By: Cole Kehrberg
Greetings from Namibia!
This week marks the official halfway point of Global Semester, and also the introduction to our third country: Namibia. Although the histories between South Africa and Namibia are largely intertwined, the culture and landscape are noticeably different upon first impression.
On Friday, we were randomly assigned tickets to enter the Apartheid Museum, which simulated a segregated entrance. The tickets either said, “Blankes | Whites,” or, “Nie-Blankes | Non-Whites.” Immediately, as our group split in two, we solemnly reflected on the South African government’s systemic injustice throughout the twentieth century.
We previously learned about the racist history of Apartheid from the 60’s to the 90’s, but it was interesting to learn more about the colonial ideologies that constructed this system. For example, in 1913, the government passed the Land Act, which reserved 92% of the country’s land to white people, restricting native Africans from leaving the 8% of South Africa that made up their land reserves. Unfortunately, the process of stealing land was nothing new. In the words of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
“When the missionaries first came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, “Let us pray.” We closed our eyes. when we opened them, we had the Bible and they had the land!”
Our time in South Africa prompted us to look below the surface to identify the deep-rooted causes of oppression. Understanding that deeper history is crucial to dismantling the Apartheid policies that linger in South African society. Our silence turned to chuckles when we exited the museum, as we saw an excited class of children, dressed in smiles and yellow shirts, enter. They had just spent the morning at the adjacent amusement park, only a few hundred feet away from the museum. I can only imagine the emotional whiplash they were about to go through, and I appreciated the ironic comic relief they provided to our group.
On Saturday, we heard from an Ole alum! Last week, as Owen and Sam were on a run through Johannesburg, a woman in her car noticed their St. Olaf Cross Country shirts, and yelled out her window. After some email exchanges, we ended up inviting Rachel from the Class of 2006 to give a talk on her experiences from life in South Africa. She is a primary school teacher who spent years working in a school with limited resources. She said the school ended up shutting down due to xenophobic threats against the staff, but she continues to work in education as a trainer for other teachers. We bonded over the cultural differences between Northfield, MN and Johannesburg, South Africa, and really enjoyed our impulsive meeting with her.
Later in the day, many of us went to the Rosebank Mall. We shopped, shopped, shopped some more, and also ate some chocolate. At the chocolate store, we started chatting with a very enthusiastic employee who was very curious about life in the States. We wondered where we were from, what we were doing, which state was the “most gangster,” and even taught us a handshake. By the end of the conversation, he was mad that we were leaving for Namibia, but wished us well in our travels. It was refreshing to talk to someone so energetic and curious, and he didn’t even try to sell us any chocolate. Then again, we did buy chocolate, so maybe he’s just a genius salesperson.
The day ended with a group braai, which is several hours-worth of meat cooking and socializing. Although we enjoyed some lamb, sausages, salad, bread, and dessert at the guesthouse, the highlight of the evening was petting the owner’s wiener dogs, Bennie and Hennie. According to the group, I unfairly insulted their health a number of times, but they eventually warmed up to me and sat contently in my lap for at least 45 minutes.
We then left South Africa in our rearview mirror on Sunday, flying above the arid Kalahari Desert, a landscape so barren that even tumbleweeds would get lonely. After we landed in Windhoek, we drove through an environment that I can best describe as reminiscent of Radiator Springs from the movie Cars. We didn’t get to race around with friends on any dirt roads, but seeing this land was still a dream come true for 7-year-old Cole.
Our first full day in Namibia began with a lecture at the University of Namibia. We learned about the history of the country, which clearly runs parallel to the
history of South Africa. Both countries’ indigenous groups had land stolen away from belligerent colonial powers hoping to extract resources from mines. Both countries fell into a state of Apartheid as a result of that colonialism, and African freedom fighters fought back throughout the late 20th century. Despite different modes of fighting, both countries finally gained the independence they fought for after the conclusion of the Cold War, and are struggling to right the historical wrongs imposed on them.
Today, we toured the city of Windhoek and the comparisons to Johannesburg were striking. We drove through the northern part of Windhoek through fields of tin houses, and thought back to our time in Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg. Pinias, our group leader, explained how many of these people are undocumented residents who are largely ignored by the eyes of the government. Many of the parents are unemployed, and the children have to walk miles in the heat of the desert not only to get to school, but to simply use the bathroom. Access to water, food, and electricity is severely limited. We all listened with deep concern as Pinias put this level of poverty in perspective. As we listened, a group of four school children skipped down the street singing, “fly, fly, butterfly!” They smiled and waved to us as they continued to prance and sing. Twice this week, when the mood could not get any more somber, we could at least count on local children to cheer us up.
Thus far, our guesthouse in Namibia has presented us with an opportunity to live the nursing home lifestyle. Since the flight Sunday, several people have taken afternoon naps, while others have called relatives, or have played cards on crocheted tablecloths. Regardless of the activity, everyone has been able to recharge.
Perhaps the most noticeable cultural difference upon arriving at the hotel was the privacy of our bathrooms. Bathroom doors and shower curtains seem to be a luxury in our guesthouse rooms, and the hotel staff’s response to my request for a curtain was, “Oh yes, are you shy?” Until then, we will just evade eye contact with anyone that chooses to do their business. Seriously though, I think we have adapted well to our shifting environments as a group. While we remain incredibly privileged travelers, we understand that we must continually adjust to our environment in little ways to minimize our impact. Over the past two months, we have overcome heat, humidity, exhaustion, language barriers, cultural differences, homesickness, long travel days, and yes, open-concept showers.
Thanks for following along! Tootles for now,
Cole
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