Special Delivery

Life here can be stressful (especially when the government issues an order for all of its cars to be serviced the week they're supposed to be transporting learners to Camp GLOW). But that just means the little things--things that I may have overlooked in a previous life--end up meaning a whole lot more now.

Like today, when 14 kids from the orphanage came knocking on my door. They formed a perfect little line--all smiles--and Fredrick picked his hand from his pocket, palm up, with a folded piece of paper inside.

It was a note from my friend Jossy, their big sister. I'd sent her a text message earlier in the day but she was out of phone credit, so she sent the kids with her response.

The tiny note made me smile.

My own Western Union. My personal pony express.

Only this one was a whole lot more fun.

Note to Self: This is Africa

Every once in a while, I forget that I live in Africa.

After two years, the rocky ground feels more normal than blacktop. My walking pace has slowed. Hitch hiking comes as second nature. And I never worry about the weather because I know tomorrow will always be hot and sunny.

But then there are days like this one that shock me back to reality and remind me of how truly unique my experience here is. Even my daily life is filled with once-in-a-lifetime moments.

That’s because today, a helicopter landed.

In America, I wouldn’t have taken notice. In New York City, I probably wouldn’t have even heard. But here in Khorixas, when a helicopter flies overhead, everyone stops.

Everyone looks up.

Everyone points.

And for a second, nobody moves.

But then...

Barefoot kids came running from every direction, shouting and laughing. They lined up along the hospital fence, wide eyed and amazed. Even the adults slowly wandered to their front steps from indoors. They moved to the streets and stared up at the sky. It was like aliens landed—and in a way, they sort of had—because nothing ever flies above Khorixas. Most people here have never seen a kite, let alone a helicopter or an airplane.

I assumed the president or a minister would step out from within. Instead, it was just an army officer, sent to collect fuel. But the kids didn’t care—they cheered like Gazza (the biggest Namibian pop star) himself had landed, and yelled, “That one is my father!” as he waved to the crowds like he was magic.

I stood there in amazement, watching the tiny fingers of little learners wrap tightly around the metal of the chain link fence, huge smiles on all of their faces, shaking with excitement.

Everything was alight.

And all I could think was—Yes, I really live in Africa.

Getting Ready to G.L.O.W!

Camp G.L.O.W. is still a couple of weeks away, but already we’ve completed one of the most important tasks: selecting the 20 out-of-school youth who will be charged with making this year’s camp the biggest success ever.

Each year volunteers around the country are asked to nominate outstanding young adults whose leadership skills shine in the workplace or in the community. PCVs write recommendations and the out-of-school youth answer essay questions about leadership and role models. The best and brightest are then selected to attend facilitators training, which is essentially a combination of an audition and a mini Camp G.L.O.W.

The weekend-long training is designed to be a dry run for camp. Volunteers can test run their sessions, potential facilitators are taught all of the camp games and activities, and we’re able to watch nominees interact with one another to scout out any potential problems.

Not only is it a great vetting process, it’s a whole lot of fun. And regardless of whether they are selected to attend camp, potential facilitators go home with a toolbox full of trainings and teachings to use in their communities.

We were lucky to have an incredible group of young Namibians this year. They were enthusiastic, energetic, educated and aware. Perhaps most importantly, they were eager to share their knowledge with the young people who will be attending Camp G.L.O.W. It made selecting this year’s facilitators a serious challenge, but I’m confident we’ve got an amazing team of ten men and ten women to lead our learners into a glowing future.


Facilitators were placed in teams on day one. Together they had to come up with a name, a banner and cheer. Some wrote poems while others performed songs or danced. Rising Hope, pictured here, had a pretty well-known musician on their team. It didn't take long for him to pen some lyrics while others designed and drew.


It was amazing to see the degree of creativity facilitators used in developing their names and designs. It was also really fun to listen in as they brainstormed ideas.

We played a lot of games as part of the Team Building Day. It was a great for observing facilitator interactions and really helped us see people's strengths and weaknesses, particularly when it came to communication, patience and leadership.


The human knot game is a perfect icebreaker but also a good exercise in communication and order of operations. Team members put both their hands in the center of the circle and grab hold of another person's with each hand. The object of the game is to untangle the team without letting go. It's fun to play and hilarious to observe.


Team Building Day also included a game of volleyball. But instead of hitting a ball over the net, teams had to use a sheet to catch and toss a water balloon across the court. It was another exercise in the importance of working together and communicating well.

There were obstacle courses, t-shirt decorating and other interesting activities to keep facilitators and volunteers entertained. And on the last night, we ended with the spider web. It's an old camp favorite that uses a ball of string and memories of the weekend to show how we've all become connected.



Facilitator training may have only been three days, but we shared a lot of laughs, a lot of experiences and a lot of personal growth. I met some incredible men and women that I will feel lucky to reconnect with at Camp G.L.O.W. later this month.

August Rush

August has just begun, but already it's been a busy month!

My friend Natasha had a baby.


Mama and Baby


Just One Day Old!

Lorain and I conducted a dental workshop for patients in the TB Ward


All the Patients with New Toothbrushes

Three of my kids (Tommie, Nevinia and Katrina) finished their Hero Books


The Kids Hard at Work

There was a pool party for Ivy's birthday at the orphanage (where they don't have running water--so you can imagine what a feat that was!)


Pool Party


Dance Party


Ivy Blowing Out Her Birthday Candles

I went to a Christening for my friend Rosemary's grandkids. (There were 40 other children and the service lasted five hours.)


Desere with Her Daddy


Lorain with Promise


Promise After the Baptism


The Family After Church


Rosemary and her Grandkids

My friends Aly and Colleen came to visit, too. While they were here, we visited the orphanage, where we made masks with the kids.


Colleen and Aly with the Kids


Putting on the Finishing Touches










Colleen and Aly with the Kids After a Morning of Mask Making

And I wore mascara for the first time in two years--an event which I thought warranted a picture.

Twyfelfontein and the Organ Pipes

It's been a while since I ventured west of Khorixas, but I realized today that I had yet to post pictures of my visit to Twylfelfontein and the Organ Pipes. These two geological (and artistic) wonders are about 250 kilometers away from my dusty town, off a rocky stretch of red and sandy land.

The Organ Pipes, which are accurately named, since they strongly resemble the pipes of a church organ, are a billion-year-old ecological landmark.







The red rocks of Twyfelfontein (a name that means doubtful spring) are home to one of the most extensive rock art galleries in all of Africa. A zero-impact tourist center welcomes travelers and provides a wealth of information about the 6000-year-old petroglyphs, and well-maintained paths weave between ancient paintings and etchings on sand stone.





We even saw a welwitschia--rumored to be the oldest plant on earth. (And this one happened to be in bloom.)