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?