Namibia 4 A Continuous Cacophony

  As I enter the gated grounds, the kids stop and sing the African national anthem for us, doing so in 4 languages. These children are happy, and excited. They are all dressed in simple red aprons with a different animal stitched on the front of each in white.

 With fists outstretched reinforcing the beat of the song, it is the innocent eyes that hit us. How could they be happy given the life they live? From an outsider's perspective it would be hard to imagine, yet the energy and excitement is overwhelming. Turning to walk away from the kids we are mobbed, arms out for hugs. Fifty fists are pushed towards us, thumbs outstretched, a continuous cacophony of the kids yelling out "shop". We return the manner of saying goodbye by extending our thumb to meet each of the little thumbs.

"These kids are rich inside," Bob tells me as he sees Sharon crying.

Calvin (to be continued) 

Namibia 3 Kids Are Delighted To See Us

 The kids are happy, and are delighted to see us. Some stand quietly watching us with a shy curiosity, while others run up to us and hug us with strength unexpected for a child. Above all of the rough challenges of life surrounding them, the children are genuinely happy. It is this strength that gives hope. The children are often unaware of AIDS and disease and the cards they have been dealt, but just accept their brief time as an opportunity to live.

 Entering the coreche(?), a place where 80 young children are left each day while their parents are gone, I meet Bob, who founded a theatre group that provides an opportunity for the children to develop a talent. They are preparing for a production, one that will be shown to the president later today. The name is "Plus Minus Memories of the Battery".

Calvin (to be continued) 

Namibia 2 Parents Are Dead From AIDS

Every so often one finds a home marked as a Tuck Shop -- a place where an entrepreneur has bought some bulk product, selling smaller quantities to the people. Five large white sacks of coal, with one poured out over the ground, individual pieces for sale.

Three young kids are throwing rocks and tops wound with string on the ground in front of me, and when a top starts spinning, smiles and excited laughter follow. The settlement is filled with kids, in part due to the large families, but also because many of their parents are now dead from AIDS. No one is allowed to comment on how serious the problem is, but its obvious that a good segment of the region's demographic is child-headed households. With 200-250 funerals a weekend in Soweto, death is an accepted part of life. 

Calvin (to be continued) 

Namibia 1 Vicious Dog Without A Leash

To my right stands three concrete drop toilets, each providing for five families of seven each. Half a dozen kids are sitting on the surrounds of the toilet block, stopping their improvised games while they watch us walk by. Just ahead a solitary tap is crowded with activity, women filling large pots only to hoist and balance them overhead. Out of the 57 taps in the region, 9 are broken. This tap feeds 45 families. Access to water is the life-blood, and these taps serve as the daily epicenter of social activity and personal conflicts.

 An unsettling howl causes us to turn as we see one dog attack another - a fierce lock around the other's neck. One young men is lashing the dog from overhead with a belt while another is throwing waste water at its eyes. The vicious dog is without a leash, wreaking havoc with its rabid determination. Two dozen men and children crowding around, the attacker is subdued and the poor victim limps away with an upset 6-year old owner. Even in these areas there are ground rules -- dogs must be on a leash.

Calvin (to be continued)