Positive Solutions: Namibia 2010

Mount Sinai

A program started by Katutura State Hospital Nurse Christa Biart-Vega, who works in the ARV (antiretroviral) pediatric clinic, Mount Sinai provides HIV counseling, health education, well baby checks, formula, water and sippy cups for 105 babies and their HIV+ mothers. If the child is tested HIV- after 6 weeks of being breastfed, the hospital or clinic refers them to Christa. At this point it is important to discontinue breastfeeding: replacing breast milk with formula means that the baby will remain HIV-. Unfortunately, due to the lack of funds Christa has to limit the number of mothers and babies in her program because it is a commitment to feed each child for six months. Christa did receive land in Katutura for the clinic, but lacks the funds to begin building. Not only will this building be used to continue the program that Christa has started, she also envisions it as a safe place for moms and their children, as well as a hospice for children with AIDS to peacefully die in instead of out on the streets. Your donations will go towards formula, sippy cups, water and overall costs. More money means more women can enroll in the program and with your help Nurse Christa will finally be able to have a building to go along with her amazing, life saving program!

Family Hope Sanctuary

FHS is a community based program run by Abigail Maposa located in the extremely poor settlements of Hakahana. FHS’s program helps in two ways: first, to empower women, most of whom are HIV+, TB, single mothers who are raising orphans; and second, through its school readiness program. This program reaches children who are not in the school system and provides them with an education and a safe place to stay. More importantly, the heart of FHS is its kitchen: it feeds hundreds of children each day, which for most is the only meal they will get that day. Lacking the most basic necessities of life, all of these kids are grateful for such a meal, and are in dire need of a formal education before it is too late. Your donations will go towards education, food, clothes, shoes, water and other necessities. Amazingly, $20 sends a child to school for a whole year (books and uniforms included)!

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Razz-ma-tazz

Water Station in Settlement

-Waterberg Park

Zebra

Foibe and Family
Assembly Line for feeding Kids

Annie and Family in Okahandja.

-Let em Loose!!!

-Our Hut at Penduka

We are back in the city. The stad.
Today we went to FHS to set up for tomorrow’s party. “Tomorrow is Christmas”, Ouma Cecelia blurted out in her best possible English. One lady stood in the kitchen/store room/office lopping pieces of dough into the boiling pot of oil to make fat cakes, while some ladies lined up to take turns grabbing clothes that a German lady donated. Finally Abigail just started handing things out and at one point threw piles of clothes out in the middle of the floor while they all rushed to grab what wasn’t already claimed. We both forgot our cameras, but it will be a sight that my memory will never forget. Someone’s old, used, raggedy clothes and shoes that were covered in dust were another woman’s new found treasures and fashion accessories. “Lelelelelelele” the women cried while dancing with joy. Little moments like these are what makes me happy for this life and the chance to be here and witness another culture and way of life. It has made me realize that one way of living is no better than the other. It is only what we are use to that makes us look at new ways of living in a strange way. As my father tells me: “you are criticizing, but you don’t know, take the time to know…” It is the concept of the “other”, if you are not familiar with someone or something, it is then a lot easier to dub it strange therefore foreign- this of course has justified a lot of things through history (slavery, wars, racism, sexism etc..) But just because someone goes about doing something another way, doesn’t mean it is wrong. It is just different and I believe that it is very important to keep an open mind through out life. If one is to also judge (which we ALL do), and not take a moment to learn something new, it is a great travesty to the world and for the individual. No matter how far or little one has to step out of their comfort zone to do so, one should take steps towards this whether small or large... Maybe talking to someone new, or learning how to cook a new international dish, or learning a new language or volunteering at a local shelter or immigration center. We all can learn something from one another as opposed to sitting silently in the distance and judging and assuming that this is what something is like. Baby steps to peace. I truly think that you will find out that we all have more in common in this world than one would think.

That is what I continue to learn on a day to day basis. Everyone is just trying to survive; to get a piece of the pie. A taxi driver said to us yesterday “Life is hard, one person is up the other is down, there is rich and poor, nothing will never be fair.” This got me to thinking, because in my idealistic mind, I want there to be a world where everyone has pie and so they can share and not have to hoard. Here is a joke that I read in a book that I thought I should share with you: “What is the only thing that money can’t buy? Poverty.”
I struggle a lot with the fact that my life could house many families who live here-that is my material life thus far. The fact that I have frozen bread in my freezer (I’m sure someone would kill for it) that never gets eaten is the perfect example of the things I take for granted in my life. That is why I am so confused much of the time. Why hoard when there are so many people that need it more? I need to start making a list of resourceful things I can start doing. 1. Do I really NEED this or is it a want? I worked hard, so why shouldn’t I splurge a little?? This is just my thought process.