Diversity Tour and more...

Last month, I returned to Okahandja for a week to be a Resource Volunteer for Group 40. I still find it hard to believe that it has been over a year since I arrived in country and started my service in Okahandja to begin PST. As a resource volunteer, I co-facilitated some training sessions for the new CED group and I answered questions that the new trainees had about my volunteer service so far. Group 40 consists of about 50 volunteers so their group is massive. I really enjoyed getting to know most of them and I will hopefully be able to become good friends with some of them during my remaining year in country.

Following my week as a resource volunteer, I then went on to do the Diversity Tour with 6 other volunteers. I’ve mentioned the Diversity Tour in my previous two blog posts, however, the itinerary for the tour had a few last minute changes due to lack of funding from donors that we thought we had. The tour had to be cut down from 8 nights to 6 nights. 27 kids from all parts of Namibia arrived in Otjiwarongo on August 17^th and we got to know each other through various icebreakers and activities. The next day, we went to the B2Gold Otjikoto Mines where the learners got the chance to learn more about a major industry in Namibia. At B2Gold, we also did a nature walk where the kids were given lessons on sustainability and environmental conservation. The next days were spent at a campsite near Twyfelfontein, a site of ancient rock engravings from 6000 years ago in North-western Namibia. We did some camping and for many of the learners it was the first time they’ve ever done such a thing. Following the two days at Twyfeltontein, we traveled to the coast and spent one night at Swakopmund. The learners got really excited once we got to the coastline and were able to see the ocean. A lot of the learners have never seen the ocean before and had all sorts of questions about what was on the other side and how long it would take for them to swim across. We were also fortunate enough to see dolphins at the beach! We spent the final night at Windhoek where we wrapped up the tour. The tour was an overall success and given the circumstances, we made the most of it. The one complaint that we got from the kids was that the tour wasn’t longer.

After the tour, I traveled back to my site and spent the week with friends because it was still the semester break for all the Education Volunteers. The Ongwediva Trade Fair took place during that week too, which is a big event and possibly the biggest event of the year in the North. At the Trade Fair, businesses and industries from all corners of the country were able to showcase theirs products and services. Ongwediva and Oshakati were quite busy that week and it was very interesting to see.

Modelling at the mines

Ancient rock paintings at Twfelfontein

The pier at Swakopmund

The following week, I had a couple of trainees from Group 40 shadow me for a few days. Again, I can’t believe it has already been one year since I shadowed a Peace Corps volunteer in Luderitz. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of work to show them while my shadowers were around and when I had work to do, it was in another town 2 hours away from my site so I didn’t want them to spend all their money traveling with me. Regardless, I was able to keep them entertained for most of the time and we even had a large together of about 30 volunteers and trainees in Ondangwa during their last day of shadowing.

Now, I am preparing to do some more traveling over the next few weeks. Tomorrow, I’ll begin heading to Rundu and then Katima to do some trainings for a pilot Elephant Energy project. Then, I’ll be heading to Windhoek for a few days to say goodbye to some close friends who are finishing their service. A week after that, I’ll have to head back to Windhoek to attend the Mid-Service Workshop. I’m looking forward to that because it will be the first time that Group 38 has been together since Reconnect, which was back in early December. There are some people who I haven’t seen since mid-December and I look forward to catching up with my whole group.

Lastly, I have recently lost my Grandma to cancer. She had been battling it over the past couple of months and she sadly passed away on August 30^th. My parents attended her funeral last weekend in Glasgow, Scotland. Sometimes, it’s hard being a volunteer because you can’t be with your family when they need you most. However, I was fortunate enough to talk to her a few times before she passed away. I know she was proud of what I’m doing here and I will miss her very much. Before she passed away, she also donated some money to cover costs of the funds for the Diversity Tour. She was always there to support me whenever I needed her and I’m lucky to have had her in my life. Thanks for everything Grandma. You’re the best! I love you and I’ll miss you very much.

First photo of Grandma and I

Last of photo of my Grandma, Chris and I. March 2013

1 more year!

 

Alas! I’ve lasted in this country for one year! Last week marked the anniversary of my arrival in Namibia. Time has truly flown by. I have been very busy as of late with many projects coming up. Some projects are trying to run smoothly. Others are trying to get started. Overall, I’m predicting a far more successful second year to my Peace Corps service since I feel like I have really settled down in this country. I’ve gotten pretty accustomed to my life here and few things phase me here like they used to. This includes things like goats and cattle blocking my bike path to work, the unfriendly greeting from the lady I buy fish from everyday, the long and awkward handshakes, old men wearing leather jackets and leather hats, public urination, drivers never slowing down, pedestrians never speeding up and the never-ending near death scenarios between drivers and pedestrians. These are just a few of the quirks that I will surely miss when I leave the country in 14 months.

Besides my recent 1 year in country anniversary, I have a few things lined up for me over the next couple of months. The Chili Farming project that I have mentioned a few times in previous blog posts will finally get its funding from the US Ambassador’s Self-Help grant. I just need to help the project members write a budget for the equipment needed and then we are making progress!

The site of the chili project

Small sample of chilis

Another one of my projects is a Solar Schools Project. I will help coordinate the delivery of donated solar lamps to schools across the northern regions of Namibia. Many rural households in Namibia live of the electric grid and many children are unable to perform their studies once it gets dark. The aim of this project is to provide learners with access to small, solar powered products so they have light to perform their studies. Once selected schools gets these lights, a “Solar Library” will be implemented where kids can rent these lights for a duration of time. A curriculum based on Solar Energy will also be taught at the schools so learners can learn more about the benefits of renewable energy.

Sun King Ecos that will be going to the schools

Finally, I will be doing the Diversity Tour next month. This was mentioned in my last blog post, but basically, it’s a week long trip with vulnerable and marginalized children form rural areas that have not seen much of their country before. Should be special. 

Here’s to another successful year in this country!

Many Miles Traveled Milestone

 

Last week, I traveled to the remote region of Omaheke. While I was venturing to the least populated region in Namibia, I realized that I was about to achieve something pretty cool. I have been to every region in this country! Namibia has 13 regions (well, 14 now since Kavango got split into Kavango East and Kavango West). This may not sound like a brilliant triumph but I don’t think volunteers get the chance to achieve such a feat during their two years service. All the regions are very spread out and some are completely out of the way for some volunteers. Yet, I feel quite accomplished when I say that I have been to every region within the first year of my service.

I've been there!

I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to explore this diverse and one of a kind country. With that said, I wanted to tell you all about my plans for this August where I will be helping out with the 2014 Diversity Tour Namibia. This is a Peace Corps project and is a week-long education tour working to give vulnerable and marginalized children the opportunity to explore the country. Most of the kids who will be going on this tour haven’t seen much of the country. A few of haven’t even left their villages before! The aim of the tour is to give these kids the opportunity to see parts of the Namibia which they may never get the chance to see again while developing leadership skills and a passion for learning. Daily educational sessions will take place on the tour and will focus on leadership skills, entrepreneurship and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Up to 38 Namibian kids from each region, ages 12-16, will be going on this tour. We will be traveling to Otjiwarongo, Waterberg Plateau, Swakopmund and Windhoek. Most of these kids want to see the ocean for the first time so our stop at Swakopmund should be something special. The tour will be from August 18^th to the 25^th. It should be a great experience for everyone involved and I’ll keep y’all posted on how it goes.

One more thing, back in November, I applied for a grant to start a Chili Farming project at the Uukolonkadhi Conservancy. On Monday, I got a call saying that the project will get funding! It’s quite a lot of money too so hopefully it all works out. Again, I’ll let you what happens next.

Enjoy some photos from the many regions of Namibia!

Site of where the Chili Farm will take place (Omusati Region)

Ruacana Falls (I swear it's more impressive during the right season) on the Kunene River

The kid and I (Oshikoto Region)

The dunes near Swakopmund (Erongo Region)

The location outside Windhoek (Khomas Region)

Double Rainbow in the Oshana Region

My home for a week in Katima (Zambezi Region)

I swear I've been to all the region even though I don't have photographic evidence of it all. But I have. Trust me.

Visit to Vic Falls

Last Thursday I returned to Oshakati after being away for a couple weeks. I was in Katima for a while helping Elephant Energy with some work and then I went to Livingstone, Zambia for a few nights with some friends.

During my time in Katima, I slept in a tent along the hippo/croc infested Zambezi river. Although the nights were rough and wet, I still enjoyed my time sleeping in the yard outside of the nice Zambezi Protea Hotel.

After my stop in Katima, I began my trip to Zambia, which was the first time I had been out of Namibia in almost 9 months.  Once we crossed the border, I quickly noticed how different Zambia was from North Central Namibia, which is the area that I’ve become so accustomed to. First of all, it was far greener in Zambia than where I live.  When I was first told that I’d be going to Africa about 13 months ago, I always imagined that I would live in a jungle-esque setting, but Oshakati is nothing like that. Although the road from Katima to Livingstone wasn’t a jungle by any means, it was certainly closer to what I thought Africa was going to look like. Another stark contrast between Namibia and Zambia was the quality of the road. As soon as we crossed the Zambezi river and into Zambia, the road was instanly covered with potholes. Some as wide as the road itself. In Namibia, I’ve gotten used to traveling at lightening speeds and I expected the same in Zambia. However, due to the terrible roads, it took us forever to travel the 200km to Livingstone.

Livingstone is tourist town where people go to see Victoria Falls and it was the primary reason for my trip. Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Although rainy season was meant to be over by March, there was still been a lot of rain recently and we got really wet while crossing the bridge and the walk along the trails near the falls. Due to all the spray, it was slightly difficult to see the falls at times but it was still pretty amazing. The highlight of the trip was doing the Gorge Swing off the bridge. I did a tandem swing with my friend Andrew and it basically involved us taking a step off a bridge while connected to a swing and going over the gorge. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever done in my life but is something that I will never forget. 

I spent the other days at Livingstone lounging at the backpackers place, eating greasy western food, enjoying the sunset at luxurious hotels and visiting the local craft markets. It was very relaxing trip and definitely worth it.

Happy Independence Day, Namibia

Last Friday was the Namibian Independence Day so everyone had a long weekend. Mine was really enjoyable because I was able to spend it with other volunteers and celebrated the day by having a braai in a nearby town called Ondangwa.

It’s been a long time since my last blog post. It’s been so long that the topic of my last post was about my holidays and now I’m beginning to make plans for my upcoming holidays in April (Victoria Falls!!). When I first moved to Namibia, I felt like I had a lot to write about because everything was so new and there were so many things that I wasn’t accustomed to yet. Now, everything, even the strangest things, has become the norm but I’ll do my best to keep on writing about my experience here.

Even though it’s been more than a couple of months since my last blog post, that does not mean I haven’t been doing much. It’s been quite the opposite. Things with my primary organization have been slow at times because there have been fewer projects for me than originally intended. So, I’ve started to help out another organization in addition to my host organization. 

For about a month, I have been working with an NGO called Elephant Energy. They are a US based organization that provides rural households in Namibia with access to solar energy products and try to meet their basic energy needs. They have a unique market-based approach to selling their products which involves establishing shops in market centers and developing a network of sales agents in surrounding rural areas. At the moment, I’ve developed and assisted the Regional Managers with administering surveys to end users of the product so that we can get an idea about the impact the products are having on customers’ financial savings and livelihoods. It’s been very interesting and has kept me busy. You can learn more about Elephant Energy in the following link: http://www.elephantenergy.org/

Elephant Energy is also in the process of launching a new product and I hope to help out as much as I can by making the implementation a success. I’ll keep you posted on that once things are underway. Here is a link to a Huffington Post article which briefly discusses the project that I’ll be working on. Seems like the future is bright with this one… get it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/justin-guay/solar-power-in-a-bottle_b_4979965.html

There has also been good news with one of the grants that I submitted back in November. The grant is for a chili farming project at Uukolonkadhi Conservancy which would help generate income for community members as well as help mitigate the human wildlife conflict situation with Elephants in that region. It’s still being looked at but a final update should be made soon so again, I’ll keep you posted with that if things work out for the best.

One last thing. 8 months ago I arrived in Namibia and it’s been a bit over 6 months since I’ve been at site. That’s pretty crazy to me. The first two months of training took forever. The first two months at site before reconnect felt like a really long time and now, time is just flying by. I find it hard to believe that it’s quickly approaching April. I think things are moving so fast now because I’ve become a lot busier lately and my calendar is just filling up with activities. 

Hopefully, my next blog post won't take another 2 months to get published because I'm hoping good things will start happening real soon. 

Wet Hot Namibian Summer

 I know it’s been a long time since my last blog post but the reason is because I’ve literally been gone the entire time. Yesterday, I finally returned back home. For the past month and a half, I’ve basically traveled all around the country. I’ve been to nine different sites and I’ve enjoyed exploring Namibia very much. I don’t really know how to start writing about my holidays because I’ve done quite a lot. I went to Windhoek, Swakopmund, Otjiwarongo, Ondangwa, Rundu, Kongola, Katima Mulilo, a village near Ondangwa and I even stayed in Oshakati for a week during Decemebr to show other volunteers my site. Each town/village were different but I really enjoyed them all. Overall, I did about 5,500 km of traveling and probably spent around 60 hours in a vehicle throughout the last month and a half. Since we don’t have much money on a Peace Corps budget, the main way of traveling around has been hiking (hitch-hiking). This may sound like a dangerous way of traveling but it is fairly common here and I’ve been able to meet a lot of interesting characters during my journeys and I never felt in any sort of danger. Hiking can be difficult at times because you end up spending a lot of time waiting for a ride. You can wait anywhere between 30 minutes to 6 hours. It definitely gets exhausting after a while.

Some of the highlights of my trip includes sandboarding in some dunes outside of Swakopmund, eating the largest burger I’ve ever come across, getting sunburnt, BEACH, playing with bow and arrows, watching the sunset over the ocean or the river, buying awesome shirts, eating great food, going on a Game Drive where I got to see some baboons, hippos, kudu, impalas and lechwe, seeing Elephants on the way to Zambezi, seeing the sites of other volunteers and spending Thanksgiving, New Years and Christmas with other volunteers.

It’s strange to be back home and alone again because I haven’t been by myself since Thanksgiving. Although its nice to finally sit back and relax, I definitely do enjoy the company of others and I’m glad that I got to travel with so many great people. 

Now, it’s time to get down to business again. I thought I started work on the 13^th because I received an email saying that’s the date that the office would open again. Apparently, work doesn’t start till the 16^th. I guess my holiday isn’t quite over yet :)

Kids fishin'

Baboons monkeying around

Hippos!

Sunset over the Kwando River

Loose seals

The Lighthouse Burger

My new friends