This is the sixth entry to the Global GOLD series written by Jon Maravelias (BS10). Jon is a Development Associate for a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) called NaDeet based in Namibia, Africa.
The story below is a graphic account of Jon’s experience. The viewpoints expressed are those of the author alone and not the Office for Alumni Relations.
At the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET) Centre, we offer a five-day training course in alternative solar cooking technology and sustainable living practices for adult community groups of southern Namibia. Between 2009-2010, five of these groups from the communities of Maltahohe, Keetmanshoop, Bethanien, Maltahohe and Rehoboth participated in this program. Participants were typically female heads of the household and unemployed. NaDEET’s aim is to systematically empower all Namibians to live sustainably by teaching them how to use alternative cooking technology, i.e. parabolic solar cooker, solar oven, fuel-efficient stove (FES) and recycled firebricks, and other water and energy saving techniques.
In April, I conducted a five-day evaluation of these community groups by traveling to all five communities and visiting participants at their homes. All of our participants live in the slums (a.k.a. “locations” or “townships”). The roads are barren; the houses are made of rusted tin; and the bathroom is located in the field maybe a mile from one’s house. Many of the slums do not have electricity or running water, so most residents fetch water from a nearby stream or underground spring and use an open fire to cook their food. As such, cutting down trees and collecting firewood is a daily activity contributing to deforestation in Namibia. Any outsider must understand that southern Namibia is mostly a desert — any living tree has struggled for many years to become part of one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. That is why using alternative cooking technology is necessary for the sustainable development of southern Namibia, and it is also why NaDEET’s goal is to plant 365 trees this year throughout Namibia.
In general, it seemed that the poorer you were, the more you relied on solar cooking since it meant you did not need to collect firewood for the day. I visited several women who used the solar cooker and fuel-efficient stoves to heat their bath water and to cook all of their meals. Prior to the program, we were concerned about possible theft of the solar cookers, but we quickly learned that it’s a little difficult to wheel a giant space dish down a road littered with boulders and pot holes. Another problem we anticipated was transport and space for the solar cooker. However, what we found was that most participants kept their solar cooker somewhere more convenient such as a family member’s house or a clinic in the location. For example, in Rehoboth, we visited the clinic Orange Babies who provides baby formula for HIV-positive mothers hoping to keep their babies HIV-free. The clinic was using the solar cooker to hold demonstrations and bake sales to raise money for the clinic.
The most successful communities were the ones with a traditional power structure. Both the communities of Maltahohe and Bethanien were under the leadership of two elder women. Anna, from Bethanien, was the chief’s wife who organized all NaDEET participants and provided oversight of the equipment. As we sat on her sandy porch in the south, we watched her family use the solar cookers and fuel-efficient stoves to cook lunch for nearly 12 other community members. Likewise, in Maltahohe, Veronika is a stroke survivor who uses her solar cooker for her bakery. When one travels through the slum, they can’t help but be drawn to the entrepreneurial business for lunch. She explained to me that she bought a plot of land close to the school so that she can have her own sustainable living center for the community, remarking, “If we change our ways, we have the power to break the circle of poverty.”
My favorite part of the trip, though was planting the trees. Nothing could explain the look of contentment and appreciation on Namibians’ faces as we planted an indigenous shade tree in their barren plot of land. Since we had about 80 trees donated to us from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, I had the freedom to just drive down the street and yell at someone – “Hey you! You want a tree? Great! Get in the car and show me where you live.” The people were ecstatic and typically invited me inside to see their home. It is my hope to return to Namibia in the next ten years and see much less desolate slums marked by trees of good will and better living standards.
Check out photos from Jon’s trip on his Flickr stream.
What are Global GOLD stories? Raw, adventurous, and timely. They are related to the ways our alumni (and students connected to the Alumni Association) make an impact related to global social, cultural, political and environmental causes and concerns. The views presented are representative of the author only and not the Office for Alumni Relations.
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