The BIG Announcement

Wednesday, August 27, 2014 was the day of the big announcement…SITE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Before this however; CED volunteers took a trip to Windhoek. We stopped by the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), and the Peace Corps Office where we talked to associates of the Financial Literacy Initiative (FLI). After these meetings we went back to the training center in Okahandja. We had to sit through a session on Minor medical incidents such as burns, cuts, and bites (spiders, scorpions, snakes). Then finally we got to the part of training that we have all been waiting for.

We were taken outside where there was a map of Namibia made of string with rocks marking the various towns and villages that people would be staying. We were blindfolded and then one by one our names were called. Each person was escorted to their spot on the map. Once we were all placed, we were able to take off our blindfolds and find out where we would be spending the next 2 years.

Prior to all of this, some people had a good idea of where they would end up based on the language they were assigned. For me, learning Afrikaans did not narrow down my placement. I only knew that I would not be in a northern region because those regions speak the bantu languages. I did however hear rumors that suggested where I might be. First I heard that two CED volunteers would be placed in Swakopmund. Since there is a married couple (Steve & Barbara) here we all assumed that they were getting those placements. Then it was found out that they were going to Keetmanshoop. This was discovered because Steve blogged it. How they found out where they were going ahead of time is a mystery to me. But this left the two spots in Swakopmund open for the 4 remaining CED Afrikaans speaking volunteers.

Swakopmund is on the coast and is probably the biggest tourist spot in Namibia. It is popular among German tourists. It has an abundance of shops and restaurants and activities. One might ask why it is a place a Peace Corps volunteers would go. Well, while there are some wealthy people there, there are also extremely poor people. In fact, the gap between the wealthy and the poor in Swakopmund is the one of the widest in Namibia. So there is a lot of work to be down.

If you haven’t guessed by now, I am one of the two CED volunteers going to Swakopmund. The other is my good friend Kaan who hails from Wayne, NJ. I don’t know why, but where ever I go I can’t seem to shake people from Jersey.

We will join another CED volunteer (Justin) who is already there. I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am to be going to Swakop. However, I can’t say that there is not a little disappointment. I feel that I will miss out on the true African experience. I think it would have been really cool to be in a rural village living in a mud hut. Also, I feel that I’ll also miss out on some of the unique cultural aspects. These are things that I would have loved to experience. Fortunately, through traveling I hope to get my fair share of exposure to rural Africa.

Overall, I really shouldn’t be complaining because I know that I am going to have the time of my life in Swakop. I’ll start by saying that skydiving is most definitely an option in Swakop (sorry mom). Also, just being on the coast is nice. Having access to fresh seafood is definitely a plus for me. Another plus is I won’t have to go far for shopping. Some volunteers live quite far from a town with a modern grocery store. Location is probably the best perk. Swakop is not far from Walvis Bay, Windhoek (the capital), Spitzkoppe (rock climbing mecca of Namibia), Brandberg (the tallest mountain in Namibia), and the Skeleton Coast. I still have a lot to learn about Swakop, but it seems to have a lot to offer, and I can’t wait to get there.

Obviously as a Peace Corps volunteer I’m not going to Swakop just to have the time of my life. I’ll be working with a COSDEC, Community Skills Development Center. The main goal of COSDEC is to provide practical skills training and related services with the following three objectives: entrepreneurship, job creation, and basic training for higher training institutions. Essentially, I’ll be helping the organization with empowering young adults to become entrepreneurs or to become employees at other businesses. Part of my job will be helping the COSDEC with their day to day, and the other part of my job will be training the trainees who come to the COSDEC. I cannot wait to get to work. This is what I’ve been looking for: a job where I can use the skills I have to help people in need.

I can’t be more specific, because a lot of what I’ll be doing won’t be defined until I get there. From what I’ve heard there is a lot of freedom for CED volunteers. I look forward to managing my own initiatives as well as projects outside of my organization. I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, but I also know that the next 2 years are going to be amazing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swakopmund

http://www.cosdef.org.na/

Nam Food

Here are some typical meals I have at homestay:

Breakfast: ·         corn flakes with warm low fat milk (or sometimes warm water and full cream!) and sugar ·         eggs on buttered toast ·         coffee or tea	Lunch: ·         On weekends when prepared by my host mother, lunch is similar to dinner ·         During the week, I’ve just been having PB&J with a piece of fruit
Dinner: ·         Either porridge, rice, macaroni, or spaghetti o   With a meat (beef, chicken, pork, sausage) cooked in a brown sauce sometimes with a few vegetables (usually canned peas, carrots, and corn) o   And a side of potatoes or carrots ·         One dinner which I enjoyed was a grilled cheese, onion, and tomato sandwich with a side of sausage	Dessert: ·         Haven’t had dessert, but cake would be served for special occasions

Overall, the main food groups here are carbs, protein, and sugar. Its either filling and savory or really sweet. The porridge is made from maize meal which is corn ground up into a flour like substance. It’s kind of this bland stuff that falls in between rice and mashed potatoes. It is usually dressed up with a brown sauce or gravy, and I actually enjoy it. It’s a “stick to your ribs” type food. The major downsides of my new diet are the lack of vegetables and the amount of oil used in cooking.

Eating habits here are also a little different. My host family never eats at a table as a family. We take our dishes to watch TV or sometimes my brothers eat in their rooms. Also, I am always served first followed by the other boys. This seems pretty common among the other volunteers too. I’ve also never used a knife except to spread peanut butter and jam. Pretty much every piece of meat that I’ve had, I have eaten with my hands. Lastly, everyone here is in the clean plate club. No food ever goes to waste. Even left over bones are thrown outside for the dogs, nothing that can be eaten or chewed on goes to the trash. This has definitely not been a problem for me.

There is also the traditional cooking which is much more interesting and unique. We had Traditional Cooking Day, where trainers and families cooked traditional food for us. All of Namibia’s regions and tribes were represented. The day started off with the slaughtering of 3 goats and 5 chickens; not your typical morning in the US. (I apologize if the picture is too graphic for you, but it is a way of life and how people sustain themselves)

Everything was cooked over a grill or in cast iron pots over wood fires and embers. In addition to goat and chicken the other meats that were cooked included donkey, ostrich, warthog, lamb, and some kind of fish. Oh, and every part of the animal is used, and I mean every part. Mopane worms were also on the menu. A lot of breads, porridges, and stews were made.

I’m not 100% sure what was on my plate but I know there was some chicken, goat, ostrich, donkey, a worm, fish, bread, beans, porridge, a lung, and some other stuff. Most wasn’t too bad. The lung was not a favorite of mine (I also had intestine, stomach, and esophagus during the day). The ostrich and worm were actually pretty tasty. I’m can’t remember what was in the cup, but it was sweet with a touch funkiness.

Overall, it was a really fun day. I tried some food that I’d gladly have again, and tried some that I hope I never see on my plate again. When all is said and done, having a full plate of food in front of you is never a bad thing.

I’ll be sure to post about food again once I am on my own and cooking for myself (on a very tight budget).

Life in Okahandja

In Namibia you have cities, towns, and villages. Windhoek is a city and is as urban as it gets here. Okahandja is a town. In many ways it is similar to a town in the US. It has a main strip with grocery stores, convenient stores, banks, churches, the post office, town hall, etc. Like any place there are good parts and bad parts, but I’ve yet to feel unsafe. The biggest grocery store here, Spar, is quite good as it has pretty much everything that a grocery store in the US would have. The bar we volunteers frequent, Rhino, is also similar to a townie bar with a projector for sports games and serves decent food. Our version of Starbucks is The Garden Café. This is where we all go for a cup of coffee and WIFI. In a sense, we are pretty spoiled living here during training. Some of us will be placed in similar towns throughout Namibia, but many of us will be placed in rural villages where the nearest town could be hours away. Most of the countryside is savannah, tall grass with short trees and shrubs. What was suprising to me was the rolling hills. Namibia is not as flat as I had imagined. I’ll speak more about the countryside and wildlife when I actually get to experience more of it.

The majority of Okahandja residents live in suburbs which surround the town. Those who actually live in town are typically wealthier. There are also suburbs which are sometimes referred to as the ghetto where the houses are mostly tin shacks. However, the suburb that I reside in with my host family is in the middle. My suburb is called Veddersdal and is the farthest away suburb from the town center. The majority of the houses are cement flats. It’s pretty uncommon to see a two story home here. There are paved roads in my suburb, but many of the streets, including my own, is a dirt road. All houses have some sort of fence around it. For my home, you walk in the front door to a living room with couches and a small TV. Only 2 channels, but they love their Soapies here (soap operas). To the left is a bathroom and 2 bedrooms. To the right of the living room is a kitchen and the garage which is used as a bedroom and has a computer used mostly for games, videos, and music (no internet). Through the kitchen is a make shift room used as another bedroom. There are windows in each room, and the all windows have iron bars to prevent break ins. Overall, it is small, but very homey and I do feel safe in it.

I also can’t complain about amenities. We have electricity and running water (tap water all over the country is safe to drink). The kitchen has a refrigerator, stove top and oven.  There is also an electric kettle which is essential considering the hot water geyser is broken. This means no hot showers! To wash I pour hot water from the kettle into a bucket and take it to the bathtub. I add cold water and then proceed to wash by dunking my head in, splashing water on myself, and using a face cloth. It’s different, but honestly not as bad as it sounds. The same goes for not having 4G and WIFI at all times. It’s different, but surprisingly I really do not miss it as much as I thought I would. It is kind of nice not being connected 24/7.

Overall…Ek kan nie kla nie (I can’t complain). I have everything I need and can get pretty much anything I want here in Okahandja. I have clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and food to eat (and don’t worry, I’ll be sure to blog about the food here).