Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
church services. During the rest of the week, the steady flow of funeral processions past our front door was a daily
reminder of the deeply personal impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the community. According to a former
nurse and local historian, the number of funerals held at the church has risen almost five-fold in the last decade,
from 37 in 1992 to 177 in 2003.
At the same time, the tremendous stigma that surrounds the disease has made it very difficult for Namibians to
be open about their status. As is the case across much of Africa, HIV/AIDS is shrouded in denial and silence, and
reinforced by fear, shame and a lack of understanding of the disease. Despite the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in
Namibia, a study carried out by the Namibian government in 2000 found that two-thirds of women in the Ohang-
wena region said they would not buy food from a person they knew to be HIV positive.
In the midst of these seemingly insurmountable challenges, there are thousands of community workers and vo-
lunteers struggling to overcome the stigma and help those affected. In the small community in which we lived,
projects include the Anglican Home-Based Care Project, which provides training and distributes home-based care
kits to volunteers who visit patients too ill to leave their homesteads; and Omwene Tu Talulula (OTTA; the name
means 'Learn to Survive'), a group of HIV-positive activists who travel to schools, churches and other community
gatherings encouraging people to come out about their status, and calling for an end to discrimination.
While some progress has been made to improve conditions for people living with HIV/AIDS, with improved
access to antiretrovirals over the last few years, the challenges remain daunting. For many residents of Ohang-
wena region in northern Namibia, it is difficult or impossible to make the long trip to a hospital or clinic, and
people often don't have enough food to help them digest their medicine. Visiting homesteads served by the
Anglican Home-Based Care Project, I was amazed to discover that volunteers dropped off a loaf of bread in most
of the homesteads they visited. For many it would be their only substantial food of the day, and would mean that
they would be able to tolerate that day's medication.
The Namibian Way of Life
On the whole, Namibians are a conservative and God-fearing people - an estimated 80%
to 90% of the country is Christian - so modesty in dress is important. Keeping up appear-
ances extends to behaving modestly and respectfully to one's elders and social superiors,
performing religious and social duties, and fulfilling all essential family obligations.
Education, too, is very important and the motivation to get a good education is high.
But getting an education is by no means easy for everyone, and for families living in re-
mote rural areas, it often means that very young children must be sent to schools far away
where they board in hostels. The literacy rate for Namibia is 85%.
Most Namibians still live in homesteads in rural areas, and lead typical village lives.
Villages tend to be family- and clan-based, and are presided over by an elected
elenga
(headman). The
elenga
is responsible for local affairs, everything from settling disputes to
determining how communal lands are managed.
