Windhoek, Namibia

Ok, sorry it's been awhile since my last post! The rest of Monday was pretty chill. We took our laundry to a local store, and a group of us bought dinner at the local grocery market. We walk everywhere, and the local dirt roads are extremely wide. Laura made us a perfect college-style dinner on our bungalow's hotplace- scrambled eggs with veggies. After we joined another bungalow for dinner (they made mac and cheese), we all did homework together in our kitchen. The next day, a group of 4 of us went running by the beach and through the town. It was really fun to explore with these girls, as well as run with a team of believers. We had a morning class in an open classroom before heading off to visit an afterschool program called MYO. This organization provides after-school care for 25 kids per grade. There were 6 teachers, and the classes ranged from computer skills, math and english, to music class. Schools in Namibia are in session from 7:30 to 1:30, so there's a lot of time afterwards that can be filled. We got to eat our picnic lunch with the kids and just hangout. After this, we visited the Medi-Clinic. We took a fairly exhaustive tour of the place, which included seeing the room where Angelina Jolie birthed her latest child, Shiloh. Our group became instant tourists as we began taking pictures of the room and the thankyou note they both signed. Wednesday, we drove to Penduka, near Katatura, Namibia. The place is really inspiring- they employ disabled and diseased women to make tapestries, glass jewelry, and other various crafts. We stayed in hostel-style rooming, complete with insecticide nets to cover us while we sleep. We took a really sweet tour of Windhoek on Thursday, and we visited various markets, a cemetary, and the informal settlements. There is an indescribable amount of poverty in Katatura... Friday, we visited Sister Namibia, a local feminist organization. This was by far one of my favorite places we've visited so far! The two women who spoke with us were so incredible, sharing their goal for the voices of Namibian women to be heard. After this, we went back to Penduka (which is located by a lovely lake of sorts) and rested before our second homestay family came to pick us up!