I first met my host mother (Mama Louda) at our training
center for a brief meet in greet. She was very nice (and her English was pretty
good!). We talked briefly and I made sure to tell here that I did in fact eat
meat. Meat is a staple in Namibians diet, so having to host a vegetarian can be
a bit of a hassle for them. It seemed that this would be a good fit, and she
spoke Afrikaans which would certainly help me learn the language. Also, just as
it was my first homestay, it was her first time hosting as well, so we were
both in for a totally new experience. I was also excited to hear that I would
have little brothers and sisters.
The next day, after training, I threw my bags in a truck and
got taken to my new home for the next 9 weeks. When I got to my house I was
introduced to my host family. I met my two brothers Junior (grade 9) and Jason
(grade 2). I also met my sisters Kayla and Charnay (grade 5). My sisters are
actually my mother’s nieces, but nieces and nephews are considered sons,
daughters, brothers, and sisters here. Kalya stays at the house sometimes while
Charnay lives at home. I also have two older brothers, Hilton (24) and Roger
(25). Hilton lives and works in the next town over, and Roger lives and works
in Windhoek. They come home on the weekends every now and then.
Mama Louda works for the Ministry of Agriculture here in
Okahandja and is gone during the day during the week as am I. The boys and
girls are at school during the days except during a 2 week holiday. In the
evenings everybody is around. Dinner is served anytime between 6 and 8. Eating
usually takes place in the family room watching TV, but people can eat wherever
they want. On the weekends the family stays home for the most part. We don’t
have a car, so going into town or to the shopping mall is usually out of the
question.
My host mom is amazing. She manages the family by herself (I
don’t know anything about the father). She gets the kids ready for school every
morning, goes to work, and then comes home and cooks dinner. She is very
accommodating. I feel bad saying this, but I don’t have any responsibilities at
home. The women of the household pretty much are responsible for the household
duties. It’s just the way it is here. It is pretty impressive how well my host
mom balances all of her duties.
Junior is your typical high school freshman. He likes
sports, video games, and hanging with his friends. He is a nice kid, but he
does spend most of his time out with friends. He comes home for dinner then
leaves afterwards. With Jason, I have my hands full. He spends most of his free
time at home. Having him around gives me the true younger brother experience.
He likes soccer, movies, and playing with my tablet (he once played Temple Run
for 8 hours nonstop). He is hard to say not to, but sometimes I have to;
otherwise I would have absolutely no time to myself. Hilton and Roger are
sometimes around on the weekends. When Hilton is home, he likes to hang with
his friends. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging with them, and it’s been nice to
hang with Namibians of my own age (though their use of Afrikaans slang makes it
nearly impossible to pick up anything they say). It is also nice when Roger is
home. He has a job in the capital, but is also an aspiring rapper. We talk
about music, movies, and America a lot. My mother’s nieces who also stay with
us a lot are also very pleasant. They help with the household duties, but are
your typical young girls.
My homestay experience is coming to a bitter sweet end. I
have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but it will be very nice to have my own
place and more freedom. I absolutely will visit my host family whenever I am
back in Okahandja, and I fully expect to stay in touch with them after service
as well. My time spent with my host family has been amazing, and they have
helped make this transition both smooth and pleasing. I will miss them dearly.
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