Sweets & Gifts

Here in Namibia, a “sweet” is ANY kind of candy – hard candy, chocolate, cookies, etc. And children LOVE sweets. Here in the village, they really don't eat many – there are some hard candies in the cuca shops, and cookies and other sweets in the shopping town, but people don't usually spend the little money they have on these treats.

Well, every time I walk by the headman's house and say hello to the children, they greet me back...and then ask for sweets. Well, actually, when they translate to English, they more or less tell me “Give us sweets”. So, one day, I told them next time I went to town, I would get some for them. When I finally saw them again, it was during their exam week. I told them, after exams, they would get their sweets. Finally, it was that Friday – the last day of exams, and I gave them a package of lollipops! They loved them....

This past weekend, I went to Ongwediva for the Annual Trade Fair. There were lots and lots of booths set up by Namibian businesses, universities and government agencies. My reasoning for going, was to be able to speak with people from the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Water & Sanitation. I wanted to find out my options for possibly getting seeds, a fence and a water pipe for our clinic garden. I was told that I actually may get some help (free, or close to free, of charge) with these items. Success!! Now, is follow-up time, to actually make sure this can happen....

Anywho, after talking with them, I walked around outside, browsing all the booths that were selling little items. Many of these booths carried the same items – we call them “China shop” items. All around Namibia, people from China have come and set up shops. They carry anything from clothes, to mattresses (very thin ones), to bags, to plates, to blank cds, to solar panels, to wardrobes to hang your clothes, to sunglasses, to toys – and everything in between. The quality is, well, not the best, but they are usually inexpensive, and sometimes you can do a little haggling, and get a better deal...

Well, one of the booths had these little bags that I've been wanting to get for my brother, Nafimane. He's a soccer player, and one day was playing soccer at school with some of the teachers – withOUT his shoes. And, of course, he came home, limping. I told him, that if you're a soccer player, you need to carry your shoes with you at all times! Ha! He laughed. Well, I wanted to get him this little bag to carry his shoes with him...and I finally found it. So, of course, after that, I realized that the rest of the kids, AND my older sister, AND my Meme, would feel bad if I didn't get them anything. So, here goes Johanna – shopping at the trade fair for the whole family! I found a little phone holder for Meme, because the puppies have ruined the one I made her. Then some earrings for my sister Anna (32yo), sunglasses for little Jaden (1yo), little slingshots for Hedimbi (11yo) and Junior (5yo) (they LOVE Angry Birds – so I thought I'd get them their own slingshots), and a play phone for little Tuuli (Nongula's daughter), who is 2 years old.

Then I needed to get something for my niece, Tuuli, who is 15 and Nongula, who is the girl who watches little Jaden during the day. I decided to get them each some nail polish – one sparkly purple, and red for the other.

Since I came back from the weekend, I only gave out some of the gifts – to those who were around. I was waiting to give Tuuli and Nongula theirs later today, or tomorrow. There is another girl from the village who is staying with us. I had no clue she was going to be here, and so I didn't get her anything, and felt it would be best to hand out Tuuli and Nongula's gift AFTER she left. Of course, I have no idea when she is leaving. Sometimes, it seems, children will stay with other families for a few days – and my Meme is friends with her parents. So, maybe there is a reason she is with us....

Well, this morning, before I went to work, Tuuli said “Miss Johanna. You said you had gifts for us.” Ugh. I felt really bad doing this in front of the other girl. So, I went into my hut, took the nail polish, and gave them their gifts (Tuuli and Nongula were so happy). As I did this, I told the girl, I was sorry I didn't have anything for her – but next time, I will get her something. She said “ok”, but looked sad. It broke my heart. So I said “Wait one minute – I will be right back.” And I went back to my hut. I was going to give her my own nail polish. See, after being in sports medicine and then massage for the last almost 20 years, and unable to grow my nails, I decided I was going to start growing them and looking like a girl, and maybe even paint them! Well, of course, just when I decide to get all girled-up, I come to a country where we eat with our hands. And having nails, just becomes a very messy problem. So, the nail polish that I had brought with me, I really don't NEED. And if I want, I can always get more. I grabbed 3 colors – blue, purple, and a clear, sparkly one. I was going to let her choose 1 color.

As I brought them to her, she at first got very excited and thought she could have all 3. I told her she could pick just one color. Then, of course, I realized, you don't show these kids something and then tell them they CAN'T have it. (Maybe, if I was a mother, and had children of my own, or had worked more with children, I would have already known this fact!). She looked down and a little sad. So, I said “Ok – you can all have and SHARE all of these!” These girls so soooooo excited! They were jumping and dancing and singing! To be honest, these girls work hard, pounding mahangu, cutting meat, cutting firewood, making oshifima and other foods, and their hands are dirty most of the time. I really didn't know if they would even like, or want to use, the nail polish. But, at the end of the day, girls will be girls. And when they get a the opportunity to dress up, and look “girly” they love it!

As I said goodbye for the day, and started my trek to work, I could hear them laughing and singing....and I hope I just made their day....

It really is the little things in life that mean the most....and I am learning this more and more everyday....

:)

Here is a picture of Jaden, with his new glasses, and his father, (my brother), Grape

(notice Jaden's shirt - "Monster Trouble" - and yessss he is! But adorable trouble..