Mom’s in Mpungu and Muketete

December 9, 2009

Cam’s Mom is now in Mpungu! She arrived yesterday morning after a rather gruelling trek over. 2 red eye flights got to Johannesburg, then a 2 hr flight to Windhoek where a couple of our Canadian VSO friends picked her up from airport. Next day she did a 9 hour bus ride arriving at 4:00 AM in Rundu where Yvonne met her then drove the 2 hrs through sunrise back to Mpungu. She is now rested and has been given a good welcome and tour by many here. We just got back from a 2nd trip to the village of Mukekete – 20km down gravel road, then 5km 4wheel drive down sand road. Such a lovely peaceful place with a lovely family. We know them because we teach with one of their daughters here in Mpungu. Mom was graciously given two lovely hand-woven baskets by the matriarch Rauna. We were then presented with a sampling of all the local food nuts which we’ve brought home to sample. I’m now sucking on the rather dry pulp of an apple-sized nut that tastes like honey. Mom and Kaia then tried to carry the basket with nuts on their heads … with limited success (see photos). We finished work this morning – the learners came to get their report cards. I played a key role in this process – I wrote a mail-merge program and tuned up an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the marks. This is the 1st time they’ve had computer-printed reports. In the past they’ve done them all by hand, and because the reports must not be “altered”, any little mistake meant they start over. I feel appreciated. Tomorrow morning we head south on the bush road enroute to Etosha. Then we’ll tour NW Namibia along the Kunene River and Kunene Region, making our way down to coast around Swakupmund where we’ll have Christmas. We’ll be camping mostly, but mom says she’d enjoy a lodge from time to time. Mom leaves Windhoek on December 27th .

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Rural Life in Mukekete

December 5, 2009

On Wednesday, we got the chance to go to the small village of Mukekete with our colleague, Ms Homateni, who grew up there (with her parents and 10 brothers and sisters).  It is about 20 km from Mpungu, quite far down a sand road off the main road.  We were glad to have 4-wheel drive vehicle!  I had heard stories from Dinah about Ms. Homateni’s energetic mother (Rauna) who lives on this remote homestead, and… wow!  I was impressed – and humbled by her generosity.  Rauna is the kind of person who welcomes anyone with open arms, and helps people in need.  There are at least 25 San people of different ages living with her now.  They aren’t able to live their traditional nomadic lifestyle anymore, and in many cases, have not had access to education or land or agricultural tools and expertise.  They help Rauna work her land, and in return, she feeds and clothes them.  In fact, one of the reasons for our visit was to deliver a bag of clothes from Dinah.  I can already see where many of Kaia and Jake’s clothes and shoes will be going at the end of our year here! 

When we arrived at the homestead, we met Ms. Homateni’s youngest sister (the only sibling still at home).  Rauna and her gang of workers were in the process of ploughing the very large field where they will plant millet.  Three teams of 4 cattle each were hitched to ploughs.  It looked like hot, heavy work!  They came out of the field for a mid-day meal and we had a chance to see the well-established homestead with its many huts, 2 cement houses, fruit trees, chickens, pigs, apparatus for distilling alcohol from grain, and large enclosures where the cattle and sheep stay at night. 

Before we left, Rauna gave us some millet (that can be cooked like rice, but also planted – so we are in the process of preparing another garden in our back yard for millet!)  She also gave us 2 beautiful baskets that she had made herself, and… a chicken!  I had never been given a live chicken before and was very honoured!  Luckily, there were 2 learners from grade 11 coming over to our house in the afternoon to give us a Rukwangali lesson and I knew that they would know what to do with a chicken, because I certainly didn’t.  What a sheltered life I have led!  So Eveline and Christine slaughtered 2 chickens in the backyard (ours and Ms. Homateni’s) while I watched and took photos!  I feel better prepared now – I just might be able to do it myself if I ever needed to.  I was just amazed when they found an egg inside the chicken (I guess it shouldn’t come as too much of a shock!) as well as a string of undeveloped eggs that looked kind of like orange cherry tomatoes.  They were left inside and cooked with the chicken – tasted like hard-boiled egg yolks.  So we had Mr. Mendai (our principal) over for dinner.  The little bird was a bit tough – not unlike the woman who raised it!

On our way out of Mukekete, we stopped at the primary school.  Grade 1 to 7 are taught in 5 classrooms (+ there was a principal’s office and staff room).  There were solar panels (and battery packs) to power the lights and a television.  Some students come from far enough away that they must sleep in the “hostel” during the week.  I use the term “hostel” very loosely here – they looked more like tool sheds.  The boys’ hostel doesn’t even have a door.  Neither has any furniture.  Learners spread a blanket on the cement floor.  Man, these kids are TOUGH!!

Ms. Homateni remembers being a primary student at the school here in Mpungu, staying at a mission hostel, and walking the 20 km home every weekend.  She and her friends knew that they had to get back to their village before dark, or else they could be shot at by the South African army who were patrolling the area, fighting against the independence forces at that time.  Sometimes the South Africans would give the school children rides in the back of their trucks because they knew it would protect them from attack.

We are looking forward to returning to Mukekete, this time with some contributions for their Christmas meal, and seeing the beautiful valley as it greens up with this year’s crop.

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