The weeks are flying by here in Namibia. I cannot believe that this Friday will be my last night here in Windhoek. In the blink of an eye, we wll be boarding a plane and heading to Cape Town, but before that happens, we will be having integrative projects, which is a creative presentation of everything we learned. We make one project that embodies every class we have taken. My group decided to make a children’s book that brushes on Namibia’s history, the role religion played during apartheid/segregation, and the nation’s development. I feel confident that everyone’s project will be unique and I look forward to the presentations.

On Thursday, we will making a Thanksgiving dinner for all the students and staff. It will be the last time we will all be together as a community. In the past, students have enjoyed this event and cooking together all day. We’re making food by the masses and I’m thrilled to have a little taste of home. From what I understand, Thanksgiving at CGE can be a bittersweet event because we say goodbye to most of the staff that night, but it’s good company and delicious food. This year, we decided to make superlatives for all the students and staff to show our appreciation for one another (and for entertainment’s purposes).

Later this week, I’m also going to a farewell party at my internship. The students will be singing Christmas carols in their choir and refreshments will follow. I’ll be sad that day because interning was a wonderful experience. I’ll miss the students I worked with and their lightheartedness. I was guaranteed a laugh everyday I spent there and I became pretty close with a few of the kids. It’s been a lot of fun and they made everyday worth coming in for.

All in all, this week has some bittersweet moments that lie ahead. There will definitely be a lot to miss about being in Windhoek from the people I’ve met to the staff to my afternoons spent interning. Being in Namibia has certainly been rewarding and I will absolutely miss it. On the other hand, I have been very excited to visit Cape Town for some time now. We get the schedule later this week, but I know we have big plans. For now, I will be soaking in my last days in Windhoek and cherishing the opportunities I have taken here.

The Namibian sunset

Fun at the BNC (my internship)

Emily and Sarah… my Swedish friends that I met interning

The highlight to my week was the fashion show I attended on Friday night. It was hosted by the fashion students at the University of Namibia. Their final project was to create one piece if you were a first year student and an entire collection if you were a fourth year student. The themes were African art, origami, recycled materials, the Hunger Games, and evening attire. All the ensembles were very well done and the show was a lot of fun to watch. They offered a cash bar to enjoy the event and it was a lovely evening to sit outside and watch the hard work of students. Later, we went to Joe’s Beer Garden, to enjoy the each other’s company. It’s a very large and unique German restaraunt/bar that’s partially outdoor. Overall, Friday was a very nice reward to end a week of classes.

On Saturday, we woke up early to go on a hike up a mountain. It was still cool outside from  the night, so I was glad to have gone early. It took us about three hours to climb up to the top and back down and it was  steep and exerting, but well worth the effort. The city is surrounded by mountains and the hike offered  beautiful views on the way up. Unfortunately, it did not photograph well, but it was gorgeous. Later, I went to the sky bar to enjoy more of the outdoors and spent the Sunday morning in town doing some shopping. It was a very enjoyable weekend, much of it spent outdoors and enjoying some of Namibia’s natural beauty, coupled with end of the semester wrap up projects and papers.

Finishing the hike

The weather is heating up in Namibia and we are in the home stretch with classes. Having said that, spring break came at a nice time for us. After finishing classes on Friday, we enjoyed Namibia’s version of Oktoberfest. Most of the attendees were of German decent, the music, food, and beer were also very German. One of our German housemates came with us to the fest and said it was basically a spitting image of Oktoberfest in Germany. It was a unique and fun experience because we  got a taste of another culture while in Namibia.

The following morning, we headed to the coast of Namibia for the remainder of our spring break. Swakopmund, the town we stayed in, has a plethora of  mom and pop style cafes with a lot of good food to chose from and coffee shops that are similar to those in the states. I was happy to drink good coffee, as that is something about being away from home that I miss. During our days, we spent a lot of time on the beach. It was relaxing–although the water was a little too cold to swim–and really nice to be by the ocean. My favorite part of break was dune sledding. Being right on the desert makes for a fun place to ride the dunes. You start on bunny hills and progressively take on steeper areas of the dune. It was amazing how fast you fly down the sand, the only difficult part about going down, was the return back up, although it was well worth it.

From here, we continue on with classes and internships until the end of November. The semester is flying by and before I know it, I’ll be packing up and heading for Cape Town and then home. I have had such a wonderful time abroad and I look forward to what the next few weeks have in store.

The dunes

Oktoberfest

This past week, my group and I traveled to the coast of Namibia, Swakopmund, and I completed my third and final home stay. On the coast, we learned about Namibia’s exports and what impact that has on the economy here. It was interesting to  see some of the topics we discuss in class in action and being able to relate that back to development, which is a huge aspect of this program. We were also granted a free day on the coast, which I spent shopping in town and doing a yoga class on the beach. My personal favorite part of the being at the coast, was climbing Dune 7, the oldest and largest dune in the Namib desert. It was exhilarating to climb- considering it was almost at a 90 degree angle- but we all made it up and our reward was the view at the top and the trip down because it felt like we were walking on the moon, or so I’d imagine. Swakopmund all around was a highly enjoyable experience and I look forward to going back for my spring break.

Following the trip to the coast, was my home stay. I stayed with Oma (Grandma) Elizabeth, Rhianna, and her children on their family’s farm. Oma did not speak any English nor did Rhianna’s children, so Rhianna helped translate since I only know basic phrases of Damara. It was an experience that was rewarding and sometimes challenging when considering the language barrier. Still, I was able to participate in daily life on the farm even when it was just Oma and/or the children and I. From collecting wood with Oma to following her instructions on herding goats to playing with the children, it was cool to see how you can still understand one another even without speaking the same language.

One of my favorite things about the farm was the sense of community. Everyone was either related or close friends and all the families were extremely open and welcoming to us. They included us as if we were part of their community. For example, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the members of the farm watch a soap opera or “soapies” as they call them. About twenty people gathered around a small TV that was probably at least 50 years old and fuzzy in order to tune in. People sat close to each other, pulling up chairs, squeezing on the bed, or finding space on the floor. The soapie was comical in and of itself. It was actually a Mexican drama that was dubbed over in English. None of the voices matched the characters and the filming of it was humorus. The story line was pretty good and it was a lot of fun to watch with all the families on the farm.

Even if I went to another family’s home, I was welcomed with open arms. Being part of a community from the moment I stepped foot on the farm made the week very enjoyable. Spending a week there made me a little nervous at first because I was not sure what to expect, but I was sad saying my  farewells and I definitely could have stayed longer if I need to. All in all, it was a very enjoyable week and a great experience trying new things. I was grateful for the program because I know that if I were to ever travel to Namibia on my own, I would never have the same experience. It is something that I will never forget.

Namib Desert

Dune 7

Oma, Rigato, Faith, and me

The air has finally cooled down. I roll over to look at the clock. It’s 5:09am and I know that in 51 minutes I’ll be meeting outside our tent to run around the campsite before the sun comes up. My mind wanders off into amazement and disbelief that I’m camping in Namibia where lions, zebras, giraffes, and elephants roam right outside our gate.

It’s 6:00 now and we are off running, first around the campsite and then to the waterhole with hopes of seeing animals gather for a drink. When we arrive, I can tell that some people have been perched there for hours; bundled in scarves and hats, accompanied by large lensed cameras that sit on tripods. After waiting for a while, there’s no luck. We head back to the campsite for breakfast and a game drive.

Driving through the park, we see mostly zebras and springbok at first. Moving onwards, there are elephants and giraffes. A pile up of cars is ahead and one of the other drivers told us that there is a leopard under one of the trees. Our van is frantic over the binoculars until we see his polk-a-dotted coat under the tree. Amazed, we stare a little longer.

Now, we make our way to another waterhole where a hyena drinks. Zebras approach in a single file line, keeping there distance from the hyena as they stay on the other side. The hyena ignores them for a few minutes, but decides it is time for them to go, running towards them. They who is in charge, so they take off. The hyena takes a few more drinks and then sprawls out on the ground. It is out of  our sight now.

Looping back around, a herd of elephants approach the leopard from behind the tree he lays under. There are baby elephants in the herd and some of us start to worry that the leopard might attack, but our driver assures us he won’t. Instead, the elephants will be the ones to kick the leopard of his spot. The four baby elephants stay back as two of the elders chaperone them. Two more approach the the leopard and, sure enough, he moves for them. We drive parallel to the leopard as he tries to find another spot. He lays down again under shade, staying far enough from the elephants not to be bothered again.

Back at camp we have lunch and swim. Later, we go on another drive to see elephants, both young and old, and other areas of the park. After, we watch the sun dye itself a pinkish orange at the waterhole and rhinos approach for a drink. 

For the past few weeks, I have been working with first and second graders at my internship to help with reading and grammar. Last week, I enjoyed spending time with the older kids, grade six and seven, to help with math work. I still truly like to work with younger students, but I have also been thrilled giving assistance to older students. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know them and getting good feedback from them on homework that we worked on in previous sessions. One of the girls I helped, Brumelda, has become a buddy of mine. After the first time helping her with work, she’s come to me for other help ever since. This was a neat moment for me because I was worried that I might not be as useful to the students as I would like, but I’m more confident now in helping them. It’s very satisfying to me when I see them to start understanding the work and have students approach me for help. I try to be extra positive and enthusiastic with the students because they might not get that at school, according to my supervisor. Brumelda noticed this and, at first, I thought she might have found it a bit annoying, but she ended up writing a story for school about a day when her life changed and she wrote about meeting me! I think she picked it mostly because she was struggling to chose a topic, but it was awesome that she even thought about me for that. As far as interning goes, it has been a great week and was followed by a fun weekend.

On Saturday night, we celebrated the first birthday in our house. We had fun going to a sky bar at the top of the Hilton Hotel in town and then made our way to other parts of town. It’s always fun to try new places around Windhoek and everyone had a great time. Following our evening, we decided to go out for brunch on Sunday morning. It did not go as planned, though. The restaurant we selected only got one of eleven orders correct. For example, two friends got Eggs Benedict, but they gave them a piece of stale bread, ham,  and boiled eggs slathered with a frighteningly large amount of mayo. Some of us were a little frustrated, but the group of us have such good attitudes, we were all laughing about it an hour later. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead this week as we travel to the northern part of the country.

For the past week, I lived with a family in Katatura, Windhoek. Katatura is an informal settlement, similar to a suburb. I attended classes during the week, interned in the afternoons, and returned to my host family’s home in the evenings. During the week, I enjoyed dinner with them and I was lucky enough to go to a Swaziland v. Namibia soccer game. Soccer is very important to the Namibian people, so it functioned as both a sporting event and a cultural experience. Between the fans and the environment itself, it was very similar to any sporting event in the United States. We sat next to the Namibian women’s team, who came to support the male players. I was happy to be there and for the experience especially because I don’t know if that is something I will ever be able to do again.

On the other hand, the week did present its challenges. Between being busy with class, school work, an internship, and trying to find time to spend with my host family, I found it difficult to manage time. During the weekend, I also experienced my first wave of homesickness. I was wishing I was spending time with my own family, as the weekend presented difficulties. I did, however, enjoy the soccer game and some of the conversations we had. I learned a bit about the politics of Namibia and the culture of the family’s tribe, which we have been discussing in class. I liked hearing stories from a direct source and being able to apply them to recent readings and topics. In general, they were willing to answer the questions I had and the topics I brought up. I was pleased to answer any questions they had about the United States and I jumped at opportunities to correct some stereotypes they had aboutAmerica.While the week went by very fast, the weekend moved a little slower and I was happy to reunite with my group. On this home stay, I discovered that part of the fun was rehashing the weekend and sharing experiences with fellow students and I look forward to telling the story of my home stay to friends and family back at home!

Although I have had very little class time so far this semester, I’m enjoying what I have learned and excited for what knowledge has yet to come. The majority of my time I have been interning at Bernard Nordkamp Centre (BNC), where underprivileged children (grade 1-7) seek academic assistance after school. So far, I have worked with first and second graders, helping them with reading and on occasion, grammar. Students and I meet one-on-one and he/she reads to me. Education is not my college major and I have never taught anyone to read, which is more challenging than I anticipated.

I’ve only been at BNC for one week, and I understand how people are passionate about education. It’s endearing to work with children who are eager to learn and want to make improvements. From what my supervisor has told me, not all the BNC students are as interested as others, but for the most part, they are all there because they want to be. Working with children who want to learn is the best part of my internship, but leaves me in awe at the same time. I felt my mouth drop open when I learned that teachers sometimes hit the students with a branch or ruler and call them  “stupid” if they aren’t understanding. I couldn’t help but wonder how students could be enthusiastic about learning when they are punished for not understanding the material. Knowing this, BNC is truly a great place for students. They come after school, have a little bit of free time, eat, and learn. They are encouraged and taught with enthusiasm and respect, which is what they need.

In other news, my group and I have been enjoying Namibia. During the day we go often times go off in different directions, whether it be to class or an internship, but reunite for dinner. We have an awesome community and have been enjoying ourselves. On weekends we like to go shopping, hang out by the pool, and hit the town at night. We have community events on Sundays, where we all do activities as a group. Last week, we had a picnic in Parliament Gardens and this week we will be having a pool party. The semester is already flying by, but we have been sure to soak up all the knowledge and fun that we possibly can!

After a 17 hour flight, we arrived safe and sound in Johannesburg, South Africa. Very quickly, we were immersed in a new and exciting culture through visits to museums and time spent with representatives of political parties. The most insightful experience for me, however, was the weekend we spent in Soweto, a township in Johannesburg. During that time, a fellow student and I lived with a family of four. We enjoyed spending time with the family and getting to know their cultures, Sutho and Zulu. The mother of the household was quite knowledgable, as she grew up Zulu and became Sutho when she married. She had a lot to say about different customs and rituals they celebrate, especially marriage and funerals. She told us about how South Africans have two wedding ceremonies: one “western,” much like what we see in the US. The other is traditional and, arguably, the more important of the two. Before this ceremony, the groom makes a payment to the family and if they accept, the couple can marry. At the ceremony a goat is sacrificed in honor of the couple and the love they share. Without the traditional ceremony, the couple is not considered married in their culture, therefore couples will often marry traditionally before having a western wedding.
Although I learned a lot during the weekend with my host family, I was surprised about how similar things were to families in the United States. I expected life on the other side of the world to be opposite of what I know so well when we it was quite the same, essentially. It was engrossing to see how parents still want the same things for their children and children are still silly and innocent. They go to school and are in activities and family values still matter. Realizing this was the most impactful aspect of the weekend because regardless of location, ethnicity, and culture, we have similarities and there is always a common ground.

Homestay this weekend with a pretty great family

A photo posted by @margaretprunty on Aug 25, 2014 at 12:53pm PDT