730 Days of Sun

I am Angel Sanford, and here are excerpts from my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Namibia.  The content of this website is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the Namibian Government.

[angel-in-namibia]

The Boomerang

I’ve heard that adjusting to life ‘back home’ is often more difficult than adjusting to life in a new country. As with any major change, inevitably the good and bad come mixed together. I reflected quite a bit on what it might feel like to lose one home and return to another -- both imperfect in different ways. I look forward to resuming my life in Portland, though I already sense some potential pros and cons.

Let me be open about my hopes and fears regarding my move back home. 

Most Excited For:

Convenience!

A salary

The Food!

Community that cares about environmental conservation

Nature-derived toiletries, cosmetics etc

High quality, local, preservative-free food and produce options

Less harassment, cat-calling, and aggressive pursuit

Wearing boots and layers of clothes!

The beautiful landscapes and nature in Oregon

Utilizing my newfound assertiveness

Sharing about my experience in Namibia

Opening a new chapter in life

Most Dreading:

Job searching

Replentishing savings

The dating pool

Costs. Traffic. Stress. City life.

The speed of work and life

Replacing my wardrobe

Fighting for housing

Dreary, dark winters

People thinking I am new in my hometown

Trying to explain Namibia as a separate concept from “Africa”

Feeling like I’ve gone back in time

That’s the list. I won’t dwell on these though. Instead I’ll embraces the changes ahead and take each win and let-down as they come. Check back with me in 6 months and see how this list compares the reality of my reentry process! 

[angel-in-namibia]

When It’s Over. . .

In the infamous words of 90′s(+) band Sugar Ray:

When it’s over,  that’s the time I fall in love again.

That’s how I would describe these final months in my Namibian community. 

I find myself enjoying the people and situations that may have bothered me in the past. Similarly, I find people treating me with more respect and friendship now that my exit is imminent. 

I’ve seen this phenomenon many times before in life when a chapter draws to a close -- including when I left home to come to Namibia. It’s great because both parties lower social inhibitions and prioritize connecting with each other. Endings have shown me what people really felt, but never fully expressed. 

Everyone should experience such a good-bye, and feel the freedom of expression it brings. I’m looking forward to connecting with my community on a deeper level over my final two months. 

[angel-in-namibia]

Age of 29

Lately I’ve been asking myself what it means to be age 29. Living in Namibia as my birthday approaches, my daily life is something I never expected. Where did I picture myself at this age when I was growing up? Since I hadn’t heard of Namibia before 2015, it surely wasn’t here. 

Often when someone conceptualizes a certain age, there are outward expectations and trappings that come along with it. For age 29 that might mean jobs, homes, cars, relationships - “accomplishments” that often come along with that age. Right now I have none of those. Which doesn’t bother me, because I choose to ask, “What does age 29 mean to me?” rather than “Where should I be at age 29?″.

I want to share my answer. 

What does it mean to be age 29?

Age 29 means confidence. It means grace - for yourself and for others. It means recognizing which buttons to push, and which not to push. It means inquisitiveness and aiming first to learn before teaching. 

It means moving from self-advocacy to others-advocacy. Realizing its time to narrow down the list of turns you can make, and focusing on only the best route towards the next step. 

It means embracing conflict, but wasting little time arguing. Orienting yourself towards the future, without getting lost in it. Living up to expectations, at least to set the the pace for the next round. 

It means partying with a sense of purpose. Exemplifying self-control during tough circumstances. It means being self-starting, creative, and innovative. Holding standards for yourself, not for others’ benefits. 

It means not comparing to what others did at this age, but rather asking, “What can I do better than last year?” and knowing you are solely responsible for the answer.

It means spending more time defining what you’re looking for, and why, than actually looking. It’s taking the life you lived in your 20′s and starting to connect all the dots. Its determining which things need practice and which need perfect; which things need time and which need money; which need attention and which need distance. 

It means more poise than power. The courageousness that comes from a bed of humility.

This week I ask myself - am I ready for age 29? 

[angel-in-namibia]

Fermentation: A Volunteer's Best Friend

Peace Corps Volunteers take up a variety of different hobbies during their service. Working out, journaling and cooking are a few of mine. One hobby I'm particularly jazzed about at the moment is Fermenting. I've fermented Cabbage into Sauerkraut, Teff flour into Injera, and most recently sweet tea into Kombucha. Fermentation is a Volunteer's best friend There are a few reasons why I think fermenting is the perfect hobby for an overseas volunteer. First, it allows food to be kept for much longer than if it were fresh. If one finds they have power outages, no fridge, or just limited supply of fresh food, fermentation combats all those problems. Second, the fermenting process creates probiotics which are essential to gut and overall health. Probiotic supplements are expensive and hard to come by in many developing countries. Fermenting one's food means they don't need to rely on the supplements. Probiotics come especially in handy when recovering from food poisoning or taking anti-biotics. Third, fermentation gives one the sense of autonomy or control. Fermentation is a complex natural phenomenon which differs completely according climate, air quality and other environmental factors. However after a few practice rounds, one will understand how to manipulate these factors to produce the best ferment, and experiment with various flavors. For us volunteers, it allows us to more intimately understand our surroundings, as well as feel a sense of control over a project in a setting where many things are totally outside our control. Finally, fermentation is a great indicator of time. Instead of counting down weeks until the next training or vacation, one can add up how many rounds of Sauerkraut or Kimchi will be ready by that time. If a site project is particularly difficult, one can certainly stick with it until the next batch of experimental Kombucha is done. It gives something to look forward to. Hopefully I've convinced you all to take up this healthy hobby! If any of my fellow volunteers would like to learn more about fermenting at site, please reach out to me. I'm happy to share more about my experiences.

[angel-in-namibia]

Direct or Indirect?

We often hear cultures described as exhibiting “direct” or “indirect” communication. Indirect communication includes a set of contextual cues inherent to the culture’s members; like hidden messages that go along with the words. Direct communication is based primarily on the words themselves. 

I expected that Namibia, being a much more “collective” culture than the very U.S. would demonstrate indirect communication. However, here I have experienced both types, which makes things unpredictable. Namibians from my observation are more direct than your average American about topics such as: personal appearance (i.e. weight gain, dress style, inconsistencies), sexual narratives, workplace complaints, and tragedies. This can be jarring to an American who is not used to discussing these things so frankly in “polite company.”

On the other hand, Namibians seem to employ indirect communication with tasks and work committments. I often leave meetings here very confused about what the main message was. I will think, “Why didn’t we make a decision on that? Who is owning these tasks? How will they possibly get this done without a specific deadline? What are we supposed to work on next?” Obviously there are some contextual or cultural cues that I’m not picking up. Being from the U.S. where we delegate tasks very specifically, I am easily lost with nebulous directives. 

Of course the longer someone is part of a culture, the more they adapt to the style of communication. Us Peace Corps Volunteers in Namibia have learned to laugh off the far-too-personal observations. Similarly, someone immigrating to the U.S. will learn to speak more specifically about delegating. Though trying to pick up the ‘hidden messages’ within indirect communication is a bit more difficult I believe. As I continue to observe and practice over the next year here, I might just learn a new communication skill. 

[angel-in-namibia]

A Year of Firsts

It’s nearly 10 months now that I’ve been living in Namibia. As one would expect, that time has been full of new experiences which will remain in my memory for life! Although not comprehensive, these were some of my ‘firsts’ during 2016 here in Namibia. 

Washing clothes by hand

Using USB sticks for transporting ALL docs and music

Braai-ing in the rain

Collecting manure, charcoal, and animals bones by hand (for garden)

Introducing myself in Otjiherero

Using a fax machine regularly

Living in the southern hemisphere - opposite seasons! 

Being a minority in my town

Feeling powerless against the weather

Eating - Mopani worms, Crocodile, Oryx, and so much beef!

Going 3 days without power and water 

Getting glasses

Seeing exotic animals - Giraffe, Springbok, Oryx, Kudu, Ostrich, Warthog, Guinea Fowl

Dancing with folks from all over southern Africa

Cooking my own food 3+ meals a day

Planting a papaya tree

Doing Zumba and Yoga regularly

Battling massive, unfamiliar bugs

Flying over the continent of Africa - 10 hour flight in the same time zone!

Bucket-bathing

Living far from a metropolis  

[angel-in-namibia]

A fellow CED PCV and I spent last weekend in Tsumeb, working with Reverend Amadhilla who leads the TOV Orphanage, Multi-purpose Center, and farm. These are photos from the farm which is 50 km outside of Tsumeb in a beautiful agricultural area.

Everyone we met at the organization was passionate, purposeful, and energetic. I was so inspired by the Reverend’s entrepreneurial spirit, and drive to have the center be self-sustaining in the future, not relying on donations. At the moment they are selling both fresh and dried Spinach grown at the farm.

Our meeting was an initial one to better understand the soul and daily operations of TOV. Along with my fellow PCV, I will help the Reverend immediately by writing proposal for certain functional items needed to run the income-generating activities. Early next year I plan to train the farm team in the Permagardening techniques I learned last week. There will be more to come in the future with this great organization. I am so glad to partner with them! Be on the lookout for ways to contribute soon.

[angel-in-namibia]

2016 Credits

Thanksgiving is coming up this week! I am thankful for many things thus far in my Peace Corps service in Namibia. This is a non-comprehensive list: 

Open, friendly, dynamic fellow PCV’s - my Namily!

Epic amounts of sun

WATER and ELECTRICITY

Inspiring conversations with strangers

PACKAGES from home! 

Safety

My cute little house in Okakarara

Phone data to stay connected to loved ones back home

The natural wide open spaces which cover Namibia

Feeling at home in my community 

No snake or serious insect bites yet! 

Being able to move about Namibia - ‘hiking’ in private taxis

Learning about my co-workers lives and backgrounds

Knowing I’ll never starve - there’s always a Fat Cake nearby! 

Modern shopping town

Hydration Salts (and other Med Kit items)

Books, Podcasts, and TED talks!

Communicating in English 

Personal strength and growth of perspective that develops from living in a different country 

There is even more that I am thankful for, and I think being in Peace Corps is one of the experiences that really brings that to light. Enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration this year - wherever and whenever it is. 

[angel-in-namibia]

Our second destination last week was Karakulia Weavers in Swakopmund. They have a beautiful workroom and showroom which was great for our film project. My fellow CED PCV Andrew Resor is working with owner Moses Helao on his marketing strategy for the business.

Keep up the good work Andrew and Moses!

[angel-in-namibia]

Last week I was in Swakopmund with the Peace Corps Namibia Media Committee to work on a film project highlighting inspiring Namibians. These stills I took were from the COSDEF, where Saara and Rachael have started their own leather-working company after finishing the Leather course at the COSDEC. My fellow PCV Stephanie Watson has been mentoring them as they start up their business. Exciting to see the impact of PCV’s around the country! 

[angel-in-namibia]

This week I am at the National Skills Competition & Expo in Windhoek representing my organization, the Okakarara VTC, as an exhibitor. It's part of the World Skills organization, in which young trainees compete within their vocational trades. Here is a clip from the opening ceremonies, as the dignitaries and VIP's walked in.

[angel-in-namibia]

My monochromatic, not-to-scale map of my town, Okakarara

[angel-in-namibia]

Highlights of PST

From 14th April - 15th June, Peace Corps Namibia Group 43 was in Pre-service training, or PST. Our jam-packed sessions were Monday - Saturday, and we learned local language, culture, safety and medical information, and worked on our technical skills. For my sector (Community Economic Development, or CED), we worked on presenting, business consulting, and entrepreneurship training skills. 

We worked hard, but had a ton of fun as well! Here are just some of the highlights from this period. (Forgive me for some inside jokes!):

Daily tea break!

Team trip to Gross Barmen Hot Springs

Becoming part of a great host family in Okahandja

The Wolfpack (my Otjiherero language group)

Doing well on my language exams

A very successful Business Skills Workshop (put on by us CED trainees)

Our two cultural [food] days

Singing Namibian songs in our morning assemblies

Performing a solo along with two group members during the American food night

Getting to know the Namibian training team

Market Day (put on by the CED trainees and our local small business partners)

Group trips to Windhoek

Practicing presentations of our business skills to a Namibian audience

Thrown out into real Namibia for Shadowing 

Remsey being Remsey

Trainees falling asleep during afternoon sessions

Enjoying a few precious, kid-free moments while having a drink after sessions

Mandeep’s running club

The joyfulness, ingenuity, and full-assery of Group 43! 

[angel-in-namibia]

Angel Sanford of Portland Selected for Peace Corps Community Economic Development Assignment in Namibia

Peace Corps Volunteer Profile: Name: Angel Sanford Age: 27 Hometown: Clackamas, Ore. Current City: Portland, Ore. Alma Mater: University of Oregon, Business Administration, 2010 Country of Service:…

Linking to Peace Corps’ post about my conscription, from back in April!