Our driver, Reggie, suddenly slammed on the breaks. Our tour guide, Bernd, got up to check out the suspicious vehicle, parked off-trail in the tall grass. Bernd stepped off the bus without a word to any of us to go inspect the situation. He spotted empty rifle bags in the front seat of the empty jeep, which alarmed him that poachers may be near-by. Frantic whispers filled the bus as we questioned our safety. Were they going to hurt the animals? Would they hurt us if we witnessed them committing a crime?

Poaching is considered to be one of the most prevalent and heinous crimes in Namibia, carrying severe consequences. We visited Mahango National Park, which is one of the only game parks in Namibia that allows tourists to leave their vehicles to observe the wildlife. While in Mahango, we spotted this suspicious vehicle and we began to learn about the severity and reality of poaching, and the challenge of people coexisting with wildlife.

Namibia is one of few countries that include nature conservation in their constitution. Our guide, Bernd, informed me that these nature protection clauses are as equally important to Namibians as the Bill of Rights is to Americans. The Namibian Constitution has a distinct focus on the link between nature and sustainability as the combining key to a prospering future. This creates conflict between the protection of natural resources and human interest.

The Mahango National Park faces challenges between the Kavango people and the conservation of elephants, antelope, lions, leopards, etc. Some of them don’t mind providing information to poachers if that results in a generous payment. Rural villagers in the closer vicinity need to develop an understanding of the indirect benefit from the protected area. Namibia’s wildlife conservation issues Regardless of any laws in place to face these issues, the quarrel between humans and natural resources will continue to be an issue until more permanent issues are implanted by the government.

The airplane was over the Atlantic Ocean when I first thought of the question that would dwell in my mind until I finally reached Namibia. If Namibia is mostly desert, how does life survive? With average rainfall being less than two inches a year, how is it possible for animals and humans to sustain themselves? I was oblivious to the fact that the answers I would unearth during my time here in this sandy, desert land would completely change my outlook on life altogether.

I remember the first time I experienced the fog. It was an early, chilly morning at Neudamm campus when I stepped outside and saw a dense blanket of fog covering the landscape. Where did it come from? I was smack in the middle of Namibia, one of the driest countries on earth, yet it still managed to produce fog? It just didn’t add up. Finally, after much contemplation, I asked one of the Namibian professors about it. According to Professor Mpofu, the fog is produced from the cold ocean current along the coast and is the main source of water for many plants and animals. One insect in particular uses the fog in a very unique way. The Toktokkie beetle is endemic to Namibia, and is found mainly in sandy desert areas. At night the Toktokkie beetle scurries up the massive sand dunes and points its lower abdomen into the air with its head pointing towards the ground. The beetle does this to capture fog droplets so the water will roll down its back until a single drop trickle into its mouth. I never would have imagined a beetle to be quite so resourceful.

There are thousands of desert insects that survive on fog moisture. In return, there are many animals that survive on insects. Chameleons, bats, geckos, birds, and snakes are a few examples of animals that dwell in the harsh Namibian landscape, living on insects. Even so, bigger animals such as jackals, hawks, and foxes survive by eating the insect-eaters. This delicate ecosystem is what supports the animals and human inhabitants of Namibia.

 

As I learned how life is supported here, I realized that just as the animals depend on the fog, we humans depend on one another for survival. In times of loss, we turn to our family and friends for comfort. In times of happiness, we gather together in celebration. In times of need, we depend on those who we trust to help lead us in the right direction. We need each other. We will always need each other. I would have never thought desert life would teach me such a valuable lesson.

In Namibia there are two types of farming: commercial and communal. As pictured below, commercial farming is for profit and is most commonly found in southern Namibia. Commercial farming is also commonly found in the United States. Communal farming uses one piece of land and its resources to farm (Kalundu). Communal farming includes grazing, harvesting plants, and raising livestock. Communal farming began before Namibian independence in 1994 and continues today in the northern parts of Namibia (Mendelsohn).

Along with the majority of the Namibian population, the majority of the cattle of Namibia are located in the northern, communal regions (pictured below). Unfortunately, the Namibian government has declared a “Red Line,” separating the north and south parts of the country (Schneider). This line has been set to prevent the spread of disease between the two halves. The northern region tends to have less animal health care leading to the spread of disease. Meat products can only be exported from the south to the north, but not vice versa.

Namibia has the potential to become a powerful producer of meat products due to the high volume of cattle, goats, and sheep that are located in the northern region (Mendelsohn). The only obstacle is ridding Namibia of the “Red Line.” To do this, Namibia must first increase the availability of animal health care and then improve the knowledge of animal health care in the northern region.

Next, a controversial topic in Namibia: the commercial farm movement. I believe there should be an increase in commercial farms. Commercial farms have been proven to be more efficient and productive. The United States began farming in communities and struggled until it converted to commercialism. The techniques, knowledge, and technology of commercial farming are reasons for its success. Currently, 50% of the Namibian population depends on subsistence agriculture for their livelihood (Schneider). Converting to commercial farming would create enough produce and animal products to feed families, sell at market, and employ much of the unemployed population.

I believe that Namibia has great economic potential lying in the northern region. The government must take action to unlock its potential. Education of animal husbandry and health care should be encouraged in schools. Technology must be incorporated into new farming techniques. The big question: Where will the money come from to fund these projects?

Imagine that you wake up every morning wondering if you will get to eat that day. Imagine that your mother passes out food to your father and siblings, leaving none for herself because there just isn’t enough food. Imagine that you get sick in the bush where you live with your tribe and cannot get to a clinic because it is more than a day’s walk away. Imagine that this is how more than half of your country lives on a consistent basis. These situations are a little difficult to imagine as an American citizen because a lot of these issues have already been addressed in one way or another for the vast amount of the American population. For the Namibian people though, these are daily realities.

The health care system in Namibia has the unique challenge of supporting a small population spread over a large area. There are about 2.3 million Namibian citizens living over an area just 1.18 times the size of Texas. The state-run clinics are free to the public, but are mostly in populated areas such as towns and cities. Rural clinics and mobile clinics can be found, but they are few and far between, with a varying quality of care. Private clinics exist either as expensive health care centers where the wealthy can get state-of-the-art care for a large fee or as charity clinics that cater to certain cultural groups such as the San Bushmen. Much of the population, however, is not able to access healthcare on a regular basis and thus many diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV spread continuously with little hope of decreasing prevalence or eradication in the near future.

Malnutrition is huge health concern, especially for the indigenous tribal groups, because of their traditional diets and lack of food variety. The San Bushmen females, for example, are very malnourished because of the traditional diet of maize-based foods and game meat and because of their tradition of feeding the men of the family first, then the children, and then the mother, if there’s anything left. This cycle of malnutrition is passed to children, because mother’s bodies lack sufficient nutrition to give babies a healthy pre-natal chance for full development. Also, after birth, infants are breastfed for one to two years with milk that is low in nutritional value; then, they are weaned onto a maize and water diet for another year or two. There are very few sources of micronutrients in this diet that consists largely of starch and protein.

Food security and extreme poverty are the two largest contributors to all these issues, and are concerns Namibia is currently working to correct. The country is only 24 years into their independence and has experienced a lot of growth already. In light of all that we have learned on this study abroad trip, Namibia does have a bright future, especially in the areas of food security, health care, and nutrition.

In Namibia there are three types of cattle ranching. Those are: commercial, communal and cultural. Communal beef cattle ranching is a strange concept to me when I first arrived in Namibia. Communal farming consists of an entire community coming together to take care of their herds of livestock or farmlands. This concept of a community raising cattle together was mind-boggling because it is very different from the U.S. beef industry. Once I learned more about communal farming, I realized that just because it’s different from U.S. methods, doesn’t mean it’s an inferior method.

Communal farming is a huge cultural and economical part of Namibian society. Raising cattle is very labor intensive, so Namibian men are the main caretakers of the cattle. Cattle raised by communal farmers are not always confined by fences, but will roam freely throughout the countryside. Allowing cattle to roam free causes a few problems. Animals will cross the road in front of oncoming vehicles to get to better grazing land. These crossings can cause car accidents and accidental killings of livestock.

Communal farmers own 60% of the cattle in Namibia; however, they only contribute 5-6% of the national agriculture output, partially due to the establishment of the “Red Line.” The Red Line divides Northern Namibia as a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) prone area, from Southern Namibia, which is a FMD free area. Communal farmers living north of the Red Line cannot participate in the international export markets.

Farmers face tough challenges in any cattle operation. Overgrazing and overstocking is a huge problem in communal areas. Overgrazing land can increase desertification and destroy grazing land. Namibia, just like Texas, has a severe drought problem. About 80% of communal cattle ranchers are affected by droughts. Some ranchers may lose up to 22% of their cattle. To combat this problem, the community must band together to find the best course of action. The main options for communal farmers to combat drought are to buy feed, sell cattle, or move cattle.

While learning about communal cattle ranching in Namibia, I couldn’t help but compare it to U.S. methods of ranching. In the United States, we use antibiotics and growth hormones to protect cattle from disease and help speed their growth rates. In Namibia, no hormones or antibiotics are allowed. Namibians don’t usually dehorn their cattle. Horned cattle can cause bruising and blemishes to the hide.

Although there are many differences between the U.S. and Namibia cattle ranching methods, there are also similarities. Both countries have massive extension programs. The extension programs for communal farmers will help vaccinate their cattle from Anthrax and Brucellosis. Both the U.S. and Namibia programs help educate farmers, and act as points of contact.

Communal ranching helps generate income for ranchers, and allows them to keep strong community ties. The community works together to raise cattle to ensure they are healthy and market ready. Having strong family and community ties is a large part of Namibian culture. Being here in Namibia, has opened my eyes to international agriculture. I want to take what I’ve learned in the four short weeks that I’ve been here, and apply it to my future research. Communal cattle ranching taught me that different methods of agriculture are not wrong, just different. I learn that instead of criticizing these agricultural differences, I should celebrate them and try my best to fully understand them.

Food insecurity is a concern to almost every country in the world. Numerous factors affect the food security situation in Namibia, including the arid environment, unemployment, and lack of nutrition education. All areas of food security (access, availability, utilization, distribution, and stability) are affected but I have discovered that availability, access, and utilization of food are major problems in Namibia.

The population of Namibia is just over 2.3 million people. Over 780,000 of these people are food insecure. More than 62% of Namibians live in rural areas and have a small subsistence farm on the communal land provided to their community by the government. Normally, these farms provide a family with enough to combat hunger, but are not always able to provide the right nutrients for them.

Namibia lacks sufficient nutrition education. Many people do not know about food nutrition and which nutrients their bodies need to be healthy. Most subsistence farmers grow corn or mahango and some small livestock for protein. There are few fruits and vegetables in their diets causing a lack in essential vitamins. Food labels in Namibia are in KJ of energy. Many people think that the more KJ energy a food has, the more nutrients it has, leading to poor food choices.

 

 

Namibia has two distinct weather seasons; rainy and dry. The country does not get much rainfall and has severe drought conditions annually. In the rainy season, floods are common in the northern region of Namibia. These natural disasters can wipe out a family’s entire harvests of crops and can kill their livestock causing hunger in communities. Availability of food becomes a problem if this happens.

In urban areas, many people lack access to food. The unemployment rate in Namibia is an average of 23%, but it is higher, depending on the region. The lack of jobs makes buying food difficult. More than 9.6% of the population is considered severely poor, meaning they don’t have enough money to buy food. Another 19.5 % of the population is considered poor, meaning they might have enough money for food, but don’t have extra to pay for utilities, etc.

The land in Namibia is mostly dry, making it difficult to produce some crops. Over 90% of the products in Namibia are imported from South Africa. The imports cause high food prices because of trade tariffs. These prices make it difficult for many Namibians living under the poverty line to purchase imported foods. For example, dairy products are almost all imported from South Africa and are priced expensively, causing many people to go without milk.

I hope this information provides some insights about food security in Namibia. Their future doesn’t look bright now, but I am hopeful that the number of people who are food insecure will decrease and their knowledge of nutrition education will increase in coming years.

Before I left America I thought that Namibians would not be accepting of us in their country. As a tourist, I was not sure they’d be concerned about our wellbeing. I thought traveling to Africa would be a risk. My mind was crowded with questions about culture and lifestyle. I was worried about food, water sanitation, communication, and my safety.

Some of these assumptions were correct, but not to the degree I expected. The people I’ve encountered are friendly and accommodating. Our tour guides, travel guides, and our lodging hosts enjoy talking about their lifestyles. Namibians are honest about their culture. All have enjoyed teaching us what they know, their jobs, and how they make a living.  They don’t mind answering our questions. They thank us for coming and for being interested in their livelihoods. I feel comfortable here.

There was only one time I was uncomfortable. However, it was not related to our hosts’ demeanor. It was when we saw lions at N/a’an ku sêwildlife sanctuary. They were pawing at the ground, running at the fence, and roaring. It was so loud, I felt like I was in a small room with surround sound. But, even then our tour guide reassured me that we would be okay.  Beyond this one instance I have felt right at home. With having said all of this, I hope to better understand the culture, and be an advocate for those who are curious about Namibia.

What do career competencies mean to you? I honestly didn’t have a valid answer myself when I was asked three weeks ago for an in-class pre-departure assignment. Our professors elaborated on the components of career competency just enough to familiarize us with the terminology in our syllabus. I always thought I had decent communication skills because I could talk to the stranger next to me in class, and could pitch a presentation to a room full of people I didn’t know. I also thought teamwork was as simple as being apart of a group working towards a consensus, but Namibia has defined a whole new perspective of teamwork for me.

Back in the United States, technology keeps us from having to work with each other organically. In Namibia, they don’t have the quantity of technology that we do which makes it necessary that they work together face to face, person to person. If we have group work back at home, we generally use electronic communication as much as possible before we have to meet in person. On the contrary, here in Namibia, almost every task is done with two or more people. Teamwork and communication are obviously more engrained in the Namibian culture than American culture.

Coming to Namibia we didn’t have as much access to wifi and cell phone reception which caused to us communicate with each other personally. We have all these projects and assignments where we talk to each other every day and have multiple reflections, and talk about topics in an open form type setting. All the interaction and discussion these assignments require heightens our own skills of communication and teamwork as we learn more about Namibia and each other. The experiences we have shared together abroad in Namibia have shown us how valuable communication between people can be, and how imperative teamwork is to the learning environment. I’ve realized on this trip that cell phones shouldn’t be relied on so heavily for communication, but at the same time I have accepted it to be part of the American culture.

As students studying abroad, we have been tasked with the challenge of exuding the skills and mindset that go hand and hand with intercultural knowledge.  Recently I, along with my group, lead a student reflection session on this very topic. We reminded everyone of the definition and the skill set you need to practice intercultural knowledge. There are six different skills deemed, by some researchers, necessary to achieve intercultural knowledge. These skills are cultural self-awareness, cultural worldwide views, empathy, communication, curiosity and openness.  While these are all necessary, the rest of the students reminded me of a few more skills needed to be inter-culturally knowledgeable.

The first characteristic suggested was patience.  You must be patient with yourself and others especially when different languages are at play. We recently visited a Himba village, where we had a translator/guide to explain to us what their life is like.  He also translated questions that some of the tribe members asked us. At the end of the visit, we were able to peruse the crafts they had for sale. Now imagine 15 women all trying to shop at the same time, with one translator. It was quite chaotic. The young, Himba girls would grab your hands and start adorning you with bracelets and necklaces. I finally had to negotiate with a young lady myself. Thankfully she understood me and I was able to get the price of a few bracelets down. But other Himbas did not understand, and the translator was pulled every which direction. In this situation, patience was definitely a skill we all needed to practice so that everyone could buy what they wanted at the price they wanted.

Bravery was the second characteristic a student suggested that stood out to me. I think that our entire group of 16 students are extremely brave for choosing to participate in a study abroad program in Africa. I know that personally, I was asked numerous times, “Why are you going to Africa?” I didn’t necessarily have an answer for those people back then, but I do now. I came to Africa to gain intercultural knowledge. This country and these people are absolutely beautiful. I am glad I had the bravery to do something that most would not, and I am sure that if you asked the rest of the group, all of them would share the same sentiment.

The bravery did not stop when we arrived in Namibia. We have to practice it everyday. We are constantly putting ourselves out there to ask questions, to absorb cultural differences and to understand ways of life. There are several different cultures in Namibia and I would like to leave with knowledge about all of them. You have to have the bravery to interact with the different cultures, to play with the kids and hold their hands, or talk to the elders about their lives and their children. Through finding out about others and other cultures, you find yourself and your culture.

by Georgia Arrindell

When people think of Africa, they think of a poor continent where people walk around with no clothes on, orphans are endless, and no one has anything to eat. The media has an effect on most everyone who sees it. What most Americans think of Africa is what they see on TV or read in magazines. Although some of these stereotypes may be true in places, what I have noticed is a totally different experience. Before I traveled across the Atlantic, I would tell people that I was going to Namibia and they would get confused and ask me questions like “Why would you want to study abroad in Africa?” These words made me doubt my decision to travel to Namibia, but after being in this country for just a few short weeks, I have already fallen in love.

Namibia was officially named a country 24 years ago after they were given independence from South Africa. There are thirteen regions in the country and many different types of cultures. While there is severe poverty and food insecurity in many places, most Namibians seem to be happy people. I had the opportunity to visit three of the native Namibian tribes while in country, the Topnaar, Damara, and Himba people. Though they live a simple life without most modern day technology, electricity and running water, they seem to genuinely enjoy life. Many of the people in these villages make crafts to sell for a source of income as well as work on their farms to provide food for their families. The children are sent to school in the morning and then come home to help with the daily activities in the afternoon. We asked Oma, a sweet old Topnaar woman “if you could have anything else in life, what would you choose?” She replied by saying that she has her family, a house and her goats and that’s all she could ever need.

I think that sometimes Americans take for granted the amount of materialistic items we have. Many times, even though we have everything to meet our basic needs, we keep wanting more. This experience has made me realize how unimportant material things are in the scheme of life. I know that before I came to Namibia, I was a little bit internet obsessed with all of my electronics and social media accounts. I constantly had to be in the know of everything that was going on with my hundreds of Facebook friends that I rarely talk to. I have realized by experiencing some of these Namibian cultures that what’s more important is family and getting to know people on a personal level, even if it means not being “Facebook popular.”

Experiencing all of these cultures has given me a new look on how I treat others and view stereotypes. I have learned that not everything that you hear about a culture is true. Namibia is certainly not a place full of orphans who are malnourished like you see on the TV ads about Africa. Sure, there are places that have these problems but not everything that you see in the media is the real situation. There’s so much more than meets the eye.