Before I left on this PC journey, I had read about Katutura and the "informal settlements," where nearly 40% of Namibia's population lives.

So when Marianne, a colleague PCRV serving in Mariental, visited for a few days over the long 4th of July weekend,
we both wanted get a glimpse into another important part of Namibia's history and their complicated capital.
We arranged for a driver for the morning and we set out at 10 am on Friday, July 5.
No doubt, experiencing the stark contrast between the well-groomed brick sidewalks of Eros and the dirt streets lined with houses made of corrugated steel sheets in Katutura was both eye-opening and unsettling.



Katutura is located on the northwest side of the A1 highway that passes North/South through Windhoek, while Eros is on the northeast side. You can see on the map the blue dot where I live on Drakensberg St. compared to the Katutura area only 6 km away (3.7 miles).
In 1961, Katutura was established through the forced removal of the black population from Windhoek to Katutura under apartheid. Katutura translates to "a place where people do not want to live" in the Otjiherero language.
 I don't think I fully grasped what we were in for on a typical sunny day in Namibia, but soon found myself wrestling with more questions than answers as we slowly worked our way through the streets of Katutura and surrounding areas for nearly three hours.

From what I've read and certainly from what I saw on our drive, there is little or no access to infrastructure or basic services such as water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Just a quick sidenote from Philip, an Economics major: Despite Namibia being classified as an upper-middle-income country with abundant resources and low population density, it also struggles with profound inequality.
In fact, Namibia ranks as one of the most unequal countries globally, with the second-highest Gini coefficient of 59.1, just below South Africa with 63. The Gini coefficient measures income distribution across the population.
By comparison, the US is at 41.1, and Norway at 27.6. The most equitable country is Slovenia at 24.6.
Here is some video footage as we drove through the streets... I apologize for the "shaky camera" but I was trying to make sure I didn't look like a tourist with my phone out in the open as well as trying to be discreet and respectful of personal space.
And slides below with the arrow on the right to look at more pictures...
School was not in session for winter break and so we did see many young children freely moving about the area. But kids are kids no matter where they live, and it was fun to see several kick-the-ball-type games in-progress or young ones digging channels in the dirt.

We also saw numerous outdoor vendors selling wood, chickens, vegetables, fruit, bread, and pap, a traditional porridge made from ground maize. Not really a favorite dish for me, but I'm learning to appreciate it as a basic staple at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I had also heard about an area called "Stop and Shop," a street lined with vendors selling piles and piles of used clothing and other household-type items.
I definitely wanted to see this area, and thanks to our driver, we safely maneuvered through the "traffic jam" which is apparently much worse on weekends. And he did it with the utmost patience and inner calm!
Anyone who knows me knows that I mostly shop "used," and I do miss ARC Thrift Store (nothing really like that here), but this definitely takes "thrifting" to a whole new level.

We also experienced some of the outdoor stands and several of the Kapanas that lined the streets. A Kapana is a way of preparing raw meat, typically beef, by grilling it on an open fire.
I realize that you might have experienced and toured similar areas in your world travels, but for me, it's all new and even unsettling to know that tonight I will crawl into a cozy bed stacked with two mattresses and two pillows, while families of 5 or more cram into spaces without running water or electricity.
And I could go on and on, but I hope these pictures give you glimpse into the stark economic disparities of not only Namibia, but so many other countries throughout the world.

Finally, here is a song called "Love and Respect" that you might enjoy written and performed by one of the more popular Namibian artists, Big Ben Kandukira.
In The Namibian, Windhoek's local paper, Big Ben shared that he wrote it because "he felt compelled to use his music to express the worries, hopes, and concerns of his own society." While I can't find all the lyrics, it's a moving appeal for all of us to live with basic love and respect for the sake of humanity, and especially for the Namibians.
Big Ben's "Love and Respect" on Spotify HERE (unfortunately I can't seem to find it on YouTube),
Signing off with humility, love and respect,
Lynn