Enguwantale is in the region of Oshana which is in the greater area known as Owamboland. It is the most densely populated area of Namibia (still not very densely populated) and dominated by the Owambo people, who are currently controlling the government. The drive north took about 8 hours from Okahandja in a Ministry of Education van which despite begin a government rig, did not seem to be the soundest of vehicles. But, it got us there in one piece. I traveled with a handful of other volunteers who will be in the same area and our respective principles. From the town of Oshakati we went our separate ways. My way was down a bumpy, sandy, and rutted road into what seemed like the middle of nowhere...or maybe it is actually nowhere.
My expectations as a business volunteer was to have a vibrant community with economic activity bursting at the seams. I envisioned myself working in a village with street vendors, a market, and people actively wanting to progress. However, I soon found out that Enguwantale is nothing more than a small gathering of cuca shops, shebeens, a taylor, grinding mill, and the school (cuca shops and shebeens translating into beer stores and bars). The 10 or so brick shacks awkwardly sitting in the middle of nowhere looked like a ghost town. I was honestly at a loss. How in the world am I going to keep myself busy here for two years? It is flat, sandy, dusty, hot, and empty.
However, as I found out there is more than meets the eye. Even though the village itself is small, there are farms and homesteads scattered all around. My homestead is located near the village and school and from there I can maybe see another 3 homesteads. It wasn't until Monday at school that I realized there is a lot more going on there. On Monday morning I was amazed to see children of all ages trekking through the fields and down the roads to come to school. In total, about 250 students seemed to appear magically out of the savannah. It was comforting (despite being laughed at by 250 kids, for apparently being different) to see so much activity and this gave me hope.
Despite its apparent flaws and my initial feeling of loss, I am confident now that my time in Enguwantale will be an enriching experience. I have certainly had to change my thinking and reshape my ideas but that is all part of the process. I am sure that after some more time there I will have to change my thinking again. But for now, I have a lot of creative ideas that I didn't have before and am excited to see where they go.
There is a lot more that happened on this visit that I didn't mention...like my new home and the school experience. But in the interest of length and time, I will have to write about those at another time. Thanks for following and for the comments!
Somewhere in Owamboland
(not Enguwantale)
When the cows come home
My new brother and sister showing
me where the muhangu (millet) is stored
(omumwamemememati nomumwamemekadhona...
right, that is brother and sister in Oshindonga; this language is crazy)
2 comments:
Remember what you said in your earlier blog "It is not so much the village that matters but how I go in there and shape my own experience with what is there."
If you change only one life you have succeeded. Rememeber you will only get out of the experiance what you put into it.
I know you will do your best because that is all you know.
You will be creative on finding thing to do, your an explorer.
Mom
So, it is easy for an outsider to say that you should just buck up and take what you have been given, but I can only imagine how hard it is to have your expectations shattered. I know you will make the best of it, and you have to look at it in that you could make a huge difference it a town full of bars, and maybe you will forever change their lives for the better. It will be a challenge, but that is why they chose you to go there, because they know you can do it. We all know that you can do it too!
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