cooking to farming
to slaughtering animals.
Knowing
some of these challenges that we’d face, needless to say it was an anxious
ten-hour car drive to get to Outapi. Our fears included being unable to
communicate with our families and feeling isolated as a result, not having
enough to eat, and having uncomfortable living arrangements—none of us had any
exposure to village life whatsoever, and we couldn’t even picture what our homes
would look like! We were amazed that
first night to witness our families’ homes structured out of sticks, with many
rooms and huts made out of sticks, tin, stones, and hay, for various functions
like cooking, storage and leisure. The
families had countless vines, trees, and plants growing within their homes as
well as in their vast fields and gardens where they grew primarily mahangu, a crop similar to corn that is
used to make meal.
Throughout
the week we did a number of group trips which were fascinating. We witnessed two baobab trees, which are
hundreds of years old; one was so big that it contained a church within it! We
toured a fish farm, irrigation/agricultural center, and a traditional king’s
palace, and went to the Angolan border twice.
While all of these outings were very cool, by far our most learning took
place in the hours we spent with our families every morning and evening. For instance, both Sami and Cara experienced
how rewarding it is to forge friendship across the barrier of language: Sami
drew pictures and used hand gestures to communicate with her family’s house
worker, and Cara played hand games with her five-year-old sister. We realized that while language is one facet
of communication it is by no means an essential part. By the end of the week, Cara and her sister
were deeply attached to each other despite knowing only a few words in each
other’s’ languages.
Another
experience that impacted me (Cara) immensely was working in the field with my
Tate(father). After teaching me how to
till, he took me around and showed me all the plants that his family
grows. I could feel his pride in his
work as he told me how wonderful he feels to grow his own food. I realized that my family knows what really
matters in life—food, family, and love—and they have cultivated these things
for themselves, and are fulfilled and happy.
This
raised a bunch of questions for me about how I live my own life and how I
conceptualize the world. Should poverty
really be defined in terms of access to electricity or water? Is quality of
life really improved by having more? I
was so happy to spend all day outside, to watch the sun rise and set each day,
to be away from my computer. I’m still
not entirely sure what the homestay will mean for me in the long run. I do know
that while it demanded the most of us, it also gave us the most—a fresh way to
view the world that we could not have acquired in any other context.
On
Sunday, our families hosted a goodbye party to celebrate the week of home
stays. Many of us, dressed in traditional African clothing, showed off what we
learned through traditional song and dance. Fillemon, Cara’s host father,
welcomed the group and thanked all the of the CGE students for the opportunity.
Emily then gave an equally heartfelt thank you to our host families, recounting
both personal and group challenges and opportunities that were experienced
throughout the week. The goodbye party was bittersweet. It dawned on us that
one of our most memorable weeks in Africa was coming to an end. We were all
walking away with new perspectives and understandings about the traditional
Oshiwambo culture. After the party, we returned to our respective home stays
for two more days with our families. Realizing what was soon to be over, I
(Sami) snapped mental pictures of every moment I could. I interacted with my
host brother, mother and father as much as possible, absorbing as much as I
could.

Tuesday
came too soon and we departed from our families and headed for Etosha. 5 hours
later when we finally arrived, we stopped for a picnic lunch. After lunch, when
we piled back into the van, Mary and I joined Passat in the front seat. Passat,
the ultimate safari guide, quickly spotted giraffes in the distance. This was
the first of many sightings. Throughout our stay in Etosha ,we came across
elephants, giraffes, zebra, springbok, and impala among many other animals. One
sighting that was particularly intriguing was a pride of lions. We first
encountered the pride early Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, we returned to
the lion site only to find there was very little, if any, movement of the
pride. We again sat and watched their every move. It became quite clear to me
that the lions’ pace of life is much slower than mine, and most other people’s
I know for that matter. The encounter was breath taking and exciting, although
not the kind of entertainment you might expect. Rather than flashy lights,
catchy music and constant stimulation to hold our attention, we were left to
notice something as simple as a lion yawning or rolling over. Much to my
surprise, it was equally engaging. With every animal we saw, we watched their
movements carefully, anticipating their next move. For me, the safari was an
opportunity to slow down and appreciate my surroundings. I was able to reflect
on the importance of escaping technology and constant in-my-face entertainment.
Further, I began to grasp the importance of preserving nature. What I did
struggle with was if Etosha was actually a natural environment. I am curious
about the potential impact the safari vans and trucks make on the species
living there. If there are any negative impacts, I wonder if they would
outweigh the protection that this conservation gives to the animals. These are
questions to which I have yet to find answers to.

Charise Canales & Emma Currie

BlogWeek 8 RuralHomestay



The rural homestay was an experienceof a lifetime.

It was one of those rare, unforgettable experiences that will
stay with you forever. We lived for a week in the Omusati region of Namibia
where "development" as the Western world knows it has not occurred.
Many families do not have running water or electricity. However, upon the
people we talked to most were very happy living life day to day. It is a
different type of living, one that relies first hand on the land. Every day
after work, my (Emma’s) host dad came home and hoed in the fields, taking out
the weeds in order for the family’s crops to survive. If hoeing does not occur
then that means they will not have any food to survive. On Saturday I worked in
the fields with my family, even the 10 year old girl spent time hoeing. The
mother told me that some days she wants to just stop hoeing because it is so
much work, but she knows she can't. I then asked if she was happy the way
things were and she said she would not change a thing.
It was very interesting to observe and
live the family dynamic of my host family. The daughter would help prepare
meals every night with her mother (and my slight assistance). Every night a
traditional dish called oshithima was prepared which was mahango cooked over a
fire. It was very filling and is comparable to Pap (made from maize meal) in
Windhoek and South Africa. Then once this was prepared a meat was cooked,
mainly chicken or fish. After the hour and a half food preparation my
host siblings ate outside, while I enjoyed my meal in the living room with my
tate (father) and meme (mother). I have never experienced separate dinners like
that before. After dinner the children would come inside and we would all chat
and relax until bed.
During the rural homestay, I (Charise)
think I gained more perspective on myself, on American culture, and on Namibian
life than I could have in any other situation.
I felt liberated by the disconnect from technology and electricity
because it allowed me to ground myself in life at a simpler level. Our families were so warm and welcoming. They were truly some of the most genuine
people I had ever met. They opened their
homes and their hearts to us, and for that I am truly grateful. If I had to describe my experience with one
word, it would be laughter. Amidst a language divide, we communicated
through laughter. We laughed in surprise
and happiness as we collectively learned from each other. They taught me how to cultivate the fields,
pound mahongu, juice marula fruits, traditionally dance, and so much more.
Our group also went on excursions to
educational sites during the day that allowed us to connect what we’ve learned
in the classroom to life in the North.
We went to the Otapi War Museum where we were able to view a photo
exhibit of the liberation struggle, as well as many artifacts from the
war. That experience expanded our knowledge
and understanding of how dangerous the battle zone was during the fight for
independence. We also visited the palace
of King Uukwaluudhi which was especially interesting for me since some of the
project officers at my internship had just organized a trip to the North the
previous week to speak to the King and the Senior Queen for a few reproductive
health rights court cases. It seems that
with the development of the political system in Namibia, the King and Queen now
serve more as figures of influence than as active members of government.