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Other People's Moseys will
continue for the month of July. Sara and Richard are packing up their studio in
Seville and will resume their moseying in August. Email your own Mosey to correspondent@saraphina.com
FROM A YEAR IN NAMIBIA
By Lara Skripitsky |
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The author makes a new friend in her village
of Dobra, Namibia |
My journey begins in Toronto, a family goodbye filled with tears and
promises to write. in New York, I meet with the 23 other brave (crazy?) souls who have
decided to give a year of their life volunteering in the Republic of Namibia. Everyone
circles nervously, sizing each other up, making idle conversation all the while wondering
who would become friendly with who. We fly to Johannesburg, South Africa, where our tour
guide Gabriel greets us with "Joburg is bad, I guarantee you will be mugged if you go
downtown". Shell-shocked and exhausted from an 18hour plane ride, I sequester myself
in the comfortable familiarity of my room at the Howard Johnson Hotel.
The next morning, flying into Namibia from South Africa, I get my first
taste of the beauty of the country I will call home for the next months. Early morning sun
rises over rolling red dunes of sand that deepen in colour as the plane approaches. The
terrain is startling barren with low-lying scrubs competing with bedraggled trees for
every drop of precious water. As we approach Windhoek, dunes give way to flatlands that
sprout mountains and hills when you least expect them. We are greeted at the Windhoek
airport by the World Teach coordinator, Mike Armstrong. He has been here for over 2 years,
which, much to his chagrin, makes him an expert on everything from drinking water to
malaria pills. Our nervousness and apprehension manifests itself into questions that pelt
him like rain. Driving from the airport to the city, I am struck by the aridness of the
land...dry, brown land with jagged, depleted plants. No sign of humanity besides the
occasional thatched home. Windhoek, the capital city, rises out of the mountains like a
mirage.
I get my first taste of the beauty of the countryI will call
home for the next months
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We are staying at Ai-Gams, a catholic retreat in Windhoek. I find out
that I will be spending my year at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School, Dobra.
Dobra is a small mission, run by 6 Dutch Brothers (Brothers in the religious sense of the
word). I will be stationed there with 2 other volunteers: Alyson Byrd, from Montreal and
Michael Zawisky, from Buffalo. I am going to be the English Teacher as well as Head of the
English Department Overwhelmed, I and retire to my bed to process all the information..
It is hotter than I have ever experienced , but the complete lack of
humidity makes it bearable. Baboons are coming into town because of the
drought…..yesterday I saw about 25 or so lurking in the yard where we are staying.
They come down in search of nourishment and dance on the tin roof because it is so hot
they can’t stand still. I lie in bed, mentally and physically exhausted, lulled to
sleep but the rhythmic tap-dance of the thirsty baboons. |
 
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