The weekend of July 24, my colleague Jen and I were welcomed by a gracious host family who lived in a small town Ondangwa in Northern Namibia. My host family was Owambo and spoke the Owambo language of Oshiwambo. Martha, my host mother, was eight months pregnant with her second child. Her first child was Max, a small yet feisty 10 year old who loved to play soccer. Sophia was the 22 yr old house keeper, who cooked and cleaned in exchange for food and shelter.
My host family lived in a simple one story house. The home had a large, sandy yard, where hens and chicks searched for food.The neighbors next store had what seemed like many, many roosters, which made the mornings quite interesting. We ate our meals at a small table in the hallway connecting the kitchen and bedrooms. The kitchen had a tiny range, but no oven. There was also an outdoor cooking area where Sophia roasted potatoes over the fire. Sophia, Jen and I shared a room, with Jen and I sharing a bed. We used the large mosquito bed net, especially the second night after I spotted a huge roach near our bags (luckily, Max came to the rescue).
Sunday was my favorite day, as Max took Jen and I to visit Kuku (Grandma, who happened to be named Anna!) and Christy (Max cousin, who is being raised by Kuku). Kuku did not speak English so Max and Christy had to interpret Oshiwambo. Kuku gave us a lengthy tour of the family home. We visited the various huts, including the old cooking hut. We tried several fruits and nuts from the trees in the yard. Kuku showed us the large, woven baskets where the millet was stored throughout the year. She taught me how to pound millet and how to separate the seeds from the flour using a sifting basket.
Overall, Jen and I really enjoyed our stay. We may not have loved the cold bucket bath nor the spiders and roaches, but it reminded us of all of the basic things we take for granted at home. I hope to keep in contact with my host family--especially Sophia, Max, and Christy. Maybe someday I will return to visit again....
