Week 13: Classes

Lizzie Cohen, Hannah Lee, Catherine Raleigh

This week marked the beginning of class wrap-ups, filled with lots of presentations and finishing assignments. Tuesday in Political Science class we continued our presentations, with groups presenting on democracy, African politics, apartheid, and the Basic Income Grant. The presentations ranged in creativity, from a game to a rap. That night, we had the Hour of Power swimming relay, in honor of Ted Mullin, our own Catherine Mullin’s brother. We were a part of the five continents that participated in the event, which is a fund and awareness raiser for Sarcoma cancer[1].

In Religion class this week we visited the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN), which works with recent migrants to Windhoek, many of whom have relocated to the informal settlements. ECLIN’s major focus includes HIV/AIDs prevention, providing programs for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs), and income-generation. We visited a bread-baking project and a pre-primary school. It was great to see the support that religious organizations are providing to those in need, because of the extent to which we have studied religion, particularly Christianity, in Namibia, as well as the importance of NGOs. It is clear that ECLIN plays a central role in the informal settlements, providing services and advocating for those that are disadvantaged. ECLIN is primarily funded by the Finnish government, but is responsible for the allocation of such funds, and they emphasized the importance of development projects being managed by the community itself, a theme we have seen throughout the semester.

History class consisted of an anti-racism workshop, where Romanus had prepared several activities for us. They included defining racism, prejudice and bias, and giving serious thought to our encounters with and beliefs about racism. This also pushed us to think deeply about ‘white privilege’ and the extent to which it affects Southern African and American societies. This drew attention to the fact that while we conceptualize racism as historically being more prevalent in Southern Africa, it has been equally widespread in the US.

Friday’s Development class focused on health and its connections to development. We first visited the Roman Catholic Hospital. At the hospital we analyzed the differences between private and public healthcare. Speaking with nurses at the hospital, we learned about how the different facilities are funded, what services they have to offer, and how the healthcare professionals are educated. Following our visit to the hospital, we went to the home of Ms. Makhosi, a traditional healer.

Makhosi explained to us how her “gift” for healing works and her reliance on God to do her job. It was very interesting to learn about the various services she provides, including spiritual, mental, and physical healing. Even with the availability of Western medicine, the services of a traditional healer are still significant within Namibian society. We can see a significant contrast between the acceptance of holistic healing in the United States versus Namibia, due to the dominance of Western medicine in U.S. society. It was also apparent that religion and spirituality is important to Namibian traditional healing, which is very different from Western, scientific medical care.

On Saturday, I (Lizzie) arranged for Dr. King Holmes, head of public health at the University of Washington, to speak to some of the group about his role in global health today and in particular, his connections to the University of Namibia’s medical program. On Tuesday, Dr. Holmes will be unveiling a simulation laboratory at the University of Namibia. He highlighted on the idea that funding for medical research will soon start to shift from HIV/AIDS to maternal health. The most interesting part of the conversation was when Dr. Holmes asked us to connect our future careers to global health in some manner. We all realized that while we might not be studying medicine itself, our majors of development, international relations and conflict management all tie into global health in some form. This fits in well with the idea that we are all working on our integrative projects and connecting the ideas that we have learned in every class.

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[1] Hour of Power Relay for Cancer Research. Carleton College, 13 November 2009. Web. 15 November

2009. http://go.carleton.edu/HourOfPower.

Week 12: Classes and Southern Namibia

Ken, Julia, Jasmine

This week was divided between attending classes and traveling to the southern part of Namibia. Political Science class convened on Tuesday. This session included presentations on land reform and education, especially regarding English language education in Namibia. There was a heated debate on whether English should be used as the language of instruction in schools. We also discussed the importance of preservation of culture and vernacular languages. It was difficult for our class to reach a consensus on the extent to which English should be used, because we believe it is important for students to become fluent in English in order to become (financially) successful in both Namibia and the world. Some of us (Julia) felt that the most central problem was the lack of functional literacy among teachers, regardless of when English is implemented in primary education.

Tuesday afternoon, the internship class went to hear a panel of United States citizens who currently work abroad. The panel presentations and discussions that followed were fascinating, because they provided students with information and perspectives on positive and negative aspects of life abroad. For example, panelists spoke of opportunities to become acquainted with new cultures, meet different people, and do fulfilling work in impoverished communities. Challenges faced by the panelists as they have worked abroad range from difficulty relating to friends and family at home to limited salaries and complications meeting basic needs, like quality healthcare. After hearing about some of the negative aspects of life abroad, Jasmine began to question her plans for an international career. Loneliness, going long periods without seeing family and friends, and a general disconnect from life at home are all difficult and constant parts of living abroad.

Wednesday, Religion class briefly discussed the role of minority religions, such as Judaism and Islam, in the history of Namibia and South Africa. We then traveled to the local Islamic Center. Instructor Paulus and the students were all able to ask questions of a local Islamic scholar. There was a strong focus on explaining the theological pillars of Islam, as well as dispelling misconceptions surrounding this religion. Some of us (Ken) were very interested in learning about the contributions of Islamic people in the liberation struggle against apartheid.

In Thursday’s history class, students very creatively presented on topics relating to the Civil Rights movement in the United States and the Liberation Struggle in Southern Africa. These presentations were followed by an activity prepared by instructor Romanus, which revealed the way students’ experiences and backgrounds represent differences in racial and socioeconomic privilege. Students were surprised to observe that the divisions present at the end of the exercise were not reflective of friendships within the CGE community.

After class on Thursday, we packed up and traveled south to a government-owned campsite at the Hardap Dam. Friday morning, after a brief tour of the dam, we traveled to Mariental municipality to hear from public relations officer, Catherine Boois, a former CGE intern. Ms. Boois explained the history and culture of the Nama people, as well as the history and political, economic, and environmental impact

the Hardap Dam has on the community of Mariental. We then traveled onward to Berseba, a rural town located at the foot of Brukkaros mountain. We met with Petrus Fleermuys, the chair of the Brukkaros Community Campsite Committee. We learned about the organization of a campsite near the mountain in order to attract tourists and earn profits that can be used to benefit the Berseba community. Mr

Fleermuys mentioned a proposed lodge, which would have employed fifty people. This

proposal was turned down, as the lodge would compete with

the community run campsite, which has one employee. Even though the current campsite is owned and run by community members, the potential creation of jobs and increase in tourism of a private lodge would bring greater financial benefits to Berseba. We spent the night at the campground and spent the next day with the local youth club. We planted trees in a nearby cemetery and played icebreaker games to get to know each other. This interaction and the conversations that followed were highlights for many students. We were able to learn a lot from the perspectives and experiences from our new friends, especially regarding education, politics, and HIV/AIDS.

For our final night of travel, we went to a privately owned campsite at the Gondwana Kalahari Anib Lodge. On Sunday morning, we heard one of the owners speak on the three pillars of the business of the Gondwana Lodge group: conservation, financial stability, and social responsibility. During this discussion, the presenter mentioned that he and the Gondwana group were denied permission to build a lodge in Berseba, because it would conflict with local interests. It seemed to many of us that this private company would have done good things for the community of Berseba, as the facilities at Gondwana were much nicer than those at the Brukkaros campsite.

Overall, students returned from the trip having gained a wide variety of perspectives regarding issues of private vs. public ownership of businesses, weighing the benefits of each as tools for development. We also had discussion on foreign aid and investment, government’s role in job creation, and conservation in northern and southern regions of Namibia.

Week 11: Namibia in Retrospect

Allison, Anna, Julia

This week was a transition, as we returned to classes and internships after three weeks of travel and fall break. On Monday, many students continued their internships. Some felt overwhelmed by the amount of work still to be done.

On Tuesday, Politics class focused on the idea of land as a human right and different views on land ownership in the post-colonial era. A land panel presented their views on how Namibian land could be used to benefit the most people. One of the panel presenters, Mrs. Sululu Isaacs, was involved in a legal controversy over a farm curre

ntly owned by an absentee landlord, but pre-Apartheid inhabited by Mrs. Isaacs family. After Mrs. Isaacs was denied permission to bury her mother on this farm, a group named “Ancestral Fire” attempted to reclaim the land, but they were unsuccessful. Mrs. Isaacs’ organization argues that unused land, especially that which has sacred significance, should be returned to the ancestral farmers who had a closer tie to the land. We

also heard from Herald Schutt, a land consultant. He spoke about differences between traditional African views of land and modern attitudes. Controversies over communal versus commercial land, and issues of land distribution in general, comprise a fascinating part of Namibian history and political debate. As is clear from the multitudes of opinions, land reform is a very complex issue. None of us were able to come up with a coherent solution to the problem. While we all sympathized with people like Mrs. Isaacs, we could also recognize the rights of whites to land they had owned for several generations. Like in the United States, there is no easy answer, and we struggled to come up with something that was just for everyone.

On Wednesday, some of us returned to our internships while others attended Religion class. A representative of the Namibian Human Rights Coalition presented his personal beliefs about human rights and explained the role of his organization to prevent these abuses. For example, his organization has worked against the church in issues of homosexual and women’s rights. We all found it refreshing to hear from a Namibian NGO seeking to correct the many problems we have seen throughout the semester. Women still do not have a safe place in all homes in Namibia. Children are still often abused and neglected, and homosexuals are a taboo category. To see so many groups still marginalized in a country that prides itself on a democratic constitution is scary for all of us. Just legislation demanding equal rights is not enough.

On Thursday in our Racism and Resistance class, we visited the National Archives, where we saw historical maps of Namibia and spoke of the pre-colonial tribal movement. In the afternoon, we went to the UN headquarters in Namibia and listened to a presentation that showed the change in the HDI in post-independence Namibia. In particular, many of us were shocked to see how much the average lifespan, income, school enrollment and quality of life fell because of the widespread affects of HIV/AIDS. On the bright side, however, the destructive course of the disease seems to be slowing down and in a few cases reversing, and literacy in the country has increased. Ultimately, most of us left the talk sobered by the toll that the disease has taken on the country but hopeful that recovery has begun.

Friday’s Development class featured a speaker on the role of women during and after the liberation struggle. Women’s contributions were limited to the Youth League, or to domestic tasks, such as braaiing. These braais were very effective in disguising political meetings that would otherwise have been banned. Women also contributed greatly to the exposure of domestic issues during this time. Coming from the United States, where women have made great strides towards equal rights, many of us were appalled by the lack of these in many aspects of Namibian life. It was difficult to comprehend the many ways women are threatened by issues like domestic violence and HIV even today.

Week 9: Nothing Short of the North

Lauren, Jasmine, Catherine and RuthAnn

Before we departed for our break we headed farther north, to the town of Oshakati. Our experiences there helped show us the differences between city life in Windhoek and the rural north. It was important for us to visit the north as a good majority of the population live there and it served to expand our perspectives on life in Namibia.

Tuesday we visited the Nakambale museum to learn about the beginnings of Christianity in Namibia. The museum was located in the first missionary church in the country and we learned how the church functioned in the beginning with Martti Rautanen, a Finnish missionary. The museum also included a traditional village where we were able to see demonstrations on basket weaving, grinding grain, and making porridge. It seemed almost ironic to learn that with Christianity, traditional lifestyle was minimized, while at the same time it is preserved. We were pleased to see the traditional ways still survive today despite many modern conveniences that exist in urban areas and the historical pressure from the colonizer to abandon them.

Tuesday afternoon we headed further North to Oshikango, an Angolan border post. We were taken back by the amounts of people and economic activity present at the border who used the Export Processing Zone.

Wednesday we made a trip to Ruacana Dam (between Namibia and Angola) where we were able to take in the scenery. This experience was a contrast between the previous trip to the border—with only one border patrolman and a less secure gate into the country. Students in the group enjoyed hiking the dried up falls, and taking pictures along the Angolan border.

Thursday we traveled to the Ongwendiva Rural Development Center where people from the rural areas of Namibia can learn how to sustain themselves through using the land and natural resources. Many things found in nature in the region have a purpose; either to be used as food, seed, or to be sold. This was an unique organization as it was supported by the Namibian Government and it seemed to be teaching sustainable agricultural practices, which was a new encounter for us. Later we visited the Eudofano Women’s Cooperative to learn how the Marula nut is processed into oil. Although it was a smaller organization, it supported large amounts of people (both men and women) and reinforced a global perspective to find they were supplying oil for the International Body Shop.

For many students the highlight of the week was Fridays visit to Osire Refugee Camp. We drove through the camp and had the opportunity to engage in conversation with teachers at the local school who were also refugees. They shared with us about their experiences and their vocations. The refugee camp was different than expected. Arriving at the camp we were pleasantly surprised at the physical conditions, but as more time passed we became increasingly saddened by the circumstances of the refugees—poor food rations, lack of economic activity, internal conflicts, and the red tape around resettlement and repatriation. It was uncomfortable to think that people live in these conditions when we are accustomed to opportunity and prosperity.

This week expanded our knowledge and perspective of life in Namibia. It was fun to be able to learn about and experience rural life.

Week 8: Rural Homestay

Larry, Adil, Carlee, Jaclyn

While on our rural homestay near Khorixas , a small town in the North, we were given the chance to immerse ourselves in rural living by staying with individual families on communal farmland. While living on the farm we were welcomed as a member

of the family and took

part in daily activities, such as caring for the cows and goats, collecting water from the well, and cooking without any electricity.

Many students observed that most of the food that was prepared and consumed during the week was from the supplies that CGE provided, including loaves of bread, peanut butter, beans, and pasta. During the dry season the government provides food supplies to some of the vulnerable communities, and a few of the students participated in unloading the rations from the trucks that came during our stay. According to one of Carlee’s family members, the supply truck only comes once a year. While it provides food for a certain amount of time, it is not nearly enough food to sustain some families during the dry season, when food production is low. Larry asked his familyabout how long the government food lasted and they answered, “there are some times when we do not have food on our table.”

The observations we made during our homestays were put into context by the local organizations and speakers we visited. First, we were officially welcomed to Khorixas by the mayor.

Next, we visited with local high school students and compared the education system in rural Namibia with our experiences in the United States. We talked about some of the issues facing youth today, including drug use and teaching methods within school. Many of the students expressed the desire for most structured activities for themselves and their peers as a way to counter the draw towards drugs. We heard from numerous students that many teachers are lacking in qualifications, and since corporal punishment has been banned, many classrooms have struggled with the challenges of discipline. It was interesting for us to find many similarities between the Namibian students’ experiences and our own in the US, despite the differences in resources and infrastructure in the two countries. Many of us were challenged with thinking of solutions to educational problems even when the financial means are available.

We spent two out of the five days of our rural homestay exploring Khorixas as a group, then returned to our farms in the late afternoon for resting in the shade, cooking dinner over a fire, and counting the stars after the hot sun went down. We also visited with a member of the Community Development Center and discussed land reform and rural development. We received a brief tour of Khorixas, and heard from OYO, an organization working to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region. The issues of development that we have been discussing in class and in Windhoek took on a different quality when put into the context of the rural area surrounding Khorixas. Living in such a different environment challenged our assumptions about development and the needs of the community.

All in all, the time spent in and around Khorixas gave us a new perspective on life in rural Namibia. Much of the history that we have been learning about throughout the semester was brought alive by our firsthand experiences. The complexities of development were especially brought to light as we faced a lifestyle very different from our own. Although the families we stayed with did not have access to many of the resources that we are so accustomed to, we gained a lot from the personal relationships that were developed during the week.

Week 7: Classes

Leigh, Rae, Rachel

One of the highlights on week 7 was hearing Graham Hopwood from the NGO Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) spoke to our political science class. The IPPR is working to inform political and community debates, partially through an online site similar to those created in the USA during our recent elections. However, very few people in Namibia have reliable access to computers, which makes internet outreach seem ineffectual. He acknowledged that access to technology is a large problem and does impact voter education and outreach, but feels that small outreach is better than none.

An important unknown in the upcoming elections is the vote of the “born frees.” The generation born right before and during independence has the option to vote for SWAPO because their parents did, not to vote at all, or to critically vote for a party after forming their own political opinions. The three of us feel that voting is extremely important, and that it is the key to creating change and promoting democracy. Criticallyassessing the promises of the political parties is part of every citizen’s active duty and we feel that Graham’s organization, by advocating voter education is increasing people’s capacity to think critically about the government and create positive changes.

The religion class visited a pastor at the Dutch Reform Church. The pastor discussed the difficulties that the church faces today due to its former role in supporting Apartheid for so many years. The class was very interested in hearing this perspective because we have only heard negative opinions regarding this religious institution based on its role in apartheid. The history of the church that he presented to us was interesting because we were able to understand how church ideology can change with the times. He explained that the ideology changed by supporting the institutionalized separation, to the church supporting the oppressed like G-d and Jesus have always done. The church is embracing these changes, but there is still a difficult stigma to overcome with the local population. Our opinion in general is that the church was right for changing its ideology, but it should have never supported the Apartheid in the first place. Our class has been asking a lot of questions about the influence of church and state, and found it very interesting that the church did not speak out against Apartheid earlier due to political repercussions and consequences.

In history class, we compared Namibian and American racial histories and current realities. Dr. Christo Botha, an Afrikaaner professor at the University of Namibia, explained that apartheid was based partially on fear of black domination and also on cultural purity. A classmate stated that Apartheid seems good in theory but impossible in action. Preservation of culture is important, but many of us do not feel that institutionalized segregation can preserve culture. If the idea was to maintain cultural purity, so me of us questioned why the whites were not separated like the blacks were. The whites in South Africa were made up of Afrikaners and British, but they were not divided by ethnicity while the black people were divided were. We felt although racism in both countries is still prevalent, it is more openly acknowledged in Namibia,

while the US mentality

is that racism ended with the civil rights movement. Based on a class discussion that included individual’s experiences with racism in both Namibia and The States, the overwhelming anecdotal evidence was that Americans are much more politically correct with their racism or secretive, whereas people have encountered much more open racism in Namibia.

After working the prior week on a 5 to

7 page paper on globalization’s impact in Namibia and handing it in, the development class visited the USAID office and learned about the different jobs within USAID, the USAID relationship with the Namibian government, the current American foreign policies, and USAID programs. Some students thought USAID’s approach had no emotional connection to its aid recipients since it is a large-scale organization that dispenses aid to umbrella organizations, which then channel the money to its member grassroots organizations. Other students didn’t mind the “impersonal” approach that USAID takes, and could work for USAID as long as they knew they were helping others. Rachel feels that to make the most positive impact there must be personal involvement from the grassroots, and that while the money being distributed at the top may be helpful, the most effective change can be made on the ground. She also respects USAID for the positive programs it funds but feels that she could never work there.

We all agreed that the different paths each employee that spoke to us had taken were encouraging to hear, since some of us are interested in doing foreign aid work as an occupation Some of the class’ criticisms were that those who work there are forced to adhere to government policies that may not be the best policies for the situations at hand. For example during the Bush administration they were forced to teach abstinence instead of condom usage. However, most of us feel that abstinence will not help or protect prostitutes for example.

Week 6: Classes and the Coast

Catherine Raleigh, David Beck, Hannah Lee

Week six has been a busy week! We had a short week of classes followed by a long weekend on the coast. The highlights of our Political Science and Religion classes this week included a discussion regarding the Namibian Constitution, a trip to Parliament, and a lecture about the spread of Christianity throughout Southern Africa. Mr. Samson Ndeikwila[1] informed us about the creation and adoption of the Namibian Constitution. He explained that the Constitution is very progressive in regards to human and civil rights. However, it is difficult to amend and not understood by all Namibians because it has not been widely distributed in local languages and education in regards to its contents is limited. In Religion class, we discussed the pros and cons of the spread of Christianity to Namibia and its relation to traditional African religions. We (David and Hannah) have found the influence of Christianity in Namibia to be very interesting and multifaceted; Christianity has been used as a tool of oppression by colonial powers, as well as a force for mobilization during the liberation struggle, as well as today.

And then it was on to the coast! In meeting with the Walvis Bay Municipality, we learnt about the crucial role this port town plays in Namibia’s economic development. Walvis Bay is critical to the fishing industry, the movement of imports and exports, the tourism industry, as well as the mining industry. At the same time, Walvis Bay has 36% unemployment, while many of the companies that have invested in the area are foreign-owned[2]. We found it astonishing that the unemployment rate in the area was so high, as Walvis Bay has one of the strongest economies in the country, so we look forward to comparing it to other areas we will travel to later in the semester. This presents an example of the complexities surrounding economic development in Southern Africa, as well as around the world. We found it interesting that there was such a high concentration of foreign-owned companies in the area, for example the Mascato Fish Processing Company that we toured, which was Spanish-owned and sold to the Spanish economy.

Pertinent to the discussion about foreign investment was our trip to a factory that belongs to the Export Processing Zone (EPZ). One of the complexities in regards to EPZs, which we have talked about in class, is that attracting foreign investment is seemly beneficial to national economic development, but at the same time, most of the profit from the local operations leaves the country. We have found that this foreign investment and the presence of the EPZ is an example of the influence on globalization on Namibia, which has been a frequent topic of class discussion. It is also a topic that we have yet to reconcile, because while these economic activities seemingly stimulate development, we are unsure how sustainable and beneficial they are in the long term.

Another part of our time on the coast included a tour of Mondesa, one of Swakupmund’s former townships. This enabled us to see another side to an area that is simply assumed to be a tourist attraction by many, but which actually houses much of the local population. While apartheid has ended in Namibia, it is striking how it remains that areas of poverty are so separate from more popular tourist sections of town. We were glad to be able this area of Swakopmund, because it is far too easy bypass them for more affluent environments.

One of the highlights of this tour included a visit to Mondesa Youth Opportunities (MYO), an organization that takes gifted students from the area to further their education and provide opportunities which they may not have had access to otherwise. We also got to meet with Lindsay Hoover, a former CGE student now working with MYO.

This concluded our academic portion of the trip, but our time at the coast was also filled with climbing Dune 7, sea kayaking, skydiving, sandboarding and paragliding on our free day. While we enjoyed these “tourist” activities, we appreciated being able to see a more complex side of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

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[1] Ndeilkwila, Samson, “Forum for the Future,” class discussion on September 22^nd, 2009 in Windhoek, Namibia.

[2] Marques, Nouto, with the Walvis Bay Municipality, presentation on September 24^th, 2009 in Walvis Bay, Namibia.