Musafir

I thought that the word 'musafir' (actually not
sure of the spelling) would be the best title
for this blog entry.
Musafir is the Romanian word for visitor.
That's what you are looking at in the picture.
Really it is visitors and I am not sure that means
that it is musafiri, or like that, for the plural.
They are a group from the Adventist church who
arrived a few weeks ago to work constructing
some buildings (for a church) in a town about
160 km or 100 miles away.
They came to visit the other Romanian people
whom are living in the village.
In the picture they are talking to a German priest.
They also sang a few songs and for me, it was
kind of nostalgic as I have lived in Romania for
about two and a half years. It was like I was
there and I had to put an effort to try and
remember that we were in Namibia.
The group was surprised that I could speak
their language, seeing as I am from the USA.
It was just a good time.
The rumor is that some of the group will
maybe/kind of come here in the village next
Monday and spend at least a week helping
out to repair the Adventist church here.
What we have done is kind of planned (that is
because they are kind of coming) a San cultural
dance event. Hopefully there will be a few cooking
lessons thrown in. It will be good for the Romanians
and to me, even better for the San. Any exchange
for people that are living out in the bush like we are,
is a valuable experience. I am kind of looking
forward to it.
So we kind of planned for the group that is kind
of coming and we are kind of looking forward to
be there participating.
Welcome to life in the bush where everything seems
to kind of happen.
One would also think that it would be kind of
stressful to kind of go through a kind of day.
But the crazy part is that ... once you get used to it ...
that way kind of grows on you.

Just rolling along ...

Like the dung beetle in the picture who is rolling
the dung ball along, so has the last couple of
weeks been moving, at a rolling along pace.
This doesn't seem to sound too pretty but, it really
has been a few good weeks with no complaints.
It has been just busy enough for my liking.
A high point is that we made another instructional DVD.
The topic was that of TB and this was made in
the local language of Thimbukushu. It, like the Khwedam
HIV DVD as it came out fairly OK.
This time we made a little drama with all the needed
information about TB in it and also had a section with
all the info, as a repetition.
We are learning how to make these catered to the people.
I observed their reaction to the DVD as they watched it
and we are the wiser and better prepared for the next one.
The mistake we made was a too long information part.
Next time we will break it down to something like 90%
drama and 10% talking to informational presenting.
From my perspective, I am very pleased with the
enthusiasm of the clinic workers and their participation
into filming. One of goals as volunteers is to get the
people to do it themselves, the Tom Sawyer method
of getting a fence painted. We also have other ideas
and in fact they are adding up. The next one should
be a good one as it is based on a true situation where
a man spread the HIV to several women.
Let's see what else happened.
The school started their athletics program and will
have some competitions. The best part is that they
are using the football field that we built about six months
ago that no one really has used. So as a personal
point, we are happy to see that the work wasn't in total
vain. Also, the young men are using the field to
practice football and that just began this week. So,
sports activity is a good thing.
We have sent out a solicitation for the TV channel to
be transmitted in the village. In another blog I mentioned
that we have the TV signal in the radio equipment trailer
just sitting there. All it needs is some form of transmitting
antenna. It will really help if it works out.
The Romanians are working on their building and will
bring in a group of their friends to help them sometime
next week. We setup a performance of the San Youth
Cultural Dance troupe while they are here. The San
girls will also teach the few Romanian girls how to make
the local porridge which is the staple food here. So
that should be a good activity and hopefully doesn't
have that too awkward moment when totally different
cultures meet for the first time.
Speaking of culture, the local culture guy is planning
on organizing a traditional skill workshop for the
San (Khwe) kids. It is because the old ways are
dying with the elders. Again, due to the forced lifestyle
change. This workshop looks pretty intensive with
just about everything. From traditional tool making to
how to start a fire with sticks, to traditional medicines
and everything in between. I am fortunate to be able to
participate in it. What better way for an outsider to
see the San culture as it used to be.
Incredible sight of the week came last Monday. On the
way back from town we saw at least 40 to 50
elephants cross the road. They were standing on the
side of the road just like someone waiting to cross.
We drove by and stopped. After a few minutes they
started crossing. They were all bunched up with the
younger ones (to include what appeared to be pretty
close to a new born) in the middle. They young ones
were actually being pushed along by the bigger ones.
It was really a sight to see the huge animals move.
On moving along, it is good time to end this blog entry.

Finally ...

As you can see in the photo the DVD in the
Khwedam (one of the San languages) is finally
finished.
It has been just about the first project that came
about way back upon arriving here in April '09'.
To call it a struggle is really being kind.
The difficulty was in finding the right people to
work with. After receiving about 20 ... sure
we''ll do it, no problems ... it took the arrival
of a young man from another village whom is
working in this village's health clinic, to get it
done.
Again, it really came out well and the people
did a great job. We are not professional film
makers so there is the occasional baby wailing
and a cell phone or two going off, but, the
message is there in a very clear and concise way.
It is the first of it's kind in that language and on
Monday we'll put it in the DVD player at the
clinic and see what, if any, impact of value it
has on giving all the information needed
concerning HIV/AIDS.
It is also the end of the week and it can be
called the week of hope and optimism.
There are some good signs that the village may
be progressing a bit. The progress will come
from a person whom is working to open up a
decent sized store/market here. Right now we
have little shops that charge too much and this
is due to the isolation of the village. Normally
it takes a day of trying to find a ride and some
traveling cost to go to the nearest town to get
supplies.
So, if this store is decent it will make life so
much easier.
Also, the health clinic was in need of some
pretty extensive repairs and before Christmas
we wrote a solicitation for repairs. They came
down the other day and made a work order
so ... it is a matter of when, always the factor.
The Romanians that are in the village have had
their group arrive to fix up their building and when
they get setup they will do some community work
in the area of day care, art and some vocational
training.
The school is back in session and it seems that
they may be getting a group of students from
some European school for a week or so. The
last group from Scotland helped paint the
school building and really brought some well
needed enthusiasm.
We have a proposal going out maybe sometime
this week for solicitation of a TV channel. We
have a radio receiver system here and the
information is that there is also signal for one
TV channel. It just may need an antenna to
transmit the signal.
I am very much hoping that this come to fruition.
When I was in Senegal we did a little project
for a battery powered TV. It received one
channel only, which was by the Senegalese for
the Senegalese. I, till this day, am convinced that
bringing the information to that village did more
than anything to open the minds of the villagers.
Out here it is even more important as the San
people are also trying to find a new way from
the hunter/gatherer life style.
It is funny that people who have come from
towns are kind of quick to criticize the San.
They do not live like town/city people do. They
really don't understand maintenance of their
properties. In the old way, it was one month
in one location, then up and off to another.
So this national TV channel should give some
ideas as to how other people in Namibia are
living.
Again, it is in the hoping stage. These things
may come about and if they do, they may
not be all too great of a situation. But better
to have these things happening that having
nothing happening.
That's it for this week.

Little excitement

In the picture you can see what is the remnants
of Mozambique Spitting Cobra. It happened to
wander into the compound and it created a bit
of excitement.
It actually isn't a lethal snake but when it's provoked
it rears up, spreads it's hood, then ejects
venom into the eyes of an adversary. It can also
grow to 1.5 meter or about 5 ft.
I was in my room when I heard some commotion.
The cry was ... there's a snake under a log. The
log is actually a tree trunk cut in half which will
be used sometime in the future, but I don't know
for what.
Everybody in the village has at least a few sticks
about 2 meters or 6 ft long somewhere near their
houses. These sticks are used to deal with the
local snakes. The most prominent ones are the
Black Mamba, Puff Adder and of course the above
mentioned Mozambique Spitting Cobra. The first
two can be lethal.
So, we go out and after a few minutes of how are we
going to get the snake out from under the log ... I must
mention that at the time we weren't sure if it was
the spitting cobra or a mamba. the colors can be
somewhat close when looking under a log ...
What happened was, as someone rolled the log
over as to expose the snake, it appears that it
actually rolled over it's head and ... goodnight
spitting cobra.
Nothing fantastic other than the excitement of it
all, probably easier to understand when one's
face to face.

That wasn't the only exciting part of the week.
After almost 9 months we've finally have the
the Khwedam (one of the San languages)
HIV/AIDS DVD almost ready. Well, we
finally have all the clips. I put it together last
night and I am pretty impressed with the job
that the local health workers did in making it.
It is in the editing stage but it doesn't look
like it needs much work. Just trimming the
beginning and end of some of the clips. It
is usually a fairly easy process except that in
this case, I don't know the language so it
will take a little longer to get it worked out.
Hopefully not another 9 months.
But, the value of this DVD is that it will be the
first one of it's kind for the Khwedam speakers.
It is pretty good, it explains what is HIV/AIDS.
How to contract it, how to protect oneself
including demonstrations of the male and female
condoms.
It explains testing and also the counseling process
and it's confidentiality. It explains a little about
ARV's and adherence. Plus it explains about
misconceptions.
One cultural point is that one of the practices
the Khwe people have/had, is that of
using a razor blade to make a cut, then
putting in some traditional medicines. The
major point here is of sharing or usage of the
blade.
But again, it came out ok, so I guess the wait was
worth it.
Other than that, it was a slow week but school
begins again next week and the Romanian people
that are here are having 23 visitors. They are
coming for about 2 weeks to help them refurbish
their building.
Man, that's going to make 28 white people here.
That's more than I've seen in almost a year.
And they're all Romanians so I can actually sit
and converse with them.
So, it looks like things are going to pick up.

New Year - New Hope

Probably a popular thought ... that is with the
arrival of the new year, a new hope will be
tagging along with it.

In the picture you can see the improved version
of the solar oven we made back in September.
Prior article with picture.

The hope for the new year is that ... like the solar,
oven that cooks with about zero effort ... so will the
flow of work go, easy and natural.

Of all the other countries and villages I've been in, this
one is in the greatest need of such a concept. I have
mentioned repetitively in other blogs that the Khwe
(Bushmen) of this location, need to find a new way
for their society. It is truly amazing to see how a people
have been challenged to change a way of life which is
said to be well over 70,000 years old, at least.

In a personal view, the coming of the new year also
reminds me that there is possibly only one year left to
help get things kind of sorted out. There is no one pressing
me but myself. Things will go as they are supposed to go,
at their pace. This reality is understood, but can't just
having hope and a little luck go a long way?

I read this statement once a few years back ... Hope is
for losers. I know this person has never been in the trenches
(so to speak), where at times, hope is actually the only
idea/vision/motivation that one has to work with. Maybe
I'm wrong but in hope there is power. The power to wake
up every morning and keep trying.

Every new year can be an opportunity to take time and evaluate
or re-evaluate. Looking back, it was a decent year with some
progress. I feel that the biggest accomplishment from
last year's effort is that of one of the younger Khwe person's
statement yesterday that he wants to have a little more
seriousness in his life. He is a very capable and intelligent
person and in my opinion, one of the future leaders of his people.
His problem and as a result, the problem in the community, is that
he drank too much and it influenced his vision of life. I've been
working with him and I have over 19 years since I've stopped
drinking, so I've brought up the topic a few times ... more like
a lot of times. But I was surprised to hear his statement
yesterday, actually pleasantly surprised.

Again, here is where hope is part of daily life. I hope that he
goes through with his desire to be serious. He can make a
huge impact in the future of his people.

He is also a San person who understands that the Khwe have
lost their ancient societal ways. There is a hope that we can
help find a new way that doesn't forget the past but can
be incorporated so as to get the San centered again.

I guess there is no getting away from the word ... hope,
while in this business.

For me, I hope that like the solar oven that sits, takes in
energy (when the sun is out) and does it's job in a natural
way, that it will be the theme of how the changes in the
upcoming year will progress.

Again ... I hope?