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I am sitting here in utter disbelief that I am writing my THIRD QUARTERLY REPORT. How time has flown. I have now been here for almost nine months and many friends and family still ask me what it is that I am doing here, where I live, why I am enjoying it so much and other questions like these. I have decided for this report to break the year so far up into basic categories to provide greater explanation and insight and to save you all the boredom of reading my usual diatribe regarding my life, work and the natural world in which I find myself. I hope this helps to answer some questions and perhaps provoke a few more.
What is life like?
What a question! It would be impossible to sit and write this in its entirety, actually it would also be impossible to transmit much of life out here into writing. However, a lot of my life will be explained as you follow through this report and especially when I talk about my work which is a huge part of my life this year. Life is also shaped by where I live which will also be explained, I mean how many people can say that they have lived in the middle of the desert? There will be at times overlap and repetition as living and working in the same place often creates.
What do I do-my job
Well let's see this is not so easy to set out either but I will try to give as wide an account of what work I have been doing. I am the Training and Outreach Support Assistant. I work for the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia but I am based at the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre most of my time. I also work for a project most often referred to by its acronym- ELAK - which actually refers to Interactive Environmental Learning and Action in the Kuiseb. Let me see if I can also break my work up into sections to better describe it all. Of course beyond these parts of my job title I have been involved in a multitude of things which both keep me busy and happy.
Training
Well this can be quite broad category for me. The people that I work with under the heading of training have ranged from 7years olds to 77 years old. I have conducted training activities with students from Primary schools, Secondary schools as well as Tertiary institutions. With the younger students we do more basic environmental education. We expose them to elements within the desert as well as try to teach them about conservation issues. These activities I always try to make very hands on. With secondary students we do a lot of the same but also try to tackle some more advanced knowledge and understanding as well as more complex issues. I have worked with a couple of groups from tertiary institutions as well. In this position you are responsible for running an arid ecology course for classes from both the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia. These groups come for a weeklong course. In this course they are given a broad overview of the area, its history and the natural environment. We teach
research methodology and instrument use, analysis tools as well as presentation techniques. The students are required to carry out small-scale research projects, which are supervised, guided and graded by other staff members and myself. University groups from outside of Namibia also visit Gobabeb. While many of these come with their own courses not all do and even those that have their own course usually rely on our help and facilitation. An example of an overseas group is that of the University of Stockholm which I described in my last report a little.
I also work on developing and improving existing curricula that we use for courses held here by myself and other staff of the Gobabeb Centre. I document all visits of training groups and work on materials to use for educational visits.
Also within this training category of my work falls the intern co-ordination and supervision role. I am on the intern committee along with Joh, Lesley and Olavi. I co-ordinate the documents of the interns and the interns themselves when they arrive here. I supervise every other intern depending on their projects and mine. I orient them and assist them with getting settled and introduce them to everyone and their duties and projects. This aspect of my work has been both rewarding and challenging at times. I have, over the time, worked with some very nice people from different places. Most of our interns come from Germany given the continued good relationship this country has with its former 'mother country'. The German education system is quite different from ours and many times their university students are older than ourselves which means then the interns are much older then me. Picture me, little 23 year old Nadia trying to tell a bigger German 31 year old woman to do something, anything! Well this does not
always work and I am back to the drawing board to figure out the best way to handle this situation.
Part of my work in training overlaps with community outreach as a lot of the work we do with communities is in providing training in a number of fields that they have requested or that is felt that they need such as proposal writing, financial management or computer skills. In this respect I am very much more of an assistant. When working with training activities with community members, professionals or persons in Ministries or other organisations I usually help where I can and learn a lot in the process myself.
Community Outreach
This is rather a broad term and perhaps a little misleading. I do not regularly go out into communities and 'reach-out' to them. Rather my work with communities is more in established and co-ordinated projects and usually involves them coming to Gobabeb for workshops or training. I have worked a little on the tail end of the Desertification 2000-20002 program, which has been focussing on alternative ways to combat desertification: connecting science with commons sense. At the workshop in September I was an active member, helped during the workshop, took minutes and then wrote up the proceedings which were then handed out to all the communities and other persons involved. Through Gobabeb projects, !nara projects and ELAK I have worked with members of the Topnaar communities living along the Kuiseb river.
I have really enjoyed my contact with the different communities from within Namibia as well as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). I have learnt a lot about the different living conditions and cultural practices of these different communities and enjoyed talking and working with them. In all of these workshops I have gained ideas and skills for working with communities and their members and have found a passion for it.
A great achievement amongst the Topnaars, for me, occurred during the most recent ELAK workshop. While on a field trip into one of the nearby !nara fields I was sitting with a couple of community members while someone gave a lecture and demonstration to other workshop, non-Topnaar participants. As we sat there on top of a !nara hummock looking down to the crowd, my Topnaar friends, Topnaars I have been working with over the months, stated that I didn't need to listen to the lecture going on as I know it all already, that I was already Topnaar anyway. This simple statement said without joke was so touching and made me feel very happy about my involvement and effort into my work with them.
ELAK
The ELAK project is based on the Kuiseb Ephemeral River and its basin. One of the major themes of this project is basin management. As one of the two pilot sites in Namibia along with another system in the north called the Cuvelai, the Kuiseb will hopefully be a model for basin management that can be used for the 13 other basins in the country. The project tries to bring all the stakeholders of the basin together to meet and discuss issues, give feedback on activities, and make plans for the understanding, sharing and management of the basin and its resources
This project has been one of my favourite things. I have gained a lot of exposure during this project through my involvement in workshops and other activities. I usually help with the organisation of the workshops both in preparations before hand as well as during the event. I have given a presentation at each of the workshops on different topics. I work on brochures and other materials for the project and stakeholders and have written many of the workshop reports documenting the process. My big project within ELAK has been the writing of a profile of the Kuiseb River Basin. Along with Dr. Mary Seely I have been compiling information, data, photographs, figures and illustrations concerning the Kuiseb River, its basin, the natural aspects, the people within the basin, water and related resources, wildlife, activities and development and much more. The first draft was finished and presented to the stakeholders by myself at the most recent workshop in February.
Gobabeb
This is not a project but represents work in itself. The best way to describe working at Gobabeb is that it is like working a nine-to five research and training job at a hotel. Since we offer accommodation and other services it is often necessary to be prepared to help out at any time of the day. At the last workshop one of the participants arrived at 11 o clock and luckily I 'just happened' to be at the station (read I was working late again!)to be able to help the person get to his accommodation. Very often we work right through the weekend with big and small groups alike. We sometimes have quite large events like the recently held 'Big Weekend' where all staff are required to pitch in with anything that needs to be done.
Gobabeb activities range from working reception, making sure there is enough toilet paper in the bathrooms, doing admin stand-by duty, welcoming guests and getting them settled, and answering the telephones. It is not all mundane stuff though. Duties also include wining and dining with VIPs and other interesting folk, showing workshop groups the way to the top of one of the dunes for a sundowner and simply being nice and hospitable to them. This has very often been extremely rewarding, getting to meet some amazing people and having interesting conversations.
Other DRFN projects
Recently I have been working on another project with Dr. Mary Seely. We are putting together background information on the Namib-Naukluft Park, where Gobabeb is located, to be used for its management plan. I have mostly been doing the GIS work and creating and modifying maps for the document as well as other diagrams and figures. It is interesting to learn more about the park and to be involved in its management and conservation.
I have been very lucky to become involved in or given the opportunity to participate or work in other projects, workshops or with training groups. An example of this is was being able to participate in a recent workshop dealing with the Okavango Basin project. This workshop brought together some very important key players in the management and co-ordination of this transboundary river basin, which is located between Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Other staff members and myself were able to participate and were even asked to help facilitate small groups through the use of pin boards and flip charts. At an event such as this I am able to gain a lot of information and skills, make contacts, and gain tremendously from such a valuable experience.
What do I do- not my job
Well work takes up most of my time but there are some other things that I do to keep myself happy and out of trouble (well most of the time). I write Haiku poetry to be able to express what I see, think and feel as I indicated in my first report and have shared some of my work in that report as well as the next one. I like taking photographs of the amazing environment, flora and fauna, people, and projects. I like going on nature walks. I like reading and have been able to read so much for my own pleasure. I like playing volleyball, especially when there are visiting groups that the Gobabeb staff can challenge and especially when we play in the dunes or river bed instead of on the court.
I really like sitting down after work with Em on a big rock outside our house and drinking a ice-cold Tafel (one of Namibia's beers), watching the sunset and talking about our time and experiences here, reminiscing about Grinnell, and just enjoying the natural surroundings.
Where do I live, work and play?
Most of the time I am based at the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre. Gobabeb is neatly placed at the confluence of three major ecosystems- the Gravel plains, the Kuiseb Ephemeral River and the Dune Sea. I live in the desert basically, the central Namib Desert to be more precise. We are about a 4 and a half hour drive through the Gamsberg Mountain pass from the main city of Windhoek and about an hour and ten minute drive from the nearest coastal town of Walvis Bay. All roads to Gobabeb are gravel roads but offer great desert scenery, wildlife and plants to observe along the way. Gobabeb also falls within the Fog belt so some mornings when we wake up we cannot see much past 10 metres beyond our house due to the heavy blanket of fog that covers everything. Walking outside it is cold and then you get a tingly feeling as the fog condenses on your face. It is this fantastic event that helps much of the life in the desert to survive. Gobabeb has been carrying out experiments aimed at trying to capture fog
water to be used by people living in these conditions. Still on climate talk, some days it is very hot while other days it is quite cold. No matter how hot it has been during the day, however, it usually gets quite chilly in the night requiring the wearing of a sweater. On East wind days the place is inhospitable and the mood is dreary. All office doors and windows are closed as the new direction of wind takes the sand by surprise, uprooting it from its resting-place and taking it on a wild dance around the place. The sandstorms are painful and messy. People are quieter, depressed, tired and weary. The place takes on a new look- it's called desert- despite all efforts to rise above it.
Life in many ways is also dictated by the power supply. Running off of the two diesel generators we have power from about 7:15 in the morning until 11:15 in the night. That means no all-nighters to finish that report which is due but it also means a ton of candles for those nights that you want to continue to party past 11. On most nights people settle into bed before they are enveloped in the darkness. The wonder of the lights all being extinguished at this set time is that the stars are always given a chance to be the shining lights they are. With all non-natural light forms gone the stars come out in their true glory. The sky is unbelievable at first but soon you come to appreciate it and feel sorry for those who do not get to experience this regular beauty.
My work at the station takes place in my office, which keeps changing but was in the Training room and currently is where I can find a space to move to. I also use other rooms in the station in my work which include the action room with our email computer, photocopier, fax machine and other tools and stationery supplies, the administration room, Joh's office, the library, the labs and the tea room for those well needed breaks at tea time which we have twice a day at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. I work in our other facilities, mainly the new conference hall called the Amabilis Hall where we hold workshops, meetings and other activities, and also in the newly constructed Community Resource Centre.
With training groups I also work out in the environment. Especially with school groups we spend most of our time outdoors- looking, touching, smelling and experiencing the natural environment of the gravel plains, the river and the dunes. At these times our classroom is the environment around us, our subjects are the floral and faunal species, and the geologic and geomorphologic attractions and our tools are our senses and eagerness to learn (and a couple of instruments). Even with community workshops we take excursions to see other dunes, specific plants of interest such as the !nara plant or the Welwitschia mirabilis, and some of the Topnaar settlements that are close to Gobabeb.
Emily and I live in what is officially called Bungalow Two but to most people is known as 'Crazy Mamas'. Our bungalow in a line of three other bungalows is similar in construction but very different in its atmosphere. Our wonderful little abode affords us all we need. We share a small bedroom and stuff all of our clothes into a single closet. This arrangement has made us quite aware of each other's sleeping patterns as well as bodily functions-when you next see Emily ask her what it is like to live with a vegetarian!! Our house also has a general room for sitting/dining or whatever. We have no furniture in this room except two desks and so it is rather sparse and becomes dumping ground or the floor is used as a workspace. We have a nice small kitchen that can barely fit more than the two of us in it but has done so on many an occasion. We have a fully fitted bathroom as well as an open garage which is not really used. Then the best place in our house to me is our enclosed patio with a small internal garden.
This is where we spend most of our time eating, drinking, reading, hanging out and entertaining. We have a garden inside this area with some great plants as well as the burrow of our 'pet' gerbil Edward, who after the three new baby gerbils appeared last week we are starting to question his/her gender.
Trips to Walvis Bay are usually once a month to buy supplies and run errands. This usually takes the whole day and is more stressful than relaxing. Occasionally we make a run up the coast to the next nearest town of Swakopmund which is a nice break from the smell of fish that pervades Walvis Bay but is just as cold.
Where do I play? Well anywhere... we live in the middle of the desert, remember? I must admit that I also like playing at the pool that we are very privileged to have here. It is actually our fire protection zone or something like that, it sure puts my fire out when I jump in there on a hot day.
Sometimes work takes us to Windhoek. Working in the office up in Windhoek is a different experience altogether. It is very much an office. People dress up, work eight to five (many on the dot- at least for the leaving part) and each has their own telephone (whoa!!). It is always a little hard to work up there as we have no defined space or computers and I often feel like I am getting in the way. The staff is quite friendly but since we are not regular some still may treat you like a foreigner to that environment. In Windhoek we stay at the CardBoard Box (a dream come true to all parents after sending their kids through university). This backpackers is close to the office and is very lively. We usually have a good time there and have met some really interesting and nice people. Windhoek is for the first couple of days an absolute treat. After cooking every meal every day for your selves the luxury of restaurant eating is irresistible. Windhoek offers good eating out, some decent night clubs, a couple of bars,
shopping and some other attractions. Sometimes work takes me to the coastal towns of Walvis Bay or Swakopmund for workshops, visiting schools, or leading a group in those two places for whatever project. Over December and January we were working up in the North being facilitators for the Summer Desertification Project which I have previously described. But in actuality work takes me all across Namibia and sometimes all around the world without even leaving my desk. The range of projects, their depths and breadths and contexts within the world at large offer an experience that is far-reaching, so incredible and worthwhile.
Where have I travelled
On time taken off, so little of it however, Em and I have been to the Etosha National Park to see all the wonderful animals, plants and landforms. We most recently took a trip to Cape Town, which was a dream of ours since before we even set foot on the continent and in its realisation was even better than imagined. What a great city! Other travels have been more work related but have still offered some amazing sights, experiences and opportunities to meet and interact with people. Most recently I was very lucky to be invited to go on a trip with one of the Agricultural Extension officers that is active in the ELAK project. Frank and I have worked on a couple of projects together and on his way down to Gobabeb for the ELAK workshop invited me to drive with him through the Kuiseb. This was an amazing journey as Frank took me through the Upper Catchment area that I had not seen before, showing me farms, dams and other interesting features. With the heavy rain some days before, the Kuiseb river in the upper
reaches had water in it and we were able to go wading in the water and take some great photographs. The trip lasted most of the day showing me many more incredible places in and around the Kuiseb River basin and the Namib-Naukluft Park.
What do I like?
I like what I do and increasingly I like what I see that I can do. I definitely like the place and the people as well. I like that I contribute but that I am always learning at the same time. I like that I have used previously gained skills as well as explored and gained many new skills. I like that I have grown, that I have gained experience, that I have been challenged and that I know more about myself than I did before. In short- I like this fellowship and all that it offers!
What do I not like as much
I do not like seeing the problems that this country has. I don't like some of the remnants that exist within this post-apartheid country. I don't like the xenophobia that exists in some ways here either.
In particular I don't like the idea that my year is so quickly coming to an end and that I will leave this beautiful country which has become my home!
For me the world is weird
Because it is stupendous, awesome, mysterious, unfathomable;
My interest has been to convince you that you must assume responsibility for being here;
in this marvellous world,
in this marvellous desert,
in this marvellous time.
I wanted to convince you that you must learn to make every act count,
Since you are going to be here only for a short while;
In fact, too short for witnessing all the marvels of it.- Don Juan
Carlos Castaneda
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