Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
ALEC Abroad

MARUculous Women

by Brooke Brock

Tedious work, but none the less unique – this is what comes to mind when I think of the Eudafano Women Cooperative’s Marula Factory.

Marula is an amazingly UNIQUE fruit is essential to this women’s cooperative. Used down to the seed, the marula fruit (Sclerocaraya birrea) is first picked and juiced. The juice is later consumed after it ferments. The marula nut is then taken and laid out to dry for three to four weeks. Next, The nuts are cracked open by hand, one-by-one, to extract its kernels, its main source of value.

This is the process that some 1,400 women complete each year, receiving 23 Nambian dollars per kilogram of marula kernels; that’s less than 4 U.S. dollars for 2.2 pounds of kernels!

I know that some of you are reading in disbelief, thinking you would never do such TEDIOUS WORK for such little money, but this annual cycle is a part of these women’s lives… And their families’, too.

The cooperative is comprised of various subdivisions that have grown from nine associations to 22. Women of the area have been making use of Marula for years, but the cooperative started in 1996.

The marula factory officially opened on March 11, 2005. This is one of few, if not the only, sources the U.S. and France has for marula oil for cosmetic use; other small buyers also use marula oil for cooking.

Now before you think, “Wow,” think about this tedious process.

A) The women who pay N$30* to N$40* for membership, annual fee and new membership respectively, whether rain or shine.

B) The women, who pick the fruit by hand, wait three to four weeks for the nut to dry (because it cannot be cracked until dried) and crack the nut one-by-one with something similar to a hammer, only to get about four kernels per nut.

C) The women hand inspect the kernels.

D) The men and women, who use a machine to hand press 40 kg of kernels daily, only get about 10 kg of oil.

This is a long process, and that’s only part of it!

Thanks to the U.S., France, and mainly The Body Shop these women have a job to support their families because of marula’s promising market. The Marula Factory has also started processing kalahari melon seeds for oil as well and hopes to market it for uses similar to marula.

As we finished walking through the Marula Factory and saw men and women using a hydro press to hand press the oil, I think of how tedious their work is. I am unsure if I should be upset or fascinated by the whole process.

Then I think this Marula Factory is one-of-a-kind and before the cooperative started these women were doing this same tedious work for not much of a profit. I can only be joyful that they are able to better support their families now.

Help these women continue to support their families and keep the market strong by running to the nearest The Body Shop and stocking up!!!

–––

* $1 US is about N$8.5.

Different Yet the Same

by Brandy Dangelmayr

Being at the University of Namibia’s Ogongo campus has been quite the change for all of us. Traveling through Namibia from the Neudamm campus to Gobabeb to Etosha, we had not had a lot of one-on-one interaction with people from Namibia, until we got here!

The campus was quiet the first day we got here, but as the students got back from their four-week holiday, there has been constant music, basketball and soccer games, talking, and laughing. 

Don’t get me wrong. We have been blessed the whole time we have been in Namibia. The hospitality has been wonderful! BUT it is nice to finally talk to college students who are going through the same everyday things that we are.

In Ogongo, we have learned quite a bit! We now know that it is rude to simply say “Hi!” when passing someone. Instead, you should great each other with a “Hello, how are you?” and from there start a conversation.

They even taught us one of their games, netball, which is only played by girls. They explained that “it’s the opposite of basketball,” though I’m not quite sure what that means.

I could name about 50 differences between students in the United States and students here in Namibia, but instead I want to focus on one specific similarity, which is that we are all trying to become better versions of ourselves. It doesn’t matter what language we speak, what village we are from or what food we prefer; it boils down to our end goal. 

As I talked to a fellow student, I quickly learned that we are looking toward our future and trying to learn as much as we can in the little time we have in college.

All of us have a passion for agriculture and the benefits and opportunities that it offers. That is one huge surprise that I have found on this trip, and it is probably the most comforting. 

We don’t need to be intimidated of each other, because, hey, we are in the same boat. It’s really amazing how people from across the globe can be different yet the same!

Tradition and Transition

by Samantha Alvis

I’m excited to have the opportunity to share this country with my fellow students. I was lucky enough to travel to Namibia last summer and promptly fell in love with this country.  With a landscape that reminds me of my native Arizona and wonderful, welcoming people, what’s not to love about Namibia?

When I opened the map in front of the group and traced our journey over our first 15 days, I think it’s safe to say that everyone was surprised by just how much of Namibia that we have seen in our time here.

Currently, we’re in a region I was lucky enough to visit in 2011.  Three days ago, we arrived at the University of Namibia Ogongo Campus*, in the far north of the country.  It’s quite the change from some of our earlier locations.  We viewed the city life in Windhoek, the desert life at Gobabeb, experienced a bit of the seaside in Swakopmund and had a taste of tourism as we journeyed through Etosha National Park.

The north is different.  Most of Namibia’s 2.1 million people live in the north.  We began to notice this as we drove through towns like Ondangwa and Oshikati and experienced rush hour for the first time.  We saw it the number of people enjoying a beverage at the 100s of tiny shabeens (bars), with names like New Paradise and New Life, that line the highways and towns.

A large majority of the north is communal lands, with a communal farming and ranching system. Namibia’s north country gives a new meaning to open range … we realized this as we stopped multiple times for cattle, goat and donkey to cross the highway.

And in these communal lands, you also see communal living.  We stopped at the Nakambale Traditonal Homestead and Museum on our way to Ogongo to learn about life in a traditional homestead.  In a homestead, you may find 3-4 generations of a family living together.  Different family members have huts to sleep in, the kitchen is outdoors and at night, the livestock are brought in for safekeeping.

As you drive along the roads, you’ll find that many of the homesteads are in transition.  Among the traditional thatch huts and wooden fences, you’ll find cinder block structures and aluminum fencing.

Tradition and transition – these are two common themes I see in this country I love.  While Namibia is a young country (gaining independence from South Africa just 22 years ago), it is still a country rich in tradition.  It’s also a country in transition, trying to set an example for the continent in how to manage lands, educate people and create opportunities for future generations.

–––

*If you’re trying to follow us on a map, find the Angola-Namibia border and look for Ogongo along the C-46 highway between Outapi and Oshakati.

Gobabeb, My Love

by Jessica Guerra

When family and friends asked what excited me the most about studying abroad in Namibia, I always mentioned being able to study outside the classroom, being immersed in a different culture, doing meaningful work, and of course, being on the African continent.

Although those are still true, the unexpected has happened; that is, I have fallen deeply in love with the Namib Desert surrounding the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre.

When we weren’t working, we were exploring the Gobabeb grounds. We got to go on a nature walk with some Namibian high school students participating in Gobabeb’s training program. Being a horticulture minor, I was thrilled to learn about a tree teeming with ants inside it; the ants provide protection from herbivores, and the tree provides a habitat for the ants.

Sitting with about twenty other high school students, we used the scientific method to come up with a way to compare the plants and animals living at the intersection of three different ecosystems at Gobabeb – the gravel plains, the sand sea, and the riverbed.

Though I enjoy the challenging, fulfilling work we are doing in Namibia, something else will draw me to this great country again and again; it is the Namib Sand Sea, or the countless sand dunes stretching across the entire horizon.

As we made our way up the dunes, each step sinking into the deep red-orange sand became increasingly meaningful. Though we may have been panting, barefoot, and grasping our water bottles as we reached the top, the trek was absolutely worth it.

All the photographs of sand dunes featured in National Geographic and on your computer desktop could not compare to standing atop the crest of a Namib sand dune at sunset. With outstretched arms and wide smiles, we stood on top of the world and soaked in the last of the African sun.

I will have fond memories of Namibia, but I know this will be one of the fondest.

Until next time…

A Brief Explaination

Howdy, all!

For the past few days, we have had little Internet connectivity, and our students have been busy creating posters and a brochure at Gobabeb. As a result, we are now just getting to post blogs from the past few days.

We hope you enjoy the two following blogs by Brandy Dangelmayr and Tray Heard and thank you for your patience.

With Open Arms and Kind Hearts

by Tray Heard

Before coming to Namibia, we all knew we would constantly be traveling, and that’s what made this opportunity so exciting. Moving often allows us to meet many people from different backgrounds and experience multiple regions around the country.

What we didn’t realize is how hard it would be to say goodbye and move to the next destination.

Leaving the Neudamm campus of The University of Namibia was a difficult task, for we had made it our home for a week and the people there were amazing surrogate parents for us. Amanda, Maggie, Imms and the entire staff made us feel incredibly welcomed while providing us with everything we could ask for.

Martin and Gabi Schneider also made a huge impression on our entire group; they welcomed us in to their home and prepared an amazing meal that we enjoyed as we watched the sun set over Windhoek.

Their cousin Bernd served as our incredible tour guide around the city after the original tour plans fell apart. We can now all understand why ALEC’s department head, Dr. Elliott, continues to come back to Namibia to spend time with their wonderful family.

As we settled in at Gobabeb, we all probably had thought that we wouldn’t be able to find wonderful people like those we had met in our first week. Of course, we were mistaken.

After being able to celebrate a birthday for our bus driver, Ephriam, and meeting the entire staff at Gobabeb, we have all come to the realization that every new person we meet in Namibia will be just as kind as the one that came before.

This is a country filled with amazing people who welcome each of us with open arms everywhere we go.

They have done whatever they can to make our experience here as carefree as possible. With each new relationship we make, we know it will continue to be hard to say goodbye.

Although we may feel a little down as we drive on to a new destination, we will never complain about having too many people care about us.

Our Time at Gobabeb

by Brandy Dangelmayr

The Namib Sand Sea desert was nominated by Namibia to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. World Heritage Sites are unique places of cultural or natural significance. It is the World Heritage Center’s mission to encourage international cooperation in the conservation of the world’s history. By establishing these sites, countries invite the world to experience their heritage.

The Namib Sand Sea was nominated as a natural site that meets all four specific World Heritage criterium, which puts it in the ranks of sites like the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef.

If the Sand Sea is adopted as a World Heritage Site, the local population would experience an influx of tourists. This increase would directly benefit job growth and the economy. The natural and spectacular dunes would also have better protection for future generations.

The Namib is also home to Gobabeb Training and Research Centre, which has been in operation for over 50 years. The center has a science-based education program for primary and secondary schools and wants to begin training teachers and community members in leadership. A three month research internship program for post-graduates is also offered.  Currently, nine research topics are underway. They focus on the unique plants and animals and ways to preserve the environment.

So, you may be asking yourself, what the heck are we doing in a desert in Namibia? Well, we are actually spending most of our time in the computer lab at Gobabeb.

While in the Namib, we were asked to help the center advertise and educate Namibians about the benefits of becoming a World Heritage Site and the uniqueness of the Namib Sand Sea.

Hopefully, next year we will see Gobabeb on the UNESCO World Heritage list as one of their new World Heritage Sites.

Keep following to hear more about the exciting adventures of the Namibian Wild Thornberrys!

Why Did the Warthog Cross the Road?

by Beth Alexis

I don’t have an answer for that joke yet, but I thought it would make a catchy title. If you have a good punch line, please leave a comment.

Being in Namibia is a bit like being behind the scenes of a wildlife documentary, or it feels like you’ve hopped into the movie the Lion King.

Thursday’s tour of a game farm was one of those standout moments where I was able to appreciate the unique and diverse wildlife that Namibia has to offer.

The game farm is connected with the University of Namibia Neudamm Campus. The cattle for the university graze on this land, and there are options to camp on the game reserve for the chance to view wildlife.

We rode through the reserve in trucks and saw so many different animals. There was a family of warthogs that we kept coming across; they were fast runners and had no problem sliding under fences.

It was fun to see some of the animals run on the road in front of us and hop over fences. I think that the waterbucks (a type of antelope) we saw should be heading to the Olympics because they were certainly proficient in the high jump. Another group of animals that crossed our path was a congress (group) of baboons!

While touring the game farm we had a chance to learn about the crop science department and visit the greenhouse-like huts where some crops are grown. Since it is winter in Namibia there wasn’t too much growing, but we did see carrots, spinach, and onions. The particular onion variety was called Texas Giant. The crops manager explained to us the rotational planting practices between tomatoes and legumes.

Near the end of the tour we were surprised by a special lunch. We got to experience a braai which is a Namibian barbecue. The staff made us Namibian beef steaks, mutton, and pork sausage.

Keep following us (granted that we have Internet access) as our adventures take us to Gobabeb!

Here Kitty, Kitty!

by Holly Van Groll

Wednesday was yet another great day in Namibia!

After another warm breakfast prepared by our wonderful friends in the kitchen, we made a trip over to the Ministry of Mines and Energy. We participated in a tour of the ministry’s geology and paleontology museum. Did you know some of the earliest fossils were found here in Namibia? Yes, you learn something new every day.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to the N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary for a carnivore feeding tour! N/a’an ku sê is heavily supported by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and we got to see several photos of staff and volunteers with Brad and Angelina.

The sanctuary was beautiful and was located just above a huge ravine, overlooking the many acres that make up the reserve. Once we had a few minutes to look around, we loaded up in large safari-style Land Rovers and headed out to feed some wildlife!

Among the many things we were able to see, the cheetahs and wild dogs were most definitely a highlight for the group. The cheetahs were so tame that one of our guides climbed the fence to return a piece of antelope meat that had been caught in a tree. The cheetahs purred and meowed like kittens, surprising us all.

The wild dogs were beautiful. With spotted legs that almost matched the cheetahs, and huge ears that looked like they belonged to foxes, the dogs were the most elaborately colored/patterned animal we have seen the entire time we’ve been in Africa.

Farmers have problems with these dogs stealing their livestock, so they trap them and take them to the sanctuary. They were very large dogs and had an elaborate pack hierarchy, much like wolves.

Our safari ride ended with a ride back to the main house with a beautiful sunset background. It still surprises us all when the temperature drops almost twenty degrees within the few minutes it takes for the sun to set.

We have had such a great time on this trip that it is hard to believe we have only been here just a few days! We have many more exciting adventures to look forward to!

High on the Hill: A Hero’s View

by Tray Heard

The scale and beauty of Heroes’ Acre, Namibia’s official war memorial, clearly shows the freshness of independence in the hearts and minds of this countries’ citizens. Perched like a bird’s nest high above the capital city of Windhoek, it can be seen for miles and offers an amazing view of the rolling hills all around. 

The towering 25 ft. bronze statue of Sam Nujoma, Namibia’s first president, stands fiercely at the top of the memorial, looking out over the country he helped create. This figure is shadowed only by a gleaming white obelisk—a structure similar to our Washington Monument—rising nearly 100 ft. into the sky behind him; it is truly a sight to behold.

Completed only 10 years ago, very few of the memorial’s 174 gravesites are currently marked. Nine black marble tombstones show portraits of Namibia’s heroes that have already passed, political and military alike. As Namibia is now only 22 years removed from its independence from South Africa, it is understood that there are still many more heroes that have yet to earn their place in the annals of this young countries’ history.

Similar to many state-funded structures built across the world, Hero’s Acre has not escaped controversy. Contracted and constructed by a North Korean firm, Namibians and outsiders both struggle to understand the ruling parties’ decisions in creation and design.

Much can be said about the look of the memorial; marble, bronze and gold are all the eyes can see in sharp contrast to the dry green and brown hills that surround it. Memorials have often stood as bright and shining examples of how a population can show their pride to visitors and the world. With all its splendor, this memorial does not fail to stand up to that desire.