Namibia – People

Despite all the enthusiasm, we were not blind to the major problems facing the country. Probably the most urgent of these is bridging the social divide. Around 40% of all Namibians live in slums, in inhumane conditions. Nevertheless, I found friendly people everywhere and, although I was visiting there alone against all advice, I never felt threatened.

Another problem is the hidden apartheid. Our Himba guide was not allowed to enter the hotel. As a consequence, we rented a different hotel on our next visit. With the same conditions. We explicitly disregarded this discrimination and invited him to a farewell dinner. This dinner was a real gauntlet for him, he felt exposed – on a platter – and left the restaurant at the first opportunity.

There is still a lot of groundwork to be done. Perhaps this generation will first have to die out before human rights have become established not just on paper but in people’s minds.

Despite these gigantic challenges, we found almost exclusively friendly, obliging, helpful people with whom we were able to establish contact quickly. Of course, the children helped us to take a positive impression home with us.