Heroes' Day

This weekend holds some significance in Namibia. The 26^th of August is Heroes’ Day, which celebrates the anniversary of several important events in Namibian independence. On August 26^th, 1966 fighting began to end South African rule. Although independence did not occur until 1990, this date is still very meaningful for Namibians. Additionally, this wekeend also marked a celebration for Samuel Maharero, who led the fight against German rule in the country but was exiled to what is now Botswana, where he spent the rest of his life. His remains were eventually returned to Namibia on the 23^rd of August, just down the street from where I am now. For this reason, there is a Herero parade every year on the Sunday nearest August 23^rd. We were able to see the parade, which included horses, a band, men and boys in soldier-like attire, and women in their traditional Herero dress (a long, flowing Victorian dress with a hat that represents cattle horns). The parade visits the grave of Maharero, then proceeds to the graves of other chiefs, and concludes at an open field, where there are speeches and more festivities.

With this being such a significant weekend, it was a good time to be our first in the country. There is much excitement, pride, and good spirits in the area.

Everything else has been good so far. We’ve done a bit of training, but the goal of most of our sessions so far has been to aclimate us to the staff and resources we have access to. We’ve met with the directors of our programs in order to determine our best placements, which I’ll know in a few weeks. This has also been a very good time to get to know the other members of my training class. We’ve gotten along very well so far, plenty of fun by all.

It is the end of winter here, but the only real sign of the season is an early sunset. Although the early morning can be chilly, the temperature warms by the afternoon, probably near 75-80 degrees.

That’s all for now. Remember that emails, comments, and any other form of communication are always welcome.