Life in the Namib desert...yeah my life could not get any better

 Last Thursday we left for Swakopmund (where Angelina Jolie gave birth) ! It was breathtaking and so peaceful. It is Namibia's little resort town tucked between the Atlantic Ocean and the Namib desert. While we were there we learned about what life is like for the large majority of the residents who are (damara/nama) we visited the informal settlements and saw the way life was like for those without electricity or running water in the desert which is right next to the mega mansions people call there second homes! It's always shocking when we see the vast amount of inequality that exists in Southern Africa. This time around we got to see it from the perspective of the children who never seem to notice how little they have. We visited an after school program where they performed a tradition Oshivambo dance for us and the entire time the children were laughing and goofing around just happy to see a set of new faces walk in the doors. Despite the fact that there are not the funds to provide for all the children they will never turn a child away and stretch every last dollar to attempt to give every last kid a sanctuary. After, we went to a sort of half way house for children, they were laughing and playing and just wanted to show us new games. However, these children had been beaten, left in toilets, left in the garbage, or starved before finding their way to the community center. Proving that at the youngest ages humans are resistant, courage, full of love, and most of all full of forgiveness. The  woman who runs the center keeps it spotless and uses every connection she has to make sure the children receive everything they need to ensure that they don't have to grow up to fast and can remain kids. It really shows the amazing love and self lessness this woman and the volunteers have. Behind the ocean front views and fancy restaurants still lies injustices that we got to see and hopefully can help correct. After some learning lessons it was time for some fun! Climbing to the top of dune seven in eight minutes in the NAMIB! was a rewarding experience, the views were out of a computer screen and I had to pinch myself several times in order to make sure it was real life. We also went quadding in the dunes which of course was exhilarating (going half up the dune sideways like a roller coaster what could be better!) Not to mention sandboarding which reminded all of us of sledding in the US. It truly was an amazing incredible words cant even explain trip and certainly one that I will remember for a life time
Later

Understanding

In your life’s journey, there will be excitement and fulfillment, boredom and routine, and even the occasional train wreck…But when you have picked a dream that is bigger than you personally, that truly reflects the ideals that you cherish, and that can positively affect others, then you will always have another reason for carrying on-Pamela Melroy

This quote really touched me this week. For the past few years I have talked a big game about the things that I want to do and the impact that I want to make and how I want to make a difference in people’s lives, but never understood that it’s not always going to be rosy and flowers but it will be tough and frustrating. This past week part of me wanted to give in and throw in the towel because I had first hand contact with the unjust system that I continually condemn and try and come up with solutions to fix. At first I was angry then I remembered that it’s always worth it to keep fighting and keep trying to make a difference. Namibia has one of the largest genie coefficients in the world, much like the rest of southern Africa, and it is apparent at almost every corner you turn. When you see a person who has everything walking down the same street as a person who has nothing because it is an ill gotten gain it makes you want to scream. For generations their family was oppressed from achieving anything and now they are left frantically trying to catch up. Both at the macro and micro level the country is rapidly trying to catch up, constantly feeling inferior to their rich white counterparts, and reaching out in the most drastic ways to receive some source of income. These are the reasons I wanted to come here, to understand what made the country the way that it was. I’ll never find the answer and in my quest I’ll go through highs and lows that might make me want to give up on helping alleviate the problems and might make me question why I care? It would be easy for me to pull out the typical….Well it’s just Africa and it’s an awful place, but that’s wrong because people are people no matter what part of the world you are in. I have safety nets and could never imagine a life with out them. If I didn’t have anything I would see someone like me and be frustrated and angry to and want to do something to make their life not so easy for a day, or I would want to pull a robin hood act. Here, the people I’ve met are not more violent then anywhere else they are just more frustrated and rightly so. They have a lot on their shoulders with very little support and if taking something from my safety net to create theirs is the only power they have then I cannot fault them. I cannot get frustrated or mad at them, but only understand that at the end of the day I am trying to help. I never picked the easiest goals or safest and I may be happy at times and sad during others, but if I could make a difference to help give someone hope or some answer as to how to rebuild after being broken down time and time again then the problems I am faced with along the way will have been worth it.

It's been awhile

I'm currently sitting at my internship counting down the minutes until lunch. The one bummer about being in a different timezone then the rest of your friends is that facebook becomes a useless procrastination tool.
So far things are going pretty well here and I finally feel settled after two weeks. We had our homestays and I was with a colored family in khomostal. It was weird to hear them make racist comments towards both whites and blacks. It's also interesting how being colored here is it's own race proving yet again that race is nothing but a social construction. We ate some interesting food at my home stay aka not really cooked all the way food.....that was a rough outing for my stomach. Needless to say it was great to return to life at the CGE house and there were FATCAKES for dinner. I think I'm turning into a fat cake haha. My internship is getting much more exciting because I now have a project, which is to conduct a basic needs assessment for the people of Namibia that will be used to lobby the government for a standard minimum wage in the country! look at me actually doing something in Namibia to make a difference. The classes I'm taking are great! Yesterday we talked to a man about the Herero genocide who named the country from Southwest Africa to Namibia. I also LOVE my yoga class! Sometimes it's hard to stay quiet for that long, but it really helps me mellow out. Total side note yesterday was Valentines day and everyone was super festive! pretty much everyone had on pink or red and every place in town was decorated. Who knew it was so popular here. I also can't wait for next weekend when we are going quadding and sandboarding on the coast. I'm so pumped! Well guess I should get back to work
Later