Namibian Culture

Carrie asked me about the Namibian culture. This question has a very complicated answer. Namibia obtained independence of government in 1990 and awarded itself the nickname “The Land of the Brave.” Namibia is a very new country with a hurtful past. It is a “developing country.” (Remember that the Peace Corps only operates in “developing countries.”) One thing that Namibia is working to develop is a “national identity.” But this doesn’t mean there is no culture here! Namibia has many groups of people who consider themselves unique – at least 12! There are at least 13 languages spoken here and each has different traditions. There are many who still believe only in the traditional African religions/beliefs of their ancestors – specifically the Himba and the San people (sometimes called "Bushmen of the Kalahari). While most of the other Namibians (especially those in larger towns)dress just like those in the US, the Himba and San dress in traditional African clothing – usually made of animal skins.

The facts, though, are that Namibia was “colonized” by European countries in the past. The Europeans brought much of their culture, as well as Christianity as a religion, to Namibia. More than 80% of Namibians consider themselves Christian. So many of the rituals that most Namibians will go through are baptism, confirmation, and marriage. After Christian funerals, mourners are expected to return to the house of the deceased to wash their hands, symbolically washing off the death so it will not follow them to their own houses. The bereaved family then serves everyone food and drinks. The Owambo people (the most numerous group) will slaughter a cow for food to serve guests at funerals and weddings).

The Christian religions here are very similar to their counterparts in the United States – the most popular denominations are Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Dutch Reformed, but they are slightly different, and for that reason, they are considered “Africanized.”

Although so many people are Christians, there are many among them who still believe some of the traditional religions. Some will consult with traditional “healers” when they are sick. This leads to a multitude of different types of people, with many different identities. Because there are so many groups here, it is difficult to create one unified idea of what a national “Namibian” culture should be considered to be. It is quite an interesting country with much to learn about.

Namibia!

Dear Class,
I made it to Namibia! I am in a group of 53 Peace Corps volunteers. We make up a group of high school science, English, and math teachers, as well as health/HIV educators and computer teachers. My group is named PCNam 24. We are all living together in college-styled rooms at a conference center in a town called Okahandja. As a group, all 53 of us are living and traveling together for our first eight weeks in Namibia – during this whole time, we are learning lots of things about the country, and also how to be at whatever our job will be (of course, I will be a high school physical science teacher. I’ve also learned that I may be needed to teach other subjects also.).

Namibians are a diverse group of people. Most of the people who live here are black, but there are also many white people (descendents of Europeans who colonized Namibia), and people who come from mixed families. There are also a few people living in Namibia that are from immigrant families who have moved here mostly for business purposes - there are some Asian and Indian people, but they are few and live mainly in the capitol city (Windhoek) and other larger cities and towns. You should know that there are very few people living in Namibia – it is one of the least densely populated countries in the world!

A few interesting facts: Namibia has a high average family income. By comparison with many other African countries, you might even consider Namibia rich! BUT, the bulk (the main portion) of all the money in the entire country is owned by a tiny number of people. This leaves many people who are very poor. It is true that Namibia has the largest disparity of wealth distribution in the world! In fact, the large majority of Namibians are considered either poor or very poor. The definition of “poor” here means that 60% of all the money that a family earns is needed to buy food. People who are considered “very poor” must spend 80% of all their earned money just to have enough food to eat! You can imagine that a situation like this doesn’t leave much money over for other basic needs or for any luxury items at all. I will not become a teacher until January, but I will be teaching and living in the “north” of the country, where the majority of people (including the poorest people) live. I will be able to give you a good picture of how the local people in my village live and what their schools are like when I get there and settle in.

Alison – thank you for asking about the weather here. It has been hot, hot, hot every day. The good thing is that it is very dry (low humidity), so the temperature (which has been between 80 and 100 degrees F the whole time) feels cooler than it would if the air were very humid, like in Florida or Louisiana. The sun is very strong. Namibia is a very arid country – the climate is desert. It rains very little here, except during what is called “the rainy season.” And guess what – we are in the rainy season now! Yesterday it poured for 10 minutes. The rainy season, typically, consists of a couple of weeks in late November and then for many more weeks in January. There will be enough rainfall that by the end of the rainy season, the landscape will be covered with green grass and plants. But the green color won’t last long and soon the landscape will turn back to beige.