Botswana and the Okavango Delta

Thebe River Lodge, Chobe

Our time in Botswana was composed of staying one night in Chobe and then 2 nights in Maun on the Okavango Delta. Chobe is situated in Eastern Botswana over an hours drive from Zimbabwe. We had initially planned to stay here so that we could see the animals in style (there are more elephants in Chobe National Park then in any other part of the world). But after our fabulous experience in Etosha National Park, in northern Namibia it didn’t seem as necessary anymore. Any opportunity to save money on such a trip should be taken!

On the way to Chobe our kombi encountered a exciting, but frightful experience. We were forced to stop due to an elephant that was in the middle of the road. The elephant ruffled its ears and appeared ready to charge and continued to walk closer to us. After some fear, putting the music off and winding up the windows we waited patiently. We couldn’t move backwards as cars were right behind us. Fortunately a car drove in front of us and the elephant walked off the road. It was a close call (there were a couple in our group who had a closer one in Zimbabwe, they were on foot and had to run away from an elephant chasing after them).

Shower area- Old Bridge Backpackers, Maun

We stayed at the Thebe River Lodge, which was a nice but somewhat isolated campsite. Everyone camped and we spent some valuable time as a group, especially learning and singing some Christian camp fire songs from Tara (our Namibian group leader who was a fabulous singer, guitarist, but also cook and was valuable to the group’s spirit). After the tents were up and food on its way, some of us decided to check out the area. The campsite was surrounded by an electric fence to protect the campers from crocodiles coming off the river banks.

The Old Bridge Backpackers in Maun was really impressive. Our campsite was right on the river and the bar area was charming with hammocks and a small pool. The public showers were spacious; each one with a large separate section, with a rope to pull across to show that it is in use. During our free day in Maun we spent almost two hours looking for the Wildlife Reserve only to find out that it was closed due to high water levels. It was rather disappointing, but we managed to fill the time with other things. I went to a museum for a bit and then got some quality street tucker. For U.S. $ I was given traditional Botswanan food of beef, rice and chakalaka (a spicy vegetable dish often served with bread, pap or a curry). This was such a great tasting meal!

Okavango Delta boat cruise

Later on I met a guy called Mulimuntz and he offered for a friend to take us out on the river. I didn’t uptake it but instead headed back to the Backpackers for the India vs. Australia cricket game (a close game, but unfortunately the Aussies couldn’t pull through). Later on some new friends took a few of us from our group in a boat along the river. It was peaceful and surreal, but a close hippo kept us awake (after spotting it we soon moved onto another piece of water).

Open-billed stork

The next and final full day in Botswana was spent on a boat cruise along the Okavango Delta region. This was a truly awesome day! The sun was shining brightly and reflecting nicely off the river. We got to see plenty of interesting birds too. The Okavango delta region is known to be an ideal location for bird watchers (I met an avid bird watcher from the U.K. who had recently lived in Libya). Some of the key sightings were the kingfisher, Great African Ibis, Red horn billed Quella (the most common bird across Africa), guinea fowl, Open billed stork, African fish eagle and egrets.  We also managed to see a number of animals from a distance such as giraffe, elephant, kudu and zebra.

marunga- traditional dugout canoe

Claire with a water lily necklace

At one point we got off the boat to walk in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve. Our guide pointed out some really cool things as we went through water over our knees and dry land. When elephants want to remove ticks from their bodies, they rub themselves up against trees (we saw some visible signs of this from the mud on the trees). Rex even broke open some sage for us to smell. On the way back we saw the traditional dugout wood canoe, used in Botswana called the “marunga.” Back in the boat we saw various huts, used by migrant workers to sleep. These workers utilized machetes to cut down a particular weed to make huts.Our intention was to eat lunch on the mainland. However, just as we were about to step out from the boat a baby crocodile scurried across in front of the boat. So we ended up enjoying tuna, potato and green salad on the boat. Rex showed us how to make a water lily necklace all to our amazement (it was intricately made by breaking off components to create the design and then tying each end together). Later on we saw a few hippos before finding a shallower area to swim in.

After the cruise our group enjoyed our final night in Botswana and also our spring break. It was a glorious time and the memories will continue to stay with me. What an awesome experience! 

Exploring Victoria Falls

Victoria falls

Obviously if you are to make your way to the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe you will also have to head over to check out the falls. One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the falls are a sight to see. Some tourists even label it as the greatest destination in all of Southern Africa. Unfortunately the falls costs U.S. $30 to see which restricts it to tourists or people with some privilege. It is understandable that opportunities to make money such as these are implemented, but at what cost? Should it cost to see a natural wonder? More importantly for people that live in the land but are unable to see it due to financial reasons, what value does Victoria Falls carry for them in their life?

elephant at the river bank

 Victoria Falls is very vast and impressive containing a line of many different falls. It is rather hard to comprehend the length of the many fall components not to mention the great magnitude of the water. We happened to be there right at the end of the wet season when the water was at its greatest velocity. The spray of the falls was so powerful that it was hard to get close to the edge at any of the different stations. It was so present that a member of our group, Katie had her good camera ruined from the water spray and had to dry out her passport later on. But others who were traveling on this program during the first semester experienced a much drier Victoria Falls with only a small stream. Like Raucana Falls in northern Namibia the amount of water varied dramatically between the two seasons.

Mark and I

Another tourist experience was a cruise on the Zambezi River (the river that carries the water of Victoria Falls and also separates both Zambia and Zimbabwe). We went out on the boat at around sunset and as it was a booze cruise, it contained an assortment of free alcohol. We managed to see a couple elephant on the river bank and some hippo opening their mouths. Earlier that day I spent some time with the locals from the town of Vic Falls.

After meeting the persistent street sellers I got talking to a guy named Mark. I spent a couple of hours in the afternoon buying a number of wooden and stone products from him and about six other sellers. Afterwards I talked to Mark and he invited me for a Victoria Falls morning tour. I was excited by this prospect!

Mark's house

At about 8:30 in the morning he swung by the Shoestring backpackers and we were off and away. He firstly took me to his old school, than to a clinic where I met his wife briefly and finally to his house. We talked for hours about politics, economics and the socio-cultural climate of Zimbabwe as well as contrasts between Zimbabwe, Australia and the U.S. It was helpful to hear a perspective of someone with so much knowledge of the area. He was a guide to his village, but also Zimbabwe, Africa and his way of life.

Mark showed me his house in a quite newly developed area (the house was made about 4 years ago). He was about to get electricity and doors but had plumbing and running water. Mark is only 22 and has been married for four years with a child on the way.

baobab tree

The next day he took me to the marketplace where I traded and talked for hours. The openness and directness of the people in Victoria Falls was so apparent. It was easy to get chatting to each seller and move between every stall. Mark also took me to the “Great Baobab tree” (which was quite easily the largest tree I have seen in my life. My time with Mark and friends such as Stanley were the genuine experiences that will be cherished for a lifetime. Yes, I saw Victoria Falls, some animals and went on a cruise. But it was my experiences with the people that were most paramount to my time in Zimbabwe.

I look back with great happiness towards my experience in Zimbabwe. Spring Break was a time for fun, but also for a deep reflection on humanity.  

A Wooden Elephant for a Shirt

The clothing industry in Zimbabwe is in dire straits. The local clothing industry has no way of keeping costs low and competing with outside business that it has been truly weakened at its core. With the globalization of the clothing industry, Zimbabwean manufacturers will become more and more obsolete, yet the prices may become more bearable for locals buying clothing. In the town of Victoria Falls it is easy to see this impact on the local economy.

Trading Spot: Close to a few Pumbas (warthog)

Every time I walked around the town I was hounded by locals wanting to trade for the clothes that I was wearing (“man I really like your shoes” or “your shirt is nice”). It was common to see the Zimbabweans wearing American and European clothing brands of items that were traded directly from tourists.

As it is so expensive for locals to buy clothes they are persistent in trading their hand crafted items for clothing. While they are determined to make the trade possible, I had never found anyone willing to trade clothing straight for items without money. As money is the medium of exchange that ensures that they have basic necessities (food) for their survival it is critical that it is supplementary in the trade.

It is most always a win-win situation for both parties. Through the trade the locals will gain greater value and so will you, which is only one of the benefits of such activity. The trading was a valuable experience, particularly through the sharing of ideas. It was a means of getting to know through genuine dialogue. I made some friends who I continued to meet throughout my time, including Mark who offered to take me on a tour of his village area outside of Victoria Falls. In my 3 days in Victoria Falls I managed to trade off my jeans, a couple of small shorts and some socks. I came away with much more than just material possessions; a hope of a new Zimbabwe that is economically sufficient.

Exchanging Currencies in Zimbabwe

It is common to have a local try to sell you a stack of Zimbabwean dollars that cannot be used anymore. It has become a souvenir and a rather interesting tourist item. Do you want to become a trillionaire?

Zimbabwe has an interesting economic history. In 2008 the Zimbabwean dollar became almost worthless as it was hit with the highest inflation rates in the history of the world. The attempts to reestablish the Zimbabwean dollar and to turn around the economy have so far failed.

Victoria Falls Market Place

While the Zimbabwean dollar was a high valued currency upon its inception in 1980, it was plagued by hyperinflation and had bank notes up to $100 trillion. Locals told me that it cost about $1-2 trillion to buy a loaf of bread at its most extreme. Any cash below the billion dollar notes became worthless and even million dollar notes weren’t utilized. In 1983 1 Zimbabwean dollar could be exchanged for 1 U.S. dollar but in July, 2008 it was 758 billion Zimbabwean dollars for 1 U.S. dollar (at one point during 2008 inflation was estimated at about 40-50 million percent). The government tried on three separate occasions to reestablish the Zimbabwean dollar in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Each attempt was unsuccessful and eventually lead to the elimination of the Zimbabwean dollar. The U.S. dollar became the main currency. But as I found out there are many different currencies that can be accepted in Zimbabwe, including the South African Rand, Botswanan Pula and U.S. dollar. It is common to pay for an item with one of these currencies and get change in another one, all part of one transaction.

While walking in the streets of Victoria Falls it is easy to see the devastating effects of the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe. As a place for tourism, it has been put into dire straits. Tourists have managed to see the falls from the Zambian side now more often than not, leaving a declining tourist industry in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. It has greatly impacted the way of life of the general population and made it hard for many to get by. The locals still have hope in a new Zimbabwe free of its vast political and economic problems. They are in waiting for a new era, one without Robert Mugabe and with transformative reconstruction. Hopefully the Zimbabwean dollar can be reinstated again when the economy is strong!

3 Countries in 1 day

Spring break began with a bang! 16 CGE travelers (11 in a kombi and 5 in a car) and 2 Namibians went from Northern Namibia to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The plan was to go directly in one trip, but it proved to be impossible due to the border closings. My group (the kombi travelers) made it to Kunene in the Caprivi Strip for the night (the north eastern part of Namibia). It was the first night of camping for all those who wished to do so.

The next day we traveled from Namibia, into Botswana and ended in Zimbabwe. It was a day full of borders and completing paper work (a similar form has to be filled out twice for each border crossing: before and after passing into the new country). As soon as we got into Botswana we started to see a multitude of elephants in a short space of time. One of the times we managed to stop to take pictures of a group of elephants crossing the road. It was a magnificent sight! Getting into and leaving Botswana was pretty easy. Zimbabwe was a different story. Our passports were requested and we had to wait about 40 minutes for checking. After hours of driving and various delays we reached our destination, Shoestring Backpackers in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

I felt elation walking into this tranquil village (the backpackers) where people were relaxing in the swimming pool, watching television or just enjoying the peaceful serenity of the shade. There was a bar, a restaurant and a range of small shops for people to buy trinkets or even get a massage done. People from all around the world stayed together in a peaceful, yet isolated community. After a walk in the town and a chance to meet some of the locals, I was a happy sleeping camper. 

Meet the Pres

Josephat Shangala and I

On Sunday, 13^th of March I headed into the town of Oniipa, northern Namibia for an unforgettable day. The sunrise was brilliant like any other day and the morning crispness present. I met Will at his host parent’s house and we were soon off in the back of a ute towards the bishops consecration service. A couple of others from the CGE group joined with us. An old friend of my parents, Josephat Shangala was to become one of the two newly elected bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). He had spent some time at my Dad’s seminary, Trinity Lutheran back in the 80’s but is now a pastor with quite a reputation in Namibia.

We were part of the in-group as Claire’s host father was the General Secretary to all the pastors in the ELCIN. You could pretty much call us VIP as we drove through the area and escaped from the long lines of people walking through metal detectors. The place was set up with a small tent right at the front where the formalities of the service were to take place. Behind this was a large tent filled with people in seats. We managed to get a seat just outside of it. While we were in the shade at the start of the service, the sun changed positions during the proceedings to give us a nice burning.

There were more Lutheran pastors than I had ever seen in one place in my life. The pastors lined up in a massive line. The service was meant to start at 8 am, but the Namibian president wasn’t there yet. So we had to wait till 9:30 until he rocked up with all his dignitaries. While we didn’t stand up for the entrance of the bishops, we were meant to for the president. The service was mainly in the Oshivambo language, the dominant method of communication in northern Namibia. English was spoken here and there which provided me with some understanding. The service was composed of various rituals, many songs, but also speeches.

the main tent

The service lasted till 4:30 pm (8 hours of sitting) and was by far the longest church related event that I have ever been to. Church leaders from around the world spoke about the state of the church and the hope for the new bishops. These included at least 4 Finnish, 3 German, 1 Slovakian, 1 South African, 1 Botswanan, 1 Angolan, an ELCA representative, a representative from the Namibian Council of Churches, a LWF representative and a couple representatives from other denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church. It was interesting to see the various transnational church connections. The service ended with an address from the Namibian president in English followed by a short summary of the key points in Oshivambo.

Kristen, Claire, President Pohamba, Will and I

At the end of the service we got a chance to meet the Namibian president, Hifikepunye Pohamba. After talking with other church leaders and eating a wonderful dinner we speculated whether the man sitting down on the far table was indeed the president. After devising a scheme we got a U.S. Peace Core volunteer to take pictures as we would wait for an opportunity to approach. Soon enough we were talking directly to the president. He was happy to engage us and talked highly about U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. program for AIDS/HIV called PEPFAR and the amount of U.S. volunteers being of service in Namibia. We asked for a picture and were soon up and ready. Unfortunately, the presidential guards weren’t happy with the amount of time we were spending and tried to push us away. They continued to push down the camera and our friend, James had to plead to them for one picture. We got our snaps and were away. It’s not every day you get to meet the president, especially for about 5 minutes with a picture! After meeting the newly elect bishop, Shangala and one of the leaders of Namibia’s liberation struggle, Pastor Kameeta, we were soon off. It was quite a day to remember, with memories for a lifetime! 

Sheebeen Culture in Northern Namibia

Club Shandy Bar

The sheebeen culture is prominent to northern Namibia and our time in Oniipa suggests this. A sheebeen can simply be defined as an unlicensed drinking establishment. However, the meaning in the Namibian context is different in that most sheebeens are now legal, so they can essentially be considered bars.Sheebeens and other bars are scattered along the main street in Oniipa and play an important role in everyday life in the town. Some people sit outside of the bars talking and enjoying their time in a very casual atmosphere. Beers are cheap and locally brewed beers extremely cheap. Local beers are typically made from the sorghum plant, while some can be prepared from the mahangu grain.

The names of the sheebeens and bars have provided great amusement to our group and it is often a wonder as to how they came about. Some of our favorites are as follows: We Like Sheebeen, Lucky Special Sheebeen, Waka Dog Bar, Happy Bar, Mr LifeBar, Days of our Life Bar, Town Life Bar, Professor Bar, The Bar, Sun Set Bar, VIP Bar, Plan B Bar, Eden Bar House, Mad Dogs Bar, Cool Life Bar, Reality Bar, Ostrich Bar, New Vision Bar, Vuvuzela Bar, New York City Bar, Las Vegas Bar and Good Struggle Never Lose Bar. 

The Traditional Homestead

main house building

traditional kitchen

The homestead was separated into two residential areas inside of one yard: both traditional and non-traditional housing structures. The main building is a pretty rural looking, one story house with a kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedrooms. On the other section of the yard is the traditional side, separated by brick walls and containing a couple smaller buildings and an open area. There is a location for washing clothes and a kitchen containing a fire place and a stove on the ground. The stove is made up of three car wheels- without the tires- put together as a stand for the positioning of cooking pots. In the middle is where the wood is placed for the fire. The traditional elements of home life were present in the making of porridge, mahangu drink (oshikundu) and marula fruit juice. Juice is prepared by piercing the marula fruit with a cattle horn, squeezing the juices and letting the liquid run through a sieve. Furthermore, traditional maize meals, fish, chicken and an assortment of other food are made here.

main traditional residential area

Oshikundu is prepared by cooking mahangu flour in water on a traditional stove. Porridge is also made from the mahangu flour and is a staple dish in everyday living. Mahangu is a grain common to Namibia and used to make flour. Our family uses the flour to prepare porridge and traditional mahangu drink among other things. The mahangu drink is rather bitter strong and is drunk daily. The flour is made by stripping the grain from the plant. The kernels are put into a hole in the ground where they are pounded with a large stick. It is quite heavy and requires great effort over a long period of time. The grains become finer and finer over time until they are fine flour. The ground is made wet and kept clean. When grains fall out of the hole, a small brush can be used to push them back into place.

clothes after a hand wash

I had my first experience washing clothes by hand during my rural homestay. It is a lengthy process comprised of four steps. Firstly, clothes are put into a bucket with soap and water to be washed and this stage is repeated for step two. Next, clothes are put in plain water to be rinsed and finally in a bucket with water and fabric softener. Then they must be wringed out and put on a line to dry. No tools are utilized in the process; instead hands are used to scrub parts of the clothes against other parts.

The place where I stay is in a small hut with just one room that is in between the main house building and the traditional homestead. It is symbolic of my time here as my experience has been a mixture of both ways of living and I have been finding my way between the two. 

my bedroom

Seeking Freedom in Angola

Ruacana Falls

During our time in the north we managed to visit the Namibian-Angolan on two separate occasions. Our first was a visit to Ruacana Falls, which is part of the Zambezi river system. It flows all the way from Mozambique to Angola and provides water throughout the region. Now at the peak of the rain season, the water flow was at maximum capacity. In contrast, during the dry season it is easy to cross over to the other side. The border fence ends a bit before the river and there is a place to cross into Angola. I spent a few minutes walking into a new country, looking at the beautiful vegetation and picking up interesting stones.

Angolan post

After realizing I had a short window of time to see the bottom of the waterfalls, I rushed down the steps towards the great spray. Soon after I found out I had my video camera and started running back up the steps so it wouldn’t get ruined. I ran head first into a low cut tree branch finding blood pouring from my head. The medical attention from a pool life saver and a nurse in training was on to me. Thankfully, I made the decision not to get it checked out with stitches and it is now almost fully healed.

On our second trip to the border we visited Oshikango, a small booming border town. It is set up as a border post for Angolan people seeking to travel to Namibia to buy goods. Angola had a 27 year war ending in 1994, which debilitated its opportunity at producing a sound market. Therefore, the country is lacking in various commodities which Namibia is happy to sell to them in Oshikango.

Angola and Namibia mutually benefit each other through trade. 60% of Oshikango is comprised of Angolans. As Angola was colonized by Portugal, the main language of the nation is Portuguese. It is also the language of business in the region and virtually all traders can speak it. Since the U.S. dollar is second in Angola, it is highly accepted in Oshikango. Most Angolans living in Oshikango have dual citizenship, even though it’s not allowed by the constitution.

Oshikango

As both Angolans and Namibians in the region speak Portuguese it is difficult for immigration officials to determine who is who. However, in the past years peace in Angola has helped develop markets. Unfortunately, as a result business in Oshikango is on a decline. When a Namibian sees an Angolan they see money. Even with the lack of infrastructure, health care and education forcing Angolans to look at crossing the border, Angola has great wealth. The country has some extremely rich people and it was recently able to create the second largest sporting event in Africa, after the Soccer World Cup in Johannesburg, S.A.

We also visited the Penhofi Secondary School, which has a war torn history of being stuck in the conflict between South African forces and Namibian freedom fighters. During the years from 1981-1990 students experienced the conflict first hand and a few were even killed. The school was established in 1977 during the peak of the war for independence and the base of S.A. forces was directly behind it.

Penhofi Secondary School

Particularly in light of the effects of globalization, poorer Angolans are starting to question the inequalities of wealth disparity and the governmental system in Angola. For example, through social media such as facebook and twitter many Angolan are learning about the struggle against the oppressive regime in Libya.  Similar forms of resistance are occurring in countries throughout the African and Arab world and are helping to transform political perspectives. The people are becoming restless and are looking towards change. Just as the Namibian Liberationists were seeking a free society apart from the colonial control, Angolans are searching for a nation where all people have a voice and can impact politics. 

Artificial Lines in Southern Africa

Borders

Arbitrarily constructed

Society’s artificial segregators

The great dividing line

Separating people and land

Under the pretense of

Structure and homogeneity

Maintaining sameness and

Removing oneness

Fear of the unknown

Xenophobia revealed

Immigration post in Botswana

Borders are artificial lines that separate land and people in the name of structure, security and common humanity. The existence and placement of arbitrary borders have caused numerous issues and conflict through the centuries. It has the danger of displacing people and maintaining inequalities. Moreover, it is the people in power who determine and uphold the placement of these lines.

In Africa, it is a case in point. During the Berlin Conference in 1884, the nations of power in Europe as well as the United States came together to break up Africa into separate states. Each nation was to be given over to a colonial power and lines were drawn without regard to social formations such as the existence of cultural groups.

Looking across to Angola from Namibia

For example, the Namibian-Angolan border separates Ovambo people from each other. Parts of Southern Angola are traditionally Namibian and therefore Ovambo radio extends 40-50km into Angola. Border issues carry problems across the world particularly in areas of conflict. Examples can be found in the Middle East, between the Israelis and Palestinians. Also, borders between countries of great differences in wealth are as cause for concern. The issues of immigration become largely a problem of maintaining homogeneity at all costs. Anything different is feared and xenophobic tendencies spread like wild fire.

This can be seen with South Africa which is surrounded by many countries of lesser wealth. Since S.A. attained its independence in 1990, immigration has been at a high. People from all across Southern Africa, particularly Zimbabwe have come to S.A in search of better opportunities often through employment. Tension has risen in recent years with increased xenophobia and the fear of job-stealing. Many attacks have occurred against Zimbabweans, but probably more from economic frustration rather than discrimination against a people. On a couple of occasions, I have heard people talk about One Nation Africa, a movement towards eliminating borders. While, it is sometimes looked at in terms of Southern Africa becoming a state, others see the entire African continent becoming one nation.

Namibian-Angolan fence

It is hard to imagine what this would look like in social, political and economic forms. Would each nation retain their regime, as part of a larger government system? Would it be like the United States of Africa? Regardless of the practical concerns for such an implementation, it is an interesting idea to ponder. Ultimately, it is a large scale attempt of decolonization that tries to seek a united Africa working together for the common good of all people.

Finnish Missionaries and Traditional Ovambo Culture

bell tower

In religion class we have continued to access the role of missionaries in Namibian life. It is important to remember that Christianity didn’t bring religion to Africa. Religion was very much a present force in African society through the centuries and has largely affected behaviors, thoughts and perceptions. It is virtually impossible to explain the culture of Southern Africa without talking about religion. The two are highly interconnected. Christianity came to a Namibia that was deeply religious. It took quite some time for Christians to be baptized, as the natives were suspicious of this new religion and aired on the side of caution. Christian thought carried some similarities to African religions, but brought distinct contrasts. It provided great benefits, but was also profoundly damaging. Christianity changed the face of spirituality in Southern Africa through a different understanding of God and religious practice.

Finnish missionary church 

Our group got an opportunity to go to the Nakambale museum which demonstrated mission history in northern Namibia, through a study of one of the first Finnish missions as well as traditional Ovambo culture. Before the establishment of church buildings, congregational life occurred under a tree, providing a comforting shady worship space. The first church as part of the mission was built in 1870 and was later enlarged in 1912 with the increasing size of the Finnish church in the region. The building was made form clay and only contained a few seats, with the rest of the space for standing. Back in the day the bells were rung at 9 am, just before the advent of the morning service.

It was interesting to see the method of historical inquiry as the guide seemed to maintain the Ovambo history as the Finnish missionary history. She only had positive things to say about the work of the missionaries, including being the introducers of reading and writing. Later on that day, a student from the Oshigambo High School said she was extremely thankful for the work of the missionaries, stating that we wouldn’t know God without them.

making the mahangu

Before missionaries came baby’s names were given based on the time of birth, such as day or night. During the missionary period, names were taken from missionaries and from the bible. In direct contrast, was the cultural history of the Ovambo people. Our time was spent looking at practical contraptions and viewing the traditional homestead. Some of the devices include the uushandja wOshikavango (musical instrument), basket used to store millet, stick for punching mahangu and a mouse trap.

Mahangu flour is made from breaking down graining by punching it with a stick in a small hole in the ground. Often two people take it in turns as one punches the mahangu followed by the other. Songs are sung to pass time in enjoyable company. I got to witness this process at my homestay in the traditional side of the house.

traditional hut in the Ovambo homestead

The traditional Ovambo homestead is a maze of wooden sticks containing many separate huts. For example, there is a sleeping hut for the girls, a hut for the house wife close to the kitchen and a much larger hut for the husband right by the cattle. There are even huts for storing items, such as one for beer and other supplies, one for boxes and a dairy hut. The process of making butter takes place in the dairy hut and includes two hours of shaking a container. All in all it was a very intriguing look into the life of traditional Ovambo living and the emersion of mission culture. 

The Marula Juice Tradition

The juicer

The Eudafano factory is a women’s development cooperative composed of 22 associations who collect marula fruits and buy Kalahari melon seeds to extract the insides. The marula fruits can be juiced to make fruit juice and the seeds cut open to extract oil from the inner nut. Marula oil is used for food as a garnish to be put on chicken or rice and cosmetically in lipsticks, shampoo and toiletries. About 10% of oils are sold locally and 90% internationally, particularly to Europe. The factory uses machines to press oil and extract juices while the traditional method uses hands and basic tools.

workers making juice

At my home stay, juice is made by piercing the marula fruit with a cattle horn, squeezing the juices and letting the liquid run through a sieve. The drink is sweet and can be taken without added sugar. It increases strength when left for up to 4 days before drinking. About 5,000 people are involved in at least one of the processes in the organization, but only 15 are employed at the factory. Kernels are also bought from the villagers, but sometimes can be rejected due to quality. Overseers look for color, smell and texture to determine quality. The by-product from the oil making process can be sold for $2.50 per kg and is used as feed for pigs and chicken. Apparently it helps make chickens fatter and more reproductive. Also, marula oil is beneficial for human consumption and has unsaturated fat and plenty of antioxidants. Factors that affect fruiting are weather patterns such as flooding, as fruit rots in water.

marula fruit

Freshly made oil is kept in a warm room to finish the fermenting process but is later put in a cool room at 10C. The Eudafano factory is important in empowering women through development as most of the people involved are women and all board members are women. Furthermore, it is critical in carrying out the tradition as nearly all elements of the process have traditional components. Bottles of marula food oil sell for N$75 and 1 litre of cosmetic oil is N$145. 

Omahenene Fishing Project

large green tub

 The fishing project farms fish through their life cycle from frys, to fingerlings and finally to fully grown fish. It is a Spanish development project helping to empower the local community. The fish frys are collected on the pond banks and put into breeding pawns. After 1 week the young fish are graded by size and transferred to larger green tubs. Each tub contains fish at a similar size and is given the same type of food (the smaller the fish the higher the protein content). The fries weigh about 0.5 g- 1g, fingerlings 3-5g and full sized tilapia can get up to 850g. The project on has two fish and can be sold as fingerlings to local famers (tilapia are 30 cents and catfish 20 cents each).

one of two ponds 

Fish are kept in warmer temperatures when they are fingerlings as cooler waters dry out fish. Each year water is removed from the ponds during the dry season and the pond is cleaned, before being refilled. Water is only added during the wet season if fish are dying, but it can go sometimes eight months without needing a fill. All fish are sold locally with thirty tons sold to the community annually.

workers catch a load of tilapia

Northern Namibia- An Overview

Raucana falls

I have spent the last three weeks away from Windhoek. The first two weeks were in northern Namibia doing homestays, going by the Namibian-Angolan border and seeing wild animals in Etosha National Park. Our studies continued in the northern regions through a wide range of speakers and tours. The structure of the trip was more casual then our time in South Africa and the Namibian coast. We consistently had two daily activities, with plenty of free time during the few hours around lunch. Our first night on Monday the 7^th of March was spent at the Etuna Guest House, while the next eight were spent at our homestays in Oniipa. After that we went to Etosha National Park for two nights. During the day (except for the weekends) we had our activities and were dropped off to our homestays before dinner time.

Tuesday 8^th

Omahenene Fishing project- A Spanish development endeavor selling fish products locally.

Raucana- Namibian-Angolan border town, houses the Raucana falls. I went across to the Angolan side for about 30 minutes but managed to whack my head into a branch later on which caused some bleeding. The falls at the peak of the rain season contained such a velocity of water and was extremely beautiful.

Wednesday 9^th

Nakambale Museum- Contained the history of one of the first Finnish missionaries in Namibia and showed the traditional Oshivambo homestead in a full size walk through display.

Oshigambo Private Lutheran Secondary School- We engaged in a forum with grade 12 students on a range of different social issues.

Thursday 10^th

Product at the Rural Development Centre 

Eudafano Factory- An operation that brings marula fruit from the community to be made into marula juice. It is a women’s development cooperative that maintains the juice making tradition.

Rural Development Centre at Ongwediva- A project selling a range of different products all made locally at the centre for inexpensive prices. The intent is for it to be sold to small scale farmers and business owners, to help develop the region.  

Friday 11^th

Ponhofi Secondary School- A school by the Namibian-Angolan border caught in the crossfire between South African forces and Namibian freedom fighters during the liberation struggle.  

Oshikango- A Namibian-Angolan border town selling a range of goods and services to Angolans.

Saturday 12^th

I spent the day with my homestay family, playing with my ten year old host sister, Lovi (we ran, danced, made up songs and did karate).

Sunday 13^th

Consecration service- Went to the eight hour long church service for the newly elected bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN). One of the two new bishops, Josephat Shangala was a friend of my parents. I also got to meet and converse with the Namibian president, Pohamba. The security guards tried to get us away from him as we were taking too much of his time, but he seemed happy to speak to us.

Monday 14^th

Etunda Irrigation Project

Etunda Irrigation Project- A local agricultural development project. Among the many different crops we got to see were bananas and cabbage (as it was such a drive it was the only activity of the day).

Tuesday 15^th

Unam Northern Campus- The Oshakati campus of the University of Namibia. We got a tour and managed to see some of the central areas of the campus and learn about the university education system in Namibia.

Oshakati Town Council- We heard about development projects and problems with flooding in the Oshakati region.

Wednesday 16^th

rhino 

Etosha Game drive- We drove through Etosha National Park to the place where we would be staying for two nights, Namutoni Resort. On the way we managed to see a number of interesting animals. It was my first time seeing most of them in the wild before. For example we spent some time watching three lions under the shade of a tree, but it was still a fair distance from us. We also spent some time watching a rhino as it slowly came closer and closer to us. Other key spotting were giraffes, zebras, springbok, impala, wildebeest, kudu, turtles, vultures, oryx, jackal and hyena.

Thursday 17^th

Game drive- We had to wait till it was light enough to see animals but early enough to dusk, so that animals would be more often on the move. In the end it worked out pretty well. We managed to see some of the same animals from the previous day and a couple new ones like ostrich. We got to see a massive group of springbok (numbering somewhere over a hundred) and a fair group of grazing zebras.

Friday 18^th

giraffe

We headed on our way to Tsumeb to start spring break. Eleven of us got picked up in a kombi by our driver (Chanis) and host (Tara) to head to Victoria Falls. Five drove to the same destination in a rental car. The rest did other things for spring break. For example, three went down to Orange River, between the border of South Africa and Namibia to do kayaking.

Overall it was a truly valuable time of beauty and fellowship. More posts from this time period will be up soon to speak light into some of my experiences. Peace from Namibia! 

The Almost Forgotten Genocide of Namibia

In history class we have been learning about the first genocide of the 20^th century, the Ova-Herero genocide. It occurred from 1904-1908 and took the lives of over 60,000 Hereros.  It is often forgotten in the history books and there is no formal teaching of it in Namibian schools. For the Herero people, it has become a challenge to receive legal compensation for the horrific events. Land rights are also an issue worth fighting for. Before the advent of colonization, the Herero people were the most populated and dominant group in Namibia. The genocide killed off about 80% of the Herero tribe, with many fleeing to Botswana. Today the most populated group in Namibia is the Oshivambo, who weren’t directly affected by the genocide and were in northern Namibia at the time. The genocide has devastated the cultural identity of the people and helped cause a large shift in power away from Herero towards Oshivambo people.

The Herero grave site

Only recently in 2007 has the German government made a formal recognition of the events, but no compensation has been given to the people. Every year a day is marked for the event and a ceremony carried out in recognition of the fallen. Finally in 2007 a fence was put up and a plark erected in memory of the victims of the genocide. Before this establishment, people would drive 4-wheeler motorbikes directly over the graves, completely unaware of the thousands of people buried below.

Just outside of Swakopmund you can walk to the graves of the German soldiers with elaborate decorations and plant life. A short walk over is the graves of the Herero people signified by the many mounds in the ground. An arbitrary fence separates the graves from the outside. The problems with mass graves are in the recognition and dignity of the deceased. There are no names and separate representations for anyone. Individuality has been wiped away from the face of recognition. Instead, in the case of this burial site, there is a simple statement that is so elusively written. It says:

“In memory of the thousand of heroic OvaHerero who perished under mysterious circumstances at the realm of their German colonial masters in concentration camps in Swakopmund.”

1904-1908

Rest in Peace

The plark in dedication to the events of the genocide

What were the mysterious circumstances? Well for one thing, there was nothing mysterious about the deaths of the Herero people. The Germans kept very good records of each death as it occurred, with a detailed description about the time and method of death. Also, this elusiveness says nothing about the brutal methods that occurred. The events that took place were more than circumstances; they were part of a genocide aimed at wiping out the entire Herero population.

The German grave site

The Germans are written as masters to the people, which speak clearly to the problems of bias in historical inquiry. So often are people written in a different light, which changes the way we learn history. The heroes are glorified and in many respects seen as people who can transcend humanity. Another example can be seen with the founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in the United States. Both are often taken as saviors of all humanity, but their overt racist thinking and actions are pushed aside. It is important to speak honestly about history which can only be achieved by proper historical inquiry. This looks at the past through a multitude of perspectives and enlarges the lenses. The history of the U.S. and Namibia are not white histories. It is a history of all people from their respective lands, and primarily a history of the people who have lived and experienced the land for the longest period of time. These are people who have the greatest historical connection to the land and can have the most impact in defining the history of the region.

When we look at the records to discover the history the narrator determines to be true, let’s put on a critical lens. Let’s looks past the simple text to determine the author’s motives. Let’s realize that it is only one perspective of a conglomeration of the past events. The best interpretation of history requires an understanding of many perspectives through the most objective inquiry. 

Namibia’s Largest Industry

The dugout Rossing Uranium Mine

During out time on the Namibian coast, our group visited Rossing Uranium, a mine owned by the Australian mining company, Rio Tinto. A comprehensive tour was given by our guide, Botha Ellis which provided insight into the mine, the various implemented procedures and community development that the organization is part of. It is the largest of its kind in the world and the third largest uranium mine. It provides important economic opportunities locally by employing 1,500 permanent workers with a total of 3,000 workers. For every direct job created, it is said to create 3 indirect jobs downstream. The final product of the operation is uranium oxide which is stored safely in drums and shifted to Walvis Bay. From there it travels to various countries around the world. The mine employs an initial blasting process, by using up to 1,000 tons of sulfuric acid daily. Every ton of rock supplies an average of 350g of low grade uranium. So far more than a billion tons of rock has been extracted and the mines life is officially set at 2023. However, it is expected to last for at least 50 years. Namibia is the 4^th largest extractor of uranium in the world after Canada, Kazakhstan and Australia. With the advent of new uranium finds in Namibia, various countries from around the world are coming to establish mines, including companies from Australia, Russia, Japan and China.

Botha Ellis and our group

Unfortunately enrichment processes are not possible here in Namibia due to the extensively high costs of the process, the legal ramifications and the lack of skilled people for the task. Currently only the U.S., Canada, Russia and China can support such facilities. The explosives are made from ammonium nitrates with the main ingredients being diesel and oil. About 1 ton of explosives are required for the blasting of one hole. 3 % of the mining profits are given to the community through local projects. One such program is the kids program, which we were fortunate to visit. The Mondesa Youth Opportunities is an after school program for up to 30 kids from grades 7-12 and teaches subjects in maths, English, life skills, music and manners. Students take classes in large shipping containers and it helps increase their success in future academic endeavors and gives them potential employment opportunities.

Mining truck

There are a number of times when the mine was intending to close down due to the increased world price of uranium. It has managed to continue and is now in a period of solid growth. Overall, my expectations were greatly broadened form this encounter. It is often easy to overlook the positives from the mining industry in light of the environmental concerns that arise. Rossing Uranium mine uses a lot of measures that are less harmful for the environment, but it is in no way a perfect system of attaining energy. Its benefits are seen in economic development and through community empowerment programs.