Windhoek - Rundu

A lot have happened the last couple of weeks and then again nothing much has happened at all. We have been driving around the northern part of Namibia on our quest to drop off the volunteers in the different communities and staying there with them for a couple of days in order to make them more comfortable, introduce them to the people and get to know the community before they were left to carry out business on their own.

After driving through Khorixas, Opuwo and Oshakati, I have come to my community in Rundu. Jørgen is the last person to be dropped in Tsumkwe. Every time he says where he is going people laugh at him. The area is called Bushmandland… I say no more!

Khorixas was nice. We just hung out all day at the really nice lodge we were staying at (to the leader’s (Astrid) frustration. This place was too expensive!), while the leaders showed the volunteer around.

In Khorixas there are some very distinctive taxies called Khorixas Taxies. It is a donkey carrage.

Opuwo was interesting. The mix here of Himbas (who dress very native), the more modern Africans, and the rich Europeans on holiday was very weird and sometimes awkward. The super marked was a place that this was very evident. Funny to observe. There was a lot of begging here from the kids. But I was told that they don’t beg because they are hungry or deprived, they do it because they have nothing else to do. Most people in Namibia are not starving, and giving money on the street just leads to them buying sweets or alcohol.

In Opuwo we stayed at an OK lodge, but they had no more rooms for us fro the last two days we were there so we crashed at a friend of Astrid’s house. He is a minister of a church called 7 days. He was very nice guy that has lived in Opuwo for 5 years. Every day children come to his house to hang out. They play and sometimes they get something to eat. When we were there Jørgen and I played red light, green light with them. They had fun even though they didn’t really understand the game. These kids don’t know English.

Next was Oshakati were we only stayed for a day to check out the new SCORE office here. But it was a nice day! We had pizza and junk food and a couple of cold ones. When leaving Oshakati heading towards Rundu, we went up to the Angolan border. This was like Svinesund (for those of you who knows what that is) times 10. Apparently Namibia is cheap so the Angolans come here to buy gas, cars, and other stuff. And the people building the up and coming city are the Chinese. Nice mix of people!


About 100 km outside Rundu our tire exploded! We fixed it with the spare one that one will be stupid not to have one a drive in Namibia!


Rundu is so nice! The river that creates the border with Angola (where they tell me there are crocodiles!!) in the sun set is so beautiful! Everyone tells me that I am lucky going to Rundu! My family is very nice as well and I like the house. I have a brother called Kevin. He is 7 years ole. My new mother is Natalie and is a teacher at one of the schools I will be working with. In addition to that there is a boy, Ndara, which lives with us. He is 24 years and he usually goes home on the weekends. His home is not that far away maybe hours walk from the house. There is no hot water here, but it’s so hot outside that it’s no problem. There is sand everywhere. It is like living on the beach! There are many Chinese people here. It seems they are in the cities that are developing quickly. They do a lot of building, but they say that they are of poor quality. They also have a poor reputation and are taking over a lot of the business in the town.

Yesterday the local SCORE volunteers and I went with the Special Olympics in the area to do a football event. I was told we were meeting at 06.30am at the service station (gas station), but it wasn’t until 9am when we were on the road to the destination. African time they call it! The day was hot, and sandy and we had to drive along way to get to the field, but the kids had a good time, and I think that they do not live an easy life in the rural communities being disabled.


Every day when there is something going, on a couple of the local SCORE volunteers come and pick me up at my house most likely around 5.30-6 in the morning. Then we walk to wherever we are going. It is no problem getting up so early as I go to bed around 8 or 9 at night. And walking is a work out. There is sand everywhere and it’s difficult to walk in. And every time there is a car coming on the side of the road we are walking on they say “Stine! Death is coming!” Death is a car!

So far I am enjoying Rundu even though I would very much like to take a shower

Himbas in Opuwo

This is what The Himba people look like. At least the girls. Lisabet is the volunteer that will be living in Opuwo where they also live. She is to be doing sports here with the children. It is quite a sight these people. They are walking around in the town and not seem to be doing much. They are at the super market buying ordinary stuff just like us, and they look at me like I am out of place! I guess I am.

Their skin is rubbed in with some powder from a rock and animal fat. It keeps them warm during the cold weather and cool during the summer time. They do mot shower, and the girls pull out their two front teeth because it is viewed as sexy by the guys and the men pull out their two bottom teeth. The clothes they are wearing is made of goat skin and probably other animals as well, so you can smell their presence. There are quite an amount of western tourists here so they sell them hand made wristbands and necklesses and such.

Windhoek, Namibia

So, I have now been in Namibia for almost a week. We have been doing some country specific training and have gotten to know more about SCORE Namibia and what we will be doing here. We have little time off so I have not been able to update the blog as much as I wanted to, and it will be exciting to see how the Internet will work where I am placed.

This morning we were told what community we will be placed in. The decision is based on our skills and strengths, and what is needed in the community and also the host family situation. I will be placed in Rundu. This is a relatively big place way up north i Namibia just on the border to Angola. There is a river that defines the border to Angola, and there is a beach there I have heard. There is not too much I know about the place other than that they are big sports fans and the kids like to do sports. I will be living in a family that consist of mother, son (7 yrs) and a dog. I hear from the former volunteer that it is a really good place to be and the house is nice.

Next time I write I will try to include some pictures :)