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.

by Jasper Ross

I was invited to an information session about the study abroad trip to Namibia; it caught my attention. NAMIBIA! “This will stand out on job applications” I thought to myself, “Wow, with this opportunity I can really change lives and do something great!” The process of coming to this study abroad trip was not an easy one. I went through a lot of hardships to be on this trip, being a psychology major with a speech impediment almost prevented me from attending. I have a story, we all do, but I was determined to not let being able to communicate effectively deter me from this wonderful opportunity.

Before going on this trip abroad, I really had to think, “What am I going to do with photojournalism and cultural pluralism in agriculture as a psychology major?” Well, I have always wanted to study abroad in college, study photography, and help others. “Remember, if you want to change the world, you have to change yourself,” one said. If you want to help someone succeed, you have to start with yourself.

I can combine new knowledge about photography, cultural pluralism, and psychology, to create something great. Studying different sectors in agriculture helps me acquire knowledge of farming, food security, and other issues that were unimportant to me before this trip. Not all learning happens in a classroom, as I found out from Damara mothers teaching their children how to make jewelry in their village.

My first thoughts before this trip were, “Wow! Africa! Is this really happening to me? I finally get to learn about different cultures, languages, the way people think, and about this strange group of people involved with this study abroad trip. This will be very interesting, combining programs with Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M University. Hopefully, it turms out great!” I went into this trrip with an open mind and a sound heart, but what I have is a different perspective on life and a changed mind.

Aside from climbing a terrifying 1000 ft sand dune, what stood out most to me was the pleasure of learning and visiting three Namibian tribes: Topnaar, Damara, and the Himba. These visits brought me to the realization that everything does not revolve around Americans. Not only do I want to make a difference, I want others to make a difference in me. Seeing the raw tasks of hunting in the Himba village helped me better understand culture, food security, and life in Namibia.

On July 31st we began our adventure to the anticipated Etosha National Park. I had to wake up by 4:30 am, eat breakfast around 5am, and be ready to head out by 6am. We anxiously awaited the opening of the gates since the gatekeeper had woken up late.  As the gates opened, I suddenly remembered my childhood memories and thinking what it would be like to see these animals in their natural habitat. Although we cannot communicate with animals they can often give us a lesson on how to be better human beings.

As we approached the first waterhole, we were not expecting to see any of the major animals until a while into the drive. To our surprise there was an older lone lioness to the right of our bus headed toward the water hole, where a pride already resided. When the pride approached the older lioness, she lay down and both the pride and the lioness acknowledged each others presence as a sign of respect.

Many people believe animals are not capable of showing emotions, such as respect, care, or loyalty. The truth is some animals show more emotions towardeach other than do humans.  An example of respect would be the older lioness and the pride, which acknowledged each other as they were passing by. We as humans live in a fast paced world where we often pass by people we know and not acknowledge their presence. Whether it is because you’re in a hurry or because you simply choose to ignore them. An example of care and protection would be elephants, as they circle around their offspring to protect them from potential threats. Most parents do provide such care and protection for their young, however many parents often get caught up in their busy schedules. Thus leaving their children unattended and prone to suffer a mistreatment or traumatic experience. Both the pride and the elephants also portray loyalty because they will defend each other when one is vulnerable. Humans tend to express this as well, however loyalties are tested when ones selfish thoughts get in the way.

People often do not realize that animals and humans often share similar experiences. Such as the black Namibians, which were forced to move by Windhoek’s town council to the new Katutura area to use the land for other purposes. The same happened to Native Americans back in the US, when they were forced to move from their homes. Which was accomplished through the Trail of Tears under the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Both of these groups to some extent lost the fire in their eyes, and were like wild animals that are captured and taken to zoos. At first, you can still see that fight in their eyes, remembering what it was like to roam free on their lands, but after a while, their eyes just glaze over, with no fight left in them. They often do not fight the government about their civil rights, mistreatment, or lands they’ve lost, because most of these people have fallen into vices of alcohol or drugs. Therefore they are unable to progress and fall into conformity.

Visiting Etosha National Park was a great experience that I will cherish and remember for years to come. It opened my eyes to characteristics that wild animals have and many civilized humans have lost. Animals are precious creatures, which we must respect and admire. Although we cannot communicate with them, there are many lessons to be learned from them.

 

Who you are is defined by many things. We are taught at a young age to view ourselves as individuals, and to understand the aspects of our culture. Some believe that culture, family, experiences, and life achievements are just a few drops in the ocean that make up who we are.

Marcus Garvey once said, “a people without knowledge of its past is like a tree without roots.” There was one moment during this study abroad when Marcus Garvey’s quote had deep significance for me in my self discovery. We visited a small Himba village during our tour of Namibia, and when we arrived the first thing we noticed were the clothing of the Himba women. They wore only small skirts made of cloth around their waist. Their bodies from head to toe were covered with a red clay like substance. They were beautiful, and strong women in my opinion, and you could see their curiosity about us equaled our own curiosity of them.

One of the Himba women asked me and two other PVAMU students, what tribe we came from. We looked at each other in unison, as we felt the same jolt of bewilderment as the question seeped into our minds. We answered the women politely,  “We don’t have tribes in America, we are just African Americans.”

Just as surprised as we were by her question she was even more surprised by our answer. At this point the translator tried to help us understand their confusion. He said, “We understand that we are all black, but you must know what tribe you are from.” Once again, we stated that we do not know of our tribes, we never had them, and that’s just how it is in the U.S. The women told us, “Your history is very important. You must know your history in order to know yourself, you must know what tribe you came from; we all have a home.” Immediately, I thought of Marcus Garvey’s quote, and wondered just how far my roots have actually spread.

How do you define a picture? Well first of all, there are many things than can be defined as a “picture.” Whether it be a drawing made by a kindergartener, a photograph in National Geographic, a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, or even an ancient rock engraving at Twyfelfontein. However different all these types of pictures may be, there will always be a single uniting factor: a story is being told.

 

 

Prior to this trip, I don’t think I could fully tell you how to use every iPhone camera setting. That being said, there is no way I could have told you how my aperture was set for a picture, why I changed my white balance, or the definition of Bokeh. In just three short weeks we’ve mastered the basics of photography and are able to use photographic language to convey WHY we’re using these camera settings. But why are we taking the picture? We’re telling a story. We’re telling a story for ourselves. We’re telling a story for our friends. We’re telling a story for our parents and everyone else back home, who won’t understand the Sossusvlei dunes or the proximity of the lions at Na’ankuse.

There is one piece to the puzzle that is not there for those viewing the pictures after the fact. I came to a conclusion when I made a trip to the Grand Canyon two years ago. The pictures I saw in textbooks did not prepare me at all for the enormity of the Grand Canyon when it was right in front of me. Likewise, when I showed my mom pictures upon my return I could tell she couldn’t quite grasp the fact that it looks nothing like the photos; they just don’t compare. It’s just a catch to photography that the photographer will always have the full story, because they experienced the picture and everything around it. Everyone else will only get a glimpse of that moment, but it is up to the photographer to capture as much of the moment as possible.

On another level, this study abroad group has a special connection to all the things we have experienced and photographed together. Experiencing these things with the other people on the trip will be something we’ll always have in common and it is up to all of us to try to convey those experiences to our loved ones. The full story and the whole experience will always remain in our memories; memories that we shared together. So sure, a picture may be worth a thousand words, and our families are going to crowd around to see them upon our return, but only we remember the full effect of the images. Only we remember how the lions’ hunger gave us goose-bumps, and how the sounds of the Damara people singing made us jump up and join in their dance. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the real experience and memories are worth a whole lot more.