Group 41 prepares to return home…

As I approach my halfway point, other PCVs are about to reach their Close of Service (COS) dates after 27 months in country. PCV Andy collected together on his blog a number of 6-word stories that describe the experience on the part of his fellow Group 41 PCVs. I think these are pretty cool!

365 Days in…

Tomorrow will be the first anniversary of my arrival in Namibia with my fellow PCVs from Group 43. I will mark the occasion by completing the “project” I conceived back in October: to backpack from home over the desert and down the Khan and Swakop River canyons to Goanikontes-Oasis Rest Camp.

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Saying goodbye

Nothing illustrates the uniqueness of a culture as the way in which momentous personal events are celebrated: births, weddings and deaths. Last week was filled with a number of gatherings to celebrate Kawii’s life. This post shares in words, photos, video and audio clips, a bit of what I experienced as we celebrated his life and bid him farewell.

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In Memorium: Manfred “Kawii” Murangi

Thank you for your warm and thoughtful comments in response to my post about this tragic loss. The community of Arandis and the entire Erongo Region celebrates the life of Kawii: there are informal gatherings, public memorials, and religious services throughout the week as we mourn the loss of this very special man.

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When joy is shattered: Manfred “Kawii” Murangi, R.I.P.

Tonight, I learned of the passing of my dear friend and Arandis work colleague, Manfred (Kawii) Murangi.

He was the first person in Arandis that I met last June and, as a close colleague in the Town Council, he was my guide to all things Namibian. He will be sadly missed. And he will never walk alone!

Back on the trail: Rössing Mountain

It’s been awhile, but I finally got out in the desert again recently, climbing the peaks of Rössingberge, 20km from Arandis. It’s the tallest range in the area, viewable from my front porch, and has been a target of mine since I arrived last June. Fellow PCV Eric visited from nearby Karibib and we hitchhiked to the access road off the main B2 Highway. There were trails to two of the peaks but we found ourselves scrambling up scree slopes and along ridges of loose rocks to the others.

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The new year started with a lot of wildlife!

Greetings from Namibia! Sorry – I didn’t mean to be away for so long!

My intention was to take a few weeks off from the blog, during which time I camped in three of Namibia’s game reserves. The break was wonderful but only served to put me behind at work so I extended my “blog pause.” I hope to make up for my absence with this, my longest post yet. Fear not – it’s mostly photographs and one little short video.

I hope you enjoy it!

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Images of Life in Namibia

This is a long post, but made up only of photos and captions so I hope you find it fun and easy to go through during this busy time of year. You’ll see a bit about the work I’m doing and a lot from life in and around my home and some recent travels.

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Is the Peace Corps still relevant?

I recently had a chance to reflect on “the bigger picture…”

4 months after saying goodbye to one another at the end of PST in Okahandja, the 31 members of Peace Corps Namibia Group 43 met together in Windhoek last week for our “ReConnect.”

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6 months in…

It was on this day, back in April, when I departed SFO for my 2+ years in Namibia. Time is truly racing by!

Group 43 is at our ReConnect retreat this week for more training and to share early experiences. We’re in the hills above Windhoek and clearly, as you can see, there are more than just Peace Corps volunteers here!