It's the little things

That seem to pop up kind of frequently that just
make being in these villages and living within
different cultures, interesting.

Today when we were working on the djwara
project I saw a few of the young girls fastening
a few vines together then all of a sudden, they
are jumping rope (or vine).

I just enjoy seeing these little innovative things. No
need to spend amounts of money to have fun, just
got to think a bit.

the vine (above)
after stripping leaves and fastening several together ....
the girls are jumping vine (below).

Djwara progress

The time is really winding down now. There is just
about a week left.

The only activity left to do is finish the djwara/cultural
center project. It doesn't look like it will actually be totally
finish as I mentioned in the last blog post.
But it will be finished enough for me and I will leave
content.

As you can see in the picture, the fence of poles are
almost all installed. In the back there is a section that
needs to be completed but all the poles are there and
it is a matter of just planting them.

Today is Friday and it is the last weekend for me in the
village so ... if anything is going to happen on the
djwara it will happen this weekend.

The big hope that I have is that tomorrow we will be able
to construct one of the traditional huts. So, I guess
'we'll see' is the mantra for that hope-wish.

There have been some pretty good changes going on
in the village over the last few months. One big one
is that they installed two 10,000 liter water tanks for
the school. The school had been struggling for a
decent water supply for years. It took a demonstration
from the students to get it fixed.
It was really a combination of efforts by the school's
assistant principal and the students that got it the
attention it needed to get action.
But it was David, the leader of the San Cultural
Group who talked to the students and told them, that
if they wanted to get something done then they
had to get active, to light the spark. It worked and
the students refused to go to classes for 3 days,
threatened to contact the TV station and the newspaper.
It got it going, miraculously it got priority from those
responsible .

With a week left I am feeling pretty good about the
village and I am very optimistic about it's future. There
seems to be more people discussing the issues
concerning the development of their part of the
world.

It is a gift to see this, I can leave feeling good
about the future of the friends I will leave behind.

A couple weeks left

There is more or less two more weeks left for me
here in the village. It really has been busy and at
least the people are taking advantage of my help
before it is too late.
In the picture you can see the djwara project and
it looks like it's not going to be finished before I
go. But I think that we will be able to build a hut
in the traditional style though. That is programmed
for next Saturday and with fingers crossed ...
Also in the picture you can see the dancing tree.
I guess I don't have to explain that the tree
doesn't dance but that is where the kids do their
practices and performances for the village.
I do have to say that when you are under that tree
it just feels like it has some special energy.

Also, with two weeks left there is still real life that
goes on. This morning we attended a burial for
a girl named Atalia. She was in one of my first
blog articles way back in May 2009. If you click
here it will bring to the page and in the photo with
the four girls in it, she is the one on the left in the
back.
HIV is never very far away here and she passed as
a result. During my time here I've worked side by
side with a few people at the clinic that have HIV
but it took over two and a half years to find out.
They are taking their ARVs and I never knew a
thing.
Well there are those that take it and those that
don't seem to understand, I guess. Atalia was
one that took ARVs then stopped for no particular
reason. Then she became pregnant and then
started taking them again as part of the PCMT
or prevention of mother to child transmission.
She had a miscarriage and then stopped taking
them again. Then after a while she got pregnant
again and the same thing happened.
About a month ago she comes into the clinic and
looks totally terrible and it was too late at that time.
She weighed about 100lbs when healthy but
weighed a little over 60 at the end.
Just wonder what was in her mind about the ARVs.
Did she really want to live with HIV or ... She had
all the info about it and ignorance wasn't a factor.

It is what happens out in villages. It does
kind of take the luster off the ending of my Peace
Corps tour. But it is the reality and she's not the
first to have passed as a result of HIV since I've
been here. It just seems that many of the people
just decide to stop taking the ARVs.
I am hoping that some of her friends have learned
something so that she didn't die without  leaving
something that could maybe save others.

Sometimes this is the reality of life in the Peace Corps.

One less last minute project

Today the New Gospel Church Choir finally got
together to make their music DVD.
In the picture you can see the interest it created as
a bunch of people showed up at the airport to
watch some of the filming.
When we first got there I noticed that there was
about 5 or 6 extra kids who tagged along. After
the third song I happened to turn around and
then saw all these people. It was ok and upped
the intensity of the choir.
The photo was taken as we were moving to
another location after filming four songs.
In total we filmed 11 songs and each got better
as they warmed up.
I now have all the clips, pictures and songs I
need to compile into a DVD for them.
With an hour and a half of electricity a day it
should take me a few days to get it all set.
I filmed it with a generation 1 Flip camera so it
isn't a Hollywood production by any means but
it actually is, ok.

The djwara project still has some to go and with
two weekends left, I am getting a little concerned
that that project may not be finished enough
(like totally) and we won't be able to have the
inaugural festivities while I am here. So, I am
hoping tomorrow we can plant another bunch
of poles and make progress.
I am really wanting to take a few pictures of
the building of one of the San (Bushman) huts
that is programmed for the djwara project.
I want to write about it and add it to this blog.
Other than that, time is going too fast and it is
time to start throwing out junk and thinking
about packing.

djawara project - first day

Today was the first day in the construction of
our djwara/cultural center.
As you can see in the picture, the kids from the
cultural group are getting their hands dirty digging
holes so that we can plant some poles.
What our project consists of, is the building of a
traditional San (Khwe) homestead. It was told to
me that the traditional homestead of the Khwe is
unique from the other San tribes.

To build the traditional homestead we need
a fence made of poles. A few small traditional
huts, a platform and areas dedicated for cooking,
dancing entertainment and other reasons that I
haven't learned yet.

As mentioned in my last blog post, this is the last
major project with the group and unlike the other
projects in the past, this one has a time limit.
Usually everything goes at a slow pace out here
in the bush but I have been impressed with the
fact that they are trying to finish it before I go.

If it is finished in time, we are thinking of having
kind of an inaugural event. Something like we did
last year which was dancing all night, a little food
and some tea. The last time was fun, but this
one should be better because we'll have the
traditional setting. I am kind of hoping that the
elders will come out in numbers and tell us their
opinion of the djwara.

At this point, with one month left in the village, it
is the time that all the other people that have
mentioned things they would want to do, but
never seemed to have the ambition to start,
are coming out of the woodwork. Other small
activities planned are another movie with the
drama group at the clinic and a music video
of religious songs from one of our churches
in the village.

Those little projects I like but the village
generator gave up the ghost the other day and
the news is that they aren't going to fix it this
time. With electricity coming to the village
(typical question is when) sometime this year,
it really doesn't make sense to pay the money
to repair it.

That leaves me with a lot less computer time
to put the movie and the music DVD together.
But I guess with those we will have to hustle
like we need to do with the djawara.

So, I guess the thought I had of just chilling out
in the village for the last month won't happen.
But that's ok, we'll just hopefully get it all done
in time.

Last minute project

I have only two months left here in Namibia.
It was originally supposed to be three but due
to a visa issue I have to leave a month earlier.
Even though it is only a change of a month it
makes things a little more intense. It is always
the way that when you leave, people are just at
the point of getting animated. Right now I am
pretty busy doing all the little things. Just kind of
taking care of all the details.

In the picture you can see a sketch that David,
the leader of the Young San Cultural Group made.
It is a traditional San (Khwe) homestead. It is
called a dwjara (don't know how to write it but it
is pronounced that way). We started making one
about a year or so ago but it didn't get to be what
you see in the picture.

We always talked about making a cultural center
and the original idea was kind of like a brick type
building as the center. Instead we decided to make
the dwjara as the cultural center. kind of makes sense
and if it goes well, visitors will be able to spend the
night sleeping in a traditional hut.
I am hoping that it can be completed before I have to
leave. It would be a great thing for me to be part
of it and see what a real one looks like.
It would be just like the period at the end of a sentence
... it would end my time here the right way.

Mid-March update

It has been a bit since I last posted. So, there
are a few things that have happened since.

The village health clinic where I work has been
the recipient of a very quality solar system. I like
the workmanship that the company's employees
did.
It really changes things a bit and now we can show
our movies/dramas on health and social issues
daily. It also makes it a lot easier for the nurses
when they have emergencies at night and it eliminates
having to deliver babies in the dark with only
candle light.

The cultural group is still going along with activities
to keep the kids busy and out of trouble. Yesterday
we loaded them all up into a small pickup truck and
then headed out to Katima Mulilo, a decent sized
city about 250 km from the village.
Out of the 15 kids we brought only two have ever
been there so, that was a new experience for them.
There were a lot of firsts for the group but also for us,
the adults (there was four of us).
Let me see ... the first first for the kids other than
arriving in the new city was ... get this ... ice cream.
Yeah there were kids about 8 or 9 that have never
had the chance to eat ice cream.
It was funny as one of the kids about 8 years old, tasted
his ice cream and said that he didn't want to eat it
because it was too cold (even though it was about 35 c
or 95 F) and it was going to make his body cold.
David the group leader just laughed and
said it was just like the 'The god must be crazy"
movie.
I am leaving in three months so this was kind of like
a going away activity at the same time. So I was
able to give each kid N$20 or about US$2.50 so
they could go to one of the China shops to buy
something.
Man, the kids did shop and it was really surprising
to me what they bought with just the N$20. Again,
for about 10 of the kids it was a first of having
their own money to buy something in a store.
Then we went to the nice open air market and
had a lunch of pap (porridge) and fish. The lady
was pretty happy as she sold 19 plates at one
time and probably made a normal day's pay
in about an hour. Again, this time first for all the
kids.

In Katima is a mission/project that takes in some
underprivileged kids and gives them a solid base.
They live at a small complex that is situated right
on the Zambesi river.
A few of the kids come from our village so we
thought that a decent thing to do would be to go
visit them while we were in the neighborhood.
There are two people running it at the moment
and they are from the States. They do a great
job and are very sincere and caring people.
When we contacted them about visiting we
mentioned that we were a cultural group. We
brought a drum and the skins (traditional clothes).
In the picture above you can see the kids from
our group dancing along with the kids from
the mission/project.
It was really a great time and it was a new
experience for both our kids and the ones living
there.
Again, this was another first.

Then we headed from the Zambesi to the center
of town. We set up a tour at the NBC (Namibia
Broadcast) studio.
We arrived about 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon
and the people working there were really nice
to give us the tour. Normally the tours are during
the week only.
The man who gave the tour was just the greatest
and had patience with the kids and with 26 years
of experience at his job, knew everything and was
willing to share it.
He showed the kids the studios and the equipment
and even let the kids sing a song that he saved on
the memory drive.
So, if someone wants to request their song, then
in minutes after doing a search on the server, the
song can be played.
The kids were kind of happy and impressed with that.
Also, the goal in bringing them there was to show
that by going to school and studying they may be
able to work in a studio too.
The guide told them what kind of education they
need and we hope that it was a planting the seed visit.
We pray that in one of the kids, it will grow.
Again, this was another first.

Then we headed towards the border post between
Namibia and Zambia. We couldn't go across and
the border closes at 6 p.m.
We got there at about 5:30 so even if we wanted to
walk out a bit to see the bridge over the Zambesi,
it was too late.
But the kids did get a chance to look at Zambia.
Not a big first, but a first nonetheless.

We then headed home and the kids were full of
food and tired. It was a good day.

So, with 3 months left here for me, it is winding
down time. I am happy that we had a good day
like yesterday and I am not sure that there will
be any more chances for trips like this.
If there isn't, we went out in style.

Keeping up with the Super Bowl ...

Seeing as the Patriots (my team) is in the
Super Bowl, there is a need to be informed.
I am from Massachusetts and during my time
in the Peace Corps the Patriots have been
to four Super Bowls and today they are heading
into their fifth.
The first time I was in Leon, Nicaragua and
that was a great atmosphere. The second
and third I was at Kounkane and Kolda,
Senegal respectively.
Number four was at Nadlac, Romania and
the fifth (today) will be 70 km out in the bush
in north eastern Namibia.
The first three I was able to watch it on TV. The
fourth was through an internet live update feed.
To stay updated on this Pats Super Bowl quest,
I am going to be using what you see in the
picture above ... my cellphone with and internet
connection.
I have downloaded an ESPN app that will post
the plays.
I will refresh every minute or so and though it isn't
like watching it on the tube, it will still be exciting
... especially if they win.
It will require waking up at about 4 a.m. here. It's
ok, it's worth it.

I am really lucky that I can keep up with the game
out here. It can always be worse.

One of the aspects of life that living in the Peace
Corps reminds one of, almost daily.

It's back to the village ...

Tomorrow morning bright and early it's out the
door and time to head back to the village.
It has been about 10 days out of site and
it's been a quick ten days but it was a good
little break. I actually had a chance to watch TV,
go for breakfast a few times and catch up on
the soapies (soap operas / telenovelas) that
they show here in Namibia.

I've stayed in contact with some of the people
I work with in the village and there are a few things
lined up so it will be some things to do upon return.

I was able to do a little more playing around with
my netbook computer since here there is 24/7
electricity. So, I converted another one of the
Young San Cultural Group's songs.

This one I really like and the name of the song is
... people from the oil tree.

It isn't exactly a traditional song but it is one that the
kids put together themselves.

To listen to it and if you want or download just

click here 

when you arrive at the page you will see the player
and to the right an option to download.

Send me a comment if you like the song.

Time to go start packing my things for the 11 hour
journey back.

What I like about ...

Africa is that at any time, any where, you may see something that you've never seen before. Despite having almost 6 years of living on the continent, there is still a good chance that something unique will appear out of the blue. This morning I walked into town ( I am spending a few days in Okahandja. A city. ) as you can see there is water jetting out of somewhere due to some work mishap. You can also see a car under the water flow. The great thing is the guy drove through then stopped, backed up and basically washed his car in the middle of the street. Can't say I've seen that before and maybe others have but this was a first for me. I just love things like this. Freedom to just do these things without worrying about what people think. Things like this I'll miss when my time is up in 6 months. But it ain't over yet.