For those of you who read my very first post, you might have noticed that I recently changed the title of this blog from Dark Continent to Bright Continent. Why the change? I initially selected Dark Continent for two reasons. One was to specify that my work will cover only the vast portion of the African continent south of the Sahara desert, an area I am more familiar with, sometimes called “black” Africa as a way to distinguish it from the Arab north. Secondly, I wanted to reverse the negative connotation associated with the term “dark” continent over the years by publishing brighter, more encouraging stories from the continent of Africa. The mainstream media along with literature from writers such as Joseph Conrad and Henry Morton Stanley continue to reinforce the wild, primitive and exotic image of Africa. Hence, I purposefully chose the term “dark” continent and intended to counterbalance the negative view of Africa with “bright” stories of hope and development – stories the media does not cover nearly as much. I basically want to say through this blog that while war, famine and diseases are ravaging the continent, there is a flipside to all of that; it is only half of the story. The other half deals with real people, real families and individuals who work hard and dream big just like the rest of us in the developed world.
It is after an email exchange with one of my mentors whom I regard in high esteem that I decided to adopt the name Bright Continent altogether. Africa has been lagging behind the rest of the world for far too long. We have hit rock bottom and at this point things cannot get any worse. Hence, I am convinced that we can only go up from here and eventually we will begin to hear of more “bright” stories emerging from this rich and beautiful continent.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Happy Birthday Mr. President!
It sounds like Marilyn Monroe serenading President Kennedy in the early 1960s but far from that, it is actually Prime Minister Nahas Angula singing happy birthday out loud on the airport runway as Namibian President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, was disembarking his plane. What a sight! I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised to see these two prominent leaders smile and have fun for a change. Politicians in Africa tend to take themselves a bit too seriously if you ask me; rarely smiling and always keeping a stern facial expression. The two had a warm embrace and exchanged a few pleasantries in front of the television cameras. Angula teased him about his longevity saying that he was “only 73 years young.” I joined the Prime Minister in wishing the President a happy birthday through a text message I sent to The Namibian message board. Regardless of whether he reads them or not, I thought it was pretty cool that they would put it in the newspaper. I immediately wondered if a major newspaper would do that for George Bush (definitely not The New York Times) or Stephen Harper.
It was the very first report on the ever popular 8 o’clock news on NBC. Yes, I know exactly what you are thinking right now but let me tell you, I fell for it as well when I first arrived in the country. I was so thrilled when told that I could get NBC without paying for cable but only with the help of a regular TV antenna. Awesome! I am thinking live coverage from the Beijing Olympics, my favorite show Law & Order SVU and the Nightly News with the charismatic Brian Williams. I quickly found out it was not the NBC with the multicolored peacock fan logo but rather the Namibian Broadcasting Company. Although I get the highlights from the Olympics 2 days after they actually occurred and the news report is not quite on par with Brian Williams, NBC is doing just fine by me. The daily 8 o’clock news in English, which captivates the whole nation and stops everything else, provides me with an in-depth look into Namibian society, politics and economy. Now this is one example of the many embarrassing moments one can face when introduced to new surroundings, moments that are better kept private. I am sharing just this one hoping that it will remain between us and spare you from experiencing your own.
It was the very first report on the ever popular 8 o’clock news on NBC. Yes, I know exactly what you are thinking right now but let me tell you, I fell for it as well when I first arrived in the country. I was so thrilled when told that I could get NBC without paying for cable but only with the help of a regular TV antenna. Awesome! I am thinking live coverage from the Beijing Olympics, my favorite show Law & Order SVU and the Nightly News with the charismatic Brian Williams. I quickly found out it was not the NBC with the multicolored peacock fan logo but rather the Namibian Broadcasting Company. Although I get the highlights from the Olympics 2 days after they actually occurred and the news report is not quite on par with Brian Williams, NBC is doing just fine by me. The daily 8 o’clock news in English, which captivates the whole nation and stops everything else, provides me with an in-depth look into Namibian society, politics and economy. Now this is one example of the many embarrassing moments one can face when introduced to new surroundings, moments that are better kept private. I am sharing just this one hoping that it will remain between us and spare you from experiencing your own.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tate Nujoma is stalking me
Tate (pronounced tah-tay) is an Ovambo term meaning father; it is a sign of respect to elders in society. In the very same way, Meme (pronounced may-may) means mama or mother. It emerges from the core African values of respect and family unity that you will find almost anywhere on the continent. It is for that reason that I call my dad’s friends and relatives Papa Richard or Papa Kabuya – depending on their first or last name – and Mama Rebecca or Mama Mabiala for my mother’s relations.
Nujoma (pronounced noo-yo-mah) is the name of Namibia’s founding father: His Excellency Dr. Samuel (Sam) Shafiishuna Nujoma. And no, the double “i” in his first name is not a typo. He was born May 12, 1929 in Ovamboland, the stronghold of the liberation movement. The Ovambo region played such a monumental role in Namibia’s history that it deserves a separate blog entry entirely dedicated to its past, present and future. Dr. Sam Nujoma founded the Ovambo People Organisation (OPO) in 1957 which was renamed South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) shortly after. After decades of struggle, SWAPO led Namibia to independence from the brutal regime of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) in 1990. As of today, Dr. Sam Nujoma is still the head of the ruling SWAPO party although no longer president of the republic.
Nevertheless, from the time I arrived in Namibia, Tate Nujoma and current president, His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba (it took a week to get the correct pronunciation, his portrait just above), have been following me everywhere I go. In every public and private office I have been to, they are right there in the main lobby welcoming me with smiles on their faces. I am sure that by now you know that I am only being facetious. Nevertheless, there is actually an existing law in the books stating that every government office must have both the current president’s and the founding father’s photo portraits hanging on their walls. It even specifies that Dr. Nujoma’s portrait should hang a few centimeters below President Pohamba to distinguish between former and current president. The law applies only to public office but it seems the private sector has followed suit voluntarily, or did they? One thing is for sure, Dr. Nujoma and President Pohamba welcome me at my office every morning as I walk in.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A Weekend in Tsumeb !!!
Last weekend was the first time that I ventured out of town on my own. I desperately needed to rediscover my independence. Please do not get me wrong, I am truly blessed to have the colleagues and support unit that I have around me here in Namibia. From the time that I landed in Windhoek (the nation’s capital) on June 27th, they took me in as one of their own. From showing me around town, taking me shopping for personal items, hooking me up with a cell, and filling out all the administrative forms (visa extension, vehicle authorization, emergency contact information, etc.), they have made my rather abrupt transition from Toronto to Grootfontein a lot smoother than it should have been. Nevertheless, it was refreshing to once again go somewhere on my own, meet new people, and find my own transportation instead of asking for a ride. I hate being an inconvenience to anyone.
When I found out that I was offered this 6-month work contract in Namibia, I told myself that I would exhaust every opportunity presented to me to immerse myself in the local culture. I do not know whether I will ever come back to this beautiful country so I might as well make the most out of this experience. As some of you already know, Namibia is a very young nation relative to other nations on the continent (Namibia became independent from South Africa only in 1990 whereas most African countries attained self-rule around 1960) with a recent, painful history of Apartheid. Having said that, my personal objective, aside from my professional one, is to engage in countless conversations with the rich, poor, blacks, whites, coloreds, foreigners, town dwellers, location dwellers (similar to townships in South Africa or even favelas-style slums in worst cases) in order to get a fair balance of viewpoints and in turn devise my own opinion of this sophisticated society. Now this is no easy feat in just 5 months but I am going to try anyways.
I cannot possibly accomplish this goal of mine by only interacting within my work environment. Hence, I took off on my own with cash in my pocket, a cell phone for emergencies and a change of clothes for a weekend in Tsumeb, a more happening town 60 km from Grootfontein where I live and work. My trip got off to a great start as I met one cool taxi driver; the most famous person in Grootfontein according to himself, his name is Fish. He drives a stylish silver 2006 Volkswagen with a pretty mean sound system. The base was so loud I thought I was going to skip a heartbeat. For some reason Fish never thought about turning down the volume during our long conversation; we yelled over the beat the whole way down to Tsumeb. For a split second I forgot that I was in Namibia because Fish played the latest tunes any young person my age in North America would listen to in their car; from Kanye West, Akon and Lil’ Wayne to Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Coldplay. He had it all, even songs I had never heard before, talk about American soft power.
When I found out that I was offered this 6-month work contract in Namibia, I told myself that I would exhaust every opportunity presented to me to immerse myself in the local culture. I do not know whether I will ever come back to this beautiful country so I might as well make the most out of this experience. As some of you already know, Namibia is a very young nation relative to other nations on the continent (Namibia became independent from South Africa only in 1990 whereas most African countries attained self-rule around 1960) with a recent, painful history of Apartheid. Having said that, my personal objective, aside from my professional one, is to engage in countless conversations with the rich, poor, blacks, whites, coloreds, foreigners, town dwellers, location dwellers (similar to townships in South Africa or even favelas-style slums in worst cases) in order to get a fair balance of viewpoints and in turn devise my own opinion of this sophisticated society. Now this is no easy feat in just 5 months but I am going to try anyways.
I cannot possibly accomplish this goal of mine by only interacting within my work environment. Hence, I took off on my own with cash in my pocket, a cell phone for emergencies and a change of clothes for a weekend in Tsumeb, a more happening town 60 km from Grootfontein where I live and work. My trip got off to a great start as I met one cool taxi driver; the most famous person in Grootfontein according to himself, his name is Fish. He drives a stylish silver 2006 Volkswagen with a pretty mean sound system. The base was so loud I thought I was going to skip a heartbeat. For some reason Fish never thought about turning down the volume during our long conversation; we yelled over the beat the whole way down to Tsumeb. For a split second I forgot that I was in Namibia because Fish played the latest tunes any young person my age in North America would listen to in their car; from Kanye West, Akon and Lil’ Wayne to Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Chris Brown and Coldplay. He had it all, even songs I had never heard before, talk about American soft power.
His car was bought in the UK by an English lady who used to live in Grootfontein and recently moved back to London with her Namibian husband. She provides him with a cell phone and trusts him to run the business for her locally and deposit the earnings into her bank account at the end of each month. As he puts it, “that lady is very cool to me, she trusts me a lot, and she knows I won’t run away with the car and the money. She wants to bring me to England one day.” Indeed, it is a challenge to find trustworthy business partners in Africa due to poverty.
At least this type of business thrives in Namibia because the State saw to it that the construction of basic infrastructure is conducive to trade and commerce. The road network in Namibia is among the best on the Motherland behind the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and on par with Western Africa with examples such as Ghana, Ivory Coast and recently Senegal. You can reach the most remote rural towns on fully paved roads within reasonable time. That is unheard of and unseen in most parts of Africa, namely in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the colonial infrastructure has been left untouched since 1960. Visiting Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, 6 months ago and now living in the small farming town of Grootfontein, Namibia 400 km from Windhoek is two completely different experiences: night and day.
Yes, different cultures, different history, different colonial experiences but the facts remain. One has 48 years of independence and the other has only 18. In Kinshasa, I stayed in a so-called affluent neighborhood yet I went 3 days straight in the dark without power and during my 2-week stay I showered with tap water only once. The rest of the time, water was fetched for me from God knows where in two buckets that I used to shower because tap water was cut off. Why? You ask. My dear friends, there are questions Congolese people do not bother asking anymore. And did I mention Kinshasa is the capital city??? In Grootfontein, I have yet to witness a power outage. I shower everyday with water coming out of the silver shower head and not from a bucket. Oh and get this, I even have hot water especially now that it is winter in Southern Africa. I can get on the internet any day whenever I please and the connection is fairly fast too.
Basically, my friend summed it up best: “Namibia is Africa for beginners.” And while some might respond by saying it is not Africa at all because it is not scary, violent and overpopulated like Lagos, Kinshasa, or Nairobi – as if these are attributes and a reputation to be self-righteous about – to those shallow, ignorant cynics I say yes, I agree, Namibia is not “true” Africa but it is everything Africa should be and more.
I almost forgot to mention that I was not the only customer in the taxi. I was one of five. I was sitting in front with Fish (the privileges you get for having long legs) and there were 2 women at the back and a young teenager with his 2-year old nephew on his laps. None of the passengers knew each other nor did we get off at the same stop in Tsumeb. Our kind driver took turns dropping each of us where we needed to go. The fare for each passenger was N$ 30. I took Fish’s cell phone number and made an appointment for pick-up the following day to return home in Grootfontein. I paid another N$ 30. In total, I only spent N$ 60 (Namibian dollars) for a 60 km drive there and back with great conversation and a fun weekend. That comes to just under US$ 10 for my roundtrip fare since US$ 1 = N$ 7.6. Pretty good deal I must say.
By the time I made it back home Fish and I were buddies. He told me all about how his girlfriend who works in the Big City (Windhoek) dumped him for no apparent reason. Although he suspects that there is another man with more money entertaining her. He claims that it is a trend with a Namibian girls and money nowadays. I told him that I find it is common everywhere else in the world (not always but we do see it in all societies, please do not crucify me on this one) for a female to make such tough choices when stuck in a financial bind with no way out. But Fish was not having it. He is convinced that it is purely a Namibian thing. He then announced to me that he is done being Mr. Nice Guy and will now sleep with many and leave them all. I again tried to convince him otherwise but he was not having that either. As we shook hands and said our goodbyes, Fish invited me to join him and his friends next weekend for a night out in the locations, where “the real people live”, as he puts it.
Stay tuned…
At least this type of business thrives in Namibia because the State saw to it that the construction of basic infrastructure is conducive to trade and commerce. The road network in Namibia is among the best on the Motherland behind the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and on par with Western Africa with examples such as Ghana, Ivory Coast and recently Senegal. You can reach the most remote rural towns on fully paved roads within reasonable time. That is unheard of and unseen in most parts of Africa, namely in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the colonial infrastructure has been left untouched since 1960. Visiting Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, 6 months ago and now living in the small farming town of Grootfontein, Namibia 400 km from Windhoek is two completely different experiences: night and day.
Yes, different cultures, different history, different colonial experiences but the facts remain. One has 48 years of independence and the other has only 18. In Kinshasa, I stayed in a so-called affluent neighborhood yet I went 3 days straight in the dark without power and during my 2-week stay I showered with tap water only once. The rest of the time, water was fetched for me from God knows where in two buckets that I used to shower because tap water was cut off. Why? You ask. My dear friends, there are questions Congolese people do not bother asking anymore. And did I mention Kinshasa is the capital city??? In Grootfontein, I have yet to witness a power outage. I shower everyday with water coming out of the silver shower head and not from a bucket. Oh and get this, I even have hot water especially now that it is winter in Southern Africa. I can get on the internet any day whenever I please and the connection is fairly fast too.
Basically, my friend summed it up best: “Namibia is Africa for beginners.” And while some might respond by saying it is not Africa at all because it is not scary, violent and overpopulated like Lagos, Kinshasa, or Nairobi – as if these are attributes and a reputation to be self-righteous about – to those shallow, ignorant cynics I say yes, I agree, Namibia is not “true” Africa but it is everything Africa should be and more.
I almost forgot to mention that I was not the only customer in the taxi. I was one of five. I was sitting in front with Fish (the privileges you get for having long legs) and there were 2 women at the back and a young teenager with his 2-year old nephew on his laps. None of the passengers knew each other nor did we get off at the same stop in Tsumeb. Our kind driver took turns dropping each of us where we needed to go. The fare for each passenger was N$ 30. I took Fish’s cell phone number and made an appointment for pick-up the following day to return home in Grootfontein. I paid another N$ 30. In total, I only spent N$ 60 (Namibian dollars) for a 60 km drive there and back with great conversation and a fun weekend. That comes to just under US$ 10 for my roundtrip fare since US$ 1 = N$ 7.6. Pretty good deal I must say.
By the time I made it back home Fish and I were buddies. He told me all about how his girlfriend who works in the Big City (Windhoek) dumped him for no apparent reason. Although he suspects that there is another man with more money entertaining her. He claims that it is a trend with a Namibian girls and money nowadays. I told him that I find it is common everywhere else in the world (not always but we do see it in all societies, please do not crucify me on this one) for a female to make such tough choices when stuck in a financial bind with no way out. But Fish was not having it. He is convinced that it is purely a Namibian thing. He then announced to me that he is done being Mr. Nice Guy and will now sleep with many and leave them all. I again tried to convince him otherwise but he was not having that either. As we shook hands and said our goodbyes, Fish invited me to join him and his friends next weekend for a night out in the locations, where “the real people live”, as he puts it.
Stay tuned…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
