Urban Homestays Week 4

Cara & Elise


This week the group departed for the urban homestays. Sunday evening our homestay families came to pick us up, and were all scattered around different parts of Windhoek and some in the township of Katutura and Khomasdal. For my homestay (Elise) I was placed with a family of three in a house in Katutura. The family consisted of two parents and an adorable 2-year-old boy. The family spoke English, however, their first language is Damara. They tried to teach me the vowels you use by clicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth but it was very difficult! The family was so friendly and welcoming, and for the weekend they took me and the family to visit my host father’s mother in Swakopmund on the coast of Namibia. The coast was beautiful and they invited me into their brother-in-law’s home for dinner and conversation. I talked with my host father’s sister about the issue of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa and how it has affected their family. While there has been some improvement in awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS, it is still a major issue. Before about one in four people in Namibia were affected by HIV or AIDS, but now it has decreased to one in five. She told me that it is still a serious issue, and as a tear rolled down her cheek she explained that she had to bury several family members within the past few years due to AIDS. As Americans, I think it is hard for us to realize the magnitude of the issue, and the experience was very eye opening for me.
My (Cara’s) family lived in Khomasdal and consisted of a mother, 11- and 13-year-old sisters, and a 23-year-old brother. They also spoke Damara as their first language, and taught me basic phrases like "Good morning,"" How are you?," and "I love you." The most important thing to my family is their religion; they are all born-again Christians and my mother has devoted her life to serving God and her church. Having never been particularly religious, it was truly a gift to me to be welcomed at their church and to have many enlightening conversations with my mother about the strength and inspiration she receives each day through her relationship with God. It really changed my outlook on religion. We also talked a lot about the Namibian school system as my mother is a school secretary. She feels very angered by the corruption in the SWAPO government which deprives her school, located in a very poor area, of funding for even basic resources like enough textbooks for all students. My mother even took me to her school, and I saw up to fifty students crammed into a room; many of them were standing or sitting on the floor, or didn’t have proper uniforms. This was an extremely eye-opening experience. Society tends to blame teachers, but the idea of giving children the education they need and deserve seems next to impossible considering the conditions of these schools, especially since many students come to school hungry or come from incredibly poor or violent homes. My host mother blames the government for failing to alleviate inequality, only directing money towards those in power and not those who need it the most desperately. My homestay was truly a learning experience I could not have had in a classroom; I both witnessed and discussed issues that I’d only known about conceptually before.
My family was also just incredibly welcoming. They served me delicious food every night and took me on numerous outings. My host brother took me out with his friends. My mother and sisters took me to the National Museum of Namibia, which has incredible exhibits about Namibian tribes and animals, and to Hero’s Acre, a gorgeous monument on a mountain. Not only does it commemorate the Namibian struggle for liberation but it provides an absolutely breath-taking view of all of Windhoek and its surrounding mountains. Finally we went to Avis Dam where we saw a gorgeous Namibian sunset. I will never forget my homestay family or the amazing life lessons and experiences they gave me!This week the group departed for the urban homestays. Sunday evening our homestay families came to pick us up, and were all scattered around different parts of Windhoek and some in the township of Katutura and Khomasdal. For my homestay (Elise) I was placed with a family of three in a house in Katutura. The family consisted of two parents and an adorable 2-year-old boy. The family spoke English, however, their first language is Damara. They tried to teach me the vowels you use by clicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth but it was very difficult! The family was so friendly and welcoming, and for the weekend they took me and the family to visit my host father’s mother in Swakopmund on the coast of Namibia. The coast was beautiful and they invited me into their brother-in-law’s home for dinner and conversation. I talked with my host father’s sister about the issue of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa and how it has affected their family. While there has been some improvement in awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS, it is still a major issue. Before about one in four people in Namibia were affected by HIV or AIDS, but now it has decreased to one in five. She told me that it is still a serious issue, and as a tear rolled down her cheek she explained that she had to bury several family members within the past few years due to AIDS. As Americans, I think it is hard for us to realize the magnitude of the issue, and the experience was very eye opening for me.
My (Cara’s) family lived in Khomasdal and consisted of a mother, 11- and 13-year-old sisters, and a 23-year-old brother. They also spoke Damara as their first language, and taught me basic phrases like "Good morning,"" How are you?," and "I love you." The most important thing to my family is their religion; they are all born-again Christians and my mother has devoted her life to serving God and her church. Having never been particularly religious, it was truly a gift to me to be welcomed at their church and to have many enlightening conversations with my mother about the strength and inspiration she receives each day through her relationship with God. It really changed my outlook on religion. We also talked a lot about the Namibian school system as my mother is a school secretary. She feels very angered by the corruption in the SWAPO government which deprives her school, located in a very poor area, of funding for even basic resources like enough textbooks for all students. My mother even took me to her school, and I saw up to fifty students crammed into a room; many of them were standing or sitting on the floor, or didn’t have proper uniforms. This was an extremely eye-opening experience. Society tends to blame teachers, but the idea of giving children the education they need and deserve seems next to impossible considering the conditions of these schools, especially since many students come to school hungry or come from incredibly poor or violent homes. My host mother blames the government for failing to alleviate inequality, only directing money towards those in power and not those who need it the most desperately. My homestay was truly a learning experience I could not have had in a classroom; I both witnessed and discussed issues that I’d only known about conceptually before.
My family was also just incredibly welcoming. They served me delicious food every night and took me on numerous outings. My host brother took me out with his friends. My mother and sisters took me to the National Museum of Namibia, which has incredible exhibits about Namibian tribes and animals, and to Hero’s Acre, a gorgeous monument on a mountain. Not only does it commemorate the Namibian struggle for liberation but it provides an absolutely breath-taking view of all of Windhoek and its surrounding mountains. Finally we went to Avis Dam where we saw a gorgeous Namibian sunset. I will never forget my homestay family or the amazing life lessons and experiences they gave me!