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

You Spin Me Round

By Jules Henry

Imagine, 24 faces made up of two professors, a TA, 10 graduate students, and 11 undergraduates. . . BOY HOWDY, what a great combination of individuals! This is the group of ALEC students participating in the wintermester study abroad to the Texas A&M Solsis Center in Costa Rica.  Graduate students will be mapping out the community while the undergraduates are learning about how change happens and innovations are diffused.

Many of us left the airport in Houston on Saturday full of anticipation for what would lie  ahead in the next two weeks.

We arrived in Liberia, Costa Rica and started a  day full of traveling on winding roads and epic hills (no joke!). We traveled on the Pan-American road, which is being expanded to two lanes. How cool is that?!

The scenery was full of life and deep green colors. From the very beginning, there were many cultural differences like money, stop signs (they look like the ones at home but have ALTO on them) and even bathroom labels for men and women. The people are very welcoming and polite; it is nice that they try to converse with us even though we may not know the language. I should have been prepared! Other than that, what a welcoming community and country!

As expected, I think many of our heads were spinning from all the new sights and information that our brains were absorbing when we made it to our final destination, the Soltis Center. With that said, our first day was quite a whirlwind! And the wheels on the bus go round and round. . . haha, the buses are quite impressive for they are able to carry so much weight and go up very steep hills. I’m surprised we didn’t slide down!! Until tomorrow, keep on chuggin’ along!

Don’t Mind the Cold

by Gary Wingenbach

In retrospect, it wasn’t that cold at the University of Namibia-Neudamm Campus. At least our brief time on campus was not “snow-worthy” cold, as reported by Dr. Martin Schneider (see photo), on this lovely mid-August morning. Then again, time has a way of softening the edges of every experience. So, the 75-degree difference between Windhoek, Namibia, and College Station, Texas, doesn’t seem that grand now.

I feel a bit guilty seeing next week’s planning meeting for “Namibia 2013.” Wait, is that possible? Weren’t we just there a few weeks ago for the Namibia 2012 experience? Yes, and yes. Time waits for no one, especially adventuresome Aggies wishing to feel desert winds, scream wildly at lowly baboons, climb sand dunes, smell seal-fouled ocean breezes, and speak cheetah.

What will Namibia 2013 bring for those adventuresome Aggies? I remain hopeful they’ll experience the same awe and impact, as did students during Namibia 2012. I hope we’ll make new connections, like Chris Janes and Matt Flick, Peace Corps Volunteers making a difference in Namibia’s educational system. You can follow their blogs at http://mathinnamibia.blogspot.com (note: don’t be scared of the word “math”) and http://whereintheworldisflick.tumblr.com.

Maybe some of those Aggies will be inspired to take on new global challenges, whereby their presence will be counted in months or years like those of Chris and Matt, rather than weeks. Don’t get me wrong; such a long-term outcome is “nice,” but not totally necessary to change one’s outlook on life.

I read students’ reactions to the Namibia 2012 experience, and suffice it to say their lives will be forever changed. For some, the surprise of Namibia’s “developed world” status in their electrical, transportation, and water systems changed long-held perceptions of the “African condition,” as seen by most in US-based media portrayals. For others, the lack of student resources at the UNAM campuses will be etched in their memories, causing them to “do something” to ameliorate those situations. Fantastic! Every long journey starts with just one step.

For me, Namibia was a vastly different experience than what I witnessed in Guatemala. My colleague helped me sort out the differences: in Guatemala, Aggies worked in elementary schools with youth groups, while in Namibia, Aggies worked primarily with organizations external to formal school systems and only with adult groups. Neither experience was better than the other, just different. That is to say, Namibia’s freezing cold nights are not necessarily better than Texas’ fiercely hot days, just different.

That difference really sums up an important belief about study abroad at Texas A&M. At least in the Guatemala and Namibia programs, we strived to help Aggies understand that one people, culture, food, or social system is not necessarily better than another, but it is different. When students and faculty, understand and appreciate those differences, we will have impactful study abroad programs at Texas A&M University.

Aggies Under African Skies

by Leighton James

A few days ago I realized I have a problem:  I have to write the final blog for Namibia Study Abroad 2012.  I should probably be happy about it.  Everyone always wants the last word.

What I didn’t realize was how difficult it would be to write about this trip.  How can I possibly tell you how absolutely amazing this trip was in a blog or at all really?

I could talk about the places we went or the projects we were assigned.  Of course, that has already been done.

Along with the places we went, came the amazing people:  the Schneider family, Dr. Mary Seely, Eugene Marias, the fabulous Dr. Laurie Marker, the Ogongo students, the staff at the University of Namibia’s Neudamm and Ogongo campuses, Gobabeb Desert Research and Training Centre, and the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), our bus driver, Ephraim, and everyone else along the way.

Perhaps I will talk about the billions of stars in the night sky or the multiple colors of the sunrise.  They were both breathtaking.  One of my favorite moments was climbing to the top of the dunes (which also took my breath away, literally) at sunrise with Jessica Guerra and Tray Heard.  I was so excited and in such awe of the beauty that I almost started squealing and jumping up and down. I could’ve stayed there for hours.

Then, of course, there were the animals – my favorite, by far, being the cheetah (thanks CCF).  Their anatomy, precision and beauty is fascinating.

There are so many things we did and experienced, constantly moving and changing.  All of these places and people make it difficult to say goodbye.  However, there was a  constant that I was also fortunate to have – the other 12 Aggies on this trip.  Everyone contributed in their own way.

We never had to wonder about what Josh Hardcastle was thinking; he let us know frequently, and we humorously coined the phrase, “It’s just Josh.” I admire his hardworking personality that shined through in all of our groups.  (You can thank him for keeping this fantastic blog updated.)

Brooke Brock, whom I gained a respect for early on, not only constantly applied her scientific knowledge but was also almost always the first to talk to the local people.  Her willingness and ability to converse came so naturally, and I loved watching her do it.  I can’t wait to (hopefully) visit her in Washington, D.C. during the Thanksgiving break!

I have to thank Samantha Alvis for all of the hard work she put into the planning of this trip.  We appreciated her input on all that we did as she knew a lot about the places we were going.  By the way, I hope Sam’s niece knows how much she loves and adores her.  It was adorable seeing her excitement when she got to Skype with her for her birthday.

Brandy Dangelmayr never stopped surprising me.  The humor she provided in almost every situation was much appreciated.  As Dr. Rutherford said at dinner, it was fun seeing her in her element as she was truly intrigued by the goat operation at the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

Her partners in crime (and in humor) were Holly Van Groll and Jessica Guerra. Jessica brought insight on new ideas and beliefs.  She always seemed to perfectly “fit in” with all of the nature aspects of our trip. 

Holly is one of the most down-to-earth people I have met, and her laugh is so contagious.  I also enjoyed listening to her talk about the Peace Corps, through which she will soon be pursuing her master’s degree.

That brings me to Lauren Cockerell.  You can tell she adores her family through the way she talks about them.  She is incredibly driven by her work.  She and her husband are in the process of joining the Peace Corps, which I find admirable.  (Mom and Dad, don’t be surprised if all of this Peace Corps talk inspires me to join, too.)

I don’t think I could describe Beth Alexis any better than Dr. Wingenbach did.  Her “wonderment” in everything we did struck us all.  I wish I could capture her wide eyes and huge, beautiful smile.  It would be nice to look at her face when I lost sight of the value of “wonderment.”

Amy Heartfield’s excitement made me giggle many times.  I wish I could include a recording of her enthusiastically saying, “I’m so excited!”  Her loving nature makes me doubt that she has a mean bone in her body.  I know her words and actions are genuine  and kind – something that is truly refreshing.

Then, there is Tray Heard.  I had the pleasure of receiving his insight on many things about life.  This was in between the times he was enlightening the group with all of his useful (random) information and making us laugh with his witty remarks.  His passion for his future goals and powerful voice makes me believe that he will exceed even his own expectations.

Lastly, our trip would not have been possible (literally) without our professors, Dr. Gary Wingenbach and Dr. Tracy Rutherford.  Dr. Wingenbach’s stories and insights gave me new perspectives on agriculture and leadership.  He also helped me further develop my own ideas.  I think I learned something or was challenged to think almost every time he spoke.  I appreciated his efforts in trying to push my buttons.  He continuously gave me a hard time, which always kept me on my toes.

I give Dr. Rutherford credit for a lot of things, including my decision to officially change my major to agricultural communications and journalism (which I have gradually been doing since I met her).  She epitomizes the feeling I have of a family at Texas A&M. I appreciate her ability to silently observe everyone in the group. She was the first to point out the “pure joy” she saw me develop on the trip.  I’m not even sure I had identified my own feelings until she pointed them out.

I hope these two individuals know the immense positive impact they have on all of their students.

I will never forget this trip or the people on it.  Now, don’t get me wrong, put 13 strangers in confined spaces with limited resources for a month, and you’re bound to come across some conflict.  However, the conflict doesn’t come close to outweighing the positives.

I appreciate them for every late night talk, shedding light on ideas and experiences during reflections, the laughs (I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time) and helping me understand myself a little deeper.

I’m fortunate because some of the best parts of my trip get to come home with me.  Although I may never cross paths with these individuals in Africa again, I can’t wait to see them back at home, hear about their success and learn even more from them.

This is my Aggie family, and we’ll always have the times we spent under African skies.

Namibia Translated

by Josh Hardcastle

Studying abroad in an English-speaking country has been quite different than my last study abroad experience. In Guatemala, a simple conversation could have taken 30 minutes and might have consisted of a three-language (English to Spanish to Ixil) translation. Conversing in Namibia has been quicker.

While speaking to Namibians has been easier, our group has noticed several phrases here that are much different than what we would find in the United States.

In case you ever decide to travel to this beautiful country, Brandy Dangelmayr, Samantha Alvis and I have composed the following list of Namibian phrases and their U.S. counterparts so that you may have an even easier time conversing than we did.

Food

Chips = French fries

Braii = Barbecue

Coke light = Diet Coke

Spur’s = Chili’s

Wimpy = Denny’s

Pick ‘n’ Pay/Spar = HEB

Crackers = Cookies

Youngberry = Blackberry

Transportation

Land Rover = Jeep

Robots = Stoplights

Petro = Gasoline

Engen = Exxon

Housing

Hostel = Dormitory

Toilets = Restroom

Communication

SMS = Text message

High Five = Match.com

Education

To sit for an exam = To take an exam

Learner = K-12 student

Student = College student

Diploma = Technical degree

Degree = Bachelor’s degree

Occupations

Farmer = Rancher

Time

8:00 a.m. = 8:30 a.m.

Gone in 60 Seconds

by Amy Heartfield

Porsche, Ferrari and Cheetah? On Thursday at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), the Texas A&M study abroad group got to see the speed equivalent of a high-end sports car: cheetahs.

The morning started with watching the cheetahs exercise, which means watching large cats run as fast as a NASCAR!  The cheetahs chased a small flag attached to a pulley system, or “Namibian Playstation” as the interns fondly call it.  This pulley is set up in a square shape in an enclosed field.

After being only feet away from these high-speed animals, it was time to get down to business, and we continued to work on promotional posters and take-home materials for CCF. As the day came to an end, we presented the material to Dr.Marker and received supportive feedback for the projects.

For one of the last sundowners in Namibia, we  headed out to a secluded field to watch the cheetahs run one more time.  Seeing cheetahs run against the pink sunset is personally one of my favorite experiences of the trip.

 

Cheetahs and Dogs and Goats … Oh My!

by Beth Alexis

Our first day at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) was busy and full of new experiences. When we arrived (after traveling on a very bumpy road, we were greeted by several CCF staff members including Dr. Laurie Marker. Dr. Marker founded CCF, and it has been working to protect the cheetahs of Africa for over 20 years.

The whole group was given a tour of the facilities and had the chance to see the research lab, veterinary clinic, and education center. There was also a demonstration where we watched a dog that was trained to locate cheetah scat for research purposes.

Dr. Marker’s passion for protecting cheetahs is evident and infectious.

One of the reasons that cheetah populations have declined is because they are often been killed by farmers who are trying to protect their livestock. Although cheetahs have been spotted on farmlands seeking food, evidence has shown that cheetahs are often accused for other predators’ kills.

CCF understands that farmers need a form of predator control in order to protect their livelihood. To help promote a human-wildlife resolution, the organization breeds livestock guarding dogs to give to farmers in Namibia. These guard dogs protect livestock from predators and in turn protect the cheetah because the farmers no longer feel the need to kill them to keep their livestock safe.

After our lunch, we got to watch some cheetahs eat their lunch as well. The cheetahs ate meat out of large bowls, and the enthusiasm with which they ran to their food reminded me of my own cats.

We heard a short talk on individual cats during the feeding. My personal favorites were Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 

While at CCF, we are making educational materials about goats and guard dogs. We learned a lot about the animals from the staff, especially during our milking experience.

Several of us wanted to milk the goats, so we “helped” with that in the evening. Our time spent learning about goat nutrition and production will be helpful when it comes to creating the educational materials.

It was a pleasure to work with Dr. Marker and the rest of the staff, and I am looking forward to another day at CCF!

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!!!

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* $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.

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*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…