Six months in Namibia has already taught me so much—about myself, how to tackle big projects one small step at a time, and the power of connection with people from all corners of this stunning country.
Indeed, each day is a new step in my journey here as a widow—experiencing things I don’t get to share with Philip. You know that feeling when you see or experience something so moving that you just can’t wait to share it with someone special? And so it is and how I feel about my time in the Peace Corps.
But I am incredibly grateful to be able to share it with family and friends, and anyone else willing to read my posts.
When I recently met with Paulina, the Education Program Manager for Peace Corps, she asked: What is going particularly well, both personally and professionally?
After giving it some thought, I can honestly say that it's ALL going extremely well aside from intense heat, fast Yango drivers, or occasional mosquito bites. And even though I have regained the weight I lost before coming here (thanks to sitting at a desk all day and consuming sugar, sugar, sugar), at least I can still find time to swing my kettle bell, stretch with yoga, and run an occasional 10k or less.
But truth be told, the real highlight of my time has been meeting so many wonderful people—especially new friends from Windhoek, Peace Corps staff, and colleagues in the Ministry.
Most of the partnerships and relationships have come out of some of the work and projects that I have worked on since my time started here. Here are a few examples of my "work" projects as Grant Writing Training Specialist:
First, I’ve presented several grant writing workshops. Some were for large groups in conference rooms, while others were for smaller teams or even one-on-one sessions.
One grant project with Ndamian Hangula, Chief Archivist for the Namibia Library and National Archives, involved writing and submitting a grant to the British Library for an endangered document project. Damian first completed my grant writing training workshop, and I had the privilege of presenting him with a certificate of completion. (I’ve discovered that certificates are something Namibians truly appreciate.)
The good news it our application advanced to the second level which we will work together to submit a refined version in February - fingers crossed it's funded!! This is just one example of some of the grant writing projects I've worked on with the various Directorates and offices.
Another project close to my heart is GOCA—Grant Opportunities for Creative Africa. Namibia has a vibrant creative arts scene, but funding opportunities can be hard to come by.
This “live” database maintains a list of potential funders for creative projects, from international associations to corporate foundations especially for artists in Africa. I hope it is helpful to the never-ending search for funds in the creative industry!
Recently, I also had the opportunity to travel with Ms. Leena Mbango, Chief Education Officer, to the Oshikoto to offer "hands-on" training Education Officers from all 14 Namibian regions on how to use a tool that I developed called the CLDC Virtual Data Hub (VDH). It is a simple Google Sheets platform designed to replace the manual system for tracking attendance and visitor data. What a thrill to share this new platform and find a way to introduce technology that I hope will improve the efficiency of data collection here.
Of course, some of the most meaningful moments have come from spontaneous encounters, like meeting folks on a bench in a village we passed through (to the left), or women from the Himba tribe in the city center of Opuwo (below).
Their beauty and pride in their culture and humanity leave me in awe.
Finally, and as I write this, I’ve just finished an amazing nine-day Thanksgiving visit with Erik and am now planning to fly to Cape Town tomorrow to be with Ron and Kahri for Christmas. I can hardly wait to see them!
I’m so proud of all they’re doing back home in Denver but also miss them dearly.
At the same time, I feel right at home here, thanks to my wonderful housemate, Aina. She has lived in this “government house” for 10 years but welcomed me with open arms. She even had a Christmas tree tucked away that we pulled out and decorated together!
Her "home" is in Rundu and she’ll be traveling by bus to spend Christmas with her parents and her 9-year-old daughter, Ailynn (notice the name—Aina + Lynn!). Seems like my stay here was meant to be ;-)
And finally, I couldn’t end without mentioning the amazing Peace Corps cohort here with me in the Windhoek area. I don’t know what I’d do without their friendship and partnership as PCVs. I've learned so much from them and they are all kind, caring, and FUN people to share this experience with.
In all honesty, being here is a dream come true. So far it has taught me to live simply, value reflection, and focus on building friendships. There’s still much work to do in the next six months, but I know the relationships I’ve formed will last a lifetime—and that’s something I’ll carry with me wherever I land next.
Wishing you all a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the Christ child, born in a manger so long ago, but ever present in our lives through the smiles, eyes, and embraces of people from all parts of the world.
I believe we all share a common longing for peace and friendship. May we share it with loved ones and those we meet—whether on the street corner, at a drive-thru window (which don’t exist here!), in our offices, or anywhere our journeys take us—today and always.
Holiday peace and blessings to all from Namibia!
Lynn