It is about 12:45pm on a very hot and sunny Sunday afternoon in Namibia. I am lounging at the back of a moving vehicle on my way to Swakopmund for a week long work assignment. We left Grootfontein this morning just before 9 o’clock. It is about 400 km to the touristy town on the Atlantic Ocean. My colleagues agreed to do most of the driving on the way down; I am bracing myself to take the wheel for most of the trip back up north.
They are both sitting in the front cabin, enjoying the air conditioning, while I am sitting inside the covered flat bed of the bakkie (pick-up truck). It is not bad at all. I cracked open a few windows to get some of that soothing breeze. It is actually a lot of fun. I cannot remember the last time I rode at the back of a pick-up truck. While it is not a very common means of transportation (as far as loading people and not just goods and merchandise) in most urban dwellings of the Western world, it is quite an ordinary thing to do here.
I am fortunate to be sitting comfortably by myself because I have seen bakkies of the exact same size crammed with no less than 12 people with their luggage and merchandises. People would rather buy a bakkie first before thinking about getting a 4-door sedan just because they live in a predominantly farming, blue-collar society.
They can do a lot of work on their own with a bakkie (e.g. construction work, moving furniture, transportation of produce from farm to market, mobility for traditionally large number of family members and relatives).
We are heading to the Community Skills Development Centre to review and update the content of their training programmes and prepare the budget for next year, among other things. It is always a special treat for me to get on the road because I get to witness the beautiful natural landscape this country has to offer and the surprisingly well-integrated physical infrastructure. After a quick pit stop at the Shell service station in Otjiwarongo, we drove 70 km into Erongo region where we passed through a natural land conservancy. The views are simply breathtaking: the dry, flat terrain is embellished by rocky hills and mountains in the distance. At any given time you might spot a herd of cows, goats, kudoos (of the deer and antelope family) and even donkeys. It is quite unreal; being here and witnessing this geography is truly a blessing.
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Let's Heal our Wounds Together
I have been in Grootfontein, Namibia for just over 2 months now and I have yet to establish some kind of social life for myself. It is quite challenging to find one here due to the fact that it is a small farming community with limited attractions or activities for people to partake in. Aside from shibins (makeshift bars, pronounced she-beans), there is not much else. People drink heavily on their spare time. There is no movie theatre and neither is there a common hangout spot for young people. With no jobs and only two high schools in town, the repercussions on the youth are harmful.
On a personal level, when boredom really gets the best of me after work or on weekends, I rent out some movies from Blockbuster – which is in no way affiliated to the North American franchise (trademark infringement maybe?). Besides, I can only read so much. Still, I do not intend to return there anytime soon simply because I feel like I am missing out on the unique opportunity I have to be here. I did not come to this country only to lock myself indoors and watch American movies. I could have stayed back home and done the same thing.
Nevertheless, Grootfontein is a tough place to adjust to socially. My interaction with people here is a bit “tricky”, if I may say for lack of a better term. I am a black man from Canada and my English is too American according to them and not enough Namibian or even British, which they are more accustomed to due to Great Britain’s colonial experience throughout this region of the continent. Adding the fact that I do not speak Afrikaans, an export of early Dutch settlers in southern Africa dating back to the 1600s, further puts me at a disadvantage. I must admit, though, I was surprised to find that blacks are fluent in Afrikaans more so than in English. I imagine it is because English was made the official language only at independence in 1990.
Hence, I find myself a bit stranded in the middle between blacks and whites as I continually get those inquisitive stares as I move about town. Blacks are apprehensive about me, quickly dismissing me as a rich African American whereas whites (commonly referred to as Afrikaners or Boers, although I dislike the latter term for its negative connotation) tend to be a bit cold. I find that they are not the most outgoing people. They tend to keep to themselves. As a matter of fact, race relations are the single most uncomfortable issue I have had to deal with since my arrival in this country. I cannot speak of racial tension per say but more like a subtle, lingering uneasiness that I quickly discerned after just a couple days in Namibia; Namibians of different races may interact with one another for business and work but rarely, if not ever, do they mix in socially.
On a side note, I hope to share more about Namibia’s rich and intricate history. For those of you who feel a bit lost or confused with the racial diversity and various languages of this nation; you are not alone. A discussion of the strong European influence in Namibia – which started with the Dutch then the Germans – and the long, brutal occupation by the Republic of South Africa (RSA) cannot possibly be covered in one blog entry. Also, I understand that race can be a sensitive topic to discuss and words such as “blacks” and “whites” are in essence meaningless. I am using them simply for descriptive clarity. If you do have another terminology you think would work better, please share them with me, I am open to suggestions. It further gets messy when words like “coloureds” or even “basters” – which I find to be tremendously distasteful – are thrown around casually in reference to individuals who were born from an interracial union (most commonly between a black person and a white person). I guess that is the astonishing feature of cultures and social norms; that which is totally acceptable in one setting is absolutely intolerable in a different one.
Nevertheless, not all hope is lost for Namibia and the southern region of the continent as a whole. There have been some remarkable breakthroughs since the official end of Apartheid. Namibia’s independence in 1990, Nelson Mandela’s liberation, RSA’s independence in 1994 and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission all give testimony to the self-less effort and sacrifice the citizens of this region have had to make. There is plenty to be proud about. Though, sometimes it is only after you reach your destination that you realize how much farther you have to travel.
Not trying to spoil the party but I must confess that the image of unity in this region that has been strongly promoted to the rest of the world in recent years is not quite true, at least not yet. I have great respect and I applaud the State, especially that of RSA, for their national unification policies and programs. The continent of Africa would move forward a lot faster if more nations endorsed and worked tirelessly to implement similar policies to address a major plague ravaging the continent: ethnic strife. Yet, I would not want you to be disillusioned like I was. I have been very excited about coming to the region. After all, RSA and Namibia are among the most developed nations on the continent. Besides, RSA has developed a favorable reputation globally as of late, especially now that they are hosting the next FIFA World Cup in 2010. With all that excitement mounting, I was sure to come to an industrialized, prosperous Africa where blacks, whites and coloureds are one (One spirit, One Africa is the slogan of the World Cup campaign). However, this is not the case. There is still more work and time required before that kind of harmony can prevail. The recent xenophobic riots in Johannesburg, mainly targeting Zimbabweans who have fled Mugabe’s regime, offer just one example of the tension that lies beneath the surface.
Yes, Apartheid is over. The police are not likely to release their attack dogs on the population again or burn down the townships like they used to. But the leftover effects will not disappear over night. Former Apartheid societies are currently going through a phase as equally challenging as the liberation movement itself: healing time. And if other African nations, who attained self-rule around the 1960s, are just now beginning to recover from the after-effects of colonialism then we should be fair and patient with southern Africa. The wounds are still too fresh.
This whole experience should also serve as a clear reminder to all of us that Africa is far from being this homogenous landmass where people, religion, history, geography, values and traditions are the same throughout. It is not. I cannot begin to count the number of people who shared wonderful stories about their time on the continent but failed to specify the country they just visited. You hear statements such as ‘we are sending money, clothes and food to our church orphanage in Africa’ or again, ‘I went on a safari tour in Africa,’ but where in Africa? Is your church orphanage in Swaziland, Chad, or Madagascar? Was the safari tour in RSA, Zambia or Kenya? If we make the effort to be more specific and talk of being in France when visiting Le Musée du Louvre or being in Brazil when visiting Cristo Redentor, then we should make the same effort when talking about the African continent. Basically, for me to say that Africa is rich in diversity is an understatement. Take the Congo-DRC as a prime example; there are about 200 different ethnic groups (and their languages) still struggling with the concept of nationhood within the same borders carved out by the colonial authorities at the Berlin Conference of 1885. If it is any indication, the uneasy atmosphere I have been struggling with here in Grootfontein is not an issue in Cote d’Ivoire where I lived for 8 years. Different culture. Different history. Different country.
Let me end with this thought. As mentioned above, the image of unity that has been strongly promoted to the rest of the world in recent years is not quite accurate, at least not yet. Let’s give it some time.
On a personal level, when boredom really gets the best of me after work or on weekends, I rent out some movies from Blockbuster – which is in no way affiliated to the North American franchise (trademark infringement maybe?). Besides, I can only read so much. Still, I do not intend to return there anytime soon simply because I feel like I am missing out on the unique opportunity I have to be here. I did not come to this country only to lock myself indoors and watch American movies. I could have stayed back home and done the same thing.
Nevertheless, Grootfontein is a tough place to adjust to socially. My interaction with people here is a bit “tricky”, if I may say for lack of a better term. I am a black man from Canada and my English is too American according to them and not enough Namibian or even British, which they are more accustomed to due to Great Britain’s colonial experience throughout this region of the continent. Adding the fact that I do not speak Afrikaans, an export of early Dutch settlers in southern Africa dating back to the 1600s, further puts me at a disadvantage. I must admit, though, I was surprised to find that blacks are fluent in Afrikaans more so than in English. I imagine it is because English was made the official language only at independence in 1990.
Hence, I find myself a bit stranded in the middle between blacks and whites as I continually get those inquisitive stares as I move about town. Blacks are apprehensive about me, quickly dismissing me as a rich African American whereas whites (commonly referred to as Afrikaners or Boers, although I dislike the latter term for its negative connotation) tend to be a bit cold. I find that they are not the most outgoing people. They tend to keep to themselves. As a matter of fact, race relations are the single most uncomfortable issue I have had to deal with since my arrival in this country. I cannot speak of racial tension per say but more like a subtle, lingering uneasiness that I quickly discerned after just a couple days in Namibia; Namibians of different races may interact with one another for business and work but rarely, if not ever, do they mix in socially.
On a side note, I hope to share more about Namibia’s rich and intricate history. For those of you who feel a bit lost or confused with the racial diversity and various languages of this nation; you are not alone. A discussion of the strong European influence in Namibia – which started with the Dutch then the Germans – and the long, brutal occupation by the Republic of South Africa (RSA) cannot possibly be covered in one blog entry. Also, I understand that race can be a sensitive topic to discuss and words such as “blacks” and “whites” are in essence meaningless. I am using them simply for descriptive clarity. If you do have another terminology you think would work better, please share them with me, I am open to suggestions. It further gets messy when words like “coloureds” or even “basters” – which I find to be tremendously distasteful – are thrown around casually in reference to individuals who were born from an interracial union (most commonly between a black person and a white person). I guess that is the astonishing feature of cultures and social norms; that which is totally acceptable in one setting is absolutely intolerable in a different one.
Nevertheless, not all hope is lost for Namibia and the southern region of the continent as a whole. There have been some remarkable breakthroughs since the official end of Apartheid. Namibia’s independence in 1990, Nelson Mandela’s liberation, RSA’s independence in 1994 and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission all give testimony to the self-less effort and sacrifice the citizens of this region have had to make. There is plenty to be proud about. Though, sometimes it is only after you reach your destination that you realize how much farther you have to travel.
Not trying to spoil the party but I must confess that the image of unity in this region that has been strongly promoted to the rest of the world in recent years is not quite true, at least not yet. I have great respect and I applaud the State, especially that of RSA, for their national unification policies and programs. The continent of Africa would move forward a lot faster if more nations endorsed and worked tirelessly to implement similar policies to address a major plague ravaging the continent: ethnic strife. Yet, I would not want you to be disillusioned like I was. I have been very excited about coming to the region. After all, RSA and Namibia are among the most developed nations on the continent. Besides, RSA has developed a favorable reputation globally as of late, especially now that they are hosting the next FIFA World Cup in 2010. With all that excitement mounting, I was sure to come to an industrialized, prosperous Africa where blacks, whites and coloureds are one (One spirit, One Africa is the slogan of the World Cup campaign). However, this is not the case. There is still more work and time required before that kind of harmony can prevail. The recent xenophobic riots in Johannesburg, mainly targeting Zimbabweans who have fled Mugabe’s regime, offer just one example of the tension that lies beneath the surface.
Yes, Apartheid is over. The police are not likely to release their attack dogs on the population again or burn down the townships like they used to. But the leftover effects will not disappear over night. Former Apartheid societies are currently going through a phase as equally challenging as the liberation movement itself: healing time. And if other African nations, who attained self-rule around the 1960s, are just now beginning to recover from the after-effects of colonialism then we should be fair and patient with southern Africa. The wounds are still too fresh.
This whole experience should also serve as a clear reminder to all of us that Africa is far from being this homogenous landmass where people, religion, history, geography, values and traditions are the same throughout. It is not. I cannot begin to count the number of people who shared wonderful stories about their time on the continent but failed to specify the country they just visited. You hear statements such as ‘we are sending money, clothes and food to our church orphanage in Africa’ or again, ‘I went on a safari tour in Africa,’ but where in Africa? Is your church orphanage in Swaziland, Chad, or Madagascar? Was the safari tour in RSA, Zambia or Kenya? If we make the effort to be more specific and talk of being in France when visiting Le Musée du Louvre or being in Brazil when visiting Cristo Redentor, then we should make the same effort when talking about the African continent. Basically, for me to say that Africa is rich in diversity is an understatement. Take the Congo-DRC as a prime example; there are about 200 different ethnic groups (and their languages) still struggling with the concept of nationhood within the same borders carved out by the colonial authorities at the Berlin Conference of 1885. If it is any indication, the uneasy atmosphere I have been struggling with here in Grootfontein is not an issue in Cote d’Ivoire where I lived for 8 years. Different culture. Different history. Different country.
Let me end with this thought. As mentioned above, the image of unity that has been strongly promoted to the rest of the world in recent years is not quite accurate, at least not yet. Let’s give it some time.
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…
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