A rural experience...

Wow! I can not even begin to explain how incredible the past 2 weeks have been. I spent 6 days on a farm in Khorixas, 2 days at the national park, and 3 days "up north". I was terrified for the rural home stay. I have never gone with out electricity, running water, or access to a toilet in my entire life. However, it was one of the most incredible and uplifting experiences of my life.

After travelling 6 hours North-West of Windhoek we finally arrived at our various farms around 6pm. The trip up was very uncomfortable because of the heat but it was only a glimpse of things to come; I was happy if the temperature dropped to 100* by 10pm so I could sleep! My worries about the home stay dissolved as soon as I met my Ouma. She is 72 years old and is one of the strongest women I have ever met. She lives on the farm by herself and takes care of 6 donkeys, a dozen or goats, and numerous hens and roosters. Her home was the most well kept and the largest on the communal farm; she built it herself. Ouma, meaning Grandmother in German, opened her heart and her home to me immediately. She did not speak any English so her 29 year old Grandson came to the farm for the week to be my translator. He was very kind but I did not form the connection with him that I did with Ouma.

Our first two days we were picked up by my program to go to academic speakers and local leaders. But from Friday on we were able to spend the entire day on the farm. We would wake up early to let the animals out and start the fire. Every meal is cooked over an open fire. As a result, Ouma has a terrible cough and asthma that is chronic. All day long we were busy; collecting wood, collecting water, doing wash, taking care of the animals, or just doing random chores around the farm. She never stooped. Around 3 pm the heat would become so oppressive that we just sat. One day I was sitting in the sun reading and my thermometer read 133.6*F. The heat was insane! I can not believe how dirty I got! It is very dusty and dry...I was gross!

There are so many challenges to living in a rural area but what hit me the most is how far removed these people are to medical care. One day while we were at another house we heard an awful scream from one of the little boys. He had fallen on some barbed wire and had cut/punctured his head. With every heartbeat blood would squirt out of his head. The parents were very shaken and started pouring water over his head to clean it out. One of our girls ran into the house to get the first aid kits we had been provided with. My instinct was to say, "put pressure on it and get in the car; we need to get to the hospital." When Danielle came back with the first aid kit she had to pause and put on gloves before touching him. The HIV/AIDS rate in rural areas is 1:2. We finally were able to get the wound to stop bleeding but it should have been stitched. However, the closest hospital was over 15K aways and no one in this area has a car. They are very isolated and, in an emergency situation, most people will die before ever completing the 2 hour donkey cart ride into Khrosxias. If we had not been there he would not have even received a disinfectant for his cut.

Speaking of donkey cart rides...if you ever have the opportunity to ride one THINK! The donkeys are not trained, the carts are unstable since they sit on only 2 wheels, and the people are not kind to the animals. That said, it was fun to drive the cart when there was only 3 of us on it! However, trying to fit 9 adults and 2 kids on a single donkey cart and going 13Ks to a high school and back is an awful experience. It was the only time I was uncomfortable at my home stay.

On Sunday, we dressed up in traditional clothing and gathered at one house for an informal church service and a farewell party. The Americans were in charge of cooking and it was a challenge to cook for 40 people with 3 pots, no sharp knives, and over an open flame. The food turned out OK since they ate it all.

One of the biggest lessons I learned from this experience is how materialistic I am and how little I truly need to survive. Food in rural areas is seen as necessary for survival; they do not eat food simply because they enjoy it. There is no television, radio, or books on the farm. Most people were not able to complete high school and are illiterate. Ouma lives simply and values every possession she owns. Things are not disposable.

I was also in awe of how welcome I was in her home. I am a white woman. She lived the majority of her life under the apartheid regime. Her husband was tortured and killed for fighting against the South African regime. She was forced to carry a passbook with her every where she went and was treated more poorly than animals but I was welcomed into her home. I can not believe her absolute forgiveness and inability to hate my entire race. She has every right to hate the white race but she does not. This is a trend I have seen all of Southern Africa. The people have forgiven and moved forward after apartheid. The effects of the regime are still seen all over the place but the people themselves are working tirelessly to bridge gaps and complete the reconciliation process.

This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I learned more my capabilities to survive in harsh circumstances than ever before. I learned that communication transcends language barriers and how comforting it is to work beside someone quietly. I also learned that if you want your clothes to be cleaner than they ever have been than hand them over to a 72 year old rural African and you wont believe your eyes! After all, when I tried to do my own wash she told me to stop 'playing with my clothes' and let her clean them!

Once we left the farms we drove to Etosha National Park to spend 2 nights at the Hallai campground. This campground is a 2 hour drive from the entrance of the park and along the way we saw Elephants, Lions, Zebras, Springbok, and tons of other animals. The park is larger than the Netherlands and is home to all the African animals you would expect. It was wonderful to see the animals in their natural habitat. When we arrived at the camp ground we all jumped into the pool!! After not showering for a week it was the most wonderful moment of the trip!!

At night we would walk to the watering hole that is a part of the campground. The watering hole is man made and sits just outside the fence of the compound we were staying in. You sit up high and are able to observe all sorts of animals. One night there were 6 lions, 6 rhinos, a herd of elephants, springbok, zebras, and a ton of other animals at the watering hole together. It was a magnificent site. Unfortunately, we were unable to take picture there because the flash at night would scare the animals away. But not to worry, I have TONS of pictures that I'll post tonight on my Picasa web album site. We went on several game drives before we left the park and it was truly the tourists destination. It was the first time I felt like a tourist in Africa. We have been concentrating so much on the academic program that we have not visited any typical tourist destination. You can not get more tourist than going on a safari!

Next we went up North and visited with a King and went clear to the Angolan border. It was great to see the border but, sadly, we were unable to cross over. I did get to see Angolans breaking past guards to get into Namibia and others jumping fences to get in! The Chinese have really taken over the business in the North and to do so have begun to sell goods extremely cheap. Many Angolans come over to Namibia buy goods for personal use and to sell before going home at night.

I am sorry this post is SO long! I feel like I have barley touched the surface of what I have seen and learned but I am sure I'll fill you in better when I come home. I leave tomorrow morning for fall break. I am going rafting down the Orange River for 7 days with a group of students from CGE. It will be the first time we have had more than a single day off since we have come here in August! I can not wait to recharge and see more of this majestic country. In 2 days I will have travelled the entire length of Namibia!