I am starting to get into the bulk of the semester, which means travel, schoolwork, and lots of projects for my internship. I’m beginning to miss the first few weeks in Windhoek, where I had the free time to go into the city whenever I wanted. I am definitely learning a lot, though, and starting to understand a lot more of what’s going on in Namibia, so it’s a fair trade.
Last week I travelled to the coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. These towns have some of the highest densities of Germans in Namibia. Correspondingly, there is a lot of wealth. Walvis Bay is Namibia’s primary port and one of the economic centers of the country. It was definitely different from being in Windhoek – the towns have really high unemployment rates, but there is a lot more separation of socioeconomic groups, so it’s easy not to notice the poverty.
I had a great time in Swakop. I learned a lot about Namibia’s economy, toured a fish processing factory and uranium mine, and visited some community development programs. On the less academic side, I spent a lot of time on the beach and made my first ever visit(s) to a casino. I also ate a lot of delicious food and met a ton of people from all around Africa and the world.
Back in Windhoek, I’ve been writing papers, listening to speakers, and continuing my literacy program. My internship just keeps getting better. I went to a community outreach for unemployed youth whose vocational training and education my organization is funding. I was so impressed by their stories that I talked to a friend who works for One Africa. Now the youth, my organization, and I are going to be on the news! We should be on tomorrow night. Hopefully I will be able to get a copy of the segment and can post a link on the blog.
I’m especially happy about this news segment because it was something that resulted because of my own initiative and because of the channel on which it will be played. The major tv station here is Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). They are completely funded (and unofficially controlled) by the government and therefore the ruling party, SWAPO. A lot of people express discontent at the censorship that NBC imposes. One Africa was developed as an alternative means of delivering news and as an independent broadcaster. I’m glad to support them and to have their support at my organization.
My computer is currently out of commission and starting on Monday I will be travelling in rural areas for about three weeks, so expect my blog updates to be less regular. I’ll try to keep everyone updated, but for now I’ll give you my tentative schedule. Classes and internship for the rest of the week. On Monday I leave for my rural homestay in Khorixas, where they speak Damara (they speak in CLICKS). My homestay will be on a farm without electricity or toilets, so it’ll probably be both the most difficult and the most fun of my homestays. From there I travel to Etosha National Park – hopefully I’ll see some cool wildlife – and then to different points in the North of the country. I’m not really sure what we’re doing in the North, but I think I may get to go to Angola. Afterwards, I have my spring break. My plans are pretty tentative, but I’m currently planning to go to Gaborone (the capital of Botswana). Then it’s back to Windhoek where I’ll stay for the rest of my time in Namibia, with only a short interruption for a long weekend in the South. Should be good.
29 September 2009
19 September 2009
18 September 2009
Texas Hold 'Em with Afrikaners
OK, I only have a minute to update because I DESPERATELY need a shower (I haven’t been bothering to shower so regularly because I have just been wearing dirty clothes anyway, but my laundry is clean and dry – I’m so excited). I’ve had a good couple of days. A little slower pace than before, which is nice. I’ve finally (mostly) gotten over the flu and cold symptoms I’ve had for the past couple weeks.
So Tuesday morning I had my politics class. We discussed the education system in Namibia. The lack of education is considered by some to be Namibia’s primary obstacle to development, and is a topic I am seriously considering for my senior thesis. After lunch, I had my internship class. We are all doing presentations over the next few weeks about our host organizations, and watching the first presentations gave me some good ideas for my presentation. Tuesday night was pretty quiet at the house – we had our first papers due (2 in my case) so we were all spending the night working.
On Wednesday I had religion class. This is probably going to be my favorite class because it’s so different from my other classes. There are only 12 students with a whole range of religious beliefs. We went to a guest speaker’s house. This man is a retired Lutheran pastor and I think the only way he can be described is as an “old quarterback.” I was unknowingly the honored guest because his oldest child is also named Margaret. The speaker’s hour long talk was not even close to the topic he was supposed to be covering, but I really enjoyed listening to him. He clearly knows a lot and just kept getting distracted by his own ideas. I could have sat on his fluorescent striped couches all day, eating peanuts grown on his farm, listening to him talk. Wednesday afternoon I went to my internship and did some lesson plans for Monday’s class. Wednesday night was a lot of fun. The nightlife here is primarily centered on clubs. That’s not really my scene, since I’m such a terrible dancer. I’ve been going out and I think I have a pretty good grasp on all the clubs in Windhoek (though I’m still working on discovering the Katutura clubs), but I have also wanted a change of pace. On Wednesday I got it…I spent the whole night playing cards with some Afrikaners who had some very...interesting…views on politics and life in Namibia. A totally different viewpoint than those I’ve heard, a viewpoint that most would probably consider offensive, but still something that I’m glad I heard. I am really trying to understand how all different groups of Namibians feel about the current political and economic situation, since I think that will make my ideas a lot more valid.
Thursday was history class, with 2 of the best speakers we’ve had. The first was Paul Helmuth, one of the primary players in Namibia’s liberation struggle. We seem to get really impressive speakers – last week we heard from Professor Karina, who was the Namibian who spoke in front of the UN for independence and an even more important part of the liberation movement. Helmuth was great – we spent twice as much time with him as we were supposed, and he still had so much more to tell us. A theme with our speakers seems to be that they are surprised by our time constraints. There is a definite difference between my sense of time and what is commonly referred to as “African time.” After Helmuth, we heard from the national coordinator of Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS). BWS is an advocacy organization that is seeking recognition from SWAPO (the ruling party) of the torture and illegal detainment that occurred during the liberation struggle. Since we had just heard a very positive account of the liberation struggle, the second speaker provided an enormous contrast as she told us her story of being tortured and detained in a dungeon for three years. This happened because she was falsely accused of being an enemy agent and tortured into confession. She is one of among more than 2000 who faced similar treatment under the hands of SWAPO, and since independence no recognition or reconciliation has occurred. Thursday night was pretty low-key. I watched a movie and sat on the roof looking at the stars.
Today, I am going to hear a speaker from Basic Income Grant (BIG), going to my internship, writing a paper, and going out with some friends to Katutura. Tomorrow I have a big meeting for my internship’s youth economic empowerment project at 8 followed by a braii. Should be a good couple of days.
So Tuesday morning I had my politics class. We discussed the education system in Namibia. The lack of education is considered by some to be Namibia’s primary obstacle to development, and is a topic I am seriously considering for my senior thesis. After lunch, I had my internship class. We are all doing presentations over the next few weeks about our host organizations, and watching the first presentations gave me some good ideas for my presentation. Tuesday night was pretty quiet at the house – we had our first papers due (2 in my case) so we were all spending the night working.
On Wednesday I had religion class. This is probably going to be my favorite class because it’s so different from my other classes. There are only 12 students with a whole range of religious beliefs. We went to a guest speaker’s house. This man is a retired Lutheran pastor and I think the only way he can be described is as an “old quarterback.” I was unknowingly the honored guest because his oldest child is also named Margaret. The speaker’s hour long talk was not even close to the topic he was supposed to be covering, but I really enjoyed listening to him. He clearly knows a lot and just kept getting distracted by his own ideas. I could have sat on his fluorescent striped couches all day, eating peanuts grown on his farm, listening to him talk. Wednesday afternoon I went to my internship and did some lesson plans for Monday’s class. Wednesday night was a lot of fun. The nightlife here is primarily centered on clubs. That’s not really my scene, since I’m such a terrible dancer. I’ve been going out and I think I have a pretty good grasp on all the clubs in Windhoek (though I’m still working on discovering the Katutura clubs), but I have also wanted a change of pace. On Wednesday I got it…I spent the whole night playing cards with some Afrikaners who had some very...interesting…views on politics and life in Namibia. A totally different viewpoint than those I’ve heard, a viewpoint that most would probably consider offensive, but still something that I’m glad I heard. I am really trying to understand how all different groups of Namibians feel about the current political and economic situation, since I think that will make my ideas a lot more valid.
Thursday was history class, with 2 of the best speakers we’ve had. The first was Paul Helmuth, one of the primary players in Namibia’s liberation struggle. We seem to get really impressive speakers – last week we heard from Professor Karina, who was the Namibian who spoke in front of the UN for independence and an even more important part of the liberation movement. Helmuth was great – we spent twice as much time with him as we were supposed, and he still had so much more to tell us. A theme with our speakers seems to be that they are surprised by our time constraints. There is a definite difference between my sense of time and what is commonly referred to as “African time.” After Helmuth, we heard from the national coordinator of Breaking the Wall of Silence (BWS). BWS is an advocacy organization that is seeking recognition from SWAPO (the ruling party) of the torture and illegal detainment that occurred during the liberation struggle. Since we had just heard a very positive account of the liberation struggle, the second speaker provided an enormous contrast as she told us her story of being tortured and detained in a dungeon for three years. This happened because she was falsely accused of being an enemy agent and tortured into confession. She is one of among more than 2000 who faced similar treatment under the hands of SWAPO, and since independence no recognition or reconciliation has occurred. Thursday night was pretty low-key. I watched a movie and sat on the roof looking at the stars.
Today, I am going to hear a speaker from Basic Income Grant (BIG), going to my internship, writing a paper, and going out with some friends to Katutura. Tomorrow I have a big meeting for my internship’s youth economic empowerment project at 8 followed by a braii. Should be a good couple of days.
14 September 2009
First Day of English Class!
My homestay ended on Sunday. I had a lot of mixed feelings – I loved my family so much and would have liked to spend more time with them, but I also feel more able to relax at the CGE house. I was anticipating an early night when I got back, but all of us CGE students were so happy to be back together that we spent most of the night out back in front of a bonfire (of course I jumped into the pool and then pushed several fully clothed people in as well). So after a night of inadequate sleep (further hampered by skyping) I headed to my internship.
Last Wednesday I had an introduction to one of the HIV support groups with which I am working. They were incredibly welcoming – they sang and danced for me, and I’m excited for them to teach me some of their dance moves. (Last night I also learned some traditional Damara dance moves, which will come in handy during the rural homestay). Today, I started the actual classes with both of my two groups.
The first group (which I had met already) was super enthusiastic. They were really willing to learn and very participative. This group, which is located in the informal settlement of Havana, Katutura, has little to no preexisting knowledge. Some of the learners could name body parts, and others could not even say “Good morning.” Because of this, we spent the day doing basics: body parts, how to talk to a doctor, and aches and pains. We learned and sang the “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” song – really helpful for them to remember the body parts. Next week I think we will do a math lesson. I’m not really sure how extensive their knowledge is, so I’ll have to be well prepared. The classes are taught in a tin shack, so it gets pretty hot. We are looking for space in the budget to buy some juice and fruit so that it’s easier for them to make it through the lesson.
My second group was more challenging. There were only 3 participants, who arrived between 45 minutes and an hour and a half late. They had a much stronger base proficiency, and I was not expecting them to have so much preexisting knowledge. I was planning to repeat the same lesson plan and it was difficult for me to adjust mid-lesson. The group was also a lot less excited. Hopefully now that I know their skill level, and also what they are interested in learning, I will be able to provide better lesson plans and will get a better reception. Both classes were great learning experiences and I am keeping everything, positive and negative, in mind for the teacher manual I want to create.
All in all, I’m feeling really positive about my internship. I have a busy schedule and I’m getting involved in several projects. My official schedule is as follows:
Monday: Arrive 8:30. Do prep work and any administrative/computer help for the staff. Leave for my first class, which runs from 10 – noon. Travel to the second class, which runs from 1 – 3. Return to the office to work until 5.
Wednesday: Prepare lesson plans for the following Monday, 2 – 5.
Friday (intermittent because of CGE travel plans): Work on the newsletter, administrative work, 2 – 5.
In addition to all that, I am getting involved in some of their community dialogue and other programs that run on the weekends. This Saturday I may be going to a meeting for a new project, the Youth Economic Empowerment Program.
Schoolwork is starting….nothing too overwhelming, but I do have several short response papers due this week. I may be starting art classes with several of the CGE girl. I met an amazing artist whose painting I bought and he is helping us get involved in the art school at which he is a student. Next weekend we are travelling to Swakopmund, which is a coast time described as a little Germany. It should be a good time and a good chance to practice my Deutsch.
Last Wednesday I had an introduction to one of the HIV support groups with which I am working. They were incredibly welcoming – they sang and danced for me, and I’m excited for them to teach me some of their dance moves. (Last night I also learned some traditional Damara dance moves, which will come in handy during the rural homestay). Today, I started the actual classes with both of my two groups.
The first group (which I had met already) was super enthusiastic. They were really willing to learn and very participative. This group, which is located in the informal settlement of Havana, Katutura, has little to no preexisting knowledge. Some of the learners could name body parts, and others could not even say “Good morning.” Because of this, we spent the day doing basics: body parts, how to talk to a doctor, and aches and pains. We learned and sang the “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” song – really helpful for them to remember the body parts. Next week I think we will do a math lesson. I’m not really sure how extensive their knowledge is, so I’ll have to be well prepared. The classes are taught in a tin shack, so it gets pretty hot. We are looking for space in the budget to buy some juice and fruit so that it’s easier for them to make it through the lesson.
My second group was more challenging. There were only 3 participants, who arrived between 45 minutes and an hour and a half late. They had a much stronger base proficiency, and I was not expecting them to have so much preexisting knowledge. I was planning to repeat the same lesson plan and it was difficult for me to adjust mid-lesson. The group was also a lot less excited. Hopefully now that I know their skill level, and also what they are interested in learning, I will be able to provide better lesson plans and will get a better reception. Both classes were great learning experiences and I am keeping everything, positive and negative, in mind for the teacher manual I want to create.
All in all, I’m feeling really positive about my internship. I have a busy schedule and I’m getting involved in several projects. My official schedule is as follows:
Monday: Arrive 8:30. Do prep work and any administrative/computer help for the staff. Leave for my first class, which runs from 10 – noon. Travel to the second class, which runs from 1 – 3. Return to the office to work until 5.
Wednesday: Prepare lesson plans for the following Monday, 2 – 5.
Friday (intermittent because of CGE travel plans): Work on the newsletter, administrative work, 2 – 5.
In addition to all that, I am getting involved in some of their community dialogue and other programs that run on the weekends. This Saturday I may be going to a meeting for a new project, the Youth Economic Empowerment Program.
Schoolwork is starting….nothing too overwhelming, but I do have several short response papers due this week. I may be starting art classes with several of the CGE girl. I met an amazing artist whose painting I bought and he is helping us get involved in the art school at which he is a student. Next weekend we are travelling to Swakopmund, which is a coast time described as a little Germany. It should be a good time and a good chance to practice my Deutsch.
08 September 2009
Just another update
It’s been almost two weeks since I arrived in Windhoek. Classes have started, I’m staying with my host family, and I’ve worked at my internship site. So, while the pace of my life is starting to slow down and become constant, I still have a lot to talk about.
The three classes I’m taking are African Politics, Racism and Resistance in Southern Africa and the US, and Religion and Social Change. Another course, in which I am not enrolled, is the Development Process. Since that seems like a great course (and the instructor – a Clark grad – is really cool) I will be going to it sometimes just to observe. My politics class may be somewhat repetitive for me, since I took a Sub-Saharan African issues course last fall. The readings for the first week were readings I had done for that class at Clark. The history course (Racism and Resistance) looks promising – we went to a museum focusing on pre-colonial Namibia for our first class. The first meeting of Religion and Social Change is tomorrow. Our first assignment is a creative autobiographical religious road map. A little overwhelming, but I really liked the readings, so I am looking forward to the class.
My host family is really cool – there are three kids ages 13, 17, and 19 and two parents. Most of the family went up North for a wedding this weekend, so just me and my 17-year old sister, Girliy, stayed at the house. The family is pretty well-off and seems very similar to families at the states, so I’m not necessarily getting the “traditional” cultural experience that I was expecting. I am definitely feeling at home with them, though, and through that experiencing Namibian family dynamics, as well as learning about their views on politics, current events, and celebrities.
My internship has started and it seems like it will be challenging, but I will be doing a lot. In addition to the literacy program, I will be creating a new issue of their newsletter, hopefully creating a new template so that the staff can update the newsletter instead of relying on interns, and doing administrative work. The literacy project begins almost immediately – I have introductions tomorrow and start the program on Monday – and I am feeling underprepared. The Ministry of Education donated some materials, but my co-worker told me they were not well-received during the last session. I am working with adult women. They are HIV positive, and because of their lack of English language skills they have a lot of difficulty communicating with doctors and having their health needs met. I will be doing a lot of preparation this weekend, trying to get ready, but I know that until the program actually starts I won’t be able to predict how it will go. To that end, I will spend the semester developing a literacy program manual that future interns, trainers, and teachers for the organization can use. Between that and my newsletter template, hopefully I will have done something sustainable and provided the organization with tools they can use even after I have left.
On a slightly less academic note – still having a great time getting to know the city. I’ve made some friends from UNAM and the College of the Arts and met tons of great people. I went to a really great spoken word session at a cool venue called the Warehouse…unfortunately spoken word is only once a month, but I’m sure I’ll be going to the Warehouse more often that that for music shows as well. I saw some great local musicians at the music festival I went to in Zoo Park, and on Friday night I went to the College of the Arts Theater for comedy night. It was supposed to be all female comedians, but some guys performed in drag. Also been going to different cafes by day and clubs by night to try and find my niche in the city. The social atmosphere is a lot different than in the US, but I’m figuring it out.
This was a long post, congratulations for making it through it all! I have class in half an hour, so I guess it’s time for me to stop rambling and go drink some coffee.
The three classes I’m taking are African Politics, Racism and Resistance in Southern Africa and the US, and Religion and Social Change. Another course, in which I am not enrolled, is the Development Process. Since that seems like a great course (and the instructor – a Clark grad – is really cool) I will be going to it sometimes just to observe. My politics class may be somewhat repetitive for me, since I took a Sub-Saharan African issues course last fall. The readings for the first week were readings I had done for that class at Clark. The history course (Racism and Resistance) looks promising – we went to a museum focusing on pre-colonial Namibia for our first class. The first meeting of Religion and Social Change is tomorrow. Our first assignment is a creative autobiographical religious road map. A little overwhelming, but I really liked the readings, so I am looking forward to the class.
My host family is really cool – there are three kids ages 13, 17, and 19 and two parents. Most of the family went up North for a wedding this weekend, so just me and my 17-year old sister, Girliy, stayed at the house. The family is pretty well-off and seems very similar to families at the states, so I’m not necessarily getting the “traditional” cultural experience that I was expecting. I am definitely feeling at home with them, though, and through that experiencing Namibian family dynamics, as well as learning about their views on politics, current events, and celebrities.
My internship has started and it seems like it will be challenging, but I will be doing a lot. In addition to the literacy program, I will be creating a new issue of their newsletter, hopefully creating a new template so that the staff can update the newsletter instead of relying on interns, and doing administrative work. The literacy project begins almost immediately – I have introductions tomorrow and start the program on Monday – and I am feeling underprepared. The Ministry of Education donated some materials, but my co-worker told me they were not well-received during the last session. I am working with adult women. They are HIV positive, and because of their lack of English language skills they have a lot of difficulty communicating with doctors and having their health needs met. I will be doing a lot of preparation this weekend, trying to get ready, but I know that until the program actually starts I won’t be able to predict how it will go. To that end, I will spend the semester developing a literacy program manual that future interns, trainers, and teachers for the organization can use. Between that and my newsletter template, hopefully I will have done something sustainable and provided the organization with tools they can use even after I have left.
On a slightly less academic note – still having a great time getting to know the city. I’ve made some friends from UNAM and the College of the Arts and met tons of great people. I went to a really great spoken word session at a cool venue called the Warehouse…unfortunately spoken word is only once a month, but I’m sure I’ll be going to the Warehouse more often that that for music shows as well. I saw some great local musicians at the music festival I went to in Zoo Park, and on Friday night I went to the College of the Arts Theater for comedy night. It was supposed to be all female comedians, but some guys performed in drag. Also been going to different cafes by day and clubs by night to try and find my niche in the city. The social atmosphere is a lot different than in the US, but I’m figuring it out.
This was a long post, congratulations for making it through it all! I have class in half an hour, so I guess it’s time for me to stop rambling and go drink some coffee.
02 September 2009
Settling In
I had a great weekend – had a great time going out to different places around the city. The music festival on Saturday night was a really cool way to get to hear a lot of local music. My internship was supposed to start on Monday, but my supervisor had the flu and the rest of the staff was at a workshop, so I came back home early. I had a much needed day to relax, went to the Namibian craft center to check out some local art, and went to bed early. I finally got my first full night of sleep since I’ve gotten here. I certainly needed it, because our entire group of 35 (the 25 students and 10 CGE staff) went on a full day teambuilding retreat. It was held at a conference center 2 km outside the city – it’s amazing how quickly the city landscapes turn into rural ones. No suburban sprawl here. Last night was devoted to reading to prepare for the first few days of classes.
My internship starts (hopefully for real this time) in an hour! This afternoon we have a homestay prep session, since we go to our longest homestays tomorrow, and tonight I’m going to spoken word. I’m still feeling mostly excitement. I think this “brand new” feeling has lasted so long since we’ve spent so much time getting oriented to the city and since I still haven’t started classes or my internship. Moving to the homestay will probably also keep me from feeling completely settled. As much fun as I’m having now, I am looking forward to feeling settled and at home. I think that’ll shape my experience into something different, so I’ll be really learning instead of just having fun.
My internship starts (hopefully for real this time) in an hour! This afternoon we have a homestay prep session, since we go to our longest homestays tomorrow, and tonight I’m going to spoken word. I’m still feeling mostly excitement. I think this “brand new” feeling has lasted so long since we’ve spent so much time getting oriented to the city and since I still haven’t started classes or my internship. Moving to the homestay will probably also keep me from feeling completely settled. As much fun as I’m having now, I am looking forward to feeling settled and at home. I think that’ll shape my experience into something different, so I’ll be really learning instead of just having fun.
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