Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Category: Africa (page 4 of 14)

Definitely Not In Northwest Indiana Anymore

Blogger: Katie Karstensen

Program: Windhoek, Namibia

Lowell, Indiana → Chicago → Washington D.C. → Ghana → Johannesburg, South Africa

An early morning take off from Chicago to Washington D.C.

I’m constantly thankful that I’ve been instilled with a sense of adventure from a young age. I didn’t have the opportunity to travel outside of the Midwest before college, yet I was constantly outside hiking, attending camp, or even playing outside on my farm. Valparaiso University has granted me travel opportunities I am forever thankful for, and it is one of the reasons I decided to attend this school. I’ve known I wanted to study abroad since my freshman year and enjoyed the process of deciding where I wanted to go and which program would be the best fit for me. That process has led me to a semester in Southern Africa with a program through the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College, called Nation Building, Globalization and Decolonizing the Mind. For the next three and a half months, I will be exploring Southern Africa, learning about the history and its effects in this area, taking classes, and working at internship with Family of Hope Services in Windhoek, Namibia.

Nelson and Winnie Mandela’s House in Soweto

Our first few days in Johannesburg entailed getting a crash course in the history of South Africa, the role of Apartheid, and a focus in the role youth have played in the country’s history. We visited Nelson Mandela’s house, the U.S. Embassy, Apartheid Museum, the Hector Pieterson Memorial, and Regina Mundi. My first impression of Johannesburg were the vast amount of contrasts we encountered. During our driving tour, our group went through a rich subdivision, which had experienced white flight after Apartheid, and viewed large houses with extravagant gardens and maximum security. Then looking in the other direction across a field, there were a collection of tin shacks families were residing in.

In communication with local residents, South Africans know the United State’s political system in and out. In contrast, only one or two student in my group knew who the president of South Africa was, or that there are more than two political parties. The trend of finding contradictions has continued throughout my time here.

An exhibit from the Apartheid museum. Upon entering the museum, visitors were randomly given tickets saying “white” or “non-whites.” After receiving our ticket we had to enter in two different entrances according to our race.

June 16th Children’s Memorial, the route in which children marched and rioted in the streets. The accounts presented in the museum are from government records, due to government funding. The actual events of the day involved much more violence and blood from police officers towards students.

One of the stained glass windows at Regina Mundi, a church where the students involved in the June 16th march took refuge amidst the riot. Police shot at the walls of the church from the outside and banged their guns against the marble altar hard enough to chip off its edges to scare the students, but no students were shot within the walls of the church.

This particular window shows the image of a saint whose race appears to be white from the inside, and black from the outside.

 

Visiting the Union buildings with an overlook of Johannesburg

The first weekend in South Africa, our group was divided into pairs and hosted by families across the city of Johannesburg and Soweto. I stayed with a family where both parents worked for the police station, and had two children ages eight and fourteen. The family has been working with CGEE(Center for Global Education) for many years and welcomed my friend Emily and I into their homes as if we were their own children. Another difference I repeatedly notice is the lack of language education we have in the United States compared to other countries. Everyone I have met in this country speaks multiple languages including English, Afrikaans, French, German, Spanish, Xhosa, Damara Nama, and usually a few other African dialects. My host father speaks thirty languages and explains he needs to know them so he is able to communicate with everyone he comes in contact with through his criminal intelligence office. As we strolled through a market together, he bartered with five different women for vegetables and fruit, and after speaking to each told me which language they had been speaking in, all five speaking different native tongues and our father replying at ease to them.

Another favorite part of my homestay was the food. Food is generally a favorite part of my life, and cooking with my host mother and trying unfamiliar foods was a favorite part of my homestay as well. Every meal consisted of pop, a grain that is comparable to the texture of thick mashed potatoes. We ate with our hands and used pop to stick to our other foods and eat. I became an expert at making pop and chakalaka, a spicy vegetable mixture. While being in Southern Africa, I have also discovered my favorite tea. It is called Rooibos, a red tea that can be found in every household and restaurant here.

View from Top of Africa at the Carlton Center, the tallest building in Johannesburg

Dinner I helped to prepare at my homestay. On Sundays my host family has “seven colors meals.” They prepare a dish that consists of seven different colored foods, so may add foods like beets, carrots, squash, tomatoes, and other foods so they have a larger variety.

Meet our Spring 2017 Bloggers!

alyson_kneuselBlogger: Alyson Kneusel

Location: Reutlingen, Germany

Alyson is a Chemistry and Biology double major with a Music minor and a Christ College associate! She is studying abroad at our study center in Reutlingen, Germany! She is excited to be a Valpo Abroad blogger because it will allow others to view her experiences in a more personal way! She can’t wait to share this incredible opportunity with all of you!


 

natalie_wilhelmBlogger: Natalie Wilhelm

Location: Cergy-Pontoise, France

Natalie is a French and International Relations double major studying abroad in Cergy-Pontoise this semester! Natalie has always been interested in blogging, so she can’t wait to incorporate two of her passions together: writing and traveling! Natalie is excited to share her adventures with her friends, family, and the Valpo community!


katie_karstensenBlogger: Katie Karstensen

Location: Windhoek, Namibia

Katie is an Elementary Education major with a Mathematics minor! Katie loves to travel and can’t wait to see where her semester in Namibia takes her. She is thrilled to share her adventures, thoughts, and challenges during her time abroad. Katie is looking forward to this major life endeavor and can’t wait to share what she learns from it!


kortney_cenaBlogger: Kortney Cena

Location: San Jose, Costa Rica

Kortney is a Global Service major with an Engineering minor and a Christ College associate! She loves how blogging allows her to think deeper and reflect on her experiences! Kortney hopes studying abroad will allow her to experience difference cultures and broaden her world view! She can’t wait to start blogging again and share her love of traveling with others!


abigail_littleBlogger: Abigail Little

Location: Newcastle, Australia

Abigail is an Actuarial Science major and is off to Australia for the semester! She hopes to inspire others to pursue the experience of studying abroad through her international  experiences. Abigail is very passionate about expressing herself through writing and can’t wait to share her story with all of you!


 

Top 5s of Southern Africa

So as the semester winds down to an end, I decided to look back on my semester to find some of the highlights of my time abroad. I went through a variety of categories and attempted to find my top 5 highlights for each.

*note: they aren’t necessarily in order of most favorite

Top 5 Places Visited:
1. Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town view from a walk to the beach

Cape Town view from a walk to the beach

2. Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek from the top of the Hilton

Windhoek from the top of the Hilton

3. Livingstone, Zambia

Sign in Livingstone that showed the distances to various world sites.

Sign in Livingstone that showed the distances to various world sites.

4. Swakopmund, Namibia

Swakopmund

Swakopmund

5. Johannesburg, South Africa

Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Top 5 Weirdest foods:

Yum! The nutty crunch of catepillars

Yum! The nutty crunch of caterpillars

1. Caterpillar
2. Goat head (sorry, I didn’t get any pictures. I know you all wanted to see)
3.  Every animal liver imaginable
4. Traditional drink (some sort of super sweet drink made with Mahangu grains)
5. Freshly slaughtered cow, goat and chicken

Top 5 restaurants in Windhoek:
1. Andy’s (Best pizza in Windhoek)
2. La Bricante (it’s a restaurant in an antique store with live music) Atmosphere 10/10

La Bricante

La Bricante

Live music at La Bricante

Live music at La Bricante

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. La Bonne (because French food is always fantastic)
4. Garnish Indian restaurant
5. Sardinia Italian restaurant

Top 5 Activities in Windhoek:
1. Ultimate Frisbee at University of Namibia

The obligatory Post-ultimate selfie with our friend Oscar

The obligatory Post-ultimate selfie with our friend Oscar

2. Internship at Physically Active Youth after school program

My classroom at Physically Active Youth

My classroom at Physically Active Youth

3. Walks around downtown

Meteorites found in Namibia that are displayed in Windhoek

Meteorites found in Namibia that are displayed in Windhoek

4. Hiking in the hills

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5. Markets: Craft Market, First Quarter Market, Informal Markets

First Quarter Market: home of the delicious capana meat and fat cakes

First Quarter Market: home of the delicious kappana meat and fat cakes

Top 5 Concerts:
1. Windhoek Unplugged- Warehouse Theater

Fantastic duo called Blend that combines flamenco guitar and spoken word

Fantastic duo called Blend that combines flamenco guitar and spoken word

2. Open Mic Night- Warehouse Theater

Accompanying my friend Kayla in her spoken word piece

Accompanying my friend Kayla in her spoken word piece

3. International Jazz Day Concert- Franco-Namibian Cultural Center

Suzy Eises performing at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Center for International Jazz Day

Suzy Eises performing at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Center for International Jazz Day

4. Song Night- Warehouse Theater

A great group of up and coming musicians at Song Night

A great group of up and coming musicians at Song Night

5. Live music at random bars and restaurants

Stumbled upon awesome music in Cape Town

Stumbled upon awesome music in Cape Town

Top 5 Adventure Activities:
1. Gorge Swing at Victoria Falls

The Gorge Swing

The Gorge Swing

2. White water Rafting in the Zambezi River

Whitewater Rafting on the Zambezi River

Whitewater Rafting on the Zambezi River

3. Paragliding in Cape Town

Just floating over Cape Town

Just floating over Cape Town

4. Quadbiking in the Namib Desert

Getting ready to quadbike over the dunes in Namib Desert

Getting ready to quadbike over the dunes in Namib Desert

5. Surfing in the Atlantic Ocean

Pre-surfing Selfie

Pre-surfing Selfie

Top 5 most beautiful views:
1. Table Mountain, Cape Town, SA

The gorgeous Table Mountain

The gorgeous Table Mountain

2. Victoria Falls, Livingstone, ZA

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

3. The Namib Desert, NADEET, NA

Standing on a dune looking out at the desert

Standing on a dune looking out at the desert

4. The vast hills surrounding Windhoek, NA

The hills surrounding Windhoek at Daan Viljoen Game Paek

The hills surrounding Windhoek at Daan Viljoen Game Paek


The hills around the Avis Dam in Windhoek from one of my last days in Namibia

The hills around the Avis Dam in Windhoek from one of my last days in Namibia

5. The Atlantic Ocean

Hanging out at Muizenberg Beach and the Ocean

Hanging out at Muizenberg Beach and the Ocean

Top 5 things I will miss:
1.    My amazing and unique group of 19 peers

Group photo in the desert

Group photo in the desert

2.    Being able to learn from so many different people and experiences
3.    My wonderful, loving, and welcoming homestay families

Me and my two urban homestay brothers

Me and my two urban homestay brothers

My rural homestay family and I

My rural homestay family and I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My crazy homestay family in Soweto

My crazy homestay family in Soweto and my roommate for the weekend Dashawn

4.    Deep conversations by the pool, at the bar, or around the dinner table

Hanging out at the pool discussing life

Hanging out at the pool discussing life

5.    The breathtaking beauty of the land that constantly surrounds me

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Southern Africa has challenged my personal beliefs, taught me to look at the world differently, given me the opportunity to grow and try new things, gain a better understanding of what my future might entail, and create a group of life-long friends.

One of my last sunsets in Namibia from the top of a mountain I forged a path up

One of my last sunsets in Namibia from the top of a mountain I forged a path up

Over the River and Through the Air

20+ hour bus ride: Hour 1

20+ hour bus ride: Hour 1

Over spring break, a group of seven of us traveled on a 20+ hour bus ride from Windhoek, Namibia to Livingstone, Zambia to visit Victoria Falls. The bus ride was not nearly as bad as you would expect (sleeping pills are a life-saver). Crossing the border was an interesting experience as there was little communication of what we needed to do. We filed out of the bus and got exit stamps on our passports from Namibia. We then had no idea where to go, as the bus was now empty and everyone from our bus was nowhere to be found. Eventually, we discovered that we were supposed to cross the border on foot and walk to the Zambian border control where we were escorted to a tent. Inside, a lady sat us down in a row and shot a laser into our ears and handed us a piece of cardboard which supposedly showed that we were Ebola free. Wooo! Eventually, we made our way down the bumpy Zambian roads to Livingstone and our backpackers, Jolly Boy’s.

Hike down to Boiling Point

The bridge connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe

Double rainbow over Boiling Point.

Double rainbow over Boiling Pot

On our first full day, we traveled to Victoria falls and hiked around the park. We encountered many baboons who were very interested in our food. So interested in fact that they grabbed Emily by the backpack and pulled her backwards until they got a wrapper out of her bag. After recovering from this encounter, our group hiked down to Boiling Pot which is just past Victoria falls. We also hiked up to the falls themselves and got drenched in mist as we made our way to the world’s largest waterfall.

Boiling Point

We made it down to Boiling Pot

Ready to Raft

Ready to Raft

Our second day was spent white water rafting in the Zambezi river along with our new friend and roommate Tom. The water was extremely high because of the rainy season so we couldn’t start under the falls but we did begin slightly downstream. To get to the river we had to “hike” (We mostly fell) down the gorge.

Our rafting began with a quick safety talk where we learned commands such as the “oh shit” command where we had to duck down and hold onto the rope for dear life. I assumed we wouldn’t need to ever actually use this but sure enough on the first rapid we were quickly told to duck as we hit a massive wave. After we came back down, we watched as the other raft capsized.

IMG_1028IMG_1030Rafting was incredible and we were subjected to some intense level 3-5 rapids. Our raft capsized twice and both times I ended up under the raft. The first time I was quickly able to work my way out, but the second time I was not only stuck under the raft but also Olivia. I had to kick and struggle for almost 10 seconds to work my way out from underneath her and the raft. I now know what it’s like to have your life flash before your eyes. That night we went on a sunset cruise on top of the falls where we could look over the edge and also see some hippos.

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Bike tour of Livingstone

Bike tour of Livingstone

On Tuesday we went on a bike tour through downtown Livingstone and the surrounding villages. We visited various homesteads and markets as well as a local school that is funded by the profits from the bike tour. After biking, Luke and I explored the city, found some delicious food, and played some billiards in the park.

The Gorge and the Zambezi River

The Gorge and the Zambezi River

Wednesday brought with it adrenaline. Luke and I had the brilliant idea to book a full day of adventure activities at the Gorge just past Victoria Falls. We were driven out to the falls where we discovered that we were the only people in the entire place. This meant that we could do everything as much as we wanted without any need to wait around. They started us out with repelling down the Gorge cliff face as we slowly walked our way down and began to push off the cliff. We worked our way down to the bottom and then hiked our way across the gorge and climbed our way back up to the top. We then did the Flying Fox which is a zip line that spans across the Gorge. You harness in with the rope on your back and then you

The World Famous Gorge Swing

The World Famous Gorge Swing

run off the cliff, diving forward, so that you can “superman” across the Gorge. This was pretty easy and was more like a relaxing break from what we would be doing next. The next thing we did was repelling again, but this time we did it “Mission Impossible” style which is face down so that all you see is the ground and you lay completely horizontal to the cliff as you push off. By far the best thing that we did was the World Famous Gorge Swing. You walk up to the edge of the cliff with not one but two harnesses on, hanging your toes off the edge. The guy then counts down from 3 and you take a huge step and the next thing you know is that you are falling over 100 meters down the cliff. The rope then catches you and you swing back and forth from one side of the gorge to the other. I did this swing three more times and it didn’t get any less terrifying. Walking up to the edge of a cliff and stepping off the edge makes you think about your life….

Africa-Zimbabwe-Victoria-Falls-thumb….Anyway, Victoria Falls was an amazing experience that let me witness one of the wonders of the world while also pushing myself far beyond the limits of my comfort zone.

One more look at the falls

One more look at the falls through the mist

Home Away From Home

The path through the Mahangu leading to my family's home

The path through the Mahangu leading to my family’s home

For over a week, I spent time living with the Uugwanga family in the rural village of Outapi in northern Namibia. Together, we lived on a farm growing Mahangu and raising chickens. I was the first student that my host family had welcomed into their home that they built themselves. The home is very modest but my family is absolutely amazing. Only my host mom spoke much English but that didn’t stop us from hanging out, telling stories, playing games, and getting to know one another.

My host family's home and the pipe leading into the crops.

My host family’s home and the pipe leading into the crops.

All of the water that my family used came from a spicket outside of the house. The spicket pumped water up from an underground well near the house. We used this spicket for everything in the house by filling buckets at the spicket and carrying them around the house. My family worked hard to conserve the water that they had. For instance, when my host father noticed that the spicket was leaking slightly, instead of letting it drip, he put a bucket underneath it and was able to gather a few bucket loads over the course of a day that would have been wasted otherwise. In order to shower, we filled a five-liter bucket with water and carried it into a small room in the house designated for showering. In order conserve the water that was used for showering, my host father actually installed a pipe that lead out of the showering room and into the crops behind the house so that the water would runoff into the field and water the crops.

Playing keep away with Pini

Playing keep away with Pini

The interactions I had with my family were absolutely incredible and I quickly learned how to communicate without language. I did learn some Oshiwambo, which is the local language, but I mostly communicated through actions. My best friend on the trip was my 3-year-old host brother, Pini, who claimed me as his own. Pini and I developed our own language and spent almost all of our time together playing keep away or running around the house. Pink was also a troublemaker and never ceased to entertain me, whether it be his dancing or his obsession with my camera or his contagious laugh.

Traditional buildings at the family Easter celebration

Traditional buildings at the family Easter celebration

My host family brought me to their church to celebrate the baptism of my 3-month-old host sister, August, and we also had a huge celebration at our home where I was able to meet the whole family. I also was able to attend Easter services with my family that were held at the cemetery in order to emphasize the idea of rebirth. After Easter services, there was a huge celebration at the home of some extended family where almost 80 family members attended. At the celebration, I was introduced to many people and was also given the honor of helping to prepare the meat. This meant that I had to help slice up the freshly slaughtered cow that was hanging on a wall. While it was probably one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever done, it also meant that I got to eat some of the most delicious steak I’ve ever had.

Oh and I ate some worms too.

Oh and I ate some worms too.

Me and my host family. From left to right: baby August, Florencia, my host father David, Pini, Maggie, and Me

Me and my host family. From left to right: baby August, Florencia, my host father David, Pini, Maggie, and Me

Saying goodbye to my family at the end of the week was extremely difficult because even though it had been such a short time, we had grown extremely close and had learned so much from one another. On the final night with my family, I gave them gifts and pictures of my family so that they could remember me. We also went on a photo shoot around the farm so that we could have pictures with each other. The next morning, my host parents wanted to give me something in return so they gathered up a picture of my host mother and her class (she is a preschool teacher) and my host dad gave me one of his traditional shirts. We then all had to say our goodbyes as Pini and my host sisters, Maggie and Florencia, walked me out. I’ll cherish my memories with them as long as I live and hopefully I can come back to visit again someday.

The beautiful sunset over the Mahangu

The beautiful sunset over the Mahangu

One Week in Namibia

By Nathanael Juliot, Olivia Cook, Lia Wellen, Richie Wehman III
This blog post was written as a group of students studying in Namibia discussing the week of March 16th.

Up close and personal with some cheetahs

Up close and personal with some cheetahs

We are settling into our routine at the Center for Global Education and Experience here in Windhoek, Namibia. Most of our classes involve either speakers or field trips which enhances our learning and understanding of Southern Africa and most specifically Namibia in terms of history, politics, development, religion, and environment. In this post we will tell you about some of these engaging class experiences! We felt weird taking pictures of the speakers, but we have some pictures of the Environment & Sustainability class field trip, which is more exciting anyways!

San people describing their technique for producing fire

San people describing their technique for producing fire

Following an incredibly rewarding week-long urban homestay, the CGEE students were ready to attack the new week. On Monday the Environmental and Sustainability class had the great pleasure of visiting the N/a’an ku se Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary, located just 42 km east of Windhoek. Upon our arrival the tour guides drove our group out to visit a San Bushmen family that periodically stays at the sanctuary to educate tourists about their traditional lifestyle. The San people took us around the land to showcase their traditional hunter-gatherer techniques, as well as the way they utilize plants for holistic healing purposes. It was a tremendous learning opportunity, but many members of our group felt conflicted about the implications of our experience as the San people were removed from their lands and are now considered the most marginalized community in Namibia, forcing them to commodify their culture to tourists. Shortly following the tour, our group was off to visit and learn about the Wildlife Sanctuary.

Wild dogs are skilled hunters who have many parallels to hyenas. They are also very loud and obnoxious.

Wild dogs are skilled hunters who have many parallels to hyenas. They are also very loud and obnoxious.

Through the visitation of different animals such as lions, wild dogs, baboons, cheetahs and leopards, our class was able to get a much better idea as to how N/a’an ku sê has successfully been able to protect wildlife and their habitats. The sanctuary provides a haven and second chance for countless injured, orphaned, and abused animals. It’s the organization’s goal to release every animal free so they can live a natural life in the wild, but that sadly isn’t always the case. We learned that the release or rehabilitation is not always possible due to the severity of an animal’s injury or habituation to humans, all serving as a threat to their safety if they were to be released. One highlight of the trip was being able to witness Clarence, the male lion, soar into the air to snatch his dinner. It was extraordinary seeing him viciously mark his territory and establish his dominance.

Feeding C'earance the lion at N/a’an ku se game reserve

Feeding C’earance the lion at N/a’an ku se game reserve

On Tuesday March 1st Mr. Phil Ya Nangoloh spoke in our History class, entitled “Race & Racism in Southern Africa and the U.S.”. Mr. Ya Nangoloh is a human rights activist and director and co-founder of NamRights. He described NamRights as a monitoring and advocacy human rights organization that can be compared to Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International, except that NamRights operates on a national, rather than international, scale. NamRights also gives paralegal services of which most cases are either people dismissed in the private sector or women seeking complaints against their male counterpart.

namrightsHis task was to explain his understanding of discrimination and racism in Namibia and Southern Africa currently and historically. Mr. Ya Nangoloh claims that Namibia has historically been a victim of state racism, having undergone both German and South Africa occupation, the latter of which engulfed Namibia into apartheid. He spoke of how the Namibian constitution is extremely liberal and has very good human rights components, but that these laws are not effectively implemented in Namibia, if at all. The main point Mr. Ya Nangoloh made was that since the end of apartheid, and the liberation struggle, the way in which discrimination plays out has changed. During the liberation movement there was one common enemy to fight against, which was South Africa and the apartheid regime. Now, as this one enemy has technically been conquered, discrimination stems from wealth inequality, racism, and the scramble for scarce resources. Discrimination, now, he explained, comes from within societies or communities rather than from outside. He concluded on what I thought was a grounding note. He said that “racism is an innate and human nature, but there are good people doing things about it, like you and me”. We have been struggling with learning about all the awful disgraces of both the United States and Southern Africa, and it was nice to hear a “realistic” view on things, that there is discrimination but that there are people working to combat it.

On Wednesday March 2, we had a very interesting speaker visit our Development class. Herbert Jauch, a German expat and political activist in Windhoek, has spent the last couple years studying income inequality in Namibia. The beginning of his presentation explained key points of Namibian history and eventually evolved to explain how income inequality is a product of old historical systems still prevalent today. After setting the foundation for today’s inequalities, Jauch continued to explain a study that was conducted in hopes of alleviating poverty in Namibia. This social experiment, set in a small village south of Windhoek, focused on people who earn so little that basic necessities, such as education and health care, are inaccessible. A solution to these problems was an idea called a Basic Income Grant. This monthly grant of N$100 (US$ 6.25) was given out to every person in the area regardless of income or age in order to help cover basic costs of school books, registration fees, small health needs, or other costs that would help families access services and improve their quality of life. One staggering statistic Jauch shared with us was that in this community 60% of kids dropped out of school because they were hungry, but after the BIG was implemented, 95% of kids completed school. He also shared various benefits such as increased visits to clinics, and malnutrition dropping by half within a year of this grant. Unfortunately leaders at the time did not appreciate the success rates as much as Jauch and his organization did, and plans to continue this idea nationwide are at a standstill.

The idea of a monthly income grant fit well with what we have been covering in our Development class, specifically ideas of poverty alleviation and cases of well-intentioned development projects that do more hurt than harm. Jauch’s presentation was an interesting example of a poverty alleviation strategy and I was intrigued by the both the positive outcome and some ramifications such as the conclusion that programs like this are hard to implement regionally because of family members who migrated to the area to benefit as well. Another point Jauch made was that social welfare programs are generally stigmatized and by providing every individual with an equal grant stigmas are avoided and people are empowered to live healthier lives. Many people in the United States dislike the terms socialism and social welfare, but this speaker highlighted how these ideas can be helpful to society and gave me a case study I can use to support new ideas of aid implementation that I can share with others. Overall, I was very impressed by our speaker; his comments added insight into what we have been studying and local poverty alleviation efforts to combat a nationwide problem.

On Friday March 4th, the Religion and Social Change class had a guest speaker visit named Reverend Gotthard Gurirab. Reverend Gurirab is a faculty member at the University of Namibia working with a focus in critical issues facing the church. His talk focused on African Traditional Religion and how it has been affected by colonialism. Specifically, he discussed the diminishing role of Ubuntuism in African culture. Ubuntu is an African word which refers to a universal concept where people value the good of the community above self-interest. Reverend Gurirab has seen that Ubuntuism is almost dead in cities and those people who live on the same street live as if they are in foreign countries. He went on to describe the relationships between people in the cities and it paralleled greatly with relationships between people in the United States. I found it extremely interesting to hear him describe in detail, American society and condemn it as ruining the Namibian people. Africa is constantly subjected to the effects of colonialism even to this day and it can be seen that western society has overwhelmed the traditional values of the Namibian people. Ubuntu has ideologies of sharing, compassion, peace, reconciliation, combating crime and violence, and poverty eradication. These ideologies have been cast away by the younger population for western ideologies of focusing on the individual. Reverend Gurirab called for a massive revitalization of African Traditional Religion in Namibia and throughout Africa. This will be an uphill battle, however, to remove the stains of imperialism that still exist within Africa and many Namibians do not have any desire to move away from the western ideologies that promise a path to prosperity.

Overall, we had a great week of learning through speakers and field trips. We hope you enjoyed following us along our journey!

Environmental Sustainability in the Namib Desert

Over the weekend, our entire group traveled to the Namib Desert and stayed at a camp called NADEET. NADEET is an incredible place that hopes to promote sustainable living and environmental consciousness. To do this, their camp is almost entirely sustainable and they bring students, parents, educators, and community members there to teach them sustainable practices.

Having a "sun-downer" on the dunes

Having a “sun-downer” on the dunes

Three of their main focuses are on water conservation, conserving electricity through using renewable energy, and recycling. To conserve water, they built the bathrooms with no running water. Instead, campers use bucket showers and use cups of water when brushing their teeth. They also utilize a toilet with no flushing capability because flushing a toilet can use almost 10 liters of water.

 

The sustainable cabins we lived in at NADEET

The sustainable cabins we lived in at NADEET

The electricity of the camp is powered by solar panels that take advantage of the hot, desert sun. To cook, they use solar cookers, solar ovens, and sustainable fire cookers. These options are far more sustainable than conventional ovens as they use less to no electricity or resources and are able to cook the food just as well.

Our group dune-boarding at NADEET

Our group dune-boarding at NADEET

NADEET also emphasizes recycling and they do so by separating trash into compost, paper, glass and tin, and trash. By doing so, the amount of actual trash that goes to a landfill is dramatically reduced. A vast majority of the trash ends up as food compost and goes back into the soil and the garden while another portion is recycled in town and the paper is used to make fire bricks for he sustainable cooker as an alternative to firewood. This leaves only a small percentage of trash that is actually left as rubbish that needs to be thrown in a landfill or incinerated. In order to maintain this sustainability and to hold them and their campers accountable they will do an environmental audit in order to determine the amount of each resource they have used and how much waste they produce.

Namib Desert ft. an Oryx

Namib Desert ft. an Oryx

One aspect of NADEET that I found extremely important was their emphasis on the fact that environmental education is important to everyone and has an impact on social and economic issues. Many times, it can be seen that the environment is thrown aside when a “bigger” problem arises within a community. This thought process is what has thrown the world into a chaotic spiral of destruction. What NADEET did an excellent job of describing is that many other issues can be resolved through environmental consciousness. NADEET also emphasizes the fact that environmental education does not need to exist solely in a science classroom but is something that can be taught in any subject. Specifically, in our environmental audit, we were shown how math can be taught through environmental education by having the students calculate their personal water usage or waste.

Me staring off at the desert and mountains

Me staring off at the desert and mountains

Overall, my experience at NADEET was incredible, I was able to experience so many new things and learn a ton about environmental sustainability. The Namib Desert is extremely beautiful and I was made truly breathless by the vast mountains and open desert as well as the stunningly expansive nighttime sky.

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From hiking through the dunes looking at plants and animals, to making solar oven pizzas, I learned so many differently things about Namibia and sustainable living in general. I feel that many of the things I learned will help me to be more aware of the environmental impact of my everyday life. I also can bring back many of the practical ideas from NADEET and share them with my friends and family. Even though I might not use a solar cooker or buy solar panels, I can still find many practical ways to decrease my environmental impact. I also know that I will take what Viktoria said to heart about teaching environmental sustainability in any classroom, even my future math or physics classroom.

Sunset over the Namib Desert

Sunset over the Namib Desert

*Many of these photos were taken by a member of my group Kayla Koterwski. Visit www.lenstotheliving.wordpress.com to see more of her work!

Exploring Cape Town

Part 1: Finding the Beach
On our first full day in Cape Town, Amanda, Kayla, Olivia and I decided we would walk to the Camps beach from our guesthouse. The problem was that it was a few miles away across the entire city, but we figured it would be a great way to explore the city. We began our journey at a hidden café that was far too fancy for our group but we went there anyway. We then kept walking towards the beach using the occasional sign as a guide. As we walked, we could see an amazing view of the city. The city is extremely beautiful on its own, but the backdrop of Table Mountain brings it to a whole new level.

View of Cape Town from walk

View of Cape Town from walk

The first 2/3rds of our walk were spent traveling uphill, but the beauty of the city distracted us enough not to care. At one point I ran off to go explore the trees nearby because they were so cool that I couldn’t help myself. We then walked down the winding streets that work their way down to the beach and met up with the rest of our group.

Winding roads to Camps Beach

Winding roads to Camps Beach

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View of Camps Beach

At the beach, the water was a bit too cold for swimming and there was an intense wind that sent sand spiraling in all directions. I escaped to an outcropping of rocks and climbed up. I spent nearly an hour just staring out at the ocean and at the mountains that surrounded me.

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The clouds roll in over Table Mountain

The clouds roll in over Table Mountain

Part 2: Bishop Desmond Tutu
On Friday morning, I woke up early and went to a Eucharist at St. Georges Cathedral where I got to take part in a service led by Bishop Desmond Tutu. He was an extremely kind and loving person. Bishop Tutu went around and tried to learn the name of every visitor and made sure to inquire about the status of each of his regular members. It was truly a blessing to be in his presence.

Some members of our group with Bishop Desmond Tutu

Some members of our group with Bishop Desmond Tutu

Part 3: Climbing Table Mountain
It’s a long story. But basically we did not plan well. But we still didn’t die.

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View from Table Mountain

Part 4: On My Own
On one of our free days, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I ended up just walking out the door and picking a direction. I ended up walking through the park and around downtown until I ended up at the train station. I walked up to the guy at the main desk and asked him where I should go for the day. He asked me if I wanted to go to a beach and I said “sure!” So he said, “alright! There’s a train leaving in 5 minutes at gate 6”. So I left, not really knowing where I was off to. I watched as Cape Town flew by my window and the countryside appeared. I ended up at Muizenberg beach which is about an hour away from Cape Town. My experiences were very unique but it was well worth it. I met interesting people and got to have a day for one for the first time in a long time.

Muizenberg Beach

Muizenberg Beach

Part 5: Adventure Day
On our last day in Cape Town, Olivia, Luke, Taylor, Dashawn and I went out on a day full of adventures. We started out by going to Signal hill and went paragliding. I hooked up to the parachute with my guide and he told me to run. We ran forward together as he got a gust of wind and ran right off the cliff. We flew around for about 10 minutes and got a fantastic view of the city and Table Mountain. I even saw a whale!

Paragliding!

Paragliding!

After paragliding, I went surfing for the first time! I was able to stand up a few times but I definitely am not good at all. It was still a fantastic time and our instructor was extremely helpful and entertaining to say the least.

Surfing!

Surfing!

All in all, Cape Town was an amazing experience full of adventures and learning. I was able to push myself to try new things and explore my own thoughts and beliefs about the world.

Table Mountain from the park

Table Mountain from the park

Healing Scars

South Africa. It’s a country that has been constantly pushing forward trying to overcome its past. Its land is vibrant and beautiful and its people are the same. Our first weeks in this program were spent studying this country, its people, and its history that has changed its landscape forever. Coming into this experience, I didn’t know a whole lot about South Africa or its history. I knew about Nelson Mandela and had watched Invictus, a film about how Nelson Mandela used the South African National Rugby team to unite the country,  and had heard a bit about the word apartheid, but I had barely scratched the surface of what this country had in store for me.

Me in front of Nelson Mandela's home

Me in front of Nelson Mandela’s home

In our first week, we traveled through the city of Johannesburg where we met with many different historians, economists, and people who had lived through Apartheid. What I quickly came to learn was that Apartheid was not some scarred event in South Africa’s past but it is very present in the everyday lives of South Africans even today. Apartheid had officially ended in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president during the first open elections. This ushered in a new constitution that created political freedom for all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. The contradiction here, though, is that although everyone received political freedom, they did not gain economic freedom. South Africa is the most economically divided country in the world where the top percentage of the population owns most of the land and resources in the country. I noticed many similarities between the struggles of South Africa and that of the United States. With the US Presidential elections around the corner, the issues of divided wealth and political corruption have been at the forefront of the debates. Even though South Africa is on the other side of the world, they are dealing with the very same issues.

This is a powerful part of Freedom Park. People come here to meet their former oppressors and seek apologies and forgiveness.

This is a powerful part of Freedom Park. People come here to meet their former oppressors and seek apologies and forgiveness.

These problems in South Africa arise from their difficult past. Many South Africans lost their farms, homes, and livelihoods to the Apartheid government and after 1994 they did not receive any of that land back from the billionaires who now own it. This creates a severe contrast in living conditions between most white South Africans and black South Africans. In Johannesburg, we spent some time near the malls and in the affluent areas downtown. We were also able to experience the other end of the spectrum in Soweto, which holds between 3 and 4 million people in 30 townships. This area was the land that black South Africans were banished to during the Apartheid government and many have been unable to leave due to widespread poverty. Others choose to stay because they have become established in Soweto and feel a close connection to the land and its people. I spent a weekend living with a host family in the Orlando area of Soweto, where I got to experience the extent of poverty in South Africa firsthand.

View of Soweto in Johannesburg

View of Soweto in Johannesburg

Our host family had a fairly modern home but you could still see the difference just by taking a look out the window. The house directly across the street was a small home with a tiny yard. In that tiny yard, the family had rented out the land for ten different families. Each family resurrected a small one room shack for their family to live in. So this tiny little yard was home to over 45 people that could coexist in such poor conditions. That was one thing I noticed immediately about South Africa, the community. People would look out for one another, and if a fight broke out in the street, everyone in the area would run to the rescue to break up the fight. It was interesting to compare these things to the United States, where our focus is very much so on individual prosperity rather than supporting the community. If a fight were to break out on the street in the United States, people would not intervene but instead watch in awe or even encourage it.

The front of my Host Family's house

The front of my Host Family’s house

My host family took me to church which was held in a small one room schoolhouse with about 25 people sitting in school desks. South Africans tend to have a different sense of time as compared to many Americans. Many do not put the same value on the phrase “time  is money” and they choose to not rush through their day to day activities. Because of this, church becomes an all day event. The first hour and a half of the service, the pastor didn’t say a word. Instead, members of the congregation got up and said a few words or, more often than not, someone would randomly start singing a song and then everyone else would join in. This happened consistently for almost two hours and continued periodically throughout the pastor’s sermon. What I gained from this experience was that these people had a close-knit community that did not worry about rushing off to the next event, knew all of the songs off the top of their head, and they loved to interact with one another. I felt extremely welcomed and was even told that my sense of rhythm was, “unlike that of any white man they had seen before”, which I found rather entertaining. This was interesting to compare to what I know of church from my home congregation where people go to church just to check it off the list. People sneak in late and sneak out early and try to interact with as few people as possible. I can’t help but wonder how people at home would react coming into this new and exciting environment, full of love, community, and the Holy Spirit. Hopefully, I can bring some of what I learned from my South African friends and spread it to my own church community.

My host family's church inside one of the classrooms in the schoolhouse

My host family’s church is inside one of the classrooms of the schoolhouse shown

All in all, South Africa is a place that has been scarred by its history and forced into a difficult position where there exists political freedom for all of its people, but many people cannot escape the insurmountable strains of poverty set down by the Apartheid state. Because of this, there are still very distinct boundaries separating whites from blacks and racism is still very prevalent in the everyday lives of South Africans. Even though it has been over 20 years since the fall of Apartheid, South Africa is still a time of healing and well-needed growth and restructuring.

On Hold

No one said that traveling across the world could be easy, but there was no way I was expecting what it would take to make it to South Africa. It all started Wednesday night, three days before I was supposed to leave for Johannesburg, South Africa to begin my first study abroad experience. My brother Andrew asked us if there was something bad happening in Florida because he had heard about something online. My mother decided to check her phone to see what it was. What she found was something she was not expecting. The top story on CNN was a huge snow storm that was developing on the east coast. This storm was expected to hit Washington D.C. the whole weekend and it was going to hit hard. Predictions were suggesting that it could be the most snow ever recorded in D.C. Needless to say, we began to freak out. I was supposed to be flying out of Washington D.C. on Saturday afternoon.

Side note: The bad “thing” happening in Florida was that Donald Trump was visiting the state.

 

So this began the saga of the disappearing flight. Thursday morning we found out that our group was planning to reschedule our group flight to Monday. I called in to United Airlines to set up my connecting flight from Chicago and all seemed well.

The storm hit Washington D.C. hard and they got two feet of snow! All of D.C. was shut down Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday. During this time, I drove back to school to pick up Maddie and bring her home. I celebrated my travels with my family and had one of what would become the first of many “last suppers”. We played games together. Of course we had to play Ticket to Ride Africa.

Going out to eat with my family before I flew out

Going out to eat with my family before I flew out

Sunday came and with it, I began to say my goodbyes. I went out to breakfast with Maddie and we said our goodbyes. Later that day, my family went out for another “last supper” and as we headed out for the meal I tried to check in for my flight on my phone to find that it had been canceled! I immediately started trying to call United Airlines and STA travel to figure out a solution. The problem was that everyone was trying to call in due to cancellations so I was put on hold for almost an hour! At one point I was asked to check my ticket from an automated service. It kept asking me for my last name and then it would pause and say… “Is your name… K…I…M?” No, I don’t think my name is Kim. “Oh lets try again”, it would say. “Is your name…W…A…L…A…B…A…L…O?” My name is als not Walabalo. Eventually it worked out so that I would fly out Tuesday morning instead and would now have to catch the Tuesday afternoon flight to South Africa instead.

But this was not the end of the story. Monday morning I once again tried to check in to my flight to find that it too was canceled! So I had to call United Airlines… Again. This time, I was stuck on hold for almost two hours and let me tell you… I now know why people can go crazy and it is because of hold music. Eventually I worked it out to fly another airline at the same time on Tuesday.

About to fly out

About to fly out

The first flight went smoothly out of Chicago to Detroit and I said my goodbyes with my family. I then landed in Detroit and met another student named Taylor who is going to be traveling with me to South Africa.

Flying out of Chicago

Flying out of Chicago

So you’d think this would be the end of the story… but it’s not. A few minutes after boarding our plane we were told we would have to deplane due to a major issue with the plane’s systems. We got off the plane and waited for information on the repairs. Eventually we were sent to a new gate and were met by a new plane. The problem, however, was that this plane was also broken! At this point it had already been a few hours past our original departure time. The clock continued to wind and the departure time slowly turned farther and farther back. At this point, the five-hour cushion had shrunk to less than two hours and we were beginning to get restless. Just when I was about to request a different flight, they finally allowed us to board and take off.

From that point on it was smooth sailing. Taylor and I arrived in D.C. and picked up our bags making sure to pet any dog we got the chance to along the way. We then checked our bags and trekked through security where we eventually were able to meet up with the four other members of our group flying out that day.

Finally meeting the group!

Finally meeting the group!

Our flight has been problem free so far and we’ve gotten the chance to get to know one another. All in all, I’m excited to finally get to Johannesburg and jump right into the adventure that is ahead of me. After all the speed bumps this trip has already taken, I’m ready for whatever can get thrown my way. I’m not going to wait on hold any longer! Let’s go!

Layover in Ghana

Layover in Ghana

 

 

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