Africa

“Go to Africa”.

24Aug

Those were the words spoken to me and a few dozen other attendees during an Oct. 2012 workshop my academic department (Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications) at Texas A&M University was hosting. ”Go to Africa”, he told us. The “he” was Tibor P. Nagy. Mr. Nagy is currently the Vice Provost for International Affairs at Texas Tech University. Prior to that he was the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia and Guinea, the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Cameroon, and Togo, and had additional postings in Seychelles, Ethiopia, and Zambia. It is safe to say he knows Africa pretty well. He spoke on quite a few topics, but what stuck with me the most were his two main points a. Africa is abound with opportunities, and b. If you really want to help “develop” Africa you need to go there and see it for yourself. Like a mantra, “Go to Africa” he told us over and over again.

Well, here I am. In Africa. My first time stepping foot on the continent. In many ways it is much like I imagined it. A lot of dust and dirt. Mosquitoes are everywhere. Loud people dressed in colorful clothing. Women carrying everything imaginable on their heads. There are police checkpoints every 3 or 4 miles where there are always 2 or 3 police sitting in white plastic lawn chairs under the roof of a dingy highway office while another officer “checks” drivers for their vehicle registration (a taxi driver told me the “check” “costs” GH₵ 2, or about $1).

Yet, because this is my first time in Africa so much is new to me. Be forewarned, the following are broad generalizations which I make based on a mere few weeks in one small country in just one part of a hugely diverse continent. In Ghana, more specifically, Northern Ghana, people are tall! I have done most of my work in Guatemala where the chronic malnutrition (stunting) rate is about 50%. In rural Guatemala I am, at 5’10”, taller than nearly 99% of the people. In rural Northern Ghana, I am average height. People seem to eat (again, relative to my experience) a lot. And their diet seems well balanced. Chicken, goat, guinea fowl, beef, fish, cassava (fufu), maize (banku), rice, millet, peanut, pepper, cabbage, tomato, onion, yam, and quite a lot of other vegetables that I still have not identified! There are very few cars relative to people. It’s amazing how many people bike, walk, or ride a motorbike instead of ride in a car. Public transport seems pretty iffy, and except for one main highway, roads are all dirt. In the wet season (which is now) these roads turn to mud, and when cars drive on muddy roads they create giant potholes. I would rather walk than bump my head against the roof of a car or risk my life on the back of a motorbike.

A main road leading away from Sirigu towards Atomkongu.

I am here as a short-term consultant for ACDI/VOCA, an international NGO which does agricultural development work. They are funding me through USAID’s farmer-to-farmer program. My challenge is to help design an organic agricultural curriculum for a new school, the Ghana Institute of Organic Farming (GIOF), which is opening up in the Upper East region. I am working with the director, the GIOF teachers, professors from a nearby polytechnic institute, and Ghanaian staff from ACDI/VOCA to develop a curriculum, course sequencing, and some of the content. The school is scheduled to accept its first students just next month, so I am working warp speed. All of my partners are incredibly competent; Ghana is known for having a strong education system and it shows. I still have one more week till I complete my work and fly home. It has been a wonderful eye-opening experience (highlight eye-opening).

Africa has been very good to me. I am glad that I have taken Mr. Nagy’s advice, so I guess there is not much else I can say other than to become an echo, and urge others to “Come to Africa”.

One of the many friends I have met along the way.

The Last Days, The Best Days

6Aug

By: Micah Mills

Climbing to the top of a marble mountain: Check.

Night sky that takes your breath away: Check.

Time spent with good people: Check.

Habis Farm Sunset

This is just a short checklist on how I describe our last couple of days.

The last leg of our trek across Namibia – which according to Dr. Martin Schneider is bigger than Texas, but that is debatable – was spent in the company of the Schneider family at their “farm.” To limit it to just that one word would belittle this wonderful place. Sure there are cattle, goat, sheep, and chickens, but the Schneider’s made this farm our home during our stay there. They opened their doors and arms and treated the nine of us like we were kin.

Personally, the time I spent on the Habis Farm was one of my favorites during the trip. It is a place that constantly radiates beauty in some form or another. It was spotting a mountain zebra across the way or watching the sunset behind the surrounding mountains. It was getting to immerse ourselves in the knowledge the Schneider’s have of Namibia.

It was humbling in many ways to be at such a place. At night, the house is lit by candlelight and in the mornings showers are heated with a wood-burning furnace. It was refreshing to step into a world outside of the American mindset and slow down and take in everything around you. There was no television or Internet. It was satisfying to know the world doesn’t stop when you do.

The Schneider family left a strong impression on my time in Namibia. They will be the first to cross my mind when I hear of Namibia. I am so grateful for the hospitality I have been shown in this foreign place. Hospitality has been such a strong factor in why none of us want to leave this place, but all good things must come to end.

Just as our time at Gobabeb had to end and our time on the Skeleton Coast had to end and our time at Etosha National Park. Our time in Habis had to end, as well.

So this one is for the Schneiders – to their hospitality, their kindness, and their open arms. The way they treated us is something that is not easily repaid. I hope future study abroad groups get to know them they way we did.

Today we fly out of this beautiful place and head onward home. This is goodbye Schneiders. Goodbye Habis. Goodbye Namibia. Until we meet again.

My Disease

5Aug

by Laura Brainard

We all know those crazy people who cough once and decide they have every disease in the book. They soon find themselves buying another medicine cabinet just to hold all the solutions to their profound problems. Personally, I have never been much of one to diagnose myself with every illness that matches a symptom. But on the other hand, I have known about a disease I have carried for quite some time. It did not come with a name or title, yet has been infecting body, soul and mind. Of course I didn’t say anything to anyone because quite honestly, I wasn’t sure what was going on and I certainly didn’t want to be a burden or identified as a complete “quack!”

All I know is that it started as an itch. After experiencing an incredible trip to Africa last year, this itch developed into more of a mental health concern because I soon found myself wanting to attend graduate school to pursue International Agriculture. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by the most influential and knowledgeable international professors in the world. But it didn’t stop. (This disease I mean). The uncontrollable itch to travel had amplified to extremes and I suddenly I have wound up back in Africa. I questioned whether or not maybe I had some sort of boomerang disease.

It wasn’t until I met my new graduate friend Melanie Balinas, where I was properly diagnosed with “Wanderlust.” Words can’t express how utterly relieved I was to be informed of this infectious travel disease. Apparently, you take this “itch” to the grave and there is no absolute cure or medication your local pharmacist or Dr. Phil can provide. The only way to suppress the symptoms is to take your desire to the next level….embrace the love of Africa.

Without a doubt, my interest has grown towards becoming more educated on developing countries and I hope to use my recent abroad trips to harness a foundation for my graduate studies. This experience has given me the opportunity to be surrounded with fellow companions with the same passion and itch. Balinas, only a year older than myself, has indefinably surpassed my air time by several hours. Dr. Wingenbach on the other hand, has undoubtedly logged more travel hours than a Canadian goose and Christopher Columbus combined. Needless to say, it is an honor and absolute privilege to be a part of this incredible experience in Africa where I can learn from some of the all-time greatest world travelers, peers, and wise crack artists. Years of travel experience brings stories, stories soon become memories, and memories evolve in to life-long friendships.

There are certainly no medications you can take for this disease. There is no cure. There is only the option to embrace the love to travel…and my suppressant is taking a journey to Africa.

Grinding the Millet

2Aug

By: Trotter Heady

Here we are along the B1 road, a major route in Namibia, headed toward the Nakambale Museum near Oshakati in the village of Olukonda. We are imagining just another museum to fill our long rides across the country, but it turned into some amazing memories that we will grasp on to forever.

Nakambale, founded in 1871, was one of the first Finnish Mission Stations in Namibia. It currently contains a museum dedicated to the history of the location, a simulated community based home that is still in use today and the restored church that was built by the original Missionaries. The site was very educational especially because it was informative about a civilization that we had zero knowledge about going into the tour. We were able to see their living conditions and learn about their ancestry.

The tour was great but so much more was to come. We were surprised with being able to visit a community that was near the museum. These homes are surrounded by a fence-like structure made by sticks, bushes or plant stalks that is used to corral the livestock as well as protect the family that lives inside. Within the fence is where there are multiple huts made from stone, clay and sticks. Each of these huts has a different use. There is a boy’s sleeping hut, a girl’s sleeping hut, a grinding hut, a brewing hut, a storage hut, a sleeping hut for the mother and infants and the father’s hut, which is near the corral. Our group was able to interact and learn from a real family that lived in one of these small communities.

We began our surprise visit by learning about millet, a grain that is widely used in this area of Namibia. These people eat millet with every meal accompanied by a vegetable and meat. Everyday millet is ground up by using a hollow log that has been sealed within the ground with clay and a very large and heavy wooden pole. Once the grain is in the hole with a splash of water it is then ground to a fine powder by slamming the wooden pole into the bowl-like log. Then the women start singing as they repeatedly land in the log perfectly. They sing about their family and loved ones in a way that seems so caring. It was obvious that this was a muscle memory action. It was so in synch that I could tell that the women are practically born performing this chore. We were then able to give it a try ourselves! The entire group quickly figured out how difficult it actually was. The women and made it seem so easy! I even bonked my head with the grinding pole. What a workout!

Millet

Then we met Johanna. This woman is an 83 year-old who visually demands respect when she entered the area. She seemed to be so stoic and wise. Johanna showered us with knowledge on our tour. Beginning with how to prepare the millet for consumption. It is simply boiled over a fire and turned into paste-like dough and eaten using your hands, no utensils here! Then Johanna taught us how to weave anything from a plate to a multicolored basket.

Johanna

Here we are in an inhabited village with real people and all I can think about is how lucky we are. How many people, let alone Texas A&M students, are able to experience a situation like this? As this trip is coming closer and closer to an end the realization that I have experienced so much in one month that most people wont throughout their entire life becomes stronger and stronger. I almost don’t want to go back! There is still so much to encounter, experience and live through that I feel like I’m not done here yet.

Red Solitude

31Jul

Sometimes, being away for a year makes a big difference. July 2013 marked the second time I’ve been to the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre in the Namib Desert. In 2012, a group of Aggies worked with the Gobabeb Centre to produce posters and other materials for the Centre’s UNESCO World Heritage Site application. That work was well received and useful; Gobabeb achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status on June 22, 2013. Good work Aggies!

All things considered, the 2012 Gobabeb experience was successful. But, our students let us know, after the fact, that WE’RE IN THE DESERT…we should be outside, running, exploring and having FUN in the red sand dunes! Good point. We applied their advice to the 2013 experience. We will EXPLORE, early and often! And, we’ll be mindful that sidewinders, cobras, poisonous scorpions, etc., call this place home, so watch your step. The Namib Desert is not for sissies! Thanks for the advice, Dr. Schneider.

A wonderful staff that cares deeply about Gobabeb and the Namib Desert made our 2013 experience most memorable. Robert Logan, Gobabeb Training Coordinator, Grinnell College graduate, and all-around awesome dude, guided us along the Gobabeb nature trail. Robert passionately explained micro-life under rocks, plant defenses against drought, and insects’ moisture-sucking abilities from sand grains. Tobin Redwine may have said it first, but Robert inspired the “Brobabeb” in all of us.

We traversed the dry Kuiseb River and climbed ancient rocks. We were greeted by an enormous red sand dune that appeared to stretch into the wild blue heavens. I heard the constant crackle of camera shutters around me as I kept a steady gaze on the red dune. We crisscrossed an open gravel plain to breach the dune at its mid-point. Students jostled for an all-out assault to the top…Robert continued extolling the wonders of flora and fauna in the Namib Desert.

After the “race,” we rested atop the red dune. Then, the past year crashed down upon me. Last year’s group didn’t get to the dunes until our third day at Gobabeb. Our current group was speechless, breathing in the Namib Desert’s beauty, less than 24 hours after entering the front gate. Lesson learned! When at Gobabeb, get outside, feel the sand between your toes, listen to Robert’s love of science, and gain new perspectives from this vast solitude. Atop that dune, seeing great swaths of empty gravel plains and the mighty Red Sand Sea in all directions, you realize your place in this universe. We’re not as big as we think. I’m glad we got it right in 2013.

A few other differences from 2012…last year was cool, sometimes quite cold, and constantly windy. This year’s weather was warm, sunny, and with one exception, we only had calm breezes. Last year we saw lots of stars, but didn’t photograph them; this year’s near full moon wreaked havoc on several nighttime photo shoots. More on those photo shoots in another post. And, of course, each group’s members, their personalities, tolerances, etc., also made a difference. Suffice it to say that each group was unique in its own way, and I appreciated them both.

Gobabeb is now long past in our rearview mirrors. We’re currently whisking through northern Namibia, where fierce winds have dusted everything with a fine layer of beige. Eyes watering, a slight grinding between the teeth, and lots of goats attempting highway-assisted suicide fill each passing hour. Oh Gobabeb, where art thou?

Behind the Scenes

26Jul

By: Tobin Redwine

Imagine the sand shining in the sun, warmth radiating through the soles of your bare feet. Imagine looking in all directions and seeing the curve of the earth. Imagine your stomach dropping at the emptiness around you. Imagine the overwhelming emotions of gratitude, solitude, reflection, accomplishment and wonder that swim in your mind. Now imagine trying to capture all of that emotion and feeling in one image, from the top of a dune in the Namib Sand sea. That is the challenge that our students face.

Images are powerful, but do they match the power of our imaginations? Truly great images are not simply shot from the hip in a haphazard, luck of the draw fashion. Great images take planning, care, visual literacy, creativity, attention to detail, and patience.

Over the past couple of weeks, our students have shot more than 20,000 images. They have edited and selected with care, removing imperfections and identifying the quality works. After hours and kilometers (we are still learning to speak metric system), we delivered 437 images of Namib desert flora, fauna, landscape and scenery to the researchers and scientists at the the Gobabeb Desert Research and Training Centre. We will deliver a hand picked selection of 20 high quality images to N/a’an Ku Se Wildlife Refuge. We have shared and interacted with nature, people, culture and spirit across thousands of kilometers in Namibia.

Here is a behind the scenes look at how they go through the process of capturing some of the images you can see on this blog, and on our facebook page. Students have mastered photography techniques such as manipulating depth-of-field, capturing motion, seeking the best light, and navigating the features and capabilities of their equipment. Not only do they quickly ascertain the proper techniques to employ in any given scenario, they do so in the face of unquestionable danger.

Teamwork is essential. It is common for students to be scattered around a site,lenses to their faces, shouting aperture settings and shutter speeds to one another. Discussions about leading lines and framing are common. Students assist each other by pointing out angles, directing shadows and people, holding wayward limbs and leaves, and even braving the unknown by scooping up a burrowing desert beetle so that a classmate can get the shot just right.

Photographers’ schedules are not dictated like the rest of the world. We seek the bestlight. Here in the arid lands of Namibia, the sun rises between 5 and 6 AM. While much of the staff at each place we stay is asleep, we are scouring the countryside in the warm tones of the early morning light. Similarly, our students declined group meals and volleyball outings to capture the fading rays of the setting sun on the sands of the Namib. Even those hours fail in comparison to the dedication they showed when, two consecutive mornings, the rose as early as 4:00 AM to get a shot of the blanket of stars in the desert. We had a narrow window of time between when the full moon set and the sun rose to get a clear, unpolluted night sky.

Whether they were chasing luminescing scorpions in the riverbed before sunrise, staring unflinchingly into the mouth of lions, or scaling the towering dunes of the desert, this hearty group of artists and adventurers continues to remind me of the beauty in our world, and the power we all have to relish in the miracles of each moment. I am lucky, I am blessed, and I am grateful to be part of a world so big, and to see our students sharing it in such a unique way.

One of those blessings is to see the students learning and mastering these techniques. They speak like photographers with decades of experience. One of our students was approached by a researcher at Gobabeb with questions about his camera. The student was able to explain the exposure triangle, principles of composition, and basic photography techniques in a concise, impromptu crash course. Learning is truly alive with this group. They were even asked to Gobashare. A group of scientists and researchers at the centre asked them to give a talk about their group, their photos, and the process by which they were collected for the archives of the newly-deemed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our group presented their efforts to a global community, speaking to EU delegates, international collaborators, and worldtravelers. This led to a discussion about night photography, career choices, theory and principles, and more. The Oxford researcher who was sharing some of his research after our group even remarked about the quality of our students’ photos, commenting that they were a tough act to follow.

These accolades do not come easy. Dedication, patience and planning are the tools of the trade. These Aggies are no stranger to those values.

A Sea of Sand

24Jul

I’ve got sand in my ears. I’ve got sand in my nose. I’ve got sand in places I didn’t even know. That is what staying in the Namib Desert is like. It’s a sandy void where not much else stirs.

During our last day here we hiked up to the top of the dune one last time to enjoy our last sunset staying at the Gobabeb Research and Training Center. My adviser, Tobin Redwine asked us, “Doesn’t this beat working at the bookstore this summer?” That’s when it hit me that I was in Africa. It took me being on top of the dune, watching the sun go down over the mountain to realize how grateful I was to be in Namibia, sifting my hand through some of the oldest sand in the world and laughing at silly jokes.

The last week of my life in Africa can only be described, in my mind, through one word: adventuresome. The tempo of the trip has been a constant go, go, go and we have hit the ground running. Whether it be gallivanting around the desert dunes or taking long exposure photos of the Southern Hemisphere sky at 4 am, it is always an adventure with this group.

Through our adventures our first priority here is as photographers. On June 22, 2013, Gobabeb has been certified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On behalf of their new certifcaition, the center requested that we assist them in updating their fauna and flora photo archive. Our driving force the past couple of days has been to capture as many living creatures that crawl around this desert. With the submission of hundreds of pictures, we have successfully improved their biota register.
What is so interesting about the trip and our “job” here is a group of students, just like us, from Texas A&M visited the Gobabeb Center last year making posters and mottos to promote the application to be certified. With success, it is wonderful to get to carry on their legacy. The old saying goes, “If an Aggie does it once, it’s a mistake; twice, it’s a tradition.” Being our second time at Gobabeb, a new Aggie tradition was started in 2013.

Even through all of our adventures and fun, it was quite strange to be at a place so far from civilization. Social interaction was limited. Personally, it is already hard being so far away from home, with so limited communication, and putting an isolated setting into the mix made it just that much harder. The adventures here are real and lively, but the solitude of the center’s community is often eerie.
Nonetheless, the adventures here in Gobabeb have been unforgettable. It has been cool to get to experience the different aspects of a place different than any other I have visited. The center has created ample opportunities for us by asking us to take pictures that could open many doors in the future. The memories of hiking up the dunes and sunsets will be engrained in my mind, as we travel elsewhere.

If you want to keep yourself updated on our travels like TAMU ALEC Namibia Abroad on Facebook and follow #TAMUSafari on Instagram.

Country or Continent?

20Jul

As I told people that I’m going to Namibia this summer, I got many blank stares. I found myself explaining that Namibia is a real country and where it is located. The other issue I’ve faced is the “country versus continent” topic. Africa is a continent; Namibia is a country within Africa – not a state.

Africa is not frequently discussed or taught in the United States. In fact, I just learned that less than five percent of Americans have traveled to Africa. People know Nelson Mandela, Hotel Rwanda, Madagascar the movie, rioting in Egypt, and malaria, but that’s about it. Africa is so much more than that. It’s a continent with 54 countries and 11.7 million square miles, two thousand languages, and one billion people. Thinking about the size of this continent and the rich history it contains is mind blowing. There’s so much to learn and to experience.

Every country in Africa seems to have a rich and complex history of how it came to be. Namibia is a fairly young country, only gaining its independence from South Africa in 1990. Before the South African rule, there is a long history of German rule. This is extremely evident with the prevalence of European architecture, German speaking people, and an abundance of high quality chocolate in the grocery stores.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Namibia. But I’ve learned that it is approximately half the size of Alaska with a population density of only five people per square mile. Agriculture makes up only 5% of the GDP and the main products are livestock and meat products, crops, and forestry. Only 2% of the land in Namibia receives adequate water/rainfall. (And it looks a lot like west Texas!)

I feel that the more I learn about the history, the people, and the workings of a country, the better appreciation I have for my experiences. I gain more respect for the development work being done and the progress that has been made. I also become more aware of the luxuries of my life in America – my safety, connectivity, conveniences, and so many more things.

Traveling is always an eye opening experience, but it feels even more impactful in Africa. I have heard similar things from my classmates here as well. I just hope that we can help share our experiences and knowledge gained with everyone back in America!