#10 - Namibia

Today was an interesting day.  Work was long and I got home just in time to see my son go to bed.  I just hate those kind of days.  It is just so depressing to not be able to spend time with my son...which got me thinking.  I wonder how hard or how long many of these people who live in these areas work to earn the meager amount that they get.  The short answer, of course, is as long as it takes and sometimes I am sure that is different than others.  I do know that it can be extremely frustrating living on the edge where one bad day can push you into a life or death choice.  What happens when a child gets injured? Or what happens when the primary breadwinner is injured.  The choices that some of these families are confronted with are so depressing that we in our insulated American lives refuse to even go there.  We dismiss it as something that is thousands of miles away and beyond our control so why worry about it or even give it any thought.  I hope we can move beyond this and consider what we might be able to do for those less fortunate, like those in Namibia...

Namibia is located on the west coast of southern Africa.  It is a land that is sparsely populated and had parts of two deserts and highland plateau within its borders.  During Colonialism it was a German colony and after WWI it was a colony of South Africa.

Unlike most of the other troubled African nations, Namibia has had a strong and prosperous central government that is highly democratic.  It has engaged in racial reconciliation and the transition from white minority rule and the policy of apartheid to black majority rule has been impressive.

Namibia's economy is highly dependent upon South Africa and relies much upon mining, manufacturing, agriculture and eco-tourism.  Much of the economy though, is informal and undocumented.  In fact these two economies are often seen in the extreme with some living in the cities with an urban lifestyle and others in the wilderness living on a cashless barter and trade economy.  While education is a priority and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, the health care situation is problematic.  The Aids epidemic in Namibia is huge.  Nearly 15% of the population is infected and this has left a huge population of orphans that the state has to contend with.

These are the challenges of Namibia, but because of its stable government and the focus on education, there is hope for the people of this nation.  I just hope that they are able to continue in a positive direction.