HIV/AIDS in Namibia

Here in Namibia, 1 in 7 people are infected with HIV/AIDs. The signs of HIV/AIDS are not loud and overt, but rather seem to lurk just beneath the surface. I have only been here for 9 weeks, 8 of which have been in training and quite removed from the “real life” of Namibia. Now, having been at site for a little over one week, the signs of HIV/AIDS are beginning to appear. They tap you on the shoulder at unexpected moments:

- A colleague had not been feeling well. I asked her if she had a headache. She said, “No dear, I will tell you what is wrong sometime. But not today.” I hope that I am wrong, but I fear for the worst.

- A friend tells me that, even though she is married, she gets tested for HIV every 3-6 months because she feels that you “can’t trust anyone.”

- At a friend’s house, her friend comes over to cook cornmeal porridge outside. When I asked her why, she said that he is HIV positive and struggling very much. He often comes to her house to cook food if he doesn’t have anything. The harsh antiretroviral (ARV) drugs that are used to treat HIV/AIDS patients are very effective in prolonging one’s life, but make one very sick and weak, and demand a diet rich in nutrients and a high level of self-care.

- In my village, one of the youth leaders plans to host a type of “soup kitchen” with nutrient-rich foods for HIV/AIDS victims in the afternoons. She will plant a large garden and serve vegetables at the kitchen to help those on ARVs cope with the harsh side-effects of the drugs.

- A classroom poster on the walls of many Namibian classrooms feature president Hifikepunye Pohamba pleading, “ALL Namibians must join together to fight HIV/AIDS”

Condoms and most forms of birth control are free here, as are ARVs, but despite birth-control being free, teenage pregnancy and rates of new HIV infections remain high. Sadly, what makes HIV/AIDS even more difficult is the social stigma faced by many. Not only must they struggle with the physical symptoms and treatment, and their own mortality, they must face prejudice and alienation from their friends and family. This does seem to be improving, but nonetheless, one can only imagine what a daily struggle this would be. It is a grim reality, but one that must be faced head-on. Shifting cultural and social norms, strong policy around prevention of new cases and care for existing cases, and a compassionate, human-rights centered approach will be necessary to combat this sinister disease.

Swearing-in and moving to site

This past Thursday was our official swearing-in ceremony. We are now officially Peace Corps volunteers. The ceremony and reception was quite inspirational. We sang the Namibian, African Union and US national anthems, listened to an amazing youth choir, and enjoyed a number of excellent and motivational speeches. Each of our language classes also presented response speeches in each of the respective Namibian languages.

The new Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Namibia, reminded us to strike a balance between American pragmatism, idealism and tolerance. Mr. Gilbert Collins, the Peace Corps Namibia Director, urged us to visualize our community where we hope it will be at the end of our term of service. He likened this journey to a quote by Nelson Mandela, “After climbing a great hill, one will find there are many more to climb.” I have found that to be true – just when you think you are gaining your cultural footing, you slip and discover that things are much more complex (or just baffling) than you ever could have imagined. That is why it is important to integrate ourselves into our communities, to try NOT to view ourselves as outsiders (even though in some sense, of course we always will be). Gilbert went on, citing a speech that was given in honor of Peace Corps recent 50th anniversary:

“The Peace Corps opens borders, but more importantly, minds and hearts. It is more than 27 months of service, it is a way of life. . . eventually it becomes human meets human, heart meets heart.”

The swearing-in ceremony left me feeling inspired, motivated and ready to finally begin my Peace Corps service. I am grateful for the training we have been given and feel confident, but also realistic, about beginning my service.

Immediately after the ceremony, my supervisor (Mr. Peacock) and I left for my site. After a Stoney Tangawizey (ginger soft drink, like ginger ale, but WAY stronger), we were off. We headed directly to my new home at Oma Mathilda’s house (pictured below). Oma is a German-speaking Namibian woman of the Damara tribe. She speaks fluent German because she and her sister used to work for a German family. She is almost 70 years old and thus spent most of her life in the apartheid system which ruled Namibia until 1990. Since Germany colonized Namibia, many of the older Namibians speak German. Oma and I speak German at the house – her German is better than her English.

This was something I struggled with – speaking German in a country where the Germans did not leave a kind legacy. I have wrestled with my emotions regarding the German and Afrikaans languages – both could be argued to have been languages of oppression here in Namibia. But I observe in my community the many different colors of Namibians, which ranges from the very dark like Oma Mathilda to the very white descendants of Germans or of mixed German and Namibian blood. You can witness this, and see how peacefully people live together. Namibia has been, and remains, one of the most peaceful countries in Africa. All of this gives me hope and allows for the waters of forgiveness and reconciliation, even in one’s own heart, to flow.

Back to Oma Mathilda…living with her in her house is truly amazing. I feel like I am one of the boxcar children! We cook all of our meals outside on a fire. We gather firewood to make these fires. Oma has an amazing yard – with a lemon tree, a mango tree, an anise seed bush, cacti, chickens and lots of flowers (and honestly, a lot of random trash as well!). Her late husband built the house all by hand; it is made by sand/mud. Living here is a sort of romantic, surreal and calming experience. It was a real parody the first night I was here. My bedroom light didn’t work. So Oma called over her neighbor to trouble-shoot. It was then that I noticed that the “electrical wiring” is a very haphazard system if wires running through the sand-packed walls. I watched as the neighbor twisted some random wires together and then twisted plastic bags on top to seal it off. Finally, we got the light to work and were able to continue our evening.

Another amazing thing that first night was a hot-coal powered iron. No electricity required! Oma poured hot coals into the iron and ironed her clothes with it – truly the old-fashioned way.

I feel fortunate to be here, and already am feeling at home in my community. I have included photos below of the beautiful African sun in Okahandja the morning of our swearing-in ceremony, myself and a group of fellow PC volunteers being sworn in, Oma, our chicken and a landscape shot of Namibia.

Again, I have to quote: “I am searching, I am seeking. I am in it with all my heart.” - van Gogh

Cross-cultural Exchange

Today the Peace Corps Volunteers hosted our homestay families and trainers for an American meal. We served Mexican, Italian, Southern Comfort foods, Asian, Salads, Breakfast foods and desserts. It was a nice event, and our community seemed to appreciate the diversity of the foods. You can see in the pictures below our welcome sign for the event and the truly American apple pies that I baked. There is also a photo of my with my Namibian host father and sister, receiving their appreciation certificate. The other picture is another trainer and me with our language instructor, Auntie Martha. This coming week we are official sworn in as Peace Corps volunteers, and then I will depart for my site. I will post again soon!

African Time?

We are now in week 6 of the 8 week pre-service training (PST). Our group (36) will be sworn in on September 20th. We are all looking forward to this day, and are preparing speeches in our various training languages: Afrikaans, Oshiherero, Oshikwanyama, etc. Training has consisted of more technical training sessions (education, teaching techniques, understanding the Namibian education system), intensive language training, medical training, and more. I am looking forward to beginning work at my site, and to engaging with the students, teachers, and the community there. We are meant to observe initially, and then take on our own classrooms as of January, when the Namibian school-year begins. I feel fortunate to already know some amazing and committed colleagues at my site, and am eager to begin working with them. Our training has not been easy. The catch with Peace Corps is that you are removed from all that is comfortable and known. You cannot rely on your usual routines and vices to get you by. You have to learn to navigate various cultural differences. For example, those of us from the “western” world largely view time differently than many Africans. A friend of mine here at PST gave me the following quote, which helps to illustrate the difference in the way time is viewed. It is from The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski.

“The European and the African have an entirely different concept of time. In the European worldview, time exists outside man, exists objectively, and has measurable and linear characteristics. According to Newton, time is absolute: “Absolute, true mathematical time exists of itself and forms its own nature, it flows equably and without relation to anything external.” The European feels himself to be time’s slave, dependent on it, subject to it. To exist and function, he must observe its ironclad, inviolate laws, its inflexible principles and rules. He must heed deadlines, dates, days and hours. He moves within the rigors of time and cannot exist outside them. They impose upon him their requirements and quotes. An unresolvable conflict exists between man and time, one that always ends with man’s defeat – time annihilates him. Africans apprehend time differently. For them, it is a much looser concept, more open, elastic, subjective. It is man who influences time, its shape, course and rhythm (man acting, of course, with the consent of gods and ancestors). Time is even something that man can create outright, for time is made manifest through events, and whether an event takes place or not depends, after all, on man alone. If two armies do not engage in a battle, then that battle will not occur (in other words, time will not have revealed its presence, will not have come into being). Time appears as a result of our actions, and vanishes when we neglect or ignore it. It is something that springs to life under our influence, but falls into a state of hibernation, even nonexistence, if we do not direct our energy toward it. It is a subservient, passive essence, and most importantly, one dependent on man. The absolute opposite of time as it is understood in the European worldview. In practical terms, this means that if you go to a village where a meeting is scheduled for the afternoon but find no one at the appointment spot, asking “When will the meeting take place?” makes no sense. You know the answer; “It will take place when people come.”

So indeed, one must find a new way to navigate time and place. What I have observed in Namibia is that society operates at a high level of intuition: people seem to collectively “sense” when is the right time to come to a gathering. For an outsider such as me, this is hard to grasp, harder still to participate in. Yet both sides must try, for that is the bridge that is to be built through Peace Corps. We are all trying hard to understand each other, keeping faith that in the end we are richer for it.

“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.” – Vincent van Gogh

TRIBUTE TO Jennifer Caldwell

TRIBUTE TO Jennifer Caldwell As I did in 2010 when I traveled to Kenya, I would again like to dedicate this blog, and my time in Nairobi, to Jennifer Caldwell. Jen was an amazing human rights activist who passed away a few years ago. She was a University of Washington student, and was traveling around the world on the prestigious Bonderman fellowship when she was tragically killed in South Africa. Jen was truly a force – a force for good, and a strong advocate for human rights. Jen once single-handedly organized a fair-trade coffee fair at UW, and led the efforts to make coffee across campus fair-trade. I never had the opportunity to meet Jen, but she inspires me nonetheless. Everyone that I have ever talked to who knew Jen speaks of her determination, her commitment, and her drive for human rights. She died when she was only 24. Her aunt, Linda, created a scholarship in her name immediately after her death. My good friend Lydia Ansari and I were fortunate enough to win this scholarship, which helped to support our studies and work in Kenya during 2010. Winning this award in Jen’s name has been a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me. For those of us who have the gift of life, I believe we also have an obligation to engage with something that we believe in and care strongly about. Jen’s spirit has helped me through times of doubt or discouragement. Even though I never met her, she inspires me often. I am thankful for Jen, for her aunt Linda, for her community, and for Jen’s enduring spirit. Please take a moment and remember Jen today. If you are able, and feel moved to do so, please donate to the Jen Caldwell Memorial Scholarship through the University of Washington. This scholarship helps to fund the work, studies, and travel of other human rights activists, and helps to carry on Jen’s vision, and to honor her memory. See here: https://www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift?page=funds&source_typ=3&source=CALDWJ Below are photos of Jen, one of her and her aunt Linda and Linda’s baby, and one of Jen here in Namibia. She passed away in South Africa and had traveled in Namibia as well – my new home.

Model School, Herrero’s Day and Okahandja Market Day

Model School, Herrero’s Day and Okahandja Market Day This past week was consumed with “Model School” where we were teaching Namibian students during their break to simulate the Namibian classroom and to practice teaching. It went well – my lessons focused on human rights, democracy and peace. My students were amazing! The 7th grade class held a very high-level debate regarding whether education or not education should be free and compulsory. The students inspired me! The Herrero’s Day, in which Namibia celebrates its independence and honors those that died during the struggle, was rescheduled for this weekend. Saturday was also the Peace Corps small enterprise development Okahandja Market Day. The Peace Corps volunteers are partnering with local entrepreneurs to help them develop their business. The day was a success with a lot of creative business ideas, strong attendance and a lot of fun! Below, you will see photos of the beautiful sky here, a photo of Okahandja, and 2 photos of Market Day.