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.