Surprise, surprise!

All too soon my last week in Namibia arrived. I couldn't believe how quickly the mission had passed. Despite a bit of a slow start in the first 3 months, between us all in UNFPA, the Resident Coordinator's office and the OPM/Directorate of Disaster Risk Management, we had achieved a lot and the second half of the mission flew by. My final week was quickly taken up with report writing (final reports and workshop reports and hand-over recommendations etc), debriefings and a spot of Christmas shopping in 33 degree heat, and a couple of lovely surprises.

My wonderful friends from IOM, Elham, Anamaria had organised a surprise dinner for me at Am Weinberg, a gourmet restaurant off Jan Jonker Weg one evening. They also presented me with a beautiful artistic collage, "you are beautiful", they had made to commemorate my time in Namibia.

Anamaria, me and Elham with the beautiful "you are beautiful'" plaque

Elham, Millan and I at Am Weinberg

We thoroughly enjoyed a 5 star dinner! I tucked into a springbok steak in chilli-chocolate sauce with spring vegetables....yes it works! I followed that with a light and yummy parfait for pud, couldn't resist! And with such warm and joyful company I had the best time. 

The next day my colleagues at UNFPA, unbeknown to me, arranged a surprise braai party for me at Cathline's house. I really had no idea. I thought I was popping out for a drink with one or two colleagues after work on a Friday afternoon but no, Cathline picked me up and took me home where my colleagues were waiting with a variety of drinks on the table the braai ready. 

My lovely team mates - Philomena, Grace, Issy,
Tapopi, Cat, Valery and Cat

The experts at work - these guys know how to braai, I mean
check out the size of that toolbox!
 

We partied on well into the night and heralded in the weekend. My weekend was taken up with finishing off some Christmas shopping and beginning to sort out my things and pack. I had some time to have a lovely lunch with my friend Julia from the Hash House Harriers at Luigi and the Fish.

On my last Monday morning my colleagues, once again, surprised me by presenting me with a beautiful luxury bath towel that had been embroidered with my name, the Namibian national flag and greetings in several languages of Namibia, an ideal gift for the regular traveller and a special memento and we had our photo taken together in the UNFPA board room.

Issy, Loide, Me, Karen, Grace, Cat and Tomas

I knew I would miss my colleagues and friends very much, especially their smiles, warmth and friendly hospitality. I hope that I will meet them again one day!

The next day Cat, Alex and Grace took me to the airport accompanied by some African Jazz. Lots of hugs and photos later I waved goodbye and boarded the plane to Johannesburg. There I spent two days, one of which was spent at the UN OCHA regional office debriefing my colleagues Noro, Francis, Narciso and Caroline. In some ways it was good to have a couple of days transition before coming home to the UK and the cold weather. 

I've been home in Old Blighty for just over a month now and I often reflect on the amazing 6 months in Namibia. It was a great privilege to work with such wonderful people who are committed to making a difference in their country. I heard from them a few days ago and they told me UNFPA were participating, along with other UN agencies and Government colleagues, in a joint process to update regional contingency plans and a simulation exercise in northern Namibia in preparation for the next flood cycle. I sincerely hope that the people of Namibia won't experience a severe flood this year in 2012, but at least I know that my colleagues and friends from various organisations are prepared to help their brothers and sisters if there is another emergency!

In January I popped across to Geneva to give a presentation on my mission at the UN, alongside two of my fellow ProCap Senior Protection Officers, Alfredo and Christine who were speaking on their missions to Colombia and Somalia respectively. For those of you who wish to read the technical details of the work I undertook in Namibia you can read my final report here. 

For now I will leave you with these words from a Namibian poet called Damona Efraim, who throws light on this beautiful, diverse and inspiring nation. Don't take our words for it though, visit Namibia for yourself and be part of its future development, you won't regret it!

Walk with me - by Damona Efraim

What's the need of a resolution?

In life's solution

Always changes but compliments rotation

As I look around the location

I feel a sense of upliftment

This is my home, gives me protection

They say it's full of corruption

But everyday is a new edition

Somethin' new, always happenin'

Like township music rocks, jammin'...

The feelin' I get when I walk the street

Makes me feel collected

Brings back the sensation

That triggers the vibration

And paints a seed of inspiration...

For my dreams, I envision...

And there is no confusion...

That I'm back

And I'm proud to be Namibian!

Pampering Kalahari Style

What is a girl to do in the last few days of her mission? Well, that is apart from tying up any loose ends with reports and hand-overs? I recommend getting some chill out time and some posh pampering if your personal budget allows.

I decided to book myself in to the Wellness Centre at the Kalahari Sands Hotel, on Independence Avenue late one Friday afternoon after work as this had been recommended by a couple of my friends. I lay back on the massage couch, soothed by gentle music and experienced a wellbeing facial (for sensitive skin), a complimentary hand and foot massage and an eyebrow and lash tint. I felt and looked fandabulous and all at a fraction of the cost of London spa and beauty salon prices.  A girl has got to do what a girl has got to do, go on, you know you are worth it!

Hash baptism

After all that flurry of activity throughout October, November and the beginning of December, I returned to Windhoek to enjoy my remaining weeks of my mission. I had missed a few 'hashes' during that time so I was glad that I could join one last trail in December before I left Namibia.

Our happy band of 'hashers' met outside the Roof of Africa Hotel at 4pm on a bright and warm sunny Sunday afternoon and we drove to the edge of the city to begin our two hour trek. The views were perfect and the trail was relatively easy with not too many steep ups and downs.

The starting point of our hash trail

We paused half way for the usual 'sake stop' to sample Rio Oro's (Hector) home-made sake that fuelled us up for the second half of the trail, while the sun began its descent across the sky.

Down down (drinks, rituals and dinner) took place at Hector and Sue's house and on the front lawn a fellow hasher, Karen and I received our hash baptism. No I don't mean we were initiated into the art of smoking a hemp based substance! Hashers receive an official Hash House Harriers name after being  on several hash trails. The Hash group nominates names that they think suit the hashers and then take votes. Karen was baptised Savanna Dry (after the famous South African cider) and I was given the name Desert Fog, so called because I come from a foggy country but I've been trekking around in the desert. Frankly, I escaped lightly, it could have been much worse! I like my name. I cannot reveal the ins and outs of the hash rituals in detail, to know those you need to belong to a hash house harriers group, but suffice to say the baptism ritual is not too far from a college 'boat race' and here we are still standing...

Desert Fog, Rio Oro and Savannah Dry

...and here are some happy hashers having indulged in a wonderful evening of eating, story-telling and riotous laughter!

all smiles!

A good time was certainly had by all and I left feeling truly grateful for this group of friends. And so I will say "On-On" until the next time I have the privilege of joining a hash in another corner of this amazing world we inhabit.

That four letter word again....

.....beginning with W and ending in K. After knocking the shingles on the head, I found that both work and time accelerated during the last two months of my mission. My colleagues and I co-facilitated a national level protection training workshop for high-level policy makers and senior managers from the Government of the Republic of Namibia, UN and Intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organisations which took place in Windhoek at the Roof of Africa Hotel. The course was written and prepared by the Global Protection Cluster Working Group's Task Force on Natural Disasters and we had the privilege of piloting the module as a country specific training alongside a fellow colleague, Mr Leonard Zulu, from the Global Protection Cluster who had kindly come out to assist us with facilitation. The two day training workshop was a huge success, participants really engaged with the material and each other through sharing 'burning issues' and experiences. The module covered the basic concepts of protection, the legal framework for protection and how to prepare for and respond to protection concerns in natural disasters. We included sessions on mapping protection actors (both active and not yet active in country) and priority actions for protection preparedness, protection coordination and commitments that individual participants were willing to take forward in their workplaces.

Happy participants at our national protection training workshop

The next day a few of the participants and I travelled up to Otjiwarongo to the Out of Africa Town Lodge to attend a 3 day national consultative conference on developing the National Disaster Risk Management Plan and Emergency Management Operational Procedures, organised by the Office of the Prime Minister's Directorate of Disaster Risk Management. Over 60 participants attended from all over the country, mostly Government staff. The workshop was quite intense with plenty of lively debate, whilst building consensus for the final content of the NDRMP and EMOP including lead and co-lead ministries for taking forward particular sectors. Designated lead and co-lead ministries for the protection sector were still pending but passionate interjections by both the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Child Welfare and the Ministry of Safety and Security, who both wanted to lead the protection sector were encouraging signs that protection had risen higher on the Government's agenda and our workshop participants were able to apply their knowledge and learning in this consultative conference!

Core group for the NDRMP, enjoying some of Hertha's birthday cake
from left: Elham, Millan, Hertha, Martin, Macdonald and Alex

I had the opportunity of participating in the core group for the NDRMP and we met in the evenings to sum up the day's progress and plan any further inputs for the subsequent days. Here we are in the picture above, celebrating our colleague Hertha's birthday the day after the conference closed. Summarising outputs and further actions always goes smoother with cake... I find.

Straight after this it was time for me to pack up my little suitcase, help Alex, one of our trusty UNFPA drivers, load up the car and head up north to Ongwediva where I joined my colleagues Cat and Teopolinah. I stayed at Hotel Destiny a charming, new and well run business hotel that clearly lives up to its strapline 'where quality service is our pride'.

We had two or three days left to make any final preparations for the first of our three regional training workshops on protection, gender and gender based violence (GBV), sexual reproductive health (SRH) and HIV and AIDs in emergencies for field practitioners from regional Government and NGOs from a total of 6 regions. The first one brought participants together from the four O's (Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana and Oshikoto) at Ondangwa Town Lodge.

Dream-team UNFPA, Teopo, Cat and Alex while we
packed the car with workshop materials

I facilitated 3 sessions on protection, the first was an introduction to protection in natural disasters, the second was on systems, tools and resources for protection and the third session covered protection coordination.

Me introducing the first protection session at the 4 O's workshop

Cat facilitated the session on gender and gender based violence and Teopo led the combined session on sexual reproductive health and HIV and AIDs in emergencies. After those we enjoyed some very creative and oscar-winning role plays by the participants.

One of the groups putting on their mini-play demonstrating
various protection issues they had learned about

The closing sessions of the workshop explored priority actions the participants committed to taking forward in their respective workplaces. We repeated the same format in Kavango and Caprivi regions and were encouraged by the high calibre of participants and their commitment to improving disaster preparedness and response in their regions!

Workshop participants in Kavango Region

It's not easy being lean...

...in Namibia. I know, I know, I said I'd try to focus on writing about my mission instead of a 'good grub guide to Windhoek' but I couldn't let these little gems go unmentioned.

The Gourmet Restaurant -  is a lovely chilled out eatery off the Post Street Mall in the centre of town. Ideal for sampling one of their delectable and value for money lunchtime specials. Here I enjoyed a warm game salad and lime soda for lunch one Saturday, delicious!

When my friend Beth from Okonjima came to town a few weeks ago, we met up for dinner at the Cattle Baron in Maerua Mall, where I tucked into a great gilled steak.

I indulged in yet more meat in the form of a 'raunchy open sandwich' at the Cicada cafe at Wilde Eende, raunchy because of the yummy bacon.

...and satisfied some of my sweet cravings at Sugar and Spice in the Bougain Villas complex, Sam Nujoma Avenue where I polished off a delectable fruit cheesecake accompanied by a Viennese coffee (Melange) on more than one occasion.

In my last week in Windhoek, I treated myself to a warm prawn salad and chocolate brownie with Grand Marnier cream at the Stellenbosch Restaurant , naughty but very nice!

View of the courtyard from the Stellenbosch restaurant

Ten Ten

My colleagues Cathline and Grace took me out on the town one balmy Friday evening. We went to the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre to watch an up and coming Namibian Reggae band in action called Ten Ten. 

Energetic, colourful with a style and sound slightly reminiscent of the great S African Lucky Dube, who the band paid tribute to during their set, Ten Ten soon had everyone up on their feet boogying along to tracks from their latest album "Love related issues - lesson 1" 

They are definitely a band to watch. Exhilarated and foot sore, we left the gig after Ten-ten's numerous high energy encores in search of something to eat. Alas, Windhoek on a Friday night is a somewhat quiet place compared to London, a city that never turns in. We drove around and around looking for a cafe or restaurant that was still open.

Eventually we decided to drop in to Nando's and heartily chomped our way through flame-grilled chicken and chips, luvverly.

Tingly

Unfortunately in October I fell ill with shingles. At first I thought I had been bitten by an insect or spider during the night as I had painful and itchy lumps on my head which rapidly spread to around my eye and across to my ear, but as they didn't clear up within a couple of days and the pain got worse I went to the doctor and was signed off from work immediately and given tablets and painkillers to take and advised to bathe the affected area in ether. What a palaver! But it worked. The doctor and pharmacist were very efficient but the consultation and treatment did cost. I have to say it made me thankful for our NHS back home!