Back in beloved Africa. And finally relaxing after a wild week of running around Swakopmund and Mondesa. I love it here. I need to be here. This is my true home. It’s so beautiful. But it’s also changing. As the world is.
The world is such a weird and wonderful place. It’s really a shame that we are destroying it now so quickly. When I see videos or photos of wildlife or natural wonders or even simple pictures of horses set against a mountain range or cows grazing in a field, it’s maddening to know that humans are doing everything they can to bring disaster and suffering to our lovely world. There are few things that break my heart more than seeing the brutality of animals caged and tortured to support fur industry or to extract parts of animals to support weird concoctions for small populations. Bear bile, shark fins, whales, otters, mink, sable. Even pigs and cows are routinely tortured for years before being killed adn put from their misery.
And my kids here are working so hard to achieve. To be in a position to live a life free from the poverty they are raised in. What world will we leave them. What chance will they have.
Humans are the worst. Absolute shit.
Beverly, my dear young protege in Namibia was explaining at dinner that I needed to more positive — to stay focused on the positive things. I asked her to name a single major data point that is worthy of positivity. Of course there are none. The planet is warming. Wealth inequality is exploding. Democratic institutions are collapsing. Animals and flora and fauna are being destroyed at record paces. Human populations at risk are being left to their own devices.
All of these things. Not because we as humans are powerless to stop them — but we choose not to so billionaires and massive corporations can get richer. We are now actually accelerating the pace of destruction even as we see the effects of our recklessness.
So please quit telling me to focus on the positives because to do that I would literally have to be 100% brain dead as there are few positives at this point. I admit that simply complaining does not help, but at least it is a realistic attitude which acknowledges the need for change. Pretending as if the problems don’t exist, or not talking about them because it makes people uncomfortable, is an even worse option.
Being back at MYO was amazing. Truly uplifting. Exhilarating. If we are to save the world, it will be this generation. These kids are all that can save us now. Their innocent enthusiasm and joy is infectious and is like a salve on a bruise and battered spirit. But they are also the only ones who may grow up in a world so dystopian that they recognize the need for a massive revolution in how our social order is managed and how earth’s depleting resources are distributed.
Will they have the courage to do what our generation will not. To overthrow corrupt governments who exist solely to serve the wealthy. Will this next generation pull us back from the age of autocrats and wealth grabs in favor of equality?
It seems unlikely. The rich are as crafty as they are greedy. They know their soulless existence comes on the brutal suffering of billions. I suspect the vast majority live in pain but do not have the courage to understand or admit it. They are so committed to the concept that more wealth equals more happiness that they cannot see the truth.
I observed to Brittany today, walking down the streets of Mondesa, that the teenagers walking by were laughing and joyous and basking in life. If you see those same teenagers in an upper middle class or wealthy neighborhood they are heads down in their phones, wading through the drama of social media and their faces are at best neutral of emotion but even more likely sullen and deflated. They are beaten already and do not know it, but they will be pre-conditioned to chase money.
The week in Swakopmund was jam packed with catching up with friends. MYO board meeting, fundraisers, renewing old contacts and making new ones. And always, afternoons at MYO with the kids. Our new construction is nearly finished. MYO is now 75% permanent buildings and only 25% shipping containers. Our donors continue to bless us with support. Just this week we will accept a $10,000 euro check from a German couple and a very large annual donation and commitment of 3 more years from a local mining operation.
We are blessed, but of course that comes on the heels of many years of hard work building the organization, nurturing relationships, establishing credibility, and doing the hard work every day of educating children in a deeply impoverished community.
We brought Ndeshipanda and Johanna on our trip north. Why not. The locals almost never get the opportunity to visit these places because they are too expensive. Only foreign tourists. So it is my pleasure to bring them along.
We are now relaxing at a very nice Tented Bush Camp at Otjiwa. Just about 40km south of Otjiwarongo.
Tomorrow Ndeshi will catch a ride to Otjiwarongo where she will then take a Combi to the north – Oshakati I think. There she will visit her family and I think crash Sabtek’s wedding. Johanna will ride with us to Okahandja and catch a combi back to Walvis Bay.
Brittany and I will have a few days in Windhoek. Catching up with alumni and friends and having dinner with our current Namib Futures scholars. Saturday night is Leonard’s big birthday party and we fly home on Sunday.
I am desperately trying to figure out how to spend more time here in Namibia. We shall see.
No other news of note.
Humbly Submitted
Robert Myres – Flanker, Portneuf Valley (ret.), writer, comic genius
The Martini Tales 