99FM Master Your Destiny Journal by 99FM

A COLLECTION OF INSPIRING NAMIBIAN STORIES

ADVERTORIAL

BUILDING A WAY OUT OF POVERTY – ONE BRICK AT A TIME Owning a decent house is the first step to eradicating poverty. —Monica Geingos, First Lady of the Republic of Namibia Namibians have again proven that they are able to come together for a good cause. This time it was in the name of giving others the chance to live in their own homes N$1,321,443.35 was collected over a mere eight months. The money, which will go towards the building of 40 houses in Rehoboth by the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, was collected as part of Standard Bank’s Buy-a-Brick initiative. On 24 June 2016, the funds were officially handed over to First Lady Monica Geingos, Patron of the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia. She said that owning a decent house is the first step to eradicating poverty and that addressing the housing shortage is especially effective when communities themselves are involved. “Once you have a house, you have to make it a home with the elements of love, peace, food and protection. If your home is broken, our society is broken.” Standard Bank came together with the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, Rehoboth Town Council and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development for this initiative. With overwhelming support and contribution by the Namibian public and companies, such as Namsov Fishing Enterprises and PricewaterhouseCoopers, this initiative is coming to fruition. “By my calculation, these houses should be ready for occupation within a year of the launch of the project. This is real and tangible progress,” commented Standard Bank CEO, Vetumbuavi Mungunda, at the handing-over ceremony. Together we are helping to build hope and homes, one brick at a time. Standard Bank Windhoek Head Office Tel: 061 294 9111

FROM THE DIRECTOR

I believe that all people on Earth are born with a fundamental code woven into their cells and written on their souls. This code is the key to everything that this human being can possibly achieve, overcome and become. It is a complex code of formulas that, during each individual’s lifetime, will be deciphered. Or it will remain just that – a code uncracked, an entire life unlived. Through the course of life our experiences, impressions and interactions with the world around us all contribute to the development of our potential. For the fortunate people who are born with access to education and exposure to mentors, role models, earth mothers and community leaders, the journey is exciting and fulfilling.

© 99FM 2017 This publication is the exclusive property of the publishers. All rights reserved. No part of it may be reproduced without the written permission of 99FM. Executive Editor: Kirsty Watermeyer Project Coordinator: Alana Fourie Writer: Ginger Mauney Editor: Carole Roberts Design and layout: CreativeLAB Printed and bound by John Meinert Printing (Pty) Ltd Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this publication, 99FM accepts no liability for misinterpretations of the audio material, or errors and omissions in this printed copy.

99FM is committed to finding and sharing the stories that weave together a Namibian narrative of progress, empathy, connection, empowerment, hope and action. On our journey we meet individuals and organisations who resonate our passion and who crack their codes in the Land of the Brave. Such are all the contributors to this journal – our tribe. Championed by B2Gold as the primary patron, 99FM is able to tell the world through these stories that Namibia is, after all, a love story. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny (MYD) programme restored our faith in humankind, the strong fibre of the Namibian community and the integrity of our fellow human beings. We felt it absolutely crucial to share these stories with as many people as possible and give them longevity beyond web and radio, thus the MYD journal was born. Imagine if each story in this journal inspires one person out there to take a leap of faith, to make a positive investment in our people and facilitate the change they want to see in this world? We could change the destiny of our country.

Crack the code. Breathe potential. Find the magic. Think beyond. Reach further. Connect wider. Search deeper. Be inspired. Christine Hugo Director: 99FM

Published by 99FM, Windhoek, Namibia

It is time for industry to take charge and for our leaders to accept their responsibility and accountability for so much more than their bottom line. As part of the mining industry, the largest sector of our economy, we are patently aware of the fact that we are in the business of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;takingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from the earth. If we take, without giving back to the earth in return, we become a net liability to our beautiful blue planet. But, the converse is also true. If we take, responsibly and sustainably, and we give back in manifold ways, so that our environmental footprint leaves no shadow of a doubt that we were a net benefit to our planet, we can do so with pride, without shame. We can hold our heads up high. At the core of our business philosophy is the belief that our country, its people, its fauna and flora and its shockingly beautiful natural landscapes, can be better off because we were there. The 99FM MYD platform tells positive stories from and about all aspects of life. These stories resonate with the virtues and values of B2Gold, to the benefit of all Namibians. As long as the 99FM MYD platform continues to seek, document and tell the amazing stories of our nation, empowering and enabling new generations with knowledge, tools, hope and inspiration, B2Gold will continue to support this noble initiative. This journal serves as a testimony to the fact that we live in a peaceful and benevolent country with kind, generous and compassionate people. May every reader be moved and inspired by these stories and may the good news continue to spread throughout our land, to create more good news through the universal law of attraction. Mark Dawe Managing Director, B2Gold Namibia

FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR A strong community is made up of diverse individuals who dream of bettering the world around them, for the benefit of all. This view of life is what Namibia and Namibians are made of and I have had the privilege of witnessing this first hand. At the start of 2015, 99FM’s ‘Master your Destiny’ journey began – a journey to share stories, because stories allow us to connect with our community and ourselves, promoting empathy and instilling wisdom along the way. When this journey began, many thought it would be a once-off project, because where would we find ongoing examples of empowering Namibian narratives to keep the project going? Now, in it’s third year, the 99FM MYD platform is a rich tapestry of diverse stories that continues to flow like a perennial river of hope. I am often asked how I found the people and the stories, and my answer is always they found me. By providing this platform where we learn and share on the issues that affect us all, we attracted the stories that need to be told, such as that of Albert Ndara, the Namibian security guard who started a school, or that of Sam Shivute whose life is an example of what can be achieved through determination. Reaching out to companies to contribute stories of corporate social investment to fund the project, we were overawed by the magnitude of time, money and resources being invested by the private sector into their staff, the general population and the environment. These contributions to the greater good of our country often happen away from the headlines, but they too deserve to be told. Without the advertorials in this book, which are all MYD stories in their own right, and their contribution, we would not have been able to print this book. This journal is thus a collection of MYD’s first year of programmes. It represents a selection of stories as they were told at the time – of course a lot might have happened since, but the essence of the stories remains true and so we feature them here from the broadcasts and online narratives on our website (99fm.com.na). Looking back at this passage of inspiration and the gift of being able to share such remarkable stories, I am overwhelmed with emotion and filled with joy. My wish is that you delight in these stories and through them you find your own determination, learning, healing and inspiration. Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said, “To choose hope is to step firmly into the howling wind, baring one’s chest to the elements, knowing that, in time, the storm will pass.”

Kirsty Watermeyer Executive Editor

This book, this journey and these stories are testament to the power of human beings, connection of community and diversity, and the healing power of hope.

C ONTE NTs

HEROES

Dr Helena Ndume, dedicated to serving humanity Healing touch without sight Mariane Akwenye People standing up against poaching Simasiku Amos Mwiye & Costar Mbalolo The ink that binds us Alpheus Mvula, Alexandra Lasky, Elize van Huyssteen & André Gariseb

Values in business

Sam Shivute on the importance of values Can empathy transform a company? Marjolize Scholtz & Riaan van Rooyen Building on empathy Tommy Tjaronda The business sense of empowering people Ernst Steynberg Respect as a competitive advantage Milka Nowases

Success in the arts

Lize Ehlers’ success in the pursuit of happiness Developing distinctive artists Ashante Manetti Giving and getting from the arts Josaphat Tjiho Not just any stage Mike Ott

Selfawareness

Fannes Namhunya on why you shouldn’t take it personally Creating a space for stillness Melissa Mukaiwa Why meditation is a business must Günther Martens Dance, the powerful language of the soul Tulimelila Shityuwete & Hamich Olivier

Inspiration

Tony Figueria on photography as a tool of inspiration The write not to remain silent Martha Mukaiwa The poetry of life Playshis Drama means ‘to do’ Sandy Rudd

Foundations for change

Ally Angula on personal power Tools for embracing change Karen Powell 8 steps for building trust in business Jeannette Cross How to set goals Herbert Mtowo

Dare to care

Albert Ndara shares his dream A holistic approach to education Chrisna Greeff & Carmen de Villiers UNAM medical students on a mission to empower others Anna-Vanessa Ilukena & Rosalia Shuuya Nature’s lab André Rousseau, Brian Jones, Charles Loots & Mark Dawe

The brain

Dr Vaja Zatjirua’s insight into our brains Why play is brainwork Rika Grove Why the doctor turned to hypnotherapy Dr Anton Schroeder Brain surgery and bravery Sean K

Mental health

Hector Mawonga on how he’s overcome mental illness How patterns of thought form habits of behaviour Ute Sinkala Drumming up mental health Ian Daniel The responsibility of the company when talking mental health Coen Welsh

Conservation

Dr Chris Brown on sustainable conservation Vanishing Kings Dr Philip Stander, Will & Lianne Steenkamp Fighting for the ultimate predators Rachel du Raan Forgotten art, forgotten men

Nurturing

Selfacceptance

104

Zodidi Gaseb challenged stereotyping Comedy, values and worthiness Sibongile (Sibo) Tshabalala Natural inspiration Tammy Nott, Ndapanda Toivo, & Aska Orlale & Taleni Matheus What you do is not who you are Anthony Auchab

Selfdiscovery

114

Elemotho lets go of blame The pursuit of self Shishani Get to know yourself Karen Powell Finding your identity in art Tanya Turipamwe Stroh Clothed in tradition Elsie Riruako & Philladelphia Koujo

Giving back

122

Abigail Bachopi compassionately cares for children Growing by giving to children Beauty Boois Never be defeated Foibe Silvanus Rhythm, beat and life Thabiso Dube

Our natural heritage

128

Marlice van Vuuren on why we need leopards Off the beaten track Helge Denker Trust in silence Marita van Rooyen Wanderlust Elzanne Erasmus

Forgiveness

134

John Sam moved forward through forgiveness The power of forgiveness in building a successful business Moses (Jay-Jay) Leonard Freedom in forgiveness Cécile Lescurat-Thieme Trusting yourself Nabukenya Muwonge

Water

142

Pierre van Rensburg on Windhoek’s water supply Growing your own food in a water crisis Bernadette Shalumbu & Antje Schidlowski Staying true to our botanical heritage Luise Hoffmann Youth: Our water custodians of the future Bernadette Shalumbu

Gender-based violence

150

D-Naff on the weight of revenge Breaking the cycle of abuse Ginola Nauseb Worthy of help and assistance Brigit May Rudd The arts in Namibia tackle abuse Desiree Nanuses

Positive thinking

158

Sylvanie Beukes on the power of intent Young Namibians caring for the needs of youth Sylver Kibelolaud The power of Namibian fusion chefs Uerihepura Mbuende & Mighty-Power Mwashekele A passion written in the stars Rob Johnstone

Boundaries

166

Afra Shimming-Chase on setting boundaries Who needs boundaries in relationships? Heidi Burmeister-Nel Goodbye to the guilt of the working mum Leandre Kurz The freedom in losing layers Julia Hango

Happiness

174

Dr Justine Braby & Reinhold Mangundu on happiness and wellbeing Taking a break Tony Muganza The restorative tonic of ‘thank you’ Karen Powell How dance twirls with liberty and release Rémy Ngamije

Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira on building a healthy foundation The first 1,000 days DeeDee Yates, Professor Linda Richter & Chris Desmond The spirit of giving that gives back to the office Johann Opperman Food as a mode of vitality Samantha du Toit

Dr Helena Ndume, dedicated to serving humanity

Feature

In recognition of her dedicated service to humanity, Dr Ndume received the first United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize in 2015. A hero to the tens of thousands of Namibians she has treated, Dr Ndume sat down with 99FM’s Master Your Destiny to discuss what being a hero means to her.

MYD: What do you think makes a hero? HN: I think everyone is a hero, in small or big ways. By helping someone who is in difficulty or danger, you can become a hero for that person. For example, if someone has been blind for five, ten years, and suddenly they can see after an operation, you become a hero to that person. But it’s not that heroes should be Helena Ndume or Nelson Mandela because there are so many heroes around. Every person has his or her own heroes – that’s how I see it. MYD: Tell us why you were awarded the first United Nations Nelson Mandela prize? HN: I’m an ophthalmologist – an eye specialist – and I operate on poor people’s eyes. When I returned from university as a specialist, I found that blindness was an accepted norm, especially among older people. When I went to Rundu for my first eye screening, 200 patients were booked for cataract surgery. They went back to the village where they discussed that this ‘just isn’t done. No one operates on eyes. If you go there, they’re going to damage your eyes.’ Although they are totally blind, they believe the stories that the operation isn’t possible. So of 200 patients who were booked, 82 came. They were totally blind and after we operated on them, they could see again. They went back to the villages and when people saw that they could see, that they didn’t have to be led by another person, that they could walk independently in their fields and till the soil, then everybody wanted to come.

The following year when I went to Rundu, it was packed. You couldn’t control the people. They had brought their blind, including those we had operated on the previous year who came back to have the second eye done. MYD: I’ve read that you have ensured that some 30,000 blind Namibians have received eye surgery and are fitted with an intra-ocular lens implant free of charge. That is amazing. What made you decide to do these acts of heroism? HN: Cataract operations are not supposed to be expensive, but they are. So I have galvanised NGOs [non-government organisations] from all over the world to come and help. Since 1998, Surgical Eye Expeditions International, which is based in Santa Barbara, California, has been helping, bringing all the supplies that poor people cannot afford. As for the intra-ocular lens, you have to replace the cataract lens that you remove with an artificial one enabling the patients to see very well. Many of our people cannot afford to pay for a cataract operation in a private practice. So that’s why we have to go out and give them this operation free of charges. The patients are happy when you do this and that’s what makes me continue to do it. The government also contributes a lot, by transporting these patients to and from their villages, giving them food when they are admitted, buying the medication that they are supposed to put in their eyes, and paying for all the nurses and sisters who take part. You have drivers, cleaners, nurses, doctors – everyone together – and that’s why I say that the Nelson Mandela Award is not for me alone. It is for everybody. When we are working, it is hard work. When we start at eight in the morning and work sometimes up to eleven at night, we need food to eat. Those cooks in the kitchen are very important. Whatever you are doing is very important. It brings the success of this whole programme together. MYD: That’s so true, and so beautiful. So often we think that our part is too small. HN: No it’s not; it’s very big. Everyone is important. MYD: What inspired you to do what you do? HN: Seeing those blind people after we’ve operated on them inspires me: the person eating fish, taking the bones out of it; a woman, six months after delivery who hasn’t seen her baby, sees her baby for the first time after we operate. Even old people who are walking on the stick, will ask me, ‘Doctor, can we now go have sex?’ [laughs] These things will always make you go back. Sometimes it is very difficult to organise, and you think, ‘Now I am going to give up!’ But then you remember that old person.

nown reverently as the ‘Miracle Doctor’, Dr Ndume has treated some 30,000 blind Namibians since 1997. In 2009, she was honoured with a humanitarian award presented by the Namibia Red Cross Society for her work in restoring sight to those blinded by cataracts, and today she is the Head of the Ophthalmology Department at the Windhoek Central Hospital.

MYD: Tell us your story. HN: I was born in Tsumeb. At 15 I went into exile – to school in Gambia and later came back to SWAPO headquarters in Luanda. I worked there in the transport department. Then, after a year, I was sent to Germany to study medicine. Medicine was my second choice. My first choice was to become a fashion designer. And Nahas Angula, who was the Secretary of Education then, said, ‘This fashion design of yours is just rubbish. Namibia does not need fashion designers, we need doctors.’ We were brought up not to answer back – you followed the instructions of the grown-ups. Looking back, I say, ‘Thank God.’ MYD: Who inspired you to keep going? HN: My parents, of course, and people in my life like Dr Libertina Amathila. She was always behind me, not only in study but also to teach me about life and how to take care of myself as a lady.

was also the intention of SWAPO training that you help independent Namibia. MYD: What advice do you have for Namibians to encourage heroism? HN: If someone has done something great in your life, I know that person is your hero. I encourage you to do the same thing. It is very important to always humble yourself. We shouldn’t forget where we come from. How do you even drive your Range Rover in Ombili where people don’t even eat? Do you feel good? MYD: Takers may eat well, but the givers sleep well. HN: It’s exactly true, the joy of giving. MYD: Do you have any other message for Namibians on Heroes’ Day? HN: The only message, especially to the young people is to stop alcohol, stop fighting. I don’t know how many eyes I have taken out, because of beer bottles and knives. The youth must stop drinking, and behave. Stick to your books, read and do something good for the community.

When I wanted to finish studying medicine and start to work, she said, ‘No, with these little hands, you are going to do ophthalmology’, and that’s what I did. She has been a big inspiration in my life. I have one son, whose father died when I was eight months pregnant. As things happen, I went to this German family when my boy was nine months old. Luckily enough, they had a daughter who was a fashion designer, and I went to their shop and they asked me to bring my baby. They were shocked to see that he was already Black. They said, ‘We thought that maybe they are born white and then when they get in the sun they get brown.’ They fell in love with the child, and that’s how we became a family. When I did a practical or exams, they looked after him, and when we were repatriated in 1989, they said, ‘You go back home first and see how things are. The child is staying behind and we will look after him.’ Today we are still together, as one family.

MYD: There’s a saying that goes, ‘True heroism is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, it’s the urge to serve others at whatever cost.’ What’s your take on that? HN: It’s true. The urge to serve is a privilege. I can sit in my private practice, but then will I be happy knowing that there are people going blind out there? On top of it, there was no way my parents could pay for my education – it was the money of the taxpayers of the Gambian people, and the German people. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. That’s why I have to give back. It

MYD

My heroes are those who do good for the underprivileged, for another human being. Dr Helena Ndume

Healing touch without sight How Mariane’s entrepreneurial ‘Aha!’ moment led to the creation of jobs for many visually impaired women

In 2014, Mariane Akwenye founded Nomad African Spa with the obvious goal of providing a restorative environment for clients, but she went much further and also created a powerful healing environment for her staff. The combination is authentically African, and award winning, with Nomad African Spa winning Africa’s Best Day Spa 2015 and 2016 from the World Spa Awards.

“With our historic background, most of these girls are living in villages and they are deemed a ‘burden’ for their families. For the families that want to help and improve the lives of the blind, they find that there are not many options out there. I could have turned a blind eye (so to say) and continued with my ‘business as usual’, but there was a deeper force directing me to this.

In describing the philosophy behind the spa, Mariane explains, “Nomad Spa Academy’s objective is to give a skill to those who come from a disadvantaged background. It was during one of these training sessions when our head therapist was asking the trainees to close their eyes, and be in tune with their bodies when I would say I had an ‘aha’ moment right there and I thought to myself, ‘What happens to the visually impaired ladies and would this not be the perfect career for them?’

“I am so proud of our first set of intakes. We have now successfully employed two of them. The most significant part, though, is the life transformation these ladies have undergone. Their confidence has improved, their dreams have been revived and they now have a sense of permission to LIVE a life of possibility.”

The more she researched and got to know the plight of blind women, the more Mariane was compelled to act.

Mariane believes that it is essential to know yourself when serving others, adding, “This sense of Ubuntu is what the essence of life is about. When you know yourself, you have no sense of jealousy or selfishness; it is pure freedom.”

“The entrepreneur in me took over and I researched to find similar programmes and training methods. Honestly, there is very little out there. I was compelled to do something, and I took on this project not really knowing what I was getting into.”

Mariane’s dreams don’t end with the first intake, adding, “Now that I’m in it, I want it to be a beacon of hope for the visually impaired not only in Namibia but on the continent, as there is really nothing similar in the wellness industry.”

People standing up against poaching

Community game guards are on the front lines of the fight against poaching

Heroes are found in many places from State House to the house next door. Increasingly they are found in the middle of the bush, as community game guards have become vital to the protection of our natural heritage.

“From a child, I always wanted to be a game ranger,” says Simasiku Amos Mwiye, one of 12 community game guards currently employed by the Salambala Conservancy.

In an area surrounded by floodplains in the Zambezi Region lies the Salambala Conservancy. One of 82 conservancies, which collectively encompass 53% of communal land in Namibia, Salambala covers some 930 square kilometres and borders Botswana, the Chobe Forest Reserve, the Chobe River and more.

“We have a big area to cover and we have limited resources to fight poachers. Sometimes we are alone and there is shooting; the dogs are barking; animals are being chased. It is difficult and we need support.”

The conservancy is home to some 10,000 people. Through the conservancy system, the power to protect and benefit from wildlife has been placed in the hands of the community who live with the wildlife. Their income is derived from joint-venture lodges in the conservancy, campsites, craft production and hunting quotas, which are determined by comprehensive game counts in the area. Collectively, this means that the community has a vested interest in protecting wildlife.

“I feel proud as a ranger to know that animals are living alongside people, so that next generations will know these animals.”

At the forefront of this fight to protect Namibia’s wildlife are the conservancies’ game guards.

Costar Mbalolo is another of Salambala Conservancy’s dedicated game guards. “I started working as a game ranger in November 2014. I enjoy patrolling, and I enjoy arresting poachers. Arresting a poacher is not something to play with; you have to have the right tactics to approach the poacher.” These tactics include knowledge of the bush, tracking skills, patience and above all a passion to protect Namibia’s wildlife. “My message to Namibia,” says Mbalolo, “is to keep managing resources so that tourists can come to our country and everyone benefits.”

In an effort to combat poaching of wildlife in Namibia, conservancies and government work hand in hand to foster a sense of ownership among Namibia’s people. The inhabitants of Namibia’s conservancies live alongside wild animals, which they protect in the midst of poaching and tolerate in the midst of ruined crops.

Despite the risks, Mwiye is proud of his work.

ADvERTORIAL

reating a stimulating environment that encourages co-workers to learn, to laugh and to support one another all in the space of an enormous warehouse may seem improbable, but it is happening at The Document Warehouse. Established in 2006, with offices in Windhoek, Walvis Bay and Ongwediva, The Document Warehouse provides storage and management of hard copies, scanned images and electronic documents, and destroys material in an environmentally friendly manner at the request and approval of their owners. The Document Warehouse recognises that what they do is tedious, so why not liven it up! Their approach starts with the interview process.

Most of The Document Warehouse employees have never previously held a job in the formal sector, so why should they be expected to have experience? For entry-level positions, the company identifies people with bright minds and commitment.

Employees are then given a sense of responsibility by being encouraged to supervise themselves, which builds a strong sense of pride in their work and loyalty to the company. When a position becomes open within the company, current employees are given the first opportunity to apply, followed by their family members. Only then will the company look outside to fill the position. The Document Warehouse is also a good neighbour. There is a school for the deaf close by and while the company has a full-time deaf employee, it often brings in temporary workers from the school. Some permanent employees are learning sign language, which encourages outreach and understanding. Every Tuesday morning, an expert is invited to present a life-skills course that motivates and informs employees on a range of topics from banking to philosophy, mental health to social security.

By helping to build skills and confidence in their employees, The Document Warehouse sees itself as an enabler of growth. Often starting their careers with the company, when employees are ready to move on they are encouraged and helped in crafting their CVs, complete with a list of skills and training assistance received whilst at The Document Warehouse. The Document Warehouse is also serious about the environment. The building runs on solar energy and sends power back to the grid on the weekends. The company is also on the management committee of the Recycle Namibia Forum, is actively involved in recycling and has a dedicated sorting centre on site to prepare documents for recycling. Approach, attitude and atmosphere make The Document Warehouse unique, creating an environment that values its employees and clients, and where respect breeds respect. The Document Warehouse Tel: 061 245 588 www.documentwarehouse.com.na

The ink that binds us Printmaking that is indelibly Namibian

Joseph Madisia’s art was featured on posters and illustrated publications for UNTAG. Madisia was also a member of the National Symbols Technical Sub-Committee that designed the Namibian coat of arms and Namibia’s national flag. John Muafangejo, considered our most important visual artist, used his art to represent the violent struggle for Namibia’s independence. The art form that binds these artists together and has become an iconic symbol of Namibian art is printmaking, a method that allows a created artwork to be reproduced more than once. While there are many ways to do printmaking, the unique method of using cardboard, attracts many artists who want to learn from Namibian printmakers. Only a few prints can be made given the short lifespan of cardboard once it has been wet with paint to make prints. “Cardboard has become known internationally as a Namibian technique,” says Alpheus Mvula, who adds that, “it is not strictly a Namibian technique, but it was developed in and is done differently in Namibia. You don’t find the Namibian style in any other country.” To celebrate the history of this art form that runs parallel to the history of Namibia’s independence, a collaboration of artists, art lovers and art representatives are launching an exhibition. It will celebrate the past and inspire the future of printmaking for Namibia’s 26th anniversary of independence. The exhibition includes art from 27 talented Namibians including Ndeenda Shivute and Helen Harris from the National Art Gallery, Isabel Katjavivi from the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, Nambowa Malua from

the FNCC’s Gallery, Art in the House, and Jacques Mushaandja from the John Muafangejo Art Centre, to name but a few. According to Alexandra Lasky, the Public Relations Officer at the National Art Gallery of Namibia, “It is a historical moment to have such a big exhibition about printmaking from the past and the present, to have a dialogue between the decades. Printmaking is in a sense a national art form, with many artists using it to express themselves, their political struggle and their social struggle. It has documented Namibian social and political history and because of this, it has a national relevance. Now, it is a historical moment in which we acknowledge how relevant this art form has been.” Elize van Huyssteen from Art in the House says, “We have a very large collection of printmaking artworks. Some of the artists who made these pieces have since become eminent names in the field, like Joseph Madisia who followed after John Muafangejo and who later became a teacher to Shikongeni. It is like a chain that links the development.” Alpheus Mvula, one of the artists who will also exhibit at the Celebrating Namibian Printmaking exhibition, notes that the opening of this exhibition symbolises another link in the chain as Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s Deputy Prime Minister, has been asked to give the keynote address. Nandi-Ndaitwah is a former art student of John Muafangejo. “The exhibition is designed to celebrate the past and also inspire the future generations of artists who will be part of this art form”, noted André Gariseb, the Communications Officer at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre, which co-hosts the exhibition with the National Art Gallery of Namibia. Celebrating the artists and the institutions that supported these artists, Alpheus Mvula adds, “It is amazing to see the support for artists from then until today.” The Celebrating Namibian Printmaking exhibition opened on 22 March 2016 and ran until 14 April 2016.

Nations are forged through struggles, dreams and the bravery of those committed to a cause greater than themselves. Artists are there, observing, documenting and their work is critical to the telling of these stories. In Namibia, this history is literally imprinted in the ink that binds us.

alu bus Sam Shivute

on the importance of values

Feature

In the moment of choice, choose integrity. — Sam Shivute

hen you define your personal values, you discover what’s truly important to you. Sam Shivute did this at a young age, and used his determination to rise above his circumstances to earn multiple certificates and degrees. Today he is the Director of Banking Services at the Bank of Namibia, Chairman of the Board of the National Housing Enterprise, and a motivational speaker. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny spoke to Sam about the importance of values in his life.

SS: If you’re not guided by values, you can follow anything and get lost. I needed to have values that would guide me to be where I wanted to be. I would never take anything that did not belong to me and I would never allow anyone to bribe me. My conscience will always remain clear. That is one of the ways that values have guided me. MYD: How were you able to become so focused? SS: It starts with discipline. At the age of six, I took a personal decision never to drink alcohol, and I haven’t. It’s a matter of being disciplined, of deciding to take charge of your life, and not allowing any external factors to decide for you. MYD: Let’s talk about your personal story. SS: I come from a very poor background. I have experienced poverty. I was in no position to go to university when I finished school, so I joined the

MYD: Did you enrol in Polytechnic on your own or were you advised to do that? SS: It was my personal decision. I always tell people, never delegate your personal or professional growth to anyone else. The only person that I can say paid for my schooling is my mum, and I know how she struggled. On many occasions she had to borrow N$10 from a lady in our village, and with that N$10 I had to pay my taxi and survive for three months before I could come home again. So, yes, that’s really my story. MYD: That’s incredible. SS: I believe in a concept of continuous improvement. You must always work on your dream. You must never be satisfied with what you have achieved this far. I want young people to take note that all my qualifications, especially the four degrees that I successfully completed within a period of twelve years, I achieved while I maintained a full-time management job. And my performance at work was never questioned. I have never wanted to be an average performer. I have always given my employer the best I could. MYD: You started your own company as well. SS: In 2015, I founded my motivational speaking and executive coaching company. I’m sharing a gift that I got from the All Mighty to energise people, to make people believe in themselves and to realise that whatever choice you make it will have either positive or negative consequences. Therefore, before you take any action you must ask yourself: What will the consequences be? And if it’s negative, you leave it. You may have heard of my motivational concept, ‘The ABC of Sam Shivute’, and my TEDx ‘CARE’ talk in Windhoek. I want to help people understand that they can also develop self-confidence, and that no one becomes relevant by accident. You need to deliberately ensure that you are relevant to your family, to your society, to your employer, to your kids, to your friends. Also it takes personal discipline to execute ideas. It doesn’t help to have a lot of good ideas and not execute them. In a nutshell, that is my story.

ues in siness

Namibian Police Force. I took my work very seriously. While in the police force, I enrolled in the Polytechnic of Namibia. I became a detective, and worked for a specialised investigation unit. In 1999, I was one of seven police officers chosen from Namibia to join the United Nations’ East Timor unit, which contributed to international peace. I have never looked back.

MYD: How do you find time in the day to do everything? SS: I’m a goal-orientated individual, and a master of time management. I don’t focus on activities, I’m focused on what I must achieve. In as much as I want to be accountable to the Namibian people, and to my employers, I’m also accountable to myself. MYD: You’re a living example of the fact that when you are strategic with your life, you get the rewards. SS: You’ve got to be very serious with your life. Irrespective of what happened in your life, despite the fact that you might have come from a poor background or didn’t go to a good school, everything is possible. You can achieve and be whoever you want to be, but you do not become something by accident. You need to know exactly where you want to be. I always tell my friends, if you think I am where I want to be, you are 100% mistaken, because my best is yet to come. MYD: Who inspired you? SS: There are a lot of people who inspire me, but I must start with my parents. My mother was one of my greatest heroes. She taught me to be self-confident. If there’s any gift that you can give to your child, give your child confidence and the rest will follow. Some people will argue, give them education. But I have known people who had great education who are not that relevant. I learnt a lot of lessons from my father. Even though he did not go to school, he was very strategic in becoming relevant in society. He told me that whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, without expecting anything in return. I also admire people who serve not for their best interest, but for the best interest of other Namibians, such as those who made our independence possible. MYD: What advice would you give so that we can make the right choices in life? SS: When you live above the line, you take ownership of your actions. You are accountable. You take responsibility. But when you decide to live below the line, you have excuses and blame something or someone else. I want people to understand that there will be times when

people will doubt them or tell them they are not good enough, but they must not let the opinions of others become their reality. They must be determined to believe in themselves. My advice is to take responsibility of your life, and to continue to learn. I have never met a person who does not have an inspiring story to tell or someone that I cannot learn from. Also, what people see as problems or challenges, I see as opportunities. A friend of mine said, ‘Oh Sam, congratulations on your appointment as Chairman of the Board of the National Housing Enterprise – I wish you good luck in that hot seat.’ I don’t see it as a hot seat. I see it as an opportunity. Just watch, very soon that seat will be cool. MYD: How should we define our personal values so that we can also have the kind of success and outlook that you have? SS: It starts with being focused and asking the tough questions. Who am I? Where am I going? These questions are not defined by your name, a title, your bank account or the car you drive. What are you passionate about in life? What do you stand for? Why were you born? You must find your purpose in life. I tell you, the moment you find your purpose in life, you will feel a happiness in your heart that I can’t describe. MYD: And if you don’t know what your passion is, where do you start? SS: You need to make time to reflect and ask yourself those questions. You will find out. Again, nothing happens by accident. It is a question of being deliberate and being serious about finding your purpose. MYD: Your closing remarks and your advice to Namibia? SS: Remember – in the moment of choice choose integrity.

MYD

Can empathy transform a company? How Bank Windhoek has used the value of empathy to transform their corporate culture

As Bank Windhoek’s Corporate Wellness Consultant, Marjolize Scholtz, explains, “Empathy is part of our company’s values. It is important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It’s then that you experience who they are, giving you an opportunity to enrich their lives.” In 2006, Bank Windhoek introduced the Empathy Project for which each department and branch countrywide is granted N$2,500 annually. After careful thought and motivation by the staff of each department, the amount is then given to their chosen community projects. The most inspiring example of empathy wins one branch or department an award for their initiative. For example, in 2015 while numerous community projects benefited from the Empathy Project, the four most-inspiring examples of giving were identified as the Visually Impaired Centre in the Sauyemwa settlement in Rundu, Dolam Children’s

Home Trust and the Humpty Dumpty Pre-primary School on the outskirts of Windhoek, and Witkop Good Hope Hostel near Rehoboth. Bank Windhoek’s Head of Corporate Communication and Social Investment, Riaan van Rooyen, shares the motivation behind the initiative, “Through this project, our staff step out of their comfort zones and realise what is happening in the communities they are a part of, and this project gives our staff a chance to take ownership of change by sharing their blessings with someone else.” By establishing a culture of empathy in the company, the staff is empowered to continue to support projects in their communities. This support is not limited to financial support. Staff members also visit homes for the aged and donate blood in their effort to empathise with others. Marjolize adds, “Successful companies are successful because of how they treat their staff and how they empower their staff to treat others.”

Great and small acts of heroism require selflessness, which often starts with the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. That is the definition of empathy.

Building on empathy Addressing Namibia’s housing crisis with affordable housing solutions

The need for affordable housing is one of Namibia’s most pressing problems. But as Tommy Tjaronda, Strategy Officer for Project 38, explains, his team is bringing innovation to the troubled housing market.

Tommy believes that the company’s approach demonstrates what can be done when people use empathy along with their knowledge and skills to enrich the lives of others.

“Project 38’s team is affected by the need for housing in our country – directly or indirectly through our families and communities as a whole. When we started Project 38, we wanted to present a solution to this problem and to complement existing efforts by government and regional councils. We specifically chose this building product because we wanted a sustainable, long-term solution. We believe our product can achieve this.”

“To us, empathy is to understand what others are going through and experiencing, and what they are feeling. Our business has to exist as part of the community for it to be successful. This means in everything we do, we use empathy – from showing appreciation to our employees, to understanding our customers’ needs and in trying to meet those needs. This is how we will also ensure our success.”

Project 38 uses aerated concrete panels as an affordable building material for public and private development projects. The team also invested private capital to construct a show house for potential buyers and investors to view.

The show house built for the pilot project met or exceeded all municipal standards for conventional buildings, while its strengths in the areas of insulation and fire resistance were noted. The show house will have another important life, as it will ultimately be donated to Hope Village, an orphanage in Windhoek.

“With our show house, we want to obtain public opinion, to get people to ask questions in order to understand the product, to have technical assessments done on the house and to eventually have it approved by financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies so that it can be used as an alternative building method.”

Tommy says the team is inspired by innovative minds, a great vision and “the courage to take risks in order to make a dream come true.”

The business sense of empowering people dB Audio, a Namibian company that knows their employees are their front line and that their front line is their bottom line

As Ernst Steynberg, dB Audio Namibia’s Communication Manager, explains, “dB Audio Namibia was founded in 2004 and we rapidly established ourselves as a one-stop shop for the technical management of live event productions. Right now we employ 43 full-time staff, but from the onset we realised that one of our biggest challenges was finding qualified and experienced technicians, engineers and designers in our field. “This is why we started providing on-the-job training and promoting peer education, with capacity building at the forefront of our operations. We aggressively seek out young Namibians to train and incorporate into our operations. We provide internships for talented

individuals and regularly present formal training courses. Most staff members have obtained some form of formal qualification while employed by dB Audio Namibia.” Providing a platform for young Namibians to be exposed to the industry and learn the business, Ernst believes that, “We’ve been blessed and therefore we bless in return – that is the motto behind our CSI [corporate social investment] and CSR [corporate social responsibility] endeavours. “We live in such a diverse society. We have so much in common and yet have so many differences. Namibian business needs to learn to embrace cultural diversity and to realise that culture extends beyond race. We need to consider gender, age, religion and other factors.” Ernst says that the best business advice they have ever received is, “People are your front line and your front line is your bottom line.”

Founded on the belief that shows are made of people, not equipment, dB Audio Namibia has become the ‘go to’ name in sound, lighting, staging and audiovisual services, helping clients across all spectrums to communicate while also empowering their staff.

Respect as a competitive advantage How one company used the power of respect to build an organisational ethos of care that filters down to the customer experience

While companies chase the bottom line, research shows that 65% of people say they don’t feel appreciated at work, leading to higher healthcare expenditures, absenteeism, and declining loyalty. Conversely, a positive work environment, where mutual respect is evident, leads to an increased bottom line and overall company success. The Document Warehouse, a company that archives and stores documents, drawings and digital data, has given what could be perceived as monotonous work a face-lift by providing a fun and supportive work environment where learning is encouraged. Milka Nowases, a Retrievals Clerk at The Document Warehouse, explains what it is like to work in an environment where staff members are supported and respected. “I am able to go and talk face to face with my boss if there’s a problem. But my superiors do not want to be labelled as ‘the boss’ because we work as a team. “Instead of staff keeping quiet due to fear, which is the case in so many companies, at The Document Warehouse problems are raised and addressed immediately due to the open communication and respect-filled environment.” More than just semantics, Milka notes that at her company there is basic respect for one another and an

environment where people are treated as adults. For example, in other companies, people might get warnings for arriving late, while at The Document Warehouse, as long as the supervisor has been notified, being late is something that is understood to happen from time to time. What’s interesting, Milka adds, is that in such a supportive environment, the system is hardly ever abused. “Once you are happy at work, you do your best and your productivity is at its best. This also means that customer service is improved. Customers feel the vibe of the company and they feel the way in which the staff is being treated. So if your customer service is poor, you know that staff treatment is probably poor too.” The Document Warehouse has taken a fresh approach to working in a warehouse environment. The staff is given lunch every day, social events are arranged regularly, and the working space is filled with colour and fun. There is also space for downtime and rest as well as work and growth. “I have the opportunity to learn and have had doors opened for me, including opportunities to interact with and present to clients, all of which means I have been able to learn a lot and develop my confidence.”

Good service is good business. Tom Mutavdzic, Silver Spoon Hospitality

Trust is a critical ally in the path to success.

Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira, Founder of Twamanguluka and Co-founder of Physically Active Youth

ADvERTORIAL

Namsov Fishing Enterprises Pty (Ltd) Governors’ Regional Development Programme

A partnership for positive change

t Namsov Fishing Enterprises we believe in sharing the value of the horse mackerel we harvest, with the communities in Namibia. We work hard to ensure that the value we create directly benefits our communities, our government, our shareholders and our business. As a sign of our commitment, Namsov Fishing Enterprises has invested 10% of our business to benefit the development of our communities as far back as 1991. In 2014, Namsov Fishing Enterprises embarked on a development programme in partnership with Namibia’s 14 regional governors and created the Governors’ Regional Development Programme. To date, Namsov Fishing Enterprises has disbursed N$21 million towards the Governors’ Regional Development Programme. This funding support has been divided over a three-year period and spread equally across all 14 regions in Namibia.

The Governors’ Regional Development Programme is a grassroots support initiative in which Namsov Fishing

Enterprises harnesses the power of partnerships, by working through the regional governors’ offices and their constituencies. Each region’s interventions are guided by a project and technical committee which administrates the programme. These partnerships allow us to identify the need and role of each region. The purpose of the Governors’ Regional Development Programme is to encourage the regional structures to identify their own needs, prioritise them and intervene at their points of need. This in turn builds capacity for social and economic development in the regions of Namibia. It is no longer enough for us as an organisation to do charitable work, we need to empower our constituencies to be able to understand social responsibility and engage in it daily, as a way of life. Improving lives We are proud of the success of this programme and the impact it has had on communities throughout Namibia’s 14 regions. This programme has

become a powerful model of a public–private partnership for socioeconomic development. It allows us, as corporate citizens, to demonstrate the power of creating value and to empower our communities by sharing this value as an example of sustainable development. It is imperative for both foreign and local corporate citizens operating in Namibia to recognise that we all play a critical part in Namibia’s environmental, social and economic ecosystems. Thus, through the Governors’ Regional Development Programme it is Namsov’s aim to support the war on poverty. This programme remains a ‘work in progress’ of partners working together to shape socioeconomic development at the grassroots level in a relevant way. Let us ensure that the issue of development for this country is as important as the issue of profit. In 2014/15, each region through their regional governor’s office received N$500,000, which was used to successfully implement projects in areas identified by their constituents, as listed below.

Erongo

Agriculture; education; infrastructure development; sanitation; SME development Total investment: N$23,577,094.45

Hardap

Gardening; community development; entrepreneurship; health Total investment: N$4,135,936.98

||Kharas

Education; community development; health; reconstruction of a school building Total investment: N$3,333,000.00

Kavango East

Education; gardening for people living with HIV and AIDS; SME; natural resources; women’s sewing; chicken farming for a small, rural community Total investment: N$1,177,000.00

Kavango West Education; gardening; SME promotion in the rural area; youth empowerment; women’s sewing; ice-cream machine (first in the region) Total investment: N$1,000,000.00 Khomas

Education; health; community development; ICT; welfare; development of new water infrastructure in Groot Aub and in Moses Garoeb Constituency Total investment: N$7,487,475.52

Kunene

Education; health; nutrition; youth gardening in Otuzemba Village to produce a variety of vegetables and fruits for the community and surrounding area Total investment: N$2,758,330.45

Ohangwena

Education; ICT; community development; infrastructure development; construction of ablution facilities for boys, girls, teachers and people with disabilities at Ohehonge Combined School Total investment: N$4,758,566

Omaheke

Dairy production; gardening; studio equipment for a local radio station; construction of a drinking-water fountain; enrolment of school dropouts in Grades 10 and 12; bursaries for tertiary students; sewing machines for women Total investment: N$2,168,878.00

Omusati

Education; community development; ICT; health; agricultural development; job creation; development of a poultry farm Total investment: N$2,519,334.00

Oshana

Education; community development; healthcare centre for children with disabilities; vegetable gardening; women’s poultry farming; SME empowerment Total investment: N$1,743,643.00

Oshikoto

Health; natural resources; community development; construction of a community hall Total investment: N$8,475,520.00

Otjozondjupa

Education; health; primary-school gardening; community empowerment; tyre retail SME; printing and ICT Total investment: N$1,894,764.08

Zambezi

Education; health; community development; vegetable gardening; fish farming; poultry farming; SME empowerment Total investment: N$3,890,941.00

MESSAGES FROM SOME OF THE REGIONAL GOVERNORS “Government on its own cannot achieve our nation’s developmental goals. We need to harness the energies and resources of the entire nation. With this in mind, let me congratulate Namsov Fishing Enterprises for the bold step you have taken in reaching out to your fellow countrymen through this important partnership.” Honourable Festus Ueitele Governor: Omaheke Region “Namsov Fishing Enterprises heard the call of Our President His Excellency Dr Hage Geingob in the fight against poverty. Your financial contribution is a great help to the weak, destitute and most vulnerable members of our society. On behalf of the project members who have benefited from the partnership with Namsov for the purpose of development and sustainability, I want to express my sincere gratitude of appreciation towards Namsov Fishing Enterprises for their philanthropic generosity.” Honourable Angelika Muharukua Governor: Kunene Region “Namsov’s contribution is part of a bigger war that is being waged against poverty, one where timing is critical. This is why we work day and night to make sure that assistance gets to those in need as soon as possible. We applaud Namsov for being a company that cares for and shares with other human beings.” Honourable Samuel Mbambo Governor: Kavango East Walvis Bay Ofﬁce: PO Box 4, 15th Street East Walvis Bay, Namibia Tel: +264 64 219 900 Windhoek Ofﬁce: PO Box 11554, Klein Windhoek Hugo Hahn Street, Erioloba Complex Unit 3 Tel: +264 61 423 400 Web: www.namsov.com.na

Our corporate social responsibility work in Namibia since 1991 to date:

Feature

Success in the arts Lize Ehlers’

success in the pursuit of happiness

uccess is a creative endeavour, which means that no matter where you find yourself in life, the progress to that point is a mark of success.

Success is also the realisation – and even the release – of worthy goals that constantly evolve as we grow and set new goals. But when do we stop to savour success, particularly success as we define it in our pursuit of happiness?

99FM’s Master Your Destiny spoke to Namibian singer and poet Lize Ehlers and she shared with us her story, defining success on her own terms and investing in every single day.

LE: I think success is all the little things. It’s first finding out what I want to do. Do I want to have kids? Do I want to have a huge career? Must my career be bigger than everything else? Or is my success the balance of it all – that I can be on stage, but also be there to wake up with my kids to take them to school? These are the little things, and for me that is success. MYD: What do you think about viewing our success against the success of others? LE: We’re human beings. We want approval – we want a compliment, or a shoulder to cry on. We would like to have a stamp in recognition that we’ve done something – that we’ve made it – or our parents saying, ‘Hey, I’m proud of you’. Encouragement allows possibility, whereas labelling just cuts possibility out, and fear is instilled.

I believe we are the catalysts of change, of mastering our destinies through living by example. — Lize Ehlers

MYD: How do you define your own success with a sense of fulfilment and happiness within your own environment? LE: Environment plays a big role. I can just speak from the research that I had to do when we adopted our daughter. Environment is not 50/50; it’s almost like 90/10. I believe you can define your success by first of all finding out who you are, and also by measuring where you are – it’s very important. MYD: If you take a look at your life right now, would you say you’re successful? LE: I would call myself successful today; tomorrow, I might not be as successful; yesterday, I was supersuccessful. It’s all based on how I feel and how I perceive what my success is for that day. I live by some ‘to-do list’ because it makes me understand that I haven’t wasted my time. For me success is then measured by, for example, a good show. I want a good show, but what am I actively doing to have a good show? Am I just praying that it’s gonna be a good show? Or am I rehearsing to make sure that I feel comfortable on stage and know what I’m talking about? That is how I define my success. And I feel successful today because I’ve accomplished certain things. And I would like to accomplish more things tomorrow. My father said, ‘Sleep when you’re dead, child’, but I reward myself with sleep when I’ve achieved a lot of things. MYD: I love that you’ve put success in the context of a movable goal, based on what’s in front of you right now. It makes success achievable for every moment. LE: I’d like the listeners to take a moment and say, ‘What do I want? What is it that I want to achieve in my relationship? What do I want to achieve in my work? What do I want to achieve in society as a social person or a non-social person?’ I believe we are the catalysts of change, of mastering our destinies through living by example. MYD: In finding success, is it important to find people that inspire you? LE: I wrote a song back in the day, that yodelling song, about ‘you are my surrounding’. It’s so important that you surround yourself with the right people. It’s like you charge your batteries again, and that is very important, especially in staying motivated. You can’t wake up every morning feeling fabulous; it’s impossible.

MYD: Have you ever felt like a failure? If so, what did you do about that? LE: I’ve felt like a failure many times. If you look at your life, and you see patterns that you repeat – that really break you down, not lift you up – try to tackle them.

Instead of taking a breath, do your checklists: Have I prepared? Am I just taking a chance? Maybe I should sit this one out? Is my hair clean? Little things that make your life fabulous just by checking them off; not repeating mistakes … MYD: We need to put in the work and get the reward for it to feel like we’ve accomplished something. LE: And I think maybe after a while when you’ve really worked for like ten, twenty years, then you can sit back and say, ‘Okay, I’m gonna float around a little bit.’ But for now, how are you going to get to the Oscars anyway if you don’t do all the small films, or if you don’t do your research or if you don’t wake up? I’m thinking of changing my ‘just show up’ movement to a ‘just wake up’ movement ’cause sometimes I feel we’re making it okay to be lazy. When you have to wake up, wake up. Live hard, with urgency. MYD: Where do you think we stand on success as a country? LE: That’s a very important topic. I totally believe we should support each other more locally. I love the whole Team Namibia thing. I love that 99FM is proudly Namibian, and that we’re starting to have celebrities, not rock stars, we’re starting to have success celebrities. My favourite celebrity in Namibia is my English teacher; she’s my ultimate celebrity. I truly think this is an area where we can push and that’s, again, where mentorship comes in. I dare people to be mentors – a political mentor, or a religious mentor, or a non-religious mentor, or a business mentor, or a teacher mentor. We need more mentors.. That’s why I constantly have my whole ‘this is proudly Namibian’ thing: because we have a beautiful country. We should also be a little less boring – I think we can be. That word ‘boring’ in itself kills me. So be a little bit more fearless and fun. MYD: A little bit at a time and before you know it, you’ve achieved what you wanted to. LE: Success is what you make of it, and what I make of it is recommitting myself to the choices I’ve made. And not only recommitting myself, but committing every fibre of my being to those choices – whether it’s having a perfect album or a not-perfect album, whether it’s having a good show, whether it’s spending time with my family, or finding my balance. Little things for me make my success and, guys, as much as it is about yourself, the moment you can help others, then it clicks, it just clicks.

MYD

Developing distinctive artists Ashanti Manetti is a woman on a mission to build artists of distinction

“The reason I use the word ‘distinctive’ in my company name is that as artists we always have to be that little bit different, but in order to be professional you need to offer an entire package,” shares Ashante. “It’s not just about showing up and doing your music. It’s everything that leads up to that – the quote, your media kit, your personal brand – all of which play a role when you sell yourself, especially to the international market. I’m trying to get artists to position themselves as highquality products. “Ten years of PR [public relations] experience helps me, but I also use my gut to see what will work. My development is a combination of reading, making sure I understand the industry and keeping abreast of how my artists are developing. I try to make sure I know every element of what I need to know with regard to the industry.”

Ashante said there are many tools that artists can use to move their careers forward, including basic business skills, a proper media kit and a biography. They also need to clearly define their brand, their genre of music and tailor their work towards it. “Regarding PR: Become your own public relations practitioner, your own spokesman. Understand that it’s not up to someone else to manage your brand because in every interaction you have, you leave your personal element behind. When people walk away, it’s not from Ashante the person, but Ashante the artist.” Ashante, the businesswoman and the artist, believes that artists need more platforms and standard gigs in Namibia, and that the public can support them by buying their recordings, showing up to the events, spreading information about the artists and pitching them to other people. Basically, we can be champions for Namibian artists.

Focusing on creating platforms for arts and artists, Distinctive Art is fast becoming an artist and events management house to be reckoned with. The powerhouse behind this company is Ashante Manetti.

Not just any

stage

The creative vision behind the Warehouse Theatre

Mike Ott was a child when he visited the Warehouse Theatre to watch a talent show put on by Ernst Herman, the father of the Warehouse. At that moment, a sense of love for the stage, and specifically that stage, came over Mike. It’s a feeling of connection that artists still report when they perform at the Warehouse Theatre in Windhoek. They talk of a connection to the place – a sense of magic, something that you don’t find elsewhere, even for artists who have played all over the world.

Namibia, which was founded in the same year as the Warehouse, one year before independence. “Over the last 20 years, I’ve felt a connection to the Warehouse and I believe it’s essential to connect to what you’re doing, as this gives you heart and passion and that’s what makes your business successful and it gives you the edge.”

In 2012 Mike heard that the Warehouse Theatre would be closing. He decided to do whatever it took to prevent this piece of our history from shutting its doors for good.

It took three months from finding out that the space was available until Mike and his business partners opened the doors to their first show at the Warehouse Theatre. That night Elemotho performed on stage, and Mike describes the show as “an eclectic energy that was simply mesmerising.”

According to Mike, “The Warehouse Theatre is more than just a venue. I see it as the home of Namibian arts and culture, together with the National Theatre of

Mike says his hope is for the Warehouse “to uplift the Namibian arts and culture scene and provide a home to all creatives in this country.”

giving and getting from the

Josaphat Tjiho, one of the founders of ChiNamibia, an arts education and development programme, shares his story of what the arts have given him and how he is giving back: As a graduate of the African Performing Arts Department at the College of the Arts, ‘Arts’ isn’t simply a qualification on my curriculum vitae. The arts have moulded me and groomed me to express myself, and my feelings and emotions in front of an audience and in different forms of media. By sharing myself with people through my art, hidden personal feelings and secrets have been opened. I am now open to talk about myself, my past and present situation – be it good or bad. Animation, drawings, performing arts, poems and abstract performances are just some of the different platforms artists use to express themselves. Through all this exposure, through the therapy they provide, I have fallen in love with the arts. Through the arts, I have learnt that material things and financial stability are not as important as mental, spiritual and physical health. I’ve learnt that you do not need lots of money or a secure job to be happy, but what we need are people that can make us laugh, cry and learn. The arts have taught me why people are important and helped me understand why the older generations were at peace and had the philosophy of the African phrase ‘ubuntu abantu’, meaning people of people. From confidence gained through the arts, my colleague and I took the big step of starting an organisation, ChiNamibia, which gives arts education to the children at the Katutura Community Arts Centre. Up until that moment, I had no full-time job but I believe that the reason I survived was because of the passion, the healing and the connection to others that I received from the arts.

Today, ChiNamibia is building a strong reputation in Namibia and beyond, as we have already taken 30 children from Namibia for an arts exchange project to Zimbabwe. This connected me with people of different backgrounds and from different countries. This is just some of what the arts have given me.

KINGJAMES 38677

CREATING PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EDUCATION, JOB CREATION AND A BETTER SOCIETY In 2014, Sharifa Bessinger and two other Grade 11 learners from Dawid Bezuidenhout High School in Khomasdal, Windhoek, attended a seminar in Helsinki, Finland, to broaden their horizons about the international education system, thanks to financial aid from Santam Namibia. During their Grade 12 year, Santam supported them by paying their school fees, and for extra classes, school uniforms and even matric farewell dresses. The insurer continued to support Sharifa this year with a study bursary towards an economics degree at the Namibia University of Science and Technology. She obtained an average pass rate of 76% in the second semester of her first year. Sharifa’s growth and progression is one of many success stories directly linked

to Santam Namibia’s corporate social investments, which focus mainly on education and job creation. A similar programme for three more students who are currently in Grade 10 will be followed through to tertiary level as well. “Through our school projects, we aim to make a difference by creating safe and well-maintained school environments where teachers can teach and learners can learn. We are committed to drive change by supporting schools and education programmes which could ultimately lead to job creation,” says Priscilla Malgas, HR and Sustainability Manager at Santam Namibia. In 2014, the insurer also invested in a new computer lab at Krönlein Primary School in Keetmanshoop by donating 10 computers

and computer desks towards the project. In addition, an alarm system and an air conditioner to protect the equipment were provided. “The lab enables young kids who would never have the opportunity to use computers to get the necessary training in order to expose them to the world of IT and technology. We continued with this project during 2015 and 2016 and donated an additional seven computers. “We remain committed to contribute to an educated and employed Namibia. We aim to stop the cycle of dependency and provide sustainable opportunities to needy communities,” concludes Priscilla.

For more details, contact Priscilla at priscilla.malgas@santam.com.na. Insurance good and proper

My yoga practice became a bit of a dance between my thinking mind and my feeling body and heart. In this way I found greater balance between my heart and mind.

Seodhna Keown, Yoga Instructor

elfaware We have a long journey to go through life and we don’t have to depend on other people’s opinions, but if it is advice, learn to take it positively, not personally.

Fannes Namhunya

— Fannes Namhunya

MYD: What is your take on taking things personally? FN: We are brought up in a culture where we don’t go into children’s minds, to where critical thinking occurs.

ften it is not our actions or words that impact us most deeply, it is the response of others that cuts us to the core.

It has been said that the best way of dealing with the opinions of others, whether they are solicited or unsolicited, is not by taking anything personally. But how is this possible when who we are is personal? From the bright lights of the international debating stage to the dusty plains of northern Namibia where groups of children gather under the trees to hear his message, Fannes Namhunya has trained thousands of young Namibians to think critically, to debate and present their ideas, and, by doing so, to ultimately improve their sense of self-awareness.

Fannes spoke to 99FM’s Master Your Destiny on finding ways to rise above our instinct, which allows other people’s opinions to define us.

on why you shouldn’t take it personally

I teach children to think rationally, to understand that they are citizens of the world, and that every individual has got his or her own space in the world. Don’t take what other people say personally – that is just their opinion and should not become your inner boundaries. MYD: It always comes back to self-awareness. For children, how does it affect their development? FN: You find specific individuals that you are attracted to because they are cultured. They demonstrate that they come from homes where there is discipline, where there is teaching. They tend to be very resistant to influence. They end up being role models to others in class and leaders when they are in the senior grades. I can tell you from my experience as a teacher that life skills are very powerful in shaping the minds of children and for teaching them self-awareness.

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eness

Those children that take things personally, especially criticism that makes them feel bad, that makes them feel unwanted or rejected, do not know themselves. They do not know that their destiny is their own. MYD: How did you become the inspirational man that you are, teaching other people how to claim their own power through debate and critical thinking? FN: My father always told me that one day I could become a leader. I realised that leadership does not mean that you have to become a politician; you don’t have to be a football player. Leadership depends on your passion, and I was always very argumentative. I ended up at a high school far from where I’m from, and it was very difficult for me to deal with different people from different cultures and, for the first time, to hear people speak different languages. There was always a problem with communication and people did not respect each other because of our differences. So I started liking John Kady’s programme on national radio, ‘Turn on to English’. I liked the challenging questions that brought out aspects of critical thinking. When I went to university to study to become an English teacher, I learnt a lot through grammar, and how, as a teacher, you can use language as a powerful tool to transform young people’s minds. When I became a teacher, I was invited to take students from my school – Swakopmund Secondary School – to a debating competition in Windhoek. I was exposed to debating for the first time. The children inspired me. They wanted to know more, so I started a debating club, and the club started growing. I started with a school team, and later the regional office approached me to run debating in the region. MYD: Between 2007 and 2011, Fannes, you travelled with small teams of student debaters to South Africa and Scotland to hone the students’ debating skills. Applying this international experience back home, you led teams from Swakopmund and Khomas to regional and national debating championships. FN: We won four trophies in a row, so I decided to give up debating as a coach. I realised there was too much I was putting into a small team, and that it would be better to create a bigger platform so that I could reach out to more people.

In 2015, we launched a public-speaking and debating academy. I founded it, Jossy Nghipandua is the Chairperson and John Haufiku is the Vice-Chairperson. These are two great debaters Namibia has produced, so the country is in good hands.

MYD: What an incredible story of transformation and changing the lives of others. FN: Thousands and thousands of young people and teachers have gone through my coaching. I’m just happy – that’s what I get at the end of the day. I don’t get paid for it, although now I’m receiving calls. People ask, ‘Do you think you can work on my child’s confidence to speak in front of people?’ And they say it is really helping their children with class presentations. These children are coming out of their shells. MYD: How do you not take criticism personally? FN: When you start excelling as an ordinary teacher, it becomes a problem for your colleagues because they think you are taking the shine. This attitude is something that is breaking down the education system, because young people will find teachers who are negative, even though they are mandated by the state to make a difference in those young people’s lives. But I never took it to heart. I never took anything personally, and this is the lesson I share. I teach people to be confident, and that they are individuals in their own right. I take every criticism as a positive in my life. Take it as it comes. I teach people how to filter information. First of all, you have to acknowledge that information is coming in. You filter it by asking is it your life, or is it someone’s personal opinion that they just want to barge into your personal life? Learn from what they are saying. Is it true? And if it’s true, does it bother me? Will it change my life in any way? Will it change my life where it can impact other people positively? Remember without criticism it’s very difficult to grow. We have a long journey to go through life, and we don’t have to depend on other people’s opinions, but if it is advice, learn to take it positively, not personally.

MYD

Melissa Mukaiwa on the need for a meditation movement

“I found meditation in much the same way that most people do – out of frustration and desperation and the quiet determination that comes once you decide that actually, I deserve more. It was a textbook case of betrayal. Someone who I cared about and felt completely safe with hurt me in a way that few people can and, in spite of how much I tried, I just couldn’t stop myself from reliving the trauma. “More than a year after the fact, I was still suffering and I could see how my inability to let go was impacting every aspect of my life – my work, my health and most importantly my relationships. Honestly, I was sick of it, so I googled, ‘How to forgive someone’.”

anything to do with a specific culture, religion or ideal. You also don’t need to become vegetarian, stop feeling emotions or relocate to the top of a mountain in order to start living some of its many profound benefits.” Melissa believes that everyone can define meditation in a way that is both useful and empowering. Her aim is to make meditation simple, pragmatic, accessible, and safe and comfortable for people from all walks of life, or as she describes it, ‘meditation for the masses’. “Most people come to me once they’re desperate and so often we need to do a bit of personal soothing before they’re in the right ‘headspace’ to actually start meditating effectively. They might also be sceptical and pragmatic, so we have conversations about the science of meditation and the mechanics of the mind to help them get that left brain on board and make the experience more satisfying overall.”

Creating a space for stillness

Many of the articles that Melissa read mentioned meditation. For months she tried meditating on her own, but it took moving to Thailand to achieve the breakthrough she’d been searching for. “I moved into a monastery, learnt with one of the most revered monks in Thailand, and within three days I suddenly understood what all the hype was about. That day I said goodbye to the life of pinstripes, pumps and pencil skirts to teach people what I now consider to be one of the most important skills you can learn, meditation.” According to Melissa, how we go about creating a process of lasting change involves three steps: “The overall goal is three-fold and involves – education, preparation and inspiration. “There are so many ideas and misconceptions around meditation, but the fact is that meditation need not have

The last step in the process is inspiration.

“One needs to be able to get people to the point where they are ready and inspired to take the consistent action that will bring about the permanent shifts that will then change their lives. This happens through coaching, speaking and through the powerful moves that one makes in their own life as well.” Melissa’s ultimate goal is to educate, inspire and coach herself into obsolescence, but for now the need for meditation coaches remains.

“Our stimulant-saturated, go-go-go, ‘selfie’ society has got people more stressed and totally disconnected than ever before, but I hope that with enough time and progress this will no longer be the case, and that together we get to redefine a collective baseline that will hopefully correlate with greater personal awareness, a better standard of living and a total abolition of the need to ‘save ourselves from ourselves’.”

“It’s important to understand that every issue in our lives – on the individual, national and even global scale – first originates in our hearts and minds. That’s why I’m of the opinion that people should be much more aware of what’s actually going on up there, in our hearts and minds,” shares Melissa Mukaiwa, a meditation teacher and international speaker.

Why meditation is a business must What meditation can do for productivity and efficiency in the office

Imagine that the place where you work was a space where your personal balance and wellbeing was the most important element of the company’s ethos. Sounds radical doesn’t it? Yet to some companies, this philosophy has become a cornerstone of their success. An article in the Harvard Business Review states, “Research has shown that our minds have a tendency to wander about 50% of the time. Add in work interruptions, text messages, instant messages, phone calls and emails, and it’s no surprise that employees have a hard time staying focused. But studies show that meditation training can help curb our tendency for distraction, strengthening our ability to stay focused and even boosting memory.” Günther Martens, a Namibian who travels the world teaching the process of journeying through meditation, qigong, t’ai chi, communication facilitation and conscious-living seminars, says that he has seen great improvements in the companies that introduce meditation in their offices as a practice of relaxation.

“The more relaxed we are, the more creative and receptive we are; this in turn helps us to focus. Our concentration has been trained to function in a certain way and we can train ourselves to find balance. This is so important because life happens in the movement between a space of thinking and a space that I term the ‘soft space’ or the ‘space of intuition’. We can only reach this place when we are not in a constant stream of thoughts.”

To quiet our minds and find a balance between logic and awareness, Günther explains, “You need to first understand you are not your thoughts or you will be trapped forever in your thoughts. If you can’t recognise this, it will not matter how much you relax. This is especially important because we have roughly 60,000 thoughts that move through our minds each day, and of these about 57,000 are old thoughts just repeating themselves. “Once you understand the principles of meditation and get the knack, you’re meditating. It is actually not about endless practising until you perfect it. It is about understanding. For me, the true understanding came when I truly understood that we are not the mind.” Günther goes on to say that, “The world is filled with stressed and burnt-out people that know they need to relax and know that true relaxation does not come from socialising, for example, but that true relaxation comes from meditation, peace and stillness.” Günther is an advocate of many types of meditation techniques and one he loves is active meditation. He explains that active meditation involves using chaotic movements that are added to your meditation that force you away from your thoughts and into your body. “The thing with meditation is that it is abstract, not logical, but it works. It creates the balance of life.”

the powerful language of the soul Tulimelila (Tuli) Shityuwete and Haymich Olivier had a dream of a place where dancers could practise, learn and express themselves through dance. After a long incubation period, the dream became a reality when they opened the First Rain Dance Theatre. “We really wanted to provide opportunities for professional dancers and to assist in developing a vibrant, dynamic and sustained dance industry. The studio is a step towards this, as it is now a hub in Windhoek for all forms of dance and it is providing paid performance opportunities for young dancers,” said Tuli, co-founder of the studio. Tuli believes in the transformative power of dance and shares what she feels are the three main pillars of dance: 1. Communication “Dance is my personal way of communicating. As human beings it is a primary way of us expressing ourselves and thereby communicating.” 2. Therapy “Dance acts as therapy, as it improves our mood and wellbeing in a safe and healthy way. I always leave the studio feeling better and this is powerful.” 3. A tool of social power “Dance is a way of commentating and reflecting on society. Through dance we are able to express and comment on the state of a society. Where one might not always have the platform to do so, dance can provide the platform for this expression.” Tuli’s love affair with dance began at the age of four, and the First Rain Dance Theatre is a natural incarnation of this love. “No matter your dance style, you’ll find it here. Everyone is welcome to come and experience the power of the dance of life and more.”

ADvERTORIAL

THE wECkE & VOIgTS SUCCESS STORy

family tradition of entrepreneurship and adventure runs deep in the development of WECKE & VOIGTS from the opening of its first store in 1892 to its place today as Namibia’s leading retailer. The sons of peasants in Germany, the Voigt brothers were true entrepreneurs. Their pioneering spirit took them to South Africa where they worked for Fritz Wecke in his store in Schweizer Renecke. Later, Gustav and Albert Voigts were sent to Damaraland, as it was then known, where the Hereros were said to have large numbers of cattle. They soon put down roots, registering the company WECKE & VOIGTS and opening their first store in Okahandja in 1892. The Company grew up with the country, opening a second store in Windhoek in 1895. Soon, wherever expansion of farming occurred, branches were opened to buy cattle and sell consumables, so the early settlers could develop their farms.

Times were difficult. Cattle had to be taken on long, dangerous marches to markets in South Africa, and during the war years many branches were looted or destroyed and staff were killed. Often the Business was threatened with closure, which was only avoided

through the support of our bank and our collective confidence in the country. By the 1960s the country was rapidly changing. The GUSTAV VOIGTS CENTRE, the largest, most-modern shopping centre in the country at that time, was opened. WECKE & VOIGTS became its flagship tenant and the country’s first air-conditioned department store! Over the years, the Company expanded to include fully-fledged wholesale operations catering to farmers, lodges, guest farms, service-station shops and

retailers throughout Namibia, and several SUPERSPAR and SPAR shops in Windhoek. Over the past 125 years, WECKE & VOIGTS has strived to be a market leader in the retail and wholesale business, and today it shares its accomplishments with more than 800 employees. The success of WECKE & VOIGTS is built on its objectives to: • Continue as a market leader in retail and wholesale trading • Maintain the highest ethical standards in business • Offer quality merchandise at reasonable prices to its customers • Be an employer of choice and develop its staff, thus contributing to their wellbeing • Be known for service excellence • Utilise the most modern technology to the benefit of customers and Company • Generate satisfactory returns to all stakeholders • Continue the proud family name and history. HD Voigts: Managing Director Gustav Voigts Centre Independence Avenue, Windhoek Tel: (061) 377000 www.weckevoigts.com

Nothing happens by accident. It is a question of being deliberate and being serious about finding your purpose.

Sam Shivute, Director of Banking Services, Bank of Namibia

In essence, photography is an art form that imbues symbolism, meaning and storytelling … It encompasses so much of the very human qualities we all yearn for and want to document. — Tony Figueira

deep sense of knowing permeates Tony Figueira’s photography. His images reflect insight and understanding, empathy and respect.

For more than 30 years, Tony has documented Namibia’s history, from the anticipation of independence that mirrored his awakening as an artist, to the celebration and a questioning of the present. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny talked to Tony about inspiration, the spirit of giving and how this relates to photography.

MYD: What inspired you to do documentary photography? TF: Inspiration is always a process that gains momentum and weight as we grow, gain experience and witness events. Often, inspiration comes from other people, from gurus in our fields of interest, and from watching and learning from our environment and systems.

My relationship with documentary photography and writing really started at the tender age of 15 or 16, when I realised two things: White people are weird to think that they are superior to anyone else; and South West Africa had to become an independent Namibia – the sooner the better, for the country and me. So in many ways, apartheid’s deep-seated racism and its criminal laws inspired me to document our young country’s internal paths to freedom.

I have always had a passion for documenting people and processes, but for a 16-year-old White boy to think those thoughts at that age at that particular time was big, although I did not realise it then. Fortunately for me this came about because our all-White boys school went co-ed and multiracial when I was in high school – the first private school in the country to accept Black pupils. This was when the illegal administration had watered down ‘Bantu Education’ a little, but not enough to let our sports teams, which included Black players, play against the all-White government schools. As a young and apathetic middle-class, football and sports fanatic, I was baffled that we were suddenly banned from playing against my White mates in the government schools. A visionary school principal then decided we should play against other schools in Katutura and Khomasdal. What a blessing these decisions were, and they propelled me into engaging in enquiry. What kind of country was I living in that did not allow Gabriel Hoveka, our best player, to play football for the team? – Simply by virtue of his skin colour? That made no sense. Why did we have to put on browns and do cadets every Friday? Why was I being called up for military conscription when I was 16? How was I ever going to fight for a system that I loathed the more I became aware of its rot and its inhumanity? So my early school education really made a difference in moulding some of my future views. My degree in media studies and journalism from a very liberal journalism department at Rhodes University paved the way for more liberal-minded photography and writing once I returned to Namibia, where I documented the internal struggle for liberation.

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on photography as a tool of inspiration

Inspiration

Tony Figueira

MYD: Why photography? TF: In essence, photography is an art form that imbues symbolism, meaning, storytelling, framing, composition, vantage points, time, responsibility, awareness, sensitivity … It encompasses so much of the very human qualities we all yearn for and want to document.

Photographers need to start talking to each other while government and the private sector have to increase budgets for education, for purchasing artworks, for commissioning artists, and for working hand in hand with the current creative institutions so that they empower themselves, and in turn artists.

It is really about how I see and frame my world – how I mentally compose images and then apply a camera to what my eyes see. I love to compose with a rightness of framing. Everything that appears in an image is essential to the greater storytelling ability of that particular image.

But the biggest crunch for me is in how our education system has failed future creative possibilities and artists. Besides the highly expensive private schools, art is not really taught in Namibia. Not to the extent that it will impact and generate a national creative consciousness that will support creativity, be it either through the purchasing and commissioning of works, or the elevation of photography and other art forms to a level of national pride. In many sectors of our economy, creativity is not seen as a profession.

And of course, photography is often in the detail and in its ability to mirror life, and in our ability as photographers to trap moments in time. Often images are more telling about the photographer than about his or her subject matter. I get to see the impact of my photography – on me, on my world and in the eyes of my subjects. Mostly, I see myself in them. MYD: Let’s talk about photography as a medium that plays with light as a means of capturing a moment. TF: Anything to do with light is inspirational, attractive and in some ways even addictive. It is in our nature to move towards light. This is possibly one of the main reasons why I love photography so much. It is about combining the human spirit and light in such a way as to reveal some aspect of the human condition that we all share and identify with – all in a photographic frame that is a slice of life in time. Point a camera at someone and stuff happens. First they become conscious of the camera. And then they become conscious of their own thoughts and emotions. Whether it is about hair, or height, or the skew nose, or wrong colour eyes, stuff will manifest itself in some way. The greatness of the photographer is in ensuring that ultimately there is nothing wrong with the way we all look. People are just people. We all yearn for the same things and we all come from the same source. That is why racism and most other societal evils make no sense. MYD: What does photography as an art form need to ensure its longevity in Namibia? TF: Photography in Namibia has grown in leaps and bounds. The question to ask, however, is whether we, as a nation, have done enough to ensure we have jobs for all these creatives – now and in the future.

There is absolutely no point in having hundreds of photographers, if there are no jobs for them. We create a market by giving it value, by valuing our artists, our photographers. Often photographers are brought in from South Africa or other parts of the world simply because our market doubts our quality. This is total nonsense, as some of the local photographers are world class.

The time has come for us to work towards a common goal for the good of society, and creativity has a huge role to play. Young minds are the building blocks of our future economies. A good grounding in art and all its creative formats is without a doubt essential for any young mind, irrespective of the immediate environment or the career it will follow in adulthood. MYD: What lends photography to giving as well as receiving? TF: Everything in life is about giving. We grow through sharing, through communication and through integrity. Without it, nothing exists. Photography is a very powerful and emotional way of expression – of giving and of receiving. But above all, it generates insights into the deepest levels of our consciousness.

MYD

If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash. Leonard Cohen

The

not to remain silent

“I took the scenic route to get into writing as a career. If you were growing up relatively smart and Black in Namibia in the mid-90s, you were growing up in a community whose elders had just gotten rid of apartheid and the largely inferior, formal education system that came with it. As such, their children who had the freedom to go to good government and private schools were encouraged to pursue traditional careers that many of our parents and their contemporaries didn’t have the means or the opportunity to pursue,” said Martha. “Understandably, children who showed academic promise were encouraged to be doctors, lawyers and accountants – good, steady and useful pursuits that could eventually help support your family. “This was the start of a long story, a detour through law school and a waitressing job or two, until eventually I realised that if I didn’t get off the wrong train it would take me to the wrong destination and I would be too far down the line to hitchhike back to some semblance of happiness and fulfilment. “But I had words. I always had words … and I kept writing whether I got paid for it or not. Eventually somebody noticed me and gave me a job, then somebody else gave me a job and now people from all around the world are asking me if I would be interested in writing this or that. “As a writer, I consider myself a professional spectator. Gratitude, humanity and suspending my own issues, insecurities and obstacles to consider life in somebody

else’s shoes are all a part of my day and that is fulfilling. Telling society about other people’s expressions of the human condition through performance, visual art or simply by recalling a conversation I had on the street is fulfilling, merely because everyone wants to know that they are not alone in their suffering, pain, joy or experiences.” Though she still considers herself to be an aspiring writer, Martha offers some sage advice: Be yourself. Write like you. About things that interest you, inspire you, infuriate you or make you laugh. Reading and writing are the only ways to get better at reading and writing. So read widely. Books, news, fiction, non-fiction, anything you can lay your eyes on. Read plenty of books by writers you admire and read a couple of books by writers you think suck (just so you know how not to suck). That said, as a writer, you will always feel kind of sucky. Publish your opinions, essays, poetry and stories anyway. It’s a brave, new World Wide Web, and publishers, editors and content managers are your Twitter followers’ followers and your friends’ Facebook friends. To be clear, I don’t think you should doggedly follow one manifestation of your passion to your detriment. If you are a writer, a singer, a comedian, an artist or a poet and despite hard work and constant output you aren’t really getting anywhere as the main attraction, maybe following your passion is working as some kind of facilitator in those spheres. I love visual art but I’m no visual artist so, instead, I promote, preview and review art exhibitions. If you love great writing but haven’t really been able to make it work as a paid writer, maybe following your passion means you work as an editor or a publisher. Following your passion doesn’t always look the way you think it will, and I think rather than constantly trying to stick to some magic theme for your life, you can create passion.

Martha Mukaiwa is an exquisite example of the flight that life can take once you follow your heart. A freelance arts, entertainment and travel writer and weekly columnist, her writing has made her a household name in Namibia, and her star is growing exponentially abroad, though her path to success was not always direct.

The poetry of life Namibian poet Playshis is becoming known for the thought-provoking, conscious edge that he brings to his poetry that is symbolic of the link between poetry and feeling alive. “I think poetry is the best way to express yourself. It’s just so beautiful and you can connect so deeply with others through poetry. It helps you get out what you feel deep inside, and it can so easily and beautifully evoke so many emotions that you never knew you had.” Playshis was inspired to write by the poetry he read in his English literature class. At first he kept what he had written to himself, until 2007 when he saw an ad in the newspaper for poets and auditioned for the monthly poetry show held by Spoken Word Namibia.

Fast forward eight years and Press Play, Playshis’ aptly named show, opened in Windhoek. It incorporated not just poetry, but other elements of art including instrumentals, singing, drama, comedy and dance. Rewind and Press Play followed it in 2016, with new material and new artists. Though the platform for poets is small in Namibia, Playshis is grateful that one exists, and he believes that, “We only have this one life, so we have to make the best of it and use our talents to the best of our abilities, otherwise we don’t really live.”

Drama means

“My heart beats when I talk about my work – I can’t wait to tell you about it,” laughs Sandy. “I don’t even care if you’re not interested in what I’m telling you about, I just love what I do.” Sandy describes theatre in the actual and metaphorical sense as the point where you “stand in the dark and leap to the light”. This leap of faith takes talent and passion. “You can’t be motivated without passion. Most motivation comes out of a person’s artistic side and I truly believe that every person has an artistic side. The key is to find your artistic side, to find your heartbeat.” Identifying that illusive ‘something’ isn’t always easy. “You need to look for the signs. Fear will give you signs like a dry mouth. Fear is also the biggest blockage to motivation, but, as my father used to say, ‘Do what you fear to do most,’ because fear is just a thought. As much as you can have a thought of fear, you can also have a thought of something good.” As Sandy explains, “When you are doing a major production like I just did at the presidential inauguration, you get filled with fear. But I was also terribly excited and that is a great motivator. “In all things, I believe you shouldn’t be complacent because complacency creates mediocrity.”

Sandy’s jovial demeanour turns serious when she relays the frustration she feels for the many Namibian artists living in poverty and yet who are expected to be the home of our cultural identity. “It’s hard because Namibia doesn’t recognise that great value of the arts. We are the Cinderella of a society that places too much emphasis on maths and science. “I have taken shows with our national treasures overseas, where people revere them. These artists bring so much goodness to this country, and change people’s lives bringing happiness through their art, but here they live in poverty.” Yet Sandy remains passionate and motivated by the arts. “I find that as an artist you need to treat your art as the rivers of Namibia – they must rise up and flow with water and then disappear into dry rivers once again. It’s from here that you start again, from the dry riverbed just like a dry mouth filled with fear and apprehension that you start again.” Without a moment to dwell on the beautiful metaphor just drawn, Sandy continues, “You are only what you are doing at the moment. That is how it has to be as an artist. “In order to stay motivated you need to commit yourself. If you are a theatre director, book a theatre; if you are a fine artist, then book a gallery. If you look for ways to show your art then this becomes your motivation. Once you are committed, you have to do it. After all, drama means ‘TO DO’.”

The director behind such acclaimed productions as Meme Mia and The Lesson, Sandy Rudd defied those at school who said she wasn’t smart enough to become an award-winning doyenne of the Namibian theatre.

ADvERTORIAL

FOR THE lOVE OF naMIbIa

the Rhino Trust Namibia (SRT). Our Desert Rhino Camp serves as a base for an SRT tracking team. It allows camp guests to participate in conservationbased tracking and provides a donation to SRT for every guest that stays at the camp.

Wilderness Safaris made a commitment to partner with rural communities, non-governmental organisations and government to ensure authentic, sustainable tourism in the country. This model has been replicated by other businesses and has positioned Namibia as a pioneer in community-based ecotourism and conservation.

In some parts of rural Namibia, the issue of human–wildlife conflict persists and Wilderness Safaris supports a participative approach. A research centre at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp raises awareness for brown hyena, bats, desert-adapted elephant and lions. Together with those working in the field, we are committed to working with communities to ensure that lions remain free-roaming along the Skeleton Coast and its hinterland.

ilderness Safaris’ love for Namibia’s vast, unexplored wilderness areas began in the early 1990s when the company built its first camp here. Today, Wilderness Safaris operates seven exclusive luxury ecocamps in some of the most remote and spectacular areas of the country.

Joint-venture partnerships, such as the one between Damaraland Camp and the Torra Conservancy, have resulted in an increase in employment and wildlife numbers, concrete proof of the successes achieved when ecotourism and local communities join forces.

A unique conservation partnership exists between Wilderness Safaris and Save

Sustainability is key to Wilderness Safaris’ operations. We have invested in new technologies to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, with a longterm vision to achieve carbon neutrality in our camps. To date, by making use of a variety of hybrid solar and other power systems, we are achieving an annual saving of 2,500 tonnes of C02. Communities and conservation are at the heart of our operations, and we are proud to support two nonprofit organisations: Children in the Wilderness facilitates leadership development and education of rural children, and supports those in four schools in the remote communities adjacent to the wildlife areas where we operate; and The Wilderness Wildlife Trust provides support to research projects and habitat management. Wilderness Safaris currently operates in eight African countries, and continues to share its vision to conserve and restore Africa’s wilderness and wildlife by inspiring positive action and creating journeys that change lives. Wilderness Safaris Tel: 061 274 500 www.wilderness-safaris.com

Talent without discipline is useless and there will not be a value-formoney performance if the artist is not disciplined.

John Walenga, Owner and Founder of Omalaeti Records

Become aware of who you are and from there, use your power and your influence over your environment and other people for good. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ally Angula

Feature

oundations for change Ally Angula on personal power

Ally Angula, the Group Managing Director and Chief Strategist at Leap Holdings and the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leader (2015), sat down with 99FM’s Master Your Destiny to share her insight into the power within us.

Some people get that power from the title of their job. You also find people towards whom others naturally gravitate. These people may not have the title, but there’s some power within them that draws others to them, and they’ve got influence. If you’re aware of what is happening in your environment, you’ll notice who your influencers are. MYD: Do you think influence is something we can develop? AA: Certainly. I think it all comes down to the conversations that you have within yourself. Do you believe you can? And, if you believe you can, can you take this belief and translate it to action? I believe strongly in what you think, you become. I set goals for myself. Firstly I start by saying, by end of this month I want to get this right. I break it down into weeks, and into what I’m going to focus on for the day. Sometimes, you’re through the day and it’s come out really

he Chinese sage, Lao-Tzu, said that the biggest stumbling block to happiness is that people believe that they are powerless. How do we realise our power and harness it for the greater good?

MYD: Ally, how do you define personal power? AA: Personal power, to me, is the ability to influence other people – that could be in a negative or a positive way.

well, and you get into the next day and try the same thing, but it doesn’t work – so it’s helpful to have a ‘reset button’. MYD: It’s interesting to hear how strategic you are with every single day. AA: It is vital. I visualise how the first half of my morning is going to go. If you aren’t clear about what you want to get done for the day, it takes its own form and other people’s agendas are going to influence what your day is going to be like. MYD: You’ve mentioned visualisation – where did you come across this technique? AA: I read a lot – mainly business literature, autobiographies, self-help books – but there’s an industry of people that are trying to get you to perform your best. I’ve taken a lot of great lessons out of this and a lot of them come back to visualisation. So it’s really just from reading literature. MYD: How did you find your personal power? AA: I’m a first-born, so naturally I think I’ve got this leadership element to me. I was born in a refugee camp in Angola. My mum was a herdess and my dad was the head of that camp, so they didn’t get to spend that much time with us. Because I’ve always done what I want to do, it comes naturally to me, but if I was in a different environment, I might have come out differently. I tend to seek opportunities for myself. When I was at UNAM, there was a big African summit and they were looking for someone to make photocopies. I turned up. Whenever there was a photocopy that had to be made, I was the first one there; when there was a jam, I was the first one there. At the end of the conference, they decided (without me even asking) that they would write me a recommendation letter. I attached this letter to all my applications. It’s around ‘she went out of her way’, ‘she did without being asked to do’, and so it’s not just the ‘articles at KPMG’ and the name that this gives you – it was this conference and I was making photocopies. It’s the smaller things that count. I guess the different environments have led me to be in a position where I’ve had to learn to lead, to find a voice of authority that wasn’t one that made other people uncomfortable around me. MYD: How did you find your drive? AA: Oh my, that’s such a difficult question. I guess it is the desire to be different. I’ve always been one of those kids that didn’t quite fit in. People notice what I’m doing, and as things evolved, I became very comfortable with myself and very self-aware and then saying, ‘Okay, so now if I’ve got a bit of influence, how do I use that to the betterment of my society?’

I’m concerned about the future that we’re crafting for this society. I love this beautiful country and want to be here for as long as possible. So for me, it’s asking with influence, ‘How do I use that in a positive way, to be part of the creation of the future of this country?’ It’s a drive from wanting to be part of something bigger, and driving where this country has to go, but it started with just saying, ‘Okay, maybe I just need to do something different to get noticed.’ MYD: How do you think you go beyond fear and selfdoubt? AA: Fear is really the one thing that paralyses a person, because once you’re fearful, or once you doubt what is happening, you just do not move. There’s a line in the Bible that reads, ‘I did not make you to be a fearful person.’ We were not crafted to be fearful. And that doesn’t mean to say that we don’t experience moments of fear, that we don’t experience moments of doubt, but it’s the way that you frame your mind. MYD: We’re not only the masters of our own destinies, but this affects everybody’s destinies, just by who we are today. AA: We were discussing our values at Leap and I asked the team, ‘If you could craft the organisation that you want, what would that organisation look like?’ So it’s really about people being aware that they’re also responsible for whatever happens in and around their environment. MYD: What advice do you have for fellow Namibians to find our own power? AA: Start out by trying to understand yourself a little bit better. The awareness of how my presence impacts my team leads me to act in a different way. So if I know we’ve got a production challenge this week, then I know I need to be there at eight o’clock, because I know that it’s going to drive my team to act differently. It’s about being aware of where you are, where you’re starting. So if you’ve got fear issues, how do you address that? One of the things that we’re not very comfortable with is seeing a psychologist, but if you’re aware of something that needs to be addressed, then you take the actions that are required. So my advice would then be to become aware of who you are, and from there you then take the actions that are required to use your power and your influence over your environment and other people for good.

MYD: Before we close up, tell us a little bit about your latest project? AA: My Republik is Namibia’s first commercial clothing brand. We’re actually very proud to say that. We’ve hit big milestones and we’ve set out to show fellow Namibians that if you put your mind to something then absolutely anything is possible.

Nothing stops us from retailing our own products to ourselves, being proud of the quality and designs that we’re putting out there and making use of the creative talent that we have in this country.

When we say our name, we say it with a lot of pride, and we’re hoping that as we go through this journey, we will be able to enthuse that very same pride in other people to join us on the journey.

We also wanted to celebrate what this great republic has given to us as a team. When we were coming up with the name, it was really about how we could embrace that – how do we bring it in? And that’s why we chose the name My Republik.

MYD: There is so much power in what you do. AA: Everything that you can imagine, you can do. So think big, dream big and take the little baby steps today and every day to work on your dream. Take it! – Whatever your imagination gives you.

MYD

... if I’ve got a bit of influence, how do I use that to the betterment of my society?

Ally Angula

Tools for embracing change Change is an inevitable part of life. It urges us to try new things, but it is also something that many of us fear. Creativity coach and lifestyle mentor, Karen Powell, has prepared a toolkit with step-by-step instructions to help us embrace change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As much as we like to control things and keep ourselves comfortable, we cannot escape change throughout our lives. Having tools to support you can help eliminate a lot of the stress often associated with change.â&#x20AC;? Karenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s five steps can help you to navigate change gracefully, keeping you on track and able to flow with the changes that life brings.

No.

Notice how you feel Feeling annoyed, bored, frustrated and lacking energy on a daily basis can all be signs that change is on the horizon. Our feelings are messengers. Listen to the messages they are trying to deliver. Change is mostly trying to lead us to personal growth and expansion.

Spell it out Write down all the concerns, fears, uncertainties and challenges you’re experiencing about this change. Seeing your feelings on paper is very helpful in moving them out of the body so they don’t overwhelm and consume you.

Become present

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Get out of your head and into your body. Breathe deeply and put your attention on your lungs. This not only calms you, but it also empowers you. One hundred per cent of your power is found in the present moment. Listen to your intuition. It will guide you to take small, safe actions to keep you moving forward. Change is a process, not an event.

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Take care of yourself The usual self-care tips here: get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water. Everything is easier to handle when you feel physically strong.

Express gratitude Think of some of the changes you’ve gone through in your life already. How did you eventually move through those periods in your life? Even if there were some tough times, what blessings eventually came out of the change? Acknowledge how grateful you are for these blessings.

No.

steps for building trust in business Trust is the foundation of all healthy relationships. If you think about the people you have strong relationships with, you will realise that they are people you trust. In the business arena, trust makes for better working relationships, higher performance, increased customer loyalty and healthier growth. So what is the secret to building trust in business? Based on her experience as a trainer, consultant and coach, Jeanette Cross shares her eight steps for building trust in business.

Trust is built through consistent performance. If you are consistent in following through, people will trust you to deliver. Be honest about what you can and cannot do: don’t overpromise and underperform!

Before you express your own opinions and intentions, listen to the other person, and check that you have understood them. When someone makes the effort to truly listen to us, we are much more likely to trust them.

Especially in a customer service context, maintain a positive mind-set and always focus on solutions. Even if you can’t ‘fix’ a problem, people trust you when they feel you are willing and ready to help. Be prepared to take responsibility when things don’t work out. Taking ownership shows character and builds trust; denying responsibility or passing the buck destroys it.

Always keep confidences and don’t bad-mouth people to others. Even if the news doesn’t get back to the individual concerned, the people around you will not trust you to be loyal to them.

Learn what the other person values most as an act of trust. For one, it might be giving them a leadership role, for another it might be offering them support.

Be even-handed and fair. Where colleagues perceive favouritism or discrimination to be at play, they don’t trust you to protect their interests, then morale drops and so does performance.

As a leader, be transparent about decisions and, wherever possible, involve all levels of staff in planning and process design. The more open and inclusive you are about change, the more your people will trust the process

How to set

Coach Herbert Mtowo on why setting goals is a key ingredient in success

As a life coach and personal development speaker, author and businessman, Herbert Mtowo shares his advice on how to set goals: Someone once said to me, ‘Herbert, life is not complicated. We are complicated. When we stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right things, life is simple.’ What a deep statement when it comes to setting goals and deciding to be responsible for the direction of your life. I refuse to live a disappointing life, filled with regret for not having done what I could. My question to you is: Do you have goals for the future and are you setting goals that are important to you? Success is never accidental. It is planned for and deliberately put in place by those who want to see a shift in their lives. Let me help by unpacking and defining goals and goal setting: • •

• •

n attainable goal is one that seems within the A bounds of reality Aiming higher than you think is possible forces you to challenge your life and your team to strive for more and to become more relevant Don’t set impossible goals, as they will push your life to the limit Set huge, yet tangible, goals that will bring the best out of your life and make you realise your hidden talents and gifts.

If you set goals that stretch you, you will discover new ways of thinking, and start challenging yourself to achieve greatness. The feeling of reaching a goal

you thought you couldn’t is addictive. The more you challenge yourself, the more you will love your work and push yourself to do great things. You will begin to think, ‘Wow! If I can reach this crazy goal, what else can I do?’ If you’re serious about making an impact, start by setting a few manageable goals. Let me encourage you to take these steps, which will help you take full control of your life: 1. Identify your goals and write them down. 2. Set goals that have a time frame and are meaningful. 3. Develop a plan that will be your guide towards achieving your goals. Write it down. 4. Find a way to eliminate the obstacles that will hinder you from accomplishing your goals. 5. Find a coach, friend or colleague who you will be accountable to and who will remind you about your set goals. Success cannot happen overnight. But if you really feel passionate about doing something, you will make time for it. Put in a few hours in the early morning before work, in the evenings when everyone else is watching TV, and on the weekends when others are sleeping in. If you have the passion, excitement and drive to achieve your goals, my belief is that the law of attraction will kick in and you will get there. It took me a little while to find what worked and what didn’t, but now I am starting to make a living through writing and public speaking, and loving every minute of it. All successful people set goals that support their life’s mission and appreciate themselves for goals that they have achieved. Ask yourself, what desirable outcomes would you like to achieve? Now is the time to create goals and to make those outcomes happen.

Research shows we are more likely to increase our performance in both our personal and professional lives once we set goals.

ADvERTORIAL

HappInESS STORE

he FNB Happiness Store is the first online store where the shopper can only make purchases to benefit someone else. When visiting the store at www.fnbhappinessstore.com. na you will see people who have expressed a certain wish to be fulfilled – people in need of a little happiness. Stories on the Happiness Store are received by nomination from the public – either via the website or via WhatsApp (081 344 3952). The selection is done by an in-house panel before being posted on the website. The website is very easy to navigate – both for nominating fellow Namibians and for purchasing a gift – if you follow the step-by-step instructions. Once you have selected a person and gift or a preferred charity, the easy ‘Buy Happiness’ and ‘Purchase now’ buttons will take you to the online payment system, which is driven by FNB eCommerce and enabled through the use of debit and credit cards. The recipients will receive their gifts from you within seven days. On delivery, a photo will be taken, shared with the recipient and then it will feature on the website under the ‘Happy Gallery’.

56 www.fnbhappinessstore.com.na

A new addition to the FNB Happiness Store is a charity section whereby anyone can make a donation – small or large – to a list of predefined Namibian charities – nominated by Namibians. The charities include: SPCA (Windhoek & Walvis Bay), ISAP (Intelligent Support Against Poaching), Cancer Association of Namibia, Cat Protection Society of Namibia, Namibia Wild Horses Foundation, Imago Dei, His House Care Centre (Walvis Bay), Namibian Planned Parenthood Association, Have a Heart Spay & Neuter Program (Windhoek) and Oonte OVC Organization (Ondangwa). The FNB Happiness Store continues to be supportive of a better Namibia, creating a platform for those who want to spread happiness through a trusted brand and reliable network. Anyone in the world can buy happiness for either an individual or a registered welfare organisation, proof of the age-old adage that, ‘Yes, money can buy happiness!’

www.fnbhappinessstore.com.na WhatsApp: 081 344 3952

We like to think that people just woke up one day and made SUPERB art â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to imagine the work that goes into something, the time to refine it, the time to develop yourself.

Romeo Sinkala, Illustrator

ADvERTORIAL

De Beers launches Shining Light Awards 2016

pROTECTIng naTURE’S bEaUTy This year’s theme, ‘Protecting Nature’s Beauty’, is a poignant reminder of the need to take care of the world’s finite natural resources, including diamonds. Open to all aspiring jewellery design students across Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, finalists receive valuable business development skills in the areas of jewellery design, manufacturing, sales and marketing. Paul Rowley, Executive Vice President of De Beers Global Sightholder Sales, said: “We are privileged to play an important part in turning the dreams of students from our producer countries into a lasting reality, especially in this instance where we are empowering them to add value to a natural resource.” Brent Eiseb, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing, Namibia Diamond Trading Company, said: “As host country, Namibia has been involved in the Shining Light Awards since 2008 and is looking forward to hosting the awards this year and into 2017. “The awards are also perfectly positioned to support the Prosperity Plan’s pillars on improving vocational training, as well as youth development and skills development, recently announced by the Namibian Government.”

Pat Dambe, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Government Relations, De Beers Global Sightholder Sales, said: “The awards have grown and developed significantly over the past 20 years, with previous winners having had the opportunity to spend time in Milan at one of De Beers’ design centres and work with the finest trade artisans in the world.”

Nicole Senuku Corporate Affairs Specialist De Beers Global Sightholder Sales Tel: +267 371 6417 nicole.senuku@ debeersgroup.com

Helena Mootseng Constantino Papadimitriou, Head of Brand Strategy and Innovation, Forevermark, said: “We are so proud to contribute to the development of local talent and design skills in diamond producing countries. The Shining Light Awards really challenge students to translate a brief, form an idea, and transform it into a jewellery collection, with a Forevermark diamond at its heart.”

Public Relations and Communications Manager Namibia Diamond Trading Company HMootseng@ndtc.com.na

In past years, the competition has been widely regarded as a gateway for young designers to gain access to the global diamond jewellery market. Last year’s brief moved young designers away from the more elaborate diamond pieces created in the past to commercially viable pieces. Stephen Lussier, Executive Vice President, Marketing, De Beers; and CEO, Forevermark, said: “Forevermark is proud to support the Shining Light Awards, nurturing talent and developing the creativity of the new generation growing up in the countries from where our most beautiful diamonds come from.”

he De Beers Group of Companies today launched the 2016 Shining Light Awards.

Dare to care Albert Ndara shares his dream

In life, dreams are always put in the mind and sometimes they can come true. — Albert Ndara

his is a story of a man with a dream, an area in need and children waiting to receive this good deed. It all came together in the form of the Wisdom Pre-Primary School and Day Care Centre, located deep in Okahandja Park informal settlement.

This pre-primary school is Albert’s dream, one that he carried for years as he searched for the path that would lead him to realise it. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny spoke to Albert about how, with true dedication to his community and his country, he became an example of what you can achieve when you dare to dream.

AN: I was born in Rundu, in a place called Sandview. There were six in my family, and I am the first-born child. I started school when I was fifteen years old, but I’m lucky – I started in Grade 5, and maybe I was so wise, because they promoted me to Grade 6. I failed my Grade

10 exams so I had to rewrite them through NAMCOL [the Namibian College of Open Learning]. Luckily I passed, and I finished school in 2002. MYD: Albert, you faced struggles. You found a job as a security guard, but it wasn’t your passion, was it? AN: Yeah, I could not love the job, but life still pushed me. I had to stand on my own, but I had a dream in mind. I was just working, but the heart desired more. MYD: What was your dream? AN: In life, dreams are always put in the mind and sometimes they can come true. I was having this dream that one day I would have a kindergarten. I would see many children just roaming the streets, and I thought that if I could at least establish the kindergarten, these children could be doing something instead of wasting their time. I was introduced to an organisation, IWAN [International Women’s Association Namibia], as one that might help me realise my dream. The ladies from IWAN came to visit and they decided to help us build the school. They got the money together and paid the builder. When we started, there were 60 children, which is too many – but there were so many who wanted to learn.

Feature

MYD: Starting off as a security guard, how did you get to where you are now? AN: At first we struggled to get sponsorship, but since we initiated the school, many people are helping. Standard Bank gave us cupboards, and tables and chairs so that the students did not have to sit on the floor. We built a new classroom and flush toilets with money donated from NamPower. The name of our school is the Wisdom Pre-Primary School. We get this word from the Bible. It is in the lesson that teaches us that to have wisdom, is to have more than anything else. Through their lessons, the children are being transformed. You can see them praying, speaking English, writing. We are strict with them, and the ones going to Grade 1 must know how to write. MYD: How do you generate income for the school? Other than sponsorships, do you charge the parents to keep the school going? AN: We need a certain amount of money. There’s an assistant working with my wife who needs to get paid. We charge families N$60 for a student – a small amount, but many still can’t afford it. We never send children away, even if they cannot pay, but sometimes after three or four months, the child will suddenly disappear. MYD: To get this kindergarten going you started a small movement in the community called Albert’s Dream. How do you feel seeing your dream come alive? AN: I feel so proud and so happy. I’m proud of the school, and I’m happy for the children and thankful of the people who are helping us. MYD: Where do you see the school in ten years time? AN: We cannot estimate; we can just go. Now, our dream is to build four classes, with solid walls, not zinc. That is our desire. We also want to build one office. I didn’t go to a kindergarten, but later you realise education is very important. Children need education, so let’s create a foundation for them, so they can grow wise, go to university, finish their master’s, even become President.

At that moment, Namibia will have many educated people and these people will contribute to the country and then Namibia will grow.

A holistic approach to education Creating an inspiring learning environment and a new model for education at the Nakayale Private Academy

Be the change you wish to see in the world – simple, wise and challenging words spoken by Mahatma Gandhi decades ago. Bringing this maxim to communities, the Dirk Mudge Trust has taken education closer to marginalised and underprivileged children living in western Omusati. From the sale of its shares in Democratic Media Holdings, the trust funded the establishment of a school The Nakayale Private Academy, embracing 60 children in its first class and providing a holistic approach to education and the learning environment, opened its campus in January 2016. Under the careful guidance of the First Trustee and Director of the trust, Chrisna Greeff, this vision has become a vibrant reality that is supported by the entire community. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) offered a 50-hectare piece of land at Etunda, where the school, hostel and supporting structures were built. Given the size of the land and the location, it will also be used for food production to sustain the provision of healthy, wholesome food to the school, which, in turn, provides community members, including parents of the children, with job opportunities. Beyond the immediate community, the Nakayale Private Academy has partnered with St Paul’s College in Windhoek for assistance with academic matters, such as curriculum, selection, training of teachers, and criteria for selection of candidates and procurement of learning materials.

Children selected to attend Nakayale Private Academy receive full scholarships, which includes the provision of school fees, accommodation, clothing, food and learning materials.

“We went to rural areas and schools that are a considerable distance from town, to interview children for Nakayale. We selected marginalised children and children that are orphans, but also children that showed great aptitude. This is a very outcomes-based project, but also a very holistic programme,” says Carmen de Villiers, the Academy’s Education Specialist. “Our approach is completely supportive. In addition to all that we are providing in terms of the physical structure, we are also training our staff, and that includes everyone from teachers to cleaners, to emphasise the need for a loving atmosphere.” Some of the students reported that they are so happy that, “We never want to leave!” – a message spoken with joy and in English, and yet when most of these children arrived at Nakayale they had never before spoken English. Carmen notes that, “The teachers teach the concept in the children’s mother tongue and then explains the concept again in English.” The desire to learn is palpable in the classrooms, where children are eager to participate in class and have the energy, through nutritious meals provided by the school, to continue to engage their active minds and bodies throughout the day. Building on dreams, creating concrete partnerships and putting the needs of the children first, the Nakayale Private Academy is set to inspire students who will in turn inspire the nation.

UNAM medical students on a mission to empower others ‘Dare to care’ is exactly what a group of second-year medical students from UNAM’s School of Medicine are doing with the creation of the Infectious Disease Relief Society. Motivated by losing family members to tuberculosis (TB) and the shocking conditions in some TB wards, the medical students behind the society are actively raising funds to tackle the conditions in which TB patients are living and the stigma around TB. Anna-Vanessa Ilukena, a second-year medical student, says, “The stigma towards TB comes as a result of limited education about the disease. We have a perception that TB is highly infectious – which it can be – however, as soon as patients go onto treatment, you can no longer contract the disease from them.” She adds that many people are actually infected with TB that is latent, which lies dormant and not posing a risk until triggered. Rosalia Shuuya, another medical student behind the Infectious Disease Relief Society, said that, “It is not enough to give people stuff – people need real empowerment and opportunities to change their circumstances.” The Infectious Disease Relief Society held a ‘clean up’ at the TB ward of the Katutura State Hospital, where patients are sometimes based for up to 24 months while receiving treatment. They also held a landscaping project in the gardens of the hospital and a ‘shoe box’ programme that supplied patients with some basic necessities.

The Society’s founders believe that change doesn’t just happen; it’s initiated to happen by people. These proactive students are taking the first step to improving the lives of TB patients and they hope that all of us will join them.

Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lab Igniting a passion for nature in the hearts of the future generations

B2Gold Namibia’s Education Centre was established under the belief that when you have experienced something, you appreciate it. Based at B2Gold’s Otjikoto Mine, children from all over Namibia are enabled to attend its environmental education camps – free of charge. André Rousseau, the Education Coordinator for B2Gold Namibia, explains: “The main focus of B2Gold’s environmental education is to create opportunities for children. The groups we work with are from disadvantaged backgrounds. They don’t have basic conservation skills. For example, most of these students see a tree as firewood. They don’t see that this tree has taken four hundred years to get this big or that it has medicinal value, so we concentrate on instilling a love of nature through understanding.” Along with inspiration, the students receive practical advice. For example, they learn that it is better to have indigenous trees in Namibia, since they use less water than other trees. They are also given the opportunity to work in fully equipped science laboratories. Educating the educators is another important goal of the centre. B2Gold partnered with Colorado State University’s Little Shop of Physics and invited science teachers throughout the Otjozondjupa Region to attend physics and natural science workshops. These teachers are now better equipped to share the wonder of science with young and curious minds. All teachers that attend the workshop receive physics equipment to take back to their schools to help empower their students.

Brian Jones from Colorado State University remarked, “The enthusiasm and cooperation of the teachers in Namibia are unparalleled – this experience has been nothing short of humbling and educating.” B2Gold has expanded their environmental education programme, adding a second camp at Otjikoto Mine to accommodate more students and teachers and rolling out the Little Shop of Physics programme nationwide. Charles Loots, General Manager (Corporate) of B2Gold Namibia, says: “It’s a great, very real, example of how a responsibly run mining operation can be a net benefit to both communities and the environment. This has to be the way of the future and we’re proud to be pioneers in this regard.” Mark Dawe, Managing Director of B2Gold Namibia, sums up the experience: “Students leave here as changed kids. We believe that we have had a major impact on their lives – not just on the direction they take in their professional careers, but in the way they interact with each other and the world at large.”

For more information about B2Gold’s Education Centre, please contact: André Rousseau Education Coordinator Tel: (067) 234 178 E-mail: arousseau@b2gold.com

’s

ADvERTORIAL

DRIVEn TO SUCCEED by CIRCUMSTanCES As Namibians, we are a nation of storytellers. It is part of our cultural history. And, while our personal narratives shape us, they do not define us. Since 2002, Pointbreak has supported young Namibians from extraordinary backgrounds who are strengthened by their personal story. They use their past, not as an excuse, but as motivation to achieve for themselves and their communities. These students are smart and resilient; all they need is an opportunity – students like Josephina Josef and George William Sikongo.

Josephina was inspired to dream by one of her primary school teachers. When this teacher passed away, the driving force in Josephina’s life became to study so hard that one day she could become a professor of mathematics and replace this teacher in the community by becoming an educator and a new source of inspiration.

Josephina’s grandmother, who raised her, sent Josephina to Windhoek with just enough savings to register for one year of classes at university. Money was so limited that Josephina had to walk from home in Otjimuise to UNAM, taking valuable study time away from her. With a full bursary from Pointbreak that includes a transportation allowance, Josephina can now concentrate on her studies and her plans to shape the minds of young learners in her community. A student in Computer Science, George Sikongo has always been driven to succeed – even when providing food for his mother and three sisters defined success. George attended school, chopped wood in the middle of the night and sold it on weekends so that he could feed his family. Because he dared to work hard, others who were threatened by his drive, beat him up and killed his donkey. It took its toll. George didn’t pass matric, but he didn’t give up.

With help from a generous, local woman, George finished high school, enrolled at IUM, and shared his story with the newspapers. That was when Pointbreak heard George’s story and was inspired to help this exceptional young man. Now a student at NUST, George often returns to his village and is an example to others that they can take strength from their environment to forge the person they wish to become. Josephina, George and the other Pointbreak bursary students share a strong focus. They study not just for marks, but also with a purpose. They want to change the world. Pointbreak believes in providing opportunities not only for our investors but also for the next generation of Namibians, inspired to make a difference.

Pointbreak Tel: 061 378 800 www.pointbreak.com.na

Meditation, trying to calm yourself down and positive thinking change your brain and make it work more efficiently.

Dr Vaja Zatjirua, Neurologist, Namibia Brain Institute

The

Brain Dr Vaja Zatjirua’s insight into our brains

our brain is the hub of your nervous system. It’s made up of 100 billion nerve cells that coordinate thought, emotion, movement and sensation. But how much do we know about this powerful organ?

To understand more about how our brains work and how to ensure they are functioning optimally, 99FM’s Master Your Destiny invited Dr Vaja Zatjirua, a Namibian neurologist from the Namibia Brain Institute.

MYD: How does the brain work? VZ: The brain is a very sophisticated piece of machinery. It is a very active organ; it’s busy all the time. An important concept to understand is that a lot of the brain’s functions are subconscious or involuntary. The part of the brain that makes you decide to do something, come up with an idea, design a building or write music, for example, is less clearly understood in terms of how it works than the more automatic, ancient part of the brain that regulates the functioning of your organs.

The brain uses neurons – the largest and longest living cells in the body. Most of the neurons that you have in your adulthood, you were born with. Neurons are hardly ever renewed or replaced. In fact, after the age of about forty, you start losing neurons, which essentially carries on up to the time when you die.

Feature MYD: Is that why as you get older, your memories might fade? VZ: It’s probably a combination of losing neurons and that your brain starts shrinking and becomes less effective in carrying out its processes compared to when you were younger. MYD: Is that due to internal or environmental factors? VZ: Both, in fact. There’s a long list of environmental factors, such as trauma and infections, that we know affect the functioning of the brain, but my pet favourite is high blood pressure. In our community it’s one of the biggest problems that affect the brain. Slowly and silently over many years, poor control of blood pressure, which causes damage to the blood vessels in the brain, indirectly damages the brain itself. Then there’re obviously internal factors that are part of the ageing brain, such as diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s, which are basically caused by abnormal protein that accumulates in the brain and causes abnormal functioning of the cells.

MYD: In terms of our responsibility in looking after the brain, how much control do we have? VZ: Surprisingly, we have quite a lot of control in what we can do to prevent or slow down this degradation of the brain that happens naturally. We advise all people to stop smoking and then obviously to take their blood pressure medication if they have this issue, which is a huge problem in this part of the world. The other thing is obviously avoiding traumatic situations – wear a helmet when you cycle, put your seatbelt on in a car to avoid head injuries, and, as far as you can, avoid getting into fights and getting knocked out.

If you look at the brain microscopically, you’ll find early signs of Alzheimer’s in normal brains, so it’s probably a part of normal ageing that is exaggerated in some patients and not in others. So there’s quite a myriad of things that causes problems in the brain growing older.

The other issue that I think sometimes we don’t quite appreciate is the fact that the more you use your brain, the better it is in terms of resisting the effects of both environmental and inborn conditions that cause problems. I’ll give you an example. The incidence of dementia in highly educated people is much less than in lesseducated people. So I always advise my patients to read as much as you can, use your brain as much as you can, engage it actively, because that is the way of preserving function for as long as possible. MYD: How do the brain and the mind relate? VZ: The brain is a pretty nifty biological entity that uses electricity to communicate between the different cells, mediated by various chemicals in the brain. What is quite interesting is that the more a brain cell does a specific action, the more lasting the reaction remains within that nerve cell. This is probably the basis of repeat learning and routine learning, and may also explain why 45-year-olds and 10-year-olds think differently. Physically the brain is changed. It’s formed different connections. So even though they might have the same number of nerve cells, the connections are very different – how the nerve cells interconnect – and forming new connections and reinforcing others. MYD: What exactly is critical thinking or strategic thinking? VZ: Critical thinking is largely based on a number of factors that are based on the evolutionary drive for survival. There are parts of the brain that can override these instinctive ways of reacting, and that’s where the critical thinking comes in. It’s that part of the brain we call the frontal lobe, which is relatively underdeveloped in babies and children, but as you get older it becomes better developed and that allows you to then make adequately motivated decisions and plans. MYD: Do we have any control over the optimal functioning of the brain? VZ: Yes and maybe no. We have the means to control the type of overall activity of the brain. You basically rewire your brain. The reason it rewires is because then it uses less energy to do the same task. Meditation, trying to calm yourself down, and positive thinking change your brain and make it work more efficiently.

MYD: What are some of the warning signs to look out for in terms of our health and maintaining optimal functioning of our brain? VZ: I think it’s important to be what I call ‘brain aware’. If your memory is impaired, it’s probably time to have somebody look at you. If your movement is affected in any way, that’s also a sign that there’s something

happening in the brain – but that usually suggests pretty big problems. Another early warning sign is when a person has a change in personality – that can be an early sign of something happening in the person’s brain and something to really look out for. Lastly, I might be opening a can of worms here, but what I call ‘new-onset headache’. The most common human illness known to man is the headache, but I always tell my patients, if you get new-onset headaches that don’t go away, it’s another red flag to look out for. MYD: Let’s talk about nutrition. VZ: I always advise my patients that the best thing when it comes nutrition for the brain is to just eat a normal balanced diet. Essentially, eat enough fruits and vegetables, protein, a little bit of fat, and limit the amount of starch, and you should be fine. The one gripe that I have is that people take a lot of supplements as brain food and there is no evidence that it works – all it does is give you very expensive urine. MYD: What is enough sleep? VZ: That is individual. Some people get away with four hours of sleep, others need up to ten hours of sleep per night. I wouldn’t push it any less than six hours of sleep; normally six hours is considered a cut off. The problem with sleep deprivation is that it has severe negative effects on the brain; it predisposes a person to a number of other things, such as seizures and depression, and it also reduces the efficiency of the brain. Many studies have shown that being sleep deprived is more dangerous than drinking behind the wheel. MYD: Where does meditation or mindfulness feature? VZ: That comes in with rewiring your brain, especially. The utility of meditation and mindfulness is that you tend to increase, what we call, the alpha factor – the good brainwaves that allow for healing and greater efficiency of the brain. It also helps avoid the possibility of things such as depression and anxiety disorders because the brain mediates all of these things. It is quite surprising to see the interplay of healthy mind, healthy body. When people are feeling physically ill, their brain does not function properly, and vice versa. If somebody has depression, they are more prone to physical illness. So the approach is to focus on both the illness and the brain, and make sure that the person is positive and addresses the issues of negative thinking, or the underlying depression or sadness that may result from an underlying physical ailment. I find that approach very useful in stroke survivors. You address various factors, concurrently. This is where psychology becomes very useful in terms of rewiring your

brain, re-emphasising positive thinking. Improvements in physical abilities follow once mood improves. MYD: Why did you want to become a neurologist? VZ: It was two-fold. Firstly, because the brain is a very interesting part of the body, and, secondly, because in the eleven years that I’ve been in neurology, there hasn’t been a single day that I’ve attended to patients that I’ve known what was wrong with all of my patients. That’s the fascinating thing. People have this very nihilist approach to brain disease – like there’s not much you can do – but there’s a lot you can do for patients, and I find that especially fascinating because every day I’m stumped. Every day you’re challenged.

It is quite surprising to see the interplay of healthy mind, healthy body. Dr Vaja Zatjirua

MYD

I had bought into the noise of the world, the noise of my mind, and in silence I found me.

Lynne Fraser, Business Engagement Expert

Why play is brainwork According to the Mind Moves Institute, “Nature uses the urge to move to help children develop and once they have developed, children can control the urge to move.” “We use basic movements to develop neurological pathways and promote sensory–motor integration, posture and learning ease,” explains Rika Grove, a Mind Moves instructor in Namibia. “Mind Moves serves to integrate and inhibit primitive reflexes, promote whole-brain learning and warm up the brain in readiness for specific kinds of learning in the classroom or different situations.” Rika adds, “Because movement develops the brain, too much technology usage when young, causes the brain to stay in the survival mode.

“This stage is the sensory development stage, which must be completed before the child moves to emotional and then cognitive developmental stages.”

For example, “It is like looking at a picture of a piece of cheesecake – you will never know how it tastes and smells from its picture. You need to taste and smell it to build references in your brain. Your reference system helps you later on in life to relate to what you see and this builds perception. “If development through the sensory developmental stages is hampered, the circuit wiring in the brain can be incomplete and this can result in physical developmental delays in the child, such as clumsiness, not being able to hop or balance, low muscle tone, attention deficit, hyperactivity or hypo-activity, a lack of impulse control and more.” This might also affect a child’s ability to cope, manifesting in physical, emotional or cognitive difficulties.

Rika explains that using simple techniques that incorporate outdoor play and basic movements, “a child can develop to be able to adapt to changes around them.” For teachers with challenging children, Rika advises incorporating more play. “At Mind Moves, we work on mechanics first before going to medication. There is a place for medication, but we first see if we can fix through mechanics, so that there is no need for medication. As trained instructors, we don’t guess. We assess. So if you need help, contact us.”

For parents who notice developmental delays in their children, Rika recommends, “a self-help book good for parents is Moves that Mend the Mind by Melodie de Jager. It explains what each reflex is, with its SOS signal. It indicates the type of behaviour you will spot and if you see these types of behaviours, what exercises and movements will help.”

hy the doctor turned to hypnotherapy

We are bombarded with messaging that affects us consciously and subconsciously. Opinions are given loosely, and they are just a click away. When pieces of damaging information seep and settle in our subconscious and become part of the beliefs that guide and drive us, we need tools to deal with the damage.

“If you have too much fear in your limbic system, this will affect your brainstem, which can give you a spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome and many more health complications. It can also result in depression and anxiety.” Dr Schroeder adds, “A lot of the problems we have as adults are problems that we are socialised to have. For example, if you have been told you will never amount to anything, it’s that voice in your subconscious that holds you back.”

Namibian medical doctor, Anton Schroeder, knew that to be able to truly help his patients, he needed to be able to address the root cause of their illnesses. So after 24 years of practising medicine, he turned to Ericksonian hypnotherapy. Developed by Milton Erickson, this style of hypnosis is based on the idea that we have all the resources we need to change ourselves, but we need to access these resources. Dr Schroeder explains, “The brain consists of three main parts. One part is the brainstem, which is the most primitive part of the brain. It is the part that evolved in reptiles and it controls our involuntary actions – things like blood pressure, pulse, digestion, etcetera; things that keep your body alive, but you are not aware of. “Then we have the limbic system, which is our fear, fight and flight system. It sits on top of your brainstem. We developed this part of the brain for survival. It is what is called the ‘monkey brain’.

By applying Ericksonian hypnotherapy, the limbic system and brainstem can be accessed. From there, all our resources and strengths, which can’t normally be reached because they are unconscious, can be accessed. “When you do the Ericksonian hypnotherapy you can, in a hypnotic trance, call these personalities to a meeting and you can sit and talk to them. It is quite amazing. The results are especially amazing. “It’s like the story of the Indian elephant that is tied to a tiny little pole in the ground by a rope. Because, from a young age, it has been trained to think that this little peg in the ground holds it back, it stays trapped and tied to it, but could actually just pull it out the ground and free itself. We are held back by perceptions, and once you show people the strengths and resources they have, you can empower them to change.” By harnessing your strength, gathering your resources, and breaking free from the shackles, you can truly Master Your Destiny.

“And then, the third part we developed, is our cortex, which sits on top of the limbic system. Our fears and worries play out in the pre-frontal cortex. These fears affect the limbic system, which in turn affects the brainstem. Ultimately, our brain and our bodies are one system.

ADvERTORIAL

COnnECTORS OF pOSITIVE CHangE

he Capricorn Investment Group – ‘Capricorn Group’ – is a diversified Namibian financial services group listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange with interests in banking, insurance, wealth and asset management. Formerly known as Bank Windhoek Holdings Limited, the Capricorn Group aspires to be the most trusted and inspiring connector of positive change in Namibia and beyond. Our identity and ethos is closely linked to the wellbeing of our country, thereby sharing the responsibility to bring positive change to create an environment of empowerment and prosperity for all. It means positive change for our government, our shareholders and for our people of Namibia. To remain competitive and ensure sustained growth, we differentiate ourselves through the unique services we offer and our ability to create sustainable opportunities for Namibians. We recognise that our customers are the reason we exist. Our customer-centric strategy and culture is underpinned by our unrelenting drive to provide customer experiences that are meaningful and rewarding.

Capricorn Group achieves its goals responsibly. We believe that sustainability comes from a firm focus on not only

profit, but also our people and the planet. We want to continue delivering relevant solutions and convenient products with a responsive network of people and channels that enables these opportunities to be created. More importantly, we want to build on our legacy of being a responsible and committed corporate citizen of Namibia and support Government in its efforts to address issues of national concern through the Harambee Prosperity Plan. Through our flagship brand, Bank Windhoek, the Capricorn Group supports a number of community projects and initiatives in various sectors including the arts, culture and sports, as well as job creation and entrepreneurship initiatives. We value partnerships and believe in the benefits of collaboration with like-minded institutions to ensure that available resources are applied efficiently and for maximum impact and benefit to our stakeholders. Our values reflect our purpose and guide the conduct of our employees: • • •

Dedicated (how we think) Open (how we behave) Inspiring (how we feel).

These values also guide our engagement with our stakeholders and will ensure that we fulfil our purpose of being ‘Connectors of Positive Change’.

Contact Marlize Horn Executive Officer: Brand & Citizenship Capricorn Group Tel: (+264 61) 299 1226 Email: marlize.horn@capricorn.com.na

After brain scans and MRIs, the neurosurgeon confirmed that I had a cavernous malformation and that it had started to bleed. Because it was located on the brainstem, surgery would be tricky. “I got an email to tell me that I needed surgery! Imagine getting an email that says we have to remove the cavernous malformation on your brain! “Cavernous malformations don’t normally bleed a lot, but because of it being on the brainstem, it was bleeding onto the nerves. This could have led to paralysis, blindness, and, yes, death. “The doctors explained that this was an invasive operation, but it was my choice, and I had to mentally prepare myself. I didn’t tell many people, and it happened so fast. I had the initial consult on June 8, and by July 15 I was in Cape Town for the operation. “The day before the operation was the first time I had any kind of breakdown. My parents were with me, and I cried for like two minutes, and thought ‘let’s move on’.” Sean describes the moments prior to surgery as being surreal.

Brain surgery and bravery “I was busy rehearsing for a show and I got blinding headaches,” said Sean. “Then I had an ear infection and the left side of my face went numb. The ear infection cleared, but the numbness and the headaches remained. That’s when my uncle sent me to a specialist.”

“They made me sing when they put me under. I remember a nurse held my hand and prayed with me and another was singing. I was nervous but not anxious, and I went in with so much peace.” Seven hours of surgery and a few months later, Sean has returned to the stage. “The doctors worked to ensure that no damage would be done to my vocal cords during the surgery. They did this by isolating the nerves in my brainstem linked to my vocal cords to make sure they did not cut these nerves.” Although Sean wasn’t thinking about death, he was very much aware that his life could end. “It’s amazing sitting here now. The day-to-day stuff – thinking, talking, blinking – you don’t think about those things, until you think about not doing them again.” “Plus,” he laughs, “the world hasn’t heard me sing yet!” But it will, as Sean K headed straight back to the recording studio to work on his debut album.

A diagnosis of a cavernous malformation on his brainstem saw the celebrated Namibian singer, Sean K, faced with the fact that we are not guaranteed of a tomorrow.

ADvERTORIAL

THE gOSpEl OF gREEn

s the infant green-building sector in Namibia gains momentum, Emcon Consulting Group is in the forefront. Emcon achieved six Green stars – the maximum possible rating – for its first submission to assess the environmental performance of one of its buildings. What is more, it was Namibia’s first 6-star Green Star certification for existing building performance (v1), and it had been built by an entirely Namibian-based team of Green-Star-accredited professionals. Recognising and rewarding environmental leadership in the property industry is part of a movement that is set to change the way we impact the environment through our buildings. In South Africa, green building shows exponential growth with certifications doubling every year. While the recently established Green Building Council of Namibia (GBCNA), a member of the 100-nation-strong World Green Building Council, is gaining traction and the green building industry is off to a slow but

steady start, there are a few hurdles to overcome. One of the obstacles is reluctance. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence, climate-change sceptics still abound. Another obstacle is misunderstanding. Committees of sceptics generally own buildings, and ‘Capital’ only understands numbers. Fortunately, evidence shows that green makes good business sense, and does not cost nearly as much as the uninformed believe. Global research proves increased building value, higher rental income, improved tenant retention, lower operating costs and enhanced productivity and health benefits by building green. This not only inspires warm fuzzy feelings, it also impacts the bottom line. In the long run, sustainable businesses will be those that adopt a more benign way of operating, and building owners who embrace sustainability will become market leaders.

78 EMCON Tel: 061 224 725 www.emcongroup.com

Now that Emcon happily works in a healthy, green environment and has first-hand experience of the cost and benefits of going green, the next challenge is to spread the ‘gospel of green’. We envision the prospect of all buildings making even a portion of the 79% energy and 48% water savings that we make. Perseverance is required to overcome rebuff by those who reject sustainability, opting instead for short-term, low-cost measures to the detriment of long-term financial and environmental benefits. There is power in knowledge, persistence and numbers, though, which is why Emcon invests in a large team for its sustainability drive. We have six Green Star Accredited Professionals with more on the way. Our staff has been trained as green tour guides, who eagerly show off our green office building’s features to visitors, sharing the benefits of sustainability with a larger audience and bringing the green message home.

Medscheme sponsors N$150 000 towards Gender-Based-Violence

Regain Trust is a non-profit organisation that offers free psychological therapy for survivors of abuse and rape. The donation from Medscheme Namibia will be used towards paying the salaries of social workers at Regain Trust. Saskia Breuer, Director of Regain Trust welcomed the sponsorship saying: “We envision a world where gender-based violence is unacceptable; where perpetrators are held accountable, and victims receive the compassion, support, and justice they

deserve. Our mission is to create zero tolerance of gender based violence in Namibia.” “We would like to thank Medscheme Namibia for this sponsorship that will allow us to assist those in need of these essential services,” Breuer added. Medscheme Namibia Fund Manager, Ronald Skolnic said the medical administrator is committed to offering opportunities of assistance to Namibians affected by Gender Based Violence. “We recognise the serious effects of Gender based violence on our country and have heeded the call to be part of providing support to those affected by such circumstances,” he added.

Tel: 061 285 5400, Email: info@medscheme.com.na, Web: www.medscheme.com

In addition to the sponsorship, NHP has also launched a Gender Based Violence programme as part of their new benefits for 2017 where NHP members affected by gender based violence and in need of assistance can contact the NHP hotline at Regain Trust at 081 776 3677 for access to counsellors who will be able to provide them support.

About Medscheme Namibia: Medscheme Namibia has been the administrator for NHP for the past 20-years. The Fund has established itself as one of the leading medical aid funds in the country and has proven itself in terms of stability, good financial management, sound corporate governance principles and excellent service levels.

Medscheme Namibia has sponsored an amount of N$ 150 000 to Regain Trust which will assist Namibians that have been affected by Gender-Based-Violence (GBV).

Mental hea

Hector Mawonga

on how he’s overcome mental illness

I have control of my life. I am gonna own what I am going through, and I am gonna fight, and I’m gonna strive, and I’m gonna go for it. — Hector Mawonga

n Namibia, as in much of the rest of the world, there is a stigma attached to mental illness. Yet, according to the World Health Organization, nearly 50% of the global population will have at least one mental health disease during their lifetime. Most common are affective disorders, such as anxiety and depression, addiction and impulse-control disorders. Mental illness does not discriminate between countries or different cultures. Some features of mental illness may be persistent, relapsing or occur in a single episode, and none of them define who we are or how much we can achieve in life. Being aware – being mindful – and having a support system to deal with episodes of mental illness is critical to living a vibrant, engaged life.

To discuss mind-set, mindfulness and mental illness, award-winning Namibian sports journalist, Hector Mawonga, joined Master Your Destiny in the studio.

HM: My story through childhood up until the age of 22 was pretty normal, nothing exciting. I was at university studying accounting, and during my final year I had, what

I’ve since discovered was, a panic attack. Mental issues are a little bit taboo in our society. I was in and out of hospital, and people couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. I was actually diagnosed at a later stage as having depression with manic episodes, which caused me to act out. At that time I also discovered that accounting was not really what I wanted to do, and that’s also where the mind-set really came in. I tried to find out what I wanted to do. I realised that since I was young, sports have been my thing. Whenever I’d go out, I would rush to get back to watch all the sports shows, Formula One, whatever. Those things excited me. I realised that I wanted to live a life where I’m in tune with all of this. So that’s what led me to be a Namibian Sun sports reporter, and I’m proud to say that I enjoy my work. I remember once going for an interview somewhere else. A guy called me in for an accounting position. I went in to see the guy – mind you this was a White man. This guy told me categorically, ‘I can’t hire you, because I see the way you speak about sports and you will never be fulfilled working for me.’ He then told me, ‘You’re the best candidate here, but I’m not going to take you.’ I look back at my life and that guy – he didn’t know me, he didn’t owe me anything, but he chose to give me the correct advice. And look where I am now. There are a lot

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of people along your journey that you will meet that will give you positive advice, and it doesn’t have to come from a guy that looks like you, it can come from someone with a totally different background.

don’t tell anybody – and then when you reach that goal, you give yourself a massive fist bump and you celebrate. Then when you get more energy, you continue with more goals.

MYD: How did you know to look within to try and find the thing that excites you? HM: I had to ask myself some serious questions. Do I see myself doing what I’m doing every day? We’re talking about my profession. This is nine to five, eight hours every day doing something. It’s no use doing something that you don’t love. All it does is influence all the people around you negatively.

When you fall, you can’t just say, ‘Okay, I’ve tried, I’m just gonna stay down.’ And mind you, I’ve had stages in my life where I’ve actually been at rock bottom and I thought I’m out, I haven’t made it. The easy choice for me would be to say, ‘That’s it’. I would never have continued on my journey. And that’s the beauty of life, the continuation of the journey. You need to know what comes next.

I wanted to be someone that comes into the office and everybody looks up and says, ‘There’s something about this guy, he makes me feel like he wants to come to work every day.’ For me, that’s the trigger that set me on this path to find out what it is that I wanted to do. MYD: You’ve touched on an important point when you talk about the negative frame of mind. It leads to things like health problems, like depression, like panic attacks, etcetera, because we are not where we want to be, and our minds and our bodies know so. HM: If you’re not happy in whatever you’re doing, you have to actively search out the things that make you happy. You have to find that thing that drives you, that gives you that oomph – that little bit of spark. Michael Jordan said something like, ‘some people wish things to happen, some people hope things will happen, then some people make things happen.’ That is the mantra that I carry in myself. It’s no use complaining. What are you doing to create that positive change you want to see? MYD: With that beautiful quote, you’ve highlighted the control you have in the situation. HM: I read somewhere once that when you smile at people, it doesn’t only influence the person that you are smiling at, it also influences the other people that are watching you smiling. So imagine the trigger effect when that happens. I’m smiling, the person watching me starts smiling, the next person watching starts to smile, and then all of a sudden all these people are smiling. And all of this positivity is there because one person decided to smile. That just shows how much of an impact you can make through a simple thing like a smile. It costs nothing.

MYD: And it all starts in the mind. But if you choose not to smile and be negative, then you’re also going to have an effect – a negative effect – on so many people. HM: Instead of looking at problems as things to hinder you, look at them as challenges. A friend of mine said that sometimes you must set yourself goals silently – you

MYD: However you choose to frame what happens around you starts in your mind with your mind-set, and it will also determine what you get back. HM: I feel at times that people limit themselves because of what they’re afraid of or what they’ve not known before. Those fears live in your mind. At my workplace when my mental issues started to establish themselves a little bit, someone came to me and said, it’s normal, this is something that happens, you need to take care of your mental health, because that is where your mind-set starts. If that mind-set that is ready to accept help is not there, then you will end up in a circle, running against the walls. You’re gonna hit yourself here and there, and you’re gonna say things like we say in African cultures, ‘I was cursed’, ‘I was bewitched’. But when I realise that in fact I have control of my life, I am gonna own what I am going through, and I am gonna fight, and I’m gonna strive, and I’m gonna go for it. I’m at that level where I’m in control. I know who I am. I know from my mind-set what I want to achieve, and there’s no way that somebody can come in and try to interrupt me. MYD: You mentioned earlier that you hit rock bottom. How did you pick yourself up again and establish a positive mind-set? HM: The first thing was family support. I can’t stress that enough. You have people in your corner, and those are your family, your first point of call. Whenever anything else happens, they will be the ones that will defend you. My family came to my rescue, and then my friends, who said, ‘We know you, there’s no way your story can end like this.’ The amount of positivity those people fed into my life is amazing. That mind-set to actually listen to people that actually helped me to get back up and get back into establishment, to where I am today.

MYD

H o w p a t te r n s o f t h o u g h t fo r m h a b i t s of behaviour

“When you are worrie d about how you are go ing to cope in a difficult time, rem ember you have gone through difficult things that you learnt to overcome. Yo u can rest assured that the ability to overcome is within you. You have been through tou gh times before. All you need to do is stop trying to co ntrol what is happening around you with your conscious mi nd, and your subconsc ious mind will guide you.” However, considering all of the exposure we have had in our lives, it stands to rea son that some of the tho ughts in our subconscious mind might not be supportiv e of who we want to be and wh at we want to achieve. Ute notes that, “Your brain is wired for instru ction; the question is what instru ctions are you giving it? “Whatever instruction you give, your mind ne eds to be as you wish it to be, as your subconscious do es not understand positive an d negative, but simply accepts whatever you tell it. Fo r example, you should n’t say, ‘Today, I do not want to be depressed’, but rat her ‘Today, I am filled with joy’.” Ute describes this as ‘th ought restructuring’. It’s about using strategies that do n’t ignore problems, bu t rather implementing strategie s to deal with life’s pro blems in a way that propels us for ward. “We are all thinking all of the time, but the qu estions are, ‘What are you thinking ? How are you talking to yourself?’ From here you can sta rt to turn your negative tho ughts into positive thoughts . This is not denial; thi s is choice.” In Ute’s practice she sta rts the process by asking her patient to write a mantr a for their life. These ma ntras are affirmations or affi rmative words that bu ild you and your self-esteem. By rep eating your personal ma ntra throughout the day, you are starting to build pa thways in your brain of positive, self-affirming thought. “If you change the wa y you talk to yourself, and this is not only verbal talking, bu t also the way you talk to yourself in your head, you will cha nge your life for the be tter.” She notes that in life, “People respond bette r to positive affirmations than to be ing reprimanded. “You can’t choose to live a healthier life but still eat junk food every day and exp ect to see results. You ne ed to do the work.” She adds, “Everyone is different so find the affi rmation or mantra that works for you and start there. It is not a difficult process, it just takes time and is abou t be ing nice to yourself.”

“Everything you have learnt from the time you were a baby is stored in yo ur subconscious. From the moment you took yo ur first steps and all the trial attempts at walking be fore then, the inform ati on is stored in the subcon scious so that today you are able to walk without ha ving to think about the action before you do it,” says Ute Sinkala, a Namibia n clinical psychologist, explainin g how patterns of tho ught shape our behaviour.

Drumming up mental health How creative expression can be part of healing

The arts are gaining ground as part of a treatment process for many forms of mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. “Mental illnesses are lonely illnesses that leave you feeling alone all the time. Music fills a void within you and is always positive which, considering the place you are in, can be life changing. Music can be that friend you never had, that listens and does not pass judgment,” shares Ian Daniel, more affectionately known as Noodle from Flaunt The Deli in Windhoek. Flaunt has long been a favourite spot for Namibian foodies, but more recently through Ian’s influence, Flaunt is becoming well known for their team-building efforts that offer drumming circles as a way to increase team morale. “A highly effective team needs to be strong in communication, trust, integrity, collective thinking, problem solving, leadership and more. Flaunt creates a home for businesses to actively work on these principles.”

In his youth, Ian struggled to put these principles into practice, but he always found himself through music and drumming.

“Drumming is one thing that the world can’t take away from you. You will always get a sense of achievement and self-worth from even five minutes of drumming. When you are at the lowest of lows, these small accomplishments produce massive changes and can help you to lift your head and carry on.” At the age of 19, Ian was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and, after a long journey, he’s become productive and stable. “There are always ups and downs, but keeping them mellow and not too extreme is the key. There are some simple points that I live by: • Don’t hide your illness, it just makes you more anxious • Surround yourself with people that are positive influences on your life • Exercise daily • Do not drink or take illegal substances • Believe in something greater than yourself – this could be God or Buddha, whatever floats your boat

• • •

•

Get the right help Take your medication; do not deviate from this Be passionate about something – music, drumming, fishing or any hobby Routine is key.

“Stick to a routine and live a healthy life. No matter how bad things get there is always someone on this planet in a far worse position than you. At rock bottom there is only one way up, so do not quit.” Ian has now expanded his advocation of holistic wellness and spearheaded an exciting new Namibian project, MiLife, which empowers people so that they can take control of their health, wellness and ultimately their lives.

The responsibility of the company when talking mental health Given the number of people around the world that suffer mental health issues, the World Health Organization lists mental health as a top priority. However, the issue is rarely discussed in the workplace. Coen Welsh, an industrial psychologist from Capacity Trust, explains, “The reality is that people who suffer from depression often suffer in silence, either not knowing that they have depression or being too ashamed to tell people about it. “The additional challenge with mental health issues is that they are very personal. If people suffer from anxiety, depression or some kind of phobia, they won’t talk about it or seek help. They will often blame it on themselves, ignore the signs or, what we call, ‘self-medicate’, which is using drugs or alcohol to escape the daily discomfort associated with the issue.” However, in theory, mental health issues, including depression, should be treated in a similar fashion to any physical injury. This includes allowing time off from work for the injury to heal and possibly compensation if the company caused the injury.

An article by Capacity Trust outlines these benefits to companies, including:

Increased productivity

Greater loyalty

Less absenteeism

Lower turnover of staff

Good reputation as an employer.

The article goes on to say, “In the long run, small investments can reduce your costs and become a competitive advantage for your organisation. Therefore, start investing in your employees’ mental health today!”

Without an updated and finalised Mental Health Act in Namibia that ensures protection in the workplace, such protection is not always applied. Yet, with the multiple benefits a mentally fit workforce provides to a business, it most certainly pays to consider what your organisation is doing to be part of the solution.

ADvERTORIAL

ransformation is seismic change – change that moves mountains, shifts continents and alters lives in profound ways. It is the type of change that is required to tackle the immense challenges that we face in Africa.

The African Leadership Institute, a non-profit organisation founded in 2005 by Dawie Fourie, strives to inspire and enable Africans to lead transformation by equipping leaders with the power to raise productivity and transform communities. Through faith-based leadership training, the African Leadership Institute also inspires leaders across various fields to join hands to address the real needs in the country and continent – the challenges posed by corruption, crime, poverty, HIV and AIDS, unemployment, the lack of certain specialised skills, and the struggle with inferiority, economic freedom and so forth. Since its inception, the African Leadership Institute has successfully provided life-changing leadership training to more than 2000 business, government, educational and church leaders in Namibia. Transformational change has a ripple effect across society, as evident in the testimonials of several Namibian leaders who have received training at the African Leadership Institute. JA /Urib, CEO of the Municipality of Outjo, shared that the African Leadership Institute helped him to clarify his goals, which impacted those around him: “I learnt that I should equip and develop my people. Therefore, 105 employees and seven councillors from Outjo Municipality attended transformational team-building training to enhance their skills and abilities. We now operate as a united team to make a difference.”

Through its curriculum and courses, the African Leadership Institute’s goals are the transformation of the individual (understanding one’s self and defining one’s purpose), transformation of relationships, transformation of character and transformation of work ethics and productivity.

The results speak to the power of these goals to transform lives, as Patricia Aushiku, Principal of Rupara Combined School, remarked: “The African Leadership Institute equipped me to be a 360-degree leader – leading my subordinates, leading my peers and leading my superiors – which enabled me to produce results.” From 2013 to 2015, the average pass rate of Patricia’s school improved from 48.4% to 80.6%. The African Leadership Institute offers a Level-5 Certificate and a Level-6 Diploma in Transformational Leadership, as accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA), and is registered as a Private Higher Education Institution by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and as a training provider with the Namibia Training Authority (NTA). Through leadership training, a deep sense of faith and with Jesus Christ as our ultimate example, the African Leadership Institute strives to be a catalyst in the transformation of Africa, bringing hope to the continent and becoming an example for the world. This deep sense of faith is much more than just lip-service; it should transform individuals towards soft hearts, tough minds, upright characters and the demonstration of skilful hands in the marketplace. Contact To request your application form or more information: secretary@ali.com.na admin@ali.com.na Tel: +264 61 250 229 Tel: +264 62 506 023 / 45

I feel at times that people limit themselves because of what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re afraid of or what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not known before.

Hector Mawonga

Dr Chris Brown on sustainable conservation

pragmatic environmentalist, a vegetarian and a supporter of sustainable hunting, Dr Brown has been at the forefront of Namibia’s environmental movement for the past thirty years.

His practical experience encompasses environmental management, administration, strategic planning, development, and project and programme design and coordination. He was the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s first Director of the Directorate of Environmental Affairs, former Director of the Namibia Nature Foundation, and today is the CEO of the Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE).

MYD: Tell us about the Chamber of Environment. CB: The Chamber is an umbrella body established to represent and support the environment sector in Namibia, particularly the non-governmental and private components that are working in support of the environment. Most of the environmental organisations in Namibia are quite specialised on a species or a group of species or on a particular theme or part of the country, and there is very little link between them. People don’t generally get together and talk about the broader environment. The Namibian Chamber of Environment was established as a support mechanism for the sector. Just seven months after our launch in April 2016, we’ve got about 30 organisations that are members so it is growing very, very rapidly. We don’t compete with those members either in the implementation of projects or in the raising of funding. We look for new and additional areas to raise funds through corporate Namibia – through the mining and business sectors – and make those funds available to good projects across Namibia. In the same way that the Chamber of Mines of Namibia doesn’t do mining, but supports the mining sector, we support the environment sector.

Conservation

Feature

MYD: At the launch of the Namibian Chamber of Environment, you explained that the merit of a project determines whether the Chamber will support it. CB: Biologists and researchers tend to be in those fields because they are good with animals and good with environment, and are not necessarily good with people. It is our job to bridge that gap. We provide some perspective and say, ‘Okay, these are the real priorities of the country.’ Working with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and other partners, we will be bringing groups together to talk about priorities and to develop national action plans. We will be asking: What are the real priorities now? Where is funding already going? Where are the big gaps? How can we package this together? How can we put the message out there as a group, instead of everyone putting out a little bit of a message? How can we engage more effectively with the media in this country, and bring them on board and have real, detailed, pertinent and balanced pieces of information out there? How can we engage with the funders in a similar way? This has always been a challenge, and rather than having a competitive situation, we can bring everyone into alignment and have a value-added situation where the whole sector moves forward together more effectively. We’ve developed a strategy for the next few years and the first area of support is to our members. Our fieldbased members have a difficult time when they come to Windhoek, so we have an office with internet set aside specifically for them. They can lock up their paperwork, if they want. They can park their fully loaded vehicles before they go back into the field on our property. They can use our boardroom. It is free of charge to support the field-based members of the Chamber. We have also set up a Policy Research Forum because there is a very big gap in environmental policy in Namibia. First of all we need to identify the real priorities that need to be addressed and then to put teams together to work on those and develop positions on various things, such as, on our planning framework in Namibia – Vision 2030, our national development plans and Harambee Prosperity Plan. How can we use these planning platforms to advance the environment agenda and sustainable development agenda in the best possible way?

MYD: Why are we lacking when it comes to policy research and development? CB: There is no organisation that is doing that. So when I talk about policy research, I am talking about policies that come from the environment sector, as well as policies from other sectors, which might impact on the environment.

Take the Green Scheme, for example. How is that initiative actually contributing to agriculture and economic development in Namibia? It has cleared large areas of natural vegetation and unless we are getting really good value for that, we’re suffering a net loss. So let us bring an environmental perspective together with a socioeconomic perspective and a get a real feel for the balances between gains and losses. If we are better off with these sorts of projects, great, and if we are not, then we need to rethink these sorts of things. MYD: What are the other programme areas of the NCE? CB: One of the other areas we work in is in advocacy. We’ve been working on some of the pieces of legislation that are being rewritten, such as the new Parks and Environment Bill, as well as those being revised, such as the Environmental Management Act which covers the EIA [environmental impact assessment] and strategic assessment type work. There are some clear areas in the EIA legislation that could be strengthened. We can bring the sector together to identify where they think there are problems and to help the government produce a piece of legislation which is more pertinent, which is more effective. We really need to protect our investments and our foreign confidence in Namibia and, on the other hand, we need to guide development so that the impacts are manageable and we achieve proper sustainable development. MYD: Are there any other areas in which NCE is involved? CB: We are in the process of establishing a grantmaking tool, an online tool where people can write project applications and put in their budgets and submit a request to us for funding. Then we will be putting together a group of specialists to review every project, so that if a project application comes, for example, on a biodiversity theme or on climate change or environmental education, we have people who are specialists in each particular area to look at it. One of the other areas we feel is really important is in recognising that a lot of the environmental scientists in Namibia are sort of middle-aged. We need to have a group of young Namibians – dedicated, enthusiastic, fire-in-the-belly young Namibians coming up. So one of NCE’s areas of support is a young Namibian mentorship, training and capacity-building programme. Earlier, I was talking about our environmental policy research … for every piece of policy research that is undertaken, we will recruit a young Namibian graduate to the team, as part of our mentorship and training programme.

This will be considered in making our grants too. Are you employing and mentoring young Namibians? That will get you more points and give you a greater chance of getting funding.

UNAM and the University of Science and Technology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and get them more-specialised training so they can take the reins and start moving things forward.

MYD

We have also set up a bursary fund targeting professional people in Namibia. My experience is that the moreeducated people of Namibia place a lot of value on helping others become educated. They also place a high value on the environment. We want to take our young Namibians â&#x20AC;&#x201C; particularly those who have come through

Forgotten art, forgotten men Some say these lone figures were once men whose love for the land was so great that they were turned to stone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; frozen in time, forever looking out over the beautiful vista.

Whatever their origins, these iconic pieces of art, which look as though they erupted from the land, stand as features in the giant, natural open-aired art gallery that is the Namib Desert. It is impossible to view them from a vehicle, meaning you walk to them and meet them on their terms. Somewhere between the myth and the truth, where do they come from, and, as they are numbered, where can you find the rest? Without knowing their origin, these sculptures belong to everyone in Namibia. Iconic, resting artworks of men wild and free who stand guard over the places we love.

Found in places so beautiful, it seems as if one night a stone came to life to appreciate the Namibian landscape from the perspective of a man. Half-man, halfstone, he roamed the desert until the sun came up and he was frozen in the shape of a man but made of stone.

Vanishing Kings Over the past several decades, the understanding of desert lions has increased dramatically, and though knowledge can sometimes dilute mystery, in the case of the desert lions, it hasn’t. In 1984, Dr Philip (Flip) Stander was called to the Skeleton Coast to investigate a male lion that had moved into the area. Unfortunately, that male was threatening fishermen at Mile 72, and was shot. Dr Stander returned to his carnivore research in Etosha National Park and later in Bushmanland – as it was then known – but the thought of desert lions remained. In 1997, he founded the Desert Lion Conservation Project. The aim of the project is to collect sound ecological data, address human–lion conflicts and develop a conservation strategy for desert lions. “Lions are controversial and lead to many cases of human– wildlife conflict. Knowing how to understand another’s point of view has led us to implement programmes that consider all parties’ needs, and this results in better protection for the lions,” said Dr Stander. “I first became aware of these unique lions that live in the Skeleton Coast Park in the early 80s, at a time when the world first came to know about these lions that live on the beach. This was just so unheard of. We started a small study on these lions. I fitted collars to them … but, by the end of the 80s, they had been shot. We thought all desert lions were extinct, but we were wrong.”

Years of good rainfall and the growth of communal conservancies after independence meant that poaching decreased. People now had rights to the resources on the land. Coupled with tourism, which added value to the land and its wildlife resources, meant that by 1997 the wildlife, including lions, came back.

“This is when I started the current project, Desert Lion Conservation. We have come from 20 lions in 1997 to 200 today in an area of 60,000 square kilometres – an area three times the size of Etosha. “We have to work on the problem of human–wildlife conflict and this is where empathy is so important. We have had to adopt an approach where we realise we can’t save every lion to the cost of people; we must find solutions that meet both parties’ needs.” Understanding and communication are critical if lions and humans are to coexist. The launch of the film Vanishing Kings: Lions of the Namib is an important part of this process. “We’re taking the film to communities, to schools, to all the people who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see it. Through people seeing this film, through awareness, we hope to instil empathy for the plight of the desert lions.” Vanishing Kings, by acclaimed wildlife filmmakers Will and Lianne Steenkamp, documents the intimate story of the survival of a special pride of lions living along the Skeleton Coast.

“By following the five young male lions, known as the ‘Five Musketeers’, on their journey to adulthood, we were able to capture a beautiful and in-depth story about the everyday struggles of a pride that plays a crucial role in the fortitude of their population. It’s about the power of a pride, about family bonds, adventure and survival in one of the harshest places on Earth,” say the Steenkamps. The film has been translated into three languages – English, German and the local Damara language, Khoekhoegowab – and has won major awards at film festivals in the UK and the USA.

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. Robert Swan

One Musketeer is left to carry on – a stark reminder of the tenuous nature of life in the wild – while Dr Stander continues his work in the Skeleton Coast Park, studying what we hope will be another recovery of the desert lion population.

The film captured scenes that will never be repeated, as one of the Five Musketeers was shot and three others were poisoned due to tensions between villagers and lions that have heightened with the drought.

ADvERTORIAL

TRUSTED paRTnER In DEVElOpMEnT Bank Windhoek has always been known as a responsible corporate citizen and nowhere does this responsible behaviour manifest itself better than in the Bank’s Corporate Social Investment Programme. As a trusted partner in development and upliftment, Bank Windhoek is proud of its long-term partnerships, some of which stretch over 20 years. The Bank is equally enthusiastic to welcome new partners on board. In the 2015/16 financial year, Bank Windhoek invested N$8.4 million in Namibian communities through its Corporate Social Investment Programme, which includes its Social Investment Fund, sponsorships and donations, and its consumer education and financial literacy initiatives. Established in 2002, the Bank’s Social Investment Fund focuses mainly on education, entrepreneurship and job creation, and health (especially cancer). As part of the criteria when considering applications, our Social Investment Fund Committee asks: “Can the applicant organisation attain self-sustainability?” The Bank is not only concerned with its own sustainability, but also the sustainability of the projects it supports and their long-term impacts on the community. Our selection is also informed by the national agenda on socioeconomic issues, through documents such as the Harambee Prosperity Plan, the current National Development Plan (NDP4) and Vision 2030. Our involvement is about assisting the less fortunate and promoting activities that are not always supported by other corporate entities, such as the arts and culture, agriculture and the smaller sports. It is about what difference we can make in the lives

of the less fortunate by assisting Government’s efforts in alleviating socioeconomic plights, such as unemployment and poverty. At Bank Windhoek we also believe in cooperation and therefore we encourage the various beneficiaries of our Social Investment Fund and sponsorships to form collaborations, to avoid duplication and to ensure that the available resources are used efficiently and have maximum impact. Bank Windhoek is a proud member and supporter of the Financial Literacy Initiative (FLI), empowering our clients to make the right financial choices. In the last financial year, N$1.8 million was spent on improving the financial literacy of Namibians. Our Solo Bank, designed for children, was opened in June 2016 to teach children to save and spend their money responsibly. With the assistance of AIESEC Namibia, an international student organisation that promotes sustainable entrepreneurship and financial literacy amongst the youth, Solo Bank visited various schools to discuss financial pitfalls and entrepreneurship with young Namibians. Bank Windhoek Tel: 061 299 1111 www.bankwindhoek.com.na

Fighting for the ultimate predators

Rachel du Raan, a dedicated Namibian conservationist, notes that the dramatic decline of the wild dog population has been caused by habitat fragmentation, loss of prey, accidental snaring and road kills. However, the biggest threat to the survival of wild dog is persecution and disease through contact with humans and domestic dogs. Namibia has a critically low population of wild dog, with current estimates putting their numbers between 300 and 600. If given a chance, African wild dogs are well adapted to survive. They are considered by many to be the ultimate predator and, when a pack goes on a hunt, their chance of making a kill is over 80%. “I personally relate to the African wild dogs’ incredible team spirit,” said Rachel. “They simply will not and do not survive without each other. They function solely as a pack, looking out for one another. “It’s this idea that you have to work together to make things happen that I’ve applied to my life. I think as Namibians we could learn from wild dogs too – the more we work together, the more we will succeed together.” To protect wild dogs from further decimation, this cooperative strategy is being applied nationally with the formation of the Namibia African Wild Dog Project (NAWDP). The AfriCat Foundation, the N/a’an ku sê Foundation and the Namibia Nature Foundation, supported by the Namibia Development Corporation and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, have pooled their considerable talents to study wild dog population dynamics within the Mangetti Complex. NAWDP’s research focuses on conservation issues in three main areas.

1. Habitat encroachment African wild dogs need large, intact areas of habitat to survive. Until recently, the greatest conservation efforts have focused on protected areas and not in other areas where wild dogs are most at risk. African wild dog in Namibia are most common in Kavango West Region, particularly in Mangetti National Park and the communal lands and commercial farms nearby. This area, known as the Mangetti Complex, is considered a high-conflict zone, but is nonetheless the only viable natural dispersal area for wild dogs. It is also seen as a potential corridor for wild dog migration from the east to Etosha National Park. 2. Human–animal conflict During denning seasons, when dens become the centre of all wild dogs’ hunting activities, wild dogs have the highest impact on livestock mortality. Because of this perceived threat they pose to cattle, wild dogs are actively persecuted. However, only 10% of cattle losses are accounted to wild dogs. Perhaps this is the reason for changing attitudes from the livestock farming community, where there is increased interest in protecting the species. 3. Domestic dogs In areas where the range of the wild dog overlaps with human settlements, there is a high chance that they will interact with domestic dogs. The potential risk of domestic dog infections crossing over to wild dog populations could be devastating to the free-ranging wild dog. NAWDP advocates the need to vaccinate domestic dogs and to work with farmers to avoid future conflicts. In 2016, significant progress in the conservation of the African wild dog in Namibia was made when it was legally proclaimed a ‘protected species’. The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, signed an amendment to the Nature Conservation Act of 1975 that gives it the same conservation status as the rhino in Namibia. “Again,” stresses Rachel, “this is a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration.” Working together, Namibians can achieve great things and it’s encouraging to know that the African wild dog is now a conservation priority in our country.

No animal should be on the endangered species list, but globally over 16,000 are not only endangered, but also threatened with extinction. In Africa, number five on the list of endangered species is the African wild dog. It is also the second most endangered predator on the continent, inauspiciously behind the Ethiopian wolf.

Life’s a gift, and we are glorious, but not on our own. – Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira

Feature

urturing Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira on building a healthy foundation

Mother Theresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Physically Active Youth (PAY) is a community-based project that focuses on the healthy development of young people in low-income communities through physical health, academics and life skills. Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira, co-founder of this project, spoke to 99FM’s Master Your Destiny about providing an equal platform for life.

M-JN: I work predominantly with youth in an after- school programme. We provide holistic programming – and it’s reinforced every day. We give children a meal every day, we do homework with them every day, we do sports, and then once a week we do life skills. We speak to the person’s entire being and we’ve been doing this for 13 years. MYD: Tell us what you’ve seen in the work that you do. M-JN: We focus on making sure that people are able to function optimally in the world for themselves, so they can enjoy the process of life.

We recognise that you have a talent, let’s work on it. We help children understand the power of good nutrition, of balancing their time and of academic performance, and the importance of socialising and behaving in a manner that makes your life easier. The fact that they come from economically depressed backgrounds can’t be held against them. Among past participants there is a strong element of social mobility that would have otherwise not been there without the programme. These participants picked up social mobility skills that allow them to get through. Your attending doctor is a former PAY child, or the radiologist or telecom technician. Whoever they are, they’re pleasant people, who are also getting the best out of life because they have an understanding. MYD: And it’s an understanding that I’m sure a lot of people take for granted. M-JN: That’s the biggest part of it all. When you look at it through a middle-class lens, you take many things for granted, right? But when your primary pressure is to sort out food or to survive, all these other things – like saying hello and thank you – are frilly, fairy things that people don’t think about. And yet, at the same time these are the things that will give them social mobility. That’s the irony of it. You remain behind and even though you want to get through, you don’t have the skills to move forward. It’s just the small things that in the end make the biggest difference. Two weeks ago we had a seven-year-old

olid foundations ensure that growth and development can happen, but what are the foundations on which a nation can thrive? Is there a platform for connecting everything that allows us to create the very best?

When you put yourself out there in the world, how do you bring your best self forward?

learner who was new and could not identify blue, green, yellow. The concept of colour was not there. That’s difficult, and it’s not fair on the child. So these are the types of things that we work on. MYD: Those disadvantages are being exacerbated because we’re not getting the fundamentals right. M-JN: Yes, it’s perpetuated by the fact that the huge income divide has created two worlds for us in Namibia. We forget what is happening in the ‘other world’, and though it seems like such simple work, these are the layers that need to be in place for all the other things to happen – in order for the magical scientist to come up with the cure for AIDS or cancer, or a cheap, accessible transport system that works for the whole of Africa. But that won’t happen for someone who doesn’t have the core foundation laid out for them properly, for someone who doesn’t feel safe in the world. MYD: What are some of the challenges that you’ve faced? M-JN: I think the greatest challenge has been getting the buy-in from communities. From the community that you work with to understand that this is what you need, more than money; this is what you need to get access to the money. Getting buy-in from parents – not because they don’t want it, but because their priority is putting food on the table every day or their own pain and their own depression from the economically depressed society they come from. The context of working in development is that the people that you work with and the people that want to see the change don’t always have the skills they need. It could be a teacher or the entire community. So often people work in survival mode and, when people are in survival mode, it manifests as a dog-eat-dog world, and that makes it very challenging to work together. Finding trust in the process takes so long, and that is challenging. Honestly, it can bring you down harder than bringing in financial resources. MYD: And on that, how hard is it to bring in financial resources? M-JN: On many occasions I’ve had to do training sessions or workshops outside of PAY to raise money to make sure that I can pay the team that we have and make sure that we have food. Food is not sponsored, but it’s one of the most important parts of the programme. If we don’t bring food, we don’t have the same attendance rates or the same attention or participation rates with the youngsters because they just don’t have the energy.

When the majority of us are doing well, we will all benefit. If we live in a safe society, you don’t have to lock your door because I’m not going to come steal your food because I’m not hungry.

When young children are developing, when neurons are connecting, they need energy to move, to think, to concentrate and, in the absence of food, this does not take place. So you have a five-year-old child who’s not eating and weak and lethargic, and fourteen years later, you want them to write the same exam as other children, but from that starting point? A 2010 UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] report on learners’ wants and needs in Namibia said that the children want food. The greatest concern was hunger. Even in our programme when we asked them, they said food first, then everything else second. In a country where we have two million people that shouldn’t be an issue. It’s something we can address. Just because they are poor, doesn’t mean they need less. We’re creating a programme to get parents to grow a garden. With some of this food, one meal a day will be at PAY, and then they can provide the other two meals for their children. This is a model of healthy eating, understanding what you’re eating is an investment in your future. Your body will thank you. The difference is a transformed country. We have all these dreams about Vision 2030. My question is who is going to drive Vision 2030? Less than 10% of Namibians have the skills to do so. You’ve got 90% of the population that’s probably willing, but not able. We must enable them. Just as we were nurtured, we nurture back. Take the power of nurture and care for and feed the children, give them homework assistance, do sports, do life skills – and then they can compete on an equal platform. MYD: Tell us about your campaign, ‘Lives Matter’. M-JN: I did a TEDx talk in March on the value of life, and then I thought to myself, ‘You did a talk, great! What you gonna do about it?’ I have a for-profit company that started a campaign selling ‘Lives Matter’ t-shirts. It’s two prongs, selling the t-shirts to support the work that we do and spreading a message. The second part of it is getting ambassadors and going into workplaces to speak to our leaders, to our schools and our communities about the value of life. I treat you a certain way, simply because you have life and I have life, and I value and I honour your life. We create a culture of care. That’s the missing foundation layer we need. Life’s a gift, and we’re glorious, but not on our own.

MYD

the first

days How to seize this window of opportunity for the optimal development of your child’s brain

“There is a substantial body of evidence on the importance of early childhood development experiences that shape a person’s achievements and health throughout life.” In fact, this forum created waves in the Namibian market when it was revealed that science could predict what you will earn as an adult when you are only two years old. Surprising? According to team member Professor Linda Richter, “Over the last 20 years, a remarkable convergence in scientific evidence has occurred across the disciplines of child psychology, neuroscience, genetics, biology and epidemiology. Long-term studies are demonstrating that templates for metabolism, ability to cope with stress, learning and social integration are laid down during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, thus strongly influencing adolescent and adult health and wellbeing.”

DeeDee explains, “The problems we encounter in Namibia with high repetition rates in schools, high levels of gender-based violence, entrenched income inequalities and lack of productivity can, in part, be attributed to our inaction with regard to early childhood development experiences.” Another Team member Chris Desmond goes on to say that, “Early childhood development services and support are associated with higher levels of employment and earning potential and, ultimately, an increase in productivity, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), and increased tax revenue. “Studies suggest that pre-school participation contributes to increases of between five and ten per cent in labour income over a lifetime.” For the state of our economy and the realisation of Vision 2030, individually and as a nation, we need to re-examine the foundations we are laying in early childhood development.

“Our early years of life – from conception to eight years of age – are absolutely critical in shaping human development, workforce development and healthy populations,” states DeeDee Yates, the leader of a joint UNICEF and Pact team for the organisation of a critical thinking forum on integrated early childhood development.

The spirit of giving that gives back to the office

Urban Dynamics is a company that believes in the power of giving and so started a pavement vegetable garden for all. On 18 July (Nelson Mandela’s birth date) in 2014, Urban Dynamics, a town planning business, opened a sidewalk vegetable garden. In the spirit of Madiba, the garden is open to everyone and anyone is free to help themselves to fresh vegetables, free of charge, no payment and no expectations. Johann Opperman of Urban Dynamics says, “You can do something without expecting something back – it’s good for your soul. We wanted our garden to be inviting to people to sit and enjoy while they help themselves to veggies. This is our giving back to the community. “It’s been satisfying to see the garden being used. It’s also satisfying to prove people wrong, especially those who said the garden would be vandalised if we put it on the sidewalk, and the ones who said it would be stolen from, which makes no sense as you can’t steal something that is free.” Johann says that he is amazed that around Windhoek people place spikes on their walls to stop people sitting in front of their buildings, yet they would be happy to take money and business from those same people. “The proportion of pavement space in Windhoek is enormous, and this space could be put to better use addressing food security and nutrition.” The garden project has been beneficial to the team at Urban Dynamics, creating a sense of involvement amongst the team and satisfaction in improving the lives of others. “We wanted to prove that we could do this, and we did. It is functional and has an aesthetic appeal too.”

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Johann has put out a challenge to others to get involved and, if you do, he’ll help with the soil compost.

as a mode of vitality

“Eating clean is striving to eat food in its original form as far as possible. It means eating oats instead of oat energy bars. It means eating a piece of meat, rather than a patty or sausage. It means swapping your fruit juice for real, fresh fruit. It means drinking water instead of sodas.” Samantha believes that a healthy diet can make you feel more alive in the sense of achieving a state that is free of disease or injury, and achieving optimal physical, mental and emotional health. “To feel this way, our body needs to be taken care of in many ways. One of the ways is to ensure a good diet. We certainly need energy (kilojoules) from our diet, as this is the fuel that the body needs to run. We also need a good balance of a variety of nutrients (the building blocks of foods), which are the organic compounds that support every bodily function and organ system. “If we can manage to eat clean the majority of the time, the health benefit is that our bodies will perform optimally in all ways, not only on a day-to-day basis, but in the long term. For example, we can be more productive in our work, have better mental health and

focus, have fewer aches and pains, have healthy, radiant skin and even age better.” Here are Eat Clean Namibia’s five tips to improve eating habits:

Enjoy a variety of foods. Be creative and make your clean food tasty. Share a meal with your family or friends instead of eating alone in front of the television or your smartphone.

Eat at least five to nine fist-size portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Eat beans, split peas, lentils and soya regularly. They are packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial plant nutrients.

se fats sparingly and choose vegetable fats U instead of animal fats.

Use foods and drinks containing sugar sparingly.

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“Now, more than ever, as we experience more stress, exercise and move less, breathe in more-polluted air and consume food in a form that is very different to its original form, we need to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies,” says Samantha du Toit, the founder of Eat Clean Namibia.

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Now in its tenth year of implementation, the MRC programme benefits teachers and pupils, regardless of geographical or logistical constraints and is implemented together with the Ministry of Education. Each MRC is provided with a television, mounting bracket, Personal Video Recorder (PVR) decoder and satellite dish. Ewan Francois Orlam, a straight-A leader at Mariental High School, said that by watching educational programmes, his grades dramatically improved. “When my friends ask me how I manage to get an answer correct, I always tell them it is because of watching television. This resource centre provides me with a world of knowledge.” Focused on the power of science and technology to encourage young minds to positively change their world, the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards inspire students to write a creative essay or design a poster where they take themselves into the future as a scientist,

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Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira, Co-founder of Physically Active Youth (PAY) Namibia

elf-

accep

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Feature

challenged stereotyping

ptance Freedom is seen as an illusion not many can obtain, but freedom comes in little pieces of selfacceptance, higher self-esteem, and being truly yourself. — Zodidi Gaseb

he path to celebrating our uniqueness has several fundamental steps. For many of us, these include self-acceptance and learning to embrace all that we are.

For Zodidi Gaseb, the path included celebrating the fact that she’s slightly different and ultimately challenging the status quo. In 2015, Zodidi wowed global audiences with her TEDx talk titled, I am not your stereotype, I am not my hair. Her talk was selected as one of only fifteen talks from around the globe to celebrate TEDx’s one billion views. Today, as an advocate for women everywhere to embrace their natural hair, Zodidi is running a successful business based on her passion. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny sat down with Zodidi to talk about embracing the life that makes you uniquely you.

On this journey I received some good comments as well as bad, which only encouraged me to be truly myself. The more I embraced my natural self, the more I realised the positive change it had on my daughter. She even had her hair chopped a year after I cut my hair. It is because of this that I continue to be true to myself and to challenge society’s stereotyping of how women should be. MYD: Why is it important that we learn to embrace our natural selves? ZG: If ‘natural selves’ means ‘your authentic selves’, I think it’s a necessity. Society conditions us to look, act, dress, be a certain way, and how liberating it is when you don’t conform because you are an individual. In terms of embracing natural hair, I’ve learnt about a healthier lifestyle, being conscious about what I put on and in my body, what products I use and whether they are beneficial to my hair and scalp or if they will cause more damage. This is also part of a bigger role we play as this generation. As a mother, I have learnt that we set an example to the younger generation and we need to raise this generation to believe that it’s more than OK to be different, to be individuals, to be ourselves in every sense of the word. MYD: You’ve turned this passion into a business, African Naturals. How are you challenging the status quo with this business? ZG: I started African Naturals a few years ago to promote natural hair products, in particular, unrefined shea butter, made in Africa. The business expanded into events where naturals gather and exchange info and tips.

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Zodidi Gaseb

MYD: How did you get into the business of advocating for natural hair and selfacceptance? ZG: In 2013, I did the big chop, which is basically cutting all your damaged ends off so you can reveal your natural strands and start growing your hair healthier. I did this because of my daughter, but also for myself. After I cut my hair I was confused, because for the first time in years I didn’t know how to take care of my natural curls. I went onto YouTube and various blogs and found information on how to take care of my hair in this climate and society, and found advice for starting my own line of natural hair products.

I encourage people to not only embrace their beautiful coils and curls, but to also wear them proudly at work and in their communities, challenging the perception that it is untidy and unkept. Depending on the topic, we showcase styles people could wear to work without having to change who they are. I also encourage others to share their stories and realise that they can actually change their communities, one strand at a time. MYD: What is the most important thing you need to start a business? ZG: Keep it simple and let passion be your cup of daily tea. Connect with like-minded people, listen to your customers and always have a bigger vision. Paperwork is half of the business; money is a small part. Passion and vision are where the magic is. MYD: Did you need to trust yourself to be able to do what you’re doing? ZG: Honestly, there were times I was not sure because I was aware that not everybody would react positively towards this change. But there was a sense of freedom when I decided not to care about others’ opinions of me. Being kind to yourself increases self-confidence and lessens your need for approval. Loving and caring for yourself not only increases self-trust, it also deepens your connection to others. I had to find that trust again, the same trust I had before society told me who I should be – it was beautiful.

Tell yourself that all you need to do is to find some extra motivation. Ask a friend for help. Go on a forum to ask for some accountability and encouragement. Give yourself a big reward. Announce a challenge, just to get through this sticking point. I literally have five people with whom I share the promises I’ve made myself, and they are great at reminding me and keeping me accountable. MYD: Do you think there is a link between accepting yourself and trusting yourself? ZG: Yes, they are very closely intertwined. Once you learn to trust yourself, acceptance is part of the process. Selftrust can be summed up as the assured reliance on your own character, ability, strength, truth and individuality. MYD: How does being yourself give you freedom? ZG: Freedom is seen as an illusion not many can obtain, but freedom comes in little pieces of self-acceptance, higher self-esteem, being truly yourself and living out your true potential and talent. When one is oneself, others’ views of who you should be and what you should be doing with your life are not important because you can confidently say this is the path you are following and not get distracted. That is freedom, and once you have it, you do things with no regret. You pursue your dreams with no apologies and without fear.

MYD

MYD: How did you learn to trust yourself? ZG: By realising that failure isn’t a reason to judge yourself. This is really important, and if you learn nothing else, this is the takeaway. Instead of internalising failure as an indicator that we are not trustworthy or not sufficient, we need to learn that failure is just an external event. Forgive yourself for past mistakes. This was a difficult one for me and it took me four years to learn how to do that. You have to be willing to want to change. Yes, you failed. Yes, that’s OK. We all fail. That’s no reason to feel bad about yourself. Let it go! Tell yourself that you are good, that mistakes were not your fault but the fault of the method. Start to make and keep promises with yourself. This part takes longer, because trust isn’t regained overnight. Make small promises to yourself. Even something like, ‘I’ll cut my hair tomorrow,’ or ‘I’ll read that book I’ve been meaning to read’. Small promises, but big efforts to keep them. Over time, you’ll start to learn that you are trustworthy.

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Learn to get through the tough times. There will always be times when you feel like giving up. Recognise that these are dips in your motivation and that it will take a little extra effort to get through them.

Forgive yourself for past mistakes. Zodidi Gaseb

Comedy, values and worthiness Sibo Tshabalala’s journey in laughter

“To be a great comedian you need a keen sense of observation – to take in everything from headline news to everyday life with all its different facets, and study it with great detail. From the great moments to the mundane ones: observe, experience and see it all,” shares Sibongile (Sibo) Tshabalala, a multi-talented poet, blogger, radio personality and the 2015 winner of the Comic of the Year Award at the Last Comic Standing Competition. Sibo began performing poetry at Spoken Word, when Slick from the management at FreeYourMind spotted her, and asked if she would try the comedy scene. From poetry to comedic awards to taking the lead in her own one-woman comedy show, Sibo’s craft is expanding in tandem with her personal growth. “I was inspired to do the comedy show after watching a documentary where two little girls were speaking of how life is better as a man, how they wished they were born male. It broke my heart. “I want to use comedy to uplift other young women, to say that you can make it as a woman. Comedy is still a male-dominated industry and if I can kick ass (excuse my ‘French’) in it, it goes to show we can kick ass in any industry.

“Throughout the journey, my personal values, founded in my faith in God, act like a compass. Values keep you on course. When you know who you are and what you stand for, you won’t be strung about in whatever direction people or circumstances or situations want to pull you. You’ll have a clear course, and even through the hard times, you won’t compromise or take shortcuts.”

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“From comedy, I’ve learnt that I’m worthy. I was very self-conscious as a teen – I hated my body, hated my complexion, hated myself for a while. Slowly but surely I began to love myself. Comedy was a big part of me accepting and loving myself. Comedy is therapeutic. I learnt not to take myself so seriously, not to sweat the small stuff. Poking fun at myself has actually helped me grow. I feel lighter and unburdened, and it’s all because I got on stage, stripped myself bare and shared my insecurities using humour.

Natural inspiration Inspiration for new creations is sparked in countless ways. It can come from our deep connection to the earth, the desire to honour someone we hold dear, or through the competitive spirit. Whatever the genesis, the common denominator for taking an idea and transforming it into reality is self-belief, and here Namibians continue to surprise and inspire.

Tammy Nott,

founder and owner of Mbiri Natural Skincare Range

“I want to take my business, which I look at as a story, to the world. Through the products, I can tell people about our country, our people and our plants. The source for the resin, the Commiphora wildii plant grows nowhere else in the world. It is unique to Namibia and it is found in the most arid of places. A Himba woman has hand-picked a piece of resin that goes through the whole process until another woman sitting miles away is using it on her skin. I want to connect the world through my skincare range and its story. The world is forever changing and traditions and cultures are being lost. I feel that through my product I can keep this ancient tradition of harvesting Namibian myrrh alive.

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“Mbiri doesn’t just offer a skincare range, it offers a story about people and plants and, of course, a story of Namibia. Mbiri is unique because it supports community projects and focuses on Namibian community-owned enterprises like the Opuwo Processing Facility in Kunene Region, where I source the Namibian myrrh. The resin is sustainably harvested making the whole process green in the sense that the resource is protected. The process and the end products are 100% natural and endorsed by groups like Beauty without Cruelty.”

Ndapanda Toivo,

founder and owner of Tivon, meaning ‘someone who loves nature’

“I simply love cushions; I love textiles and everything about the creative process. My lecturer at UNAM, Cathy McRoberts taught me about textiles and textures, and I came to the idea of using felt for the letters on my cushions. After this, I bought a sewing machine and started working on ideas that could generate an income. “I spend time with my clients, and my cushions say something about my clients as individuals. I use their words, so it’s something personal or a memory, something that is important to them. Cushions are a big part of your home’s interior as it makes the room pop, especially if you use the right colour.

While her work is evolving, with a growing client base and the addition of curtains to her home-textile range, the inspiration for Ndapanda’s work has never changed: “My Mum inspires me. She is my world. I wouldn’t be where I am if not for her. I have never been connected to my Father, but my Mum has been there for me through thick and thin. Even if I messed up she was there for me. She supports my dream.”

Aska Orlale & Taleni Matheus, founders of M&O Décor Enterprise

“It takes perseverance to make it in the world of entrepreneurship. It involves taking risks, sacrifices, time management and a solution-based mind-set. You should also set targets and work towards a goal but, most importantly, if you are waking up with a smile and a positive attitude then you know you are doing it right,” agree Aska Orlale and Taleni Matheus, the creative team behind M&O Décor Enterprise. M&O Décor Enterprise came about when these two young, vibrant women were inspired to enter the Sanlam–Namibia Business Innovation Institute competition in which, against stiff competition, they finished in the top five. Their products include gift boxes, pendant light shades and wall pieces, and all items are uniquely handcrafted by up-cycling or recycling discarded items. “The type of business we have ventured into is rather unusual and often you’ll find people looking down on you, especially when you are a lady in your twenties in the streets collecting and carrying around junk, like empty bottles and boxes. But we know why we are doing this. One day, the same people looking down at us will come knocking at our door looking for employment, and we will gladly open for them and welcome them to assist us in building our business.”

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“I do all the creative work in my head, first. All of this I do long before I cut the material, sometimes even before I have received the order – it is made in my mind.”

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What you do

who you are Anthony Auchab, a motivational speaker, sheds light on the value of you

“For most of us, our career is tied into self-actualisation, a dream that is realised. Thus, when you are asked who you are, more often than not, you introduce yourself as your career,” explains Anthony Auchab, a motivational speaker and founder of the Bridge Institute of Learning. “So more often than not, we derive our identity from what we do. The value we attach to ourselves is a result of linking our identity to our career. It has become a measuring tool of purpose and belonging, and that is not always healthy.” Because our career is just part of who we are, Anthony believes that we cannot base our self-worth entirely on what we do. “Many of us are in jobs or professions where we still struggle to define our purpose. A career is part of the bigger puzzle. It is important to aim for holistic wellbeing. That includes your career, as well as other aspects of your life, such as relationships, health and so on.”

“Ask yourself, ‘Am I doing something worthwhile? Am I contributing to the bigger picture?’ “Accepting yourself, exploring your options and basically doing what you like or following your passion, adds to your quality of life, and self-worth is at the centre of that.” Anthony’s career is a testimony to following his passions. “My career is people advancement. I work with a lot of people and organisations in helping people establish a life purpose, work–life balance, and sense of selfconfidence and self-esteem. I am merely following my passion and it’s something that comes naturally. I am deeply tuned into people. I know that I am making a difference, one person at a time, and that is my worth. “Whatever your goal or dream, execute relentlessly. Be in the frame of mind that you should always execute. That is the direct opposite of having ideas and never acting on them. The best advice I received is to execute relentlessly, not only in business but in your personal life as well.”

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A healthier definition of self is achieved by expanding your sense of self-worth. “It is a process that begins with personal awareness, knowing who you are. The key questions are: Who am I? What do I want in life? How am I standing in my own way? It starts with questions such as these, and the answers require digging.

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Your emotions are the river that your words flow upon.

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Lara-Lyn Ahrens, Actress and Artist

Elemotho lets go of blame

Selfdiscovery When we blame, we search for the answer outside – we search to justify and the minute that we search for that justification, we lose our freedom. — Elemotho

ow often do you find yourself blaming other people or circumstances for your stress, frustration, or for things not being the way they ‘should’ be? To help us move from blame to freedom, 99FM’s Master Your Destiny spoke to Elemotho, a Namibian making major waves on the international music scene. His unique musical style has seen him nominated for numerous international awards, including the RFI–France 24 Discoveries Award, making him the first Namibian to have won this award.

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Elemotho describes himself as an activist and an artist that looks to explore the depth of human spirit.

MYD: What is your take on blame? E: Blame and shame – these are words that are put together. People associate them with each other. Often when we blame our intention is not to correct or to help, it’s to shame; it’s to put down or destroy. Artists blame a lot. We project onto others. That is how you become stuck and also how you remain stuck. Blame holds you back. It is easy to blame, but with so much available to us in today’s age it is almost ridiculous to blame others for where you are today. You’re wasting time and that time could be used to make the most of what is available to you. MYD: What are your thoughts on the concept that blame takes away our freedom? E: I think it’s very deep. I read somewhere not so long ago that the search for freedom in itself is a type of prison and that real freedom is to be found inside when you are content, at peace with yourself. So in essence, you do not ‘search’ for freedom.

Feature

MYD: And when you’re blaming someone you’re saying, ‘Well, because of them I can’t be any different.’ E: So it essentially becomes a feeling of a vacuum. Getting older – it’s one of the things I’m looking at myself. It’s how to find the way to shift all of the things outside and bring them in. The potential is within. The dream starts with the self; the vision starts with the self. Often you find that when you stop fearing, things become so much clearer, the fog goes away and you can face some of the things you didn’t face yesterday. Some people you didn’t want to face, you can now face them and they lose their power over you. You take back the mastery of your life.

MYD: It’s such a waste of emotion and a waste of energy – blaming and shaming – because then you’re not really looking for a solution. E: There’s a song, I don’t know if you will remember it, when the artist [Damian Marley] goes really deep and he sings something along the lines of: Negative thinking is a waste of thoughts, Verbal conflict, don’t you waste your words Physical conflict is a waste of flesh ... Maybe in the end, it doesn’t really matter, how much you blame because it is just time you are taking out of your schedule. All of us get that we’re wasting, that we could be doing something completely different – something that could be moving mountains, something that could give you that jump, something that could give you your lover back – but you listen to your friends whispering in your ear, that baggage of the past, and the past belongs exactly there, in the past.

You know, I’ve been working out a lot lately and what it does for the oxygen to my mind is amazing. I’m hoping I can do it more and more – it’s amazing, it just clears. I have less time for the guilt factors, for the shame, and the blame.

Don’t blame the support system and the lack of love, maybe look for self-love in that situation. Situations depend on how they are viewed, which means that it is you and how you view it, and that you can change the situation.

Maybe while talking about blame, we should also consider the opposites of blame – acceptance, self-love – and how shame can play on many elements, but in the end it isn’t strong enough to defeat love.

Listen to the voices as they truly appear to you; listen to the perspective as it presents itself. Maybe it’s not your voice, maybe it’s your mum’s voice, maybe it’s your uncle’s voice, maybe it’s your friend’s voice. Listen to the voice

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When we blame, we search for the answer outside - we search to justify, and the minute that we search for that justification, we lose our freedom. Some of the wise elders, people that were around when I was growing up, would say that taking responsibility is the first step towards claiming your freedom.

that speaks to you. But by listening, don’t dwell on your past. By letting go of baggage, you cut what you don’t need. You’ve gotta let go of what you don’t need. MYD: Let’s talk about your story. How did you get to where you are today? E: I’m a farm boy. I was born in the east in the Kalahari. It was the fall of the apartheid years, but enough to experience it, to see the effects. We were a big family. I always had the space; the fire; the stories from my Grandmum; the south entertainment, which was the radio, always the radio. Our predecessors worked hard so that we can be here, what we are doing with what we have. Life is a path; like the ancestry is a path. The truth is that every day you face this question: What are you making of yourself? Every day we build ourselves, and we have to shed some skin. Blame should be a teacher, not something that creates more shadows. Blame teaches us something about ourselves. What we are supposed to build on and not what the world owes us. I’m interested in the human condition. I studied African philosophy and psychology at UNAM, and I enjoyed it. But music took hold of me and there’s no bigger power. There’s no bigger beauty for me than music. Sometimes it’s a risk, but to truly live you’ve got to risk. That’s why I go to bed, that’s why I wake up (other than my family) – that power, that inspiration, that love, that source of energy. Music.

MYD

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The pursuit of self Shishani – a Namibian musician and activist who is well known for her soulful melodies, angelic voice and lyrics that address social issues – believes that identity is constantly evolving and that it is often shaped by adversity. “I am starting to be more and more against the notion of fixed identities because we always change. Every day we change; every experience makes us change,” voices the artist in her unique blend of accents and inflections that encompass several continents, and often leave the listener trying to define Shishani’s identity in that limited context. “We’re all informed by our culture – who to fear, who to trust, who to communicate with. Our history informs who I am to the world. But I think we should try to let go of identity, being something fixed – it’s okay to be a lot of things. “I’m from a mixed-race marriage, so the question comes, ‘Am I White; am I Black?’ Then its sexuality: ‘What kind of woman are you if you’re not the lipstick girl?’ “I’m very grateful for my travels because, in the end, there is an essence about humanity and that’s the most beautiful thing you can meet.”

Facing rejection was part of Shishani’s journey to letting go of arbitrary definitions of identity. “Through rejection I got to go inward. I was sick and tired of wanting to be part of this or that group. In music, or other entrepreneurial things, you go through rejection; you’re forced to deal with emotions and many people don’t want to share those emotions. You have to walk through a ring of fire. You have a journey to walk. You have to build a thick skin. “At about 19 years old, I let go. I stood alone and then I felt like I entered another road, meeting people who cared about the spiritual being, like ‘Who are you? What do you stand for?’ “The most important thing is to give yourself time. You don’t have to transform and be this spiritually enlightened person tomorrow. It doesn’t work like that. “Find something that relaxes you. For me, music is my happiness. Music is where I put all my emotions, uncensored. I’m not trying to be beautiful for anybody; I’m just saying how I feel. “I’ve been reading a lot and it says there are two emotions – it’s either love or fear. So what are you going to do? I don’t want to live in fear – I want to live a fearless life. So I choose love. “Change is possible. We can acquire things and let go of others that don’t work for us anymore. It’s tough. There is often an emotional value attached to those things, and unlearning is the hardest thing to do. But I think its necessary in order to approach this new time, this new life, we’re in – and recognise that there is beauty in the fluidity of life.”

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Within us lies a deep yearning to know ourselves and to be known. It is a journey of self-discovery that often starts with the search for the answer to, ‘Who am I?’

Get to know yourself Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. – Aristotle

Take inventory of where you are right now in your life

The Master Your Destiny Show embarked on a journey to look at the value of knowing yourself and the freedom that comes with this experience. To help us along this path of self-discovery, we spoke to resident master-your-destiny expert, creativity coach and lifestyle mentor, Karen Powell, who prepared a step-by-step guide for the journey of uncovering the true you, which she shared with us. Karen believes that when you know who you really are – and who you are not – your life takes on richness and meaning. This in turn creates feelings of happiness, fulfilment and a feeling of purpose.

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How can we get to know ourselves better? By taking the time to focus inward. You can get feedback from others and how they see you, but all the answers you need are already inside of you – if you’re willing to have a closer look.

Draw a large circle on a piece of paper. On the inside, write down everything present in your life at the moment that you’re happy and at peace with. On the outside, write down everything that is troubling or draining you. When you see the state of your present life written down in black and white, it’s an eye-opener. This awareness is your starting point.

Have morning shred sessions

Do twenty minutes of stream-of-conscious writing first thing every morning. This is not journalising, it’s purging. When you’re done, shred the pages – rip them up or burn them. This type of writing will bring a whole lot of truth into your awareness. It may not always be pretty, but the truth will set you free. It will also help guide you in making small changes that will help you live in a way that reflects your true self.

Exercise your intuition like a muscle Your intuition knows you better than you know yourself! It has your very best interests at heart. It’s always leading you to your truest self. Every time you acknowledge your intuition, it gets stronger – just like a muscle.

Make boundaries for yourself

If someone’s behaviour is not acceptable to you, you have the right to create a boundary with him or her. Boundaries help you build your selfrespect and, in turn, a deeper sense of knowing who you are.

Honour and acknowledge all of your feelings Your feelings and emotions are a gold mine

of information. Listen to them. Feel them. Express them in safe ways. For example, anger or resentment might be trying to tell you that you need to make or enforce a boundary with someone or some situation.

Take ‘should’ out of your vocabulary If you feel a certain way, but find yourself

thinking, ‘Maybe I should feel differently about this,’ have a closer look. Are you trying to please someone else? How do you really feel about the situation? Are you being totally honest with yourself?

Admit your hopes and dreams

Admit them to yourself or a trustworthy

confidante. Then see how you can bring some small part of them into your life. Every big accomplishment starts with one very small step. And then another, and another …

Stop apologising

Not for a mistake you’ve made that warrants

an apology … but for constantly saying sorry for random or insignificant things. You have a right to be here, to be imperfect and to take up air and space. Stop saying ‘sorry’ for every little thing. It diminishes you and puts you down for no good reason.

Be kind and gentle with yourself

Beating yourself up for your mistakes or

imperfections only makes you weaker – not stronger. Treating yourself with respect and love builds you up, makes you stronger and more able to become your true self.

Make a collage of ‘you’

Get a few magazines, put on some of your favourite music and pull out pictures and words that speak to you. Then glue them onto board. Sometimes you don’t know why you tore out an image, but it later reveals its meaning to you – usually adding another piece to the mysterious puzzle that is you!

Finding your identity in art “Engaging with the arts, whether it’s as the artist or the viewer, gives you an opportunity to explore or challenge what you think you might know or understand to be true,” shares Tanya Turipamwe Stroh, graphic artist and self-described ‘creativist’, an activist creative. “In some ways, identities are set, but in other ways identities are fluid, faceted always moving. Art allows for that uncovering.” From personal experience, Tanya believes that when you react strongly to art that it effects permanent change. “I remember the first time I saw Jane Alexander’s The Butcher Boys, as a young girl, in the Iziko South African National Gallery in Cape Town. At the time, my Grandmother, tried to explain the brutality of apartheid, represented by the sculpture. As a child I understood it to be horrific and wrong. To date, it still intrigues me, no matter how many times I see it.” Tanya expands from the personal to the historical, “Art has a very accurate way of summating or commenting on a nation’s state. Histories are better and more accurately told through art than records. “Nina Tortula’s typographic posters, as part of the Ministry of Truth and Typography series, are very telling of the violence and extreme divide we’re experiencing socially and economically. These posters are often pasted up in and around town as opposed to in a gallery, making it part of the landscape. “Kirsten Wechslberger’s work often explores identities too. She recently did an installation called The Maze, asking the participant to move through a pitch-black tunnel, using our other four senses to make decisions about fearful and joyous emotions, while navigating yourself from entry to exit. “We have much to question about our past and present identities as Namibians, and perhaps the senses, apart from sight, is a good place to start.”

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ADvERTORIAL

TRaInIng naMIbIanS FOR naMIbIa

t PwC, our legacy is to train and develop Namibians for Namibia. With a staff of over 240 in offices in Windhoek and Walvis Bay, PwC Namibia is the largest professional services provider in Namibia. Namibian owned and managed, and a member of PwC Africa, our services are tailored to our clients’ audit, advisory and tax business needs. At PwC we develop our staff to provide high quality, in-depth solutions to our clients’ important and complex problems. People development for national development We believe that empowerment starts with education. From high school through university to on-the-job training, we provide coaching, mentoring and education opportunities for Namibians to develop skills that will help to close the inequality gap and make a positive impact in Namibia at large.

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More than 131 chartered accountants have qualified through PwC Namibia. We have 60 trainees in the process of completing their three-year chartered accountant articles. In 2007, we launched the PwC Tax Academy where 18 candidates have completed their training. Currently six candidates are enrolled on a three-year tax articles programme while furthering their studies within various taxation fields. To date, 95% of our Tax Academy candidates are Namibian. We currently have eight trainee accountants from previously disadvantaged groups

with traineeship contracts for the Certified Commercial and Financial Accountant qualification with our firm. Social responsibility These numbers represent skilled individuals who are dedicated to our clients and to our society. At PwC, we believe in a purposedriven life, focusing our outreach on skills development, training and family. As a founding member of Men on the Side of the Road, we are actively involved in searching for and creating job opportunities. At PwC, we ask ourselves, “How many jobs did you create? How many people did you take off the street?” By creating entry-level positions for those struggling to find employment, we begin the process of training. We create opportunities to learn, to advance and to ultimately open these positions to others in dire need of a step on the employment ladder. As a firm, we established the Omuhoko Trust to support different causes in Namibia. ‘Omuhoko’, an Oshiwambo word, means ‘family’ – something we believe in. Employees contribute N$30 or more every month to the trust and the firm matches the money dollar for dollar. Through the trust, we have contributed to building a house at Hope Village, and support for projects such as the Isaiah Project, SPES Charity, Jonathan Jacob Project and Nurturing Ground, all designed to uplift Namibians.

Contact details: Nangula Uaandja Country Senior Partner

nangula.uaandja@ pwc.com Ansie Rossouw Partner in Charge Walvis Bay

ansie.rossouw@ pwc.com

Clothed in tradition Two Namibian women follow their passion for doll-making and their desire to pay homage to their culture, creating an enduring business venture A desire to preserve their cultural identity drove Elsie Riruako and Philladelphia Koujo to take the art that their mothers taught them and turn it into a business. Since 1991, the two friends have made Herero-inspired dolls. They work six days a week, making and selling their crafts to support their families. “We started making these dolls when we were just girls,” says Philladelphia. Since then, there have been many changes in the Namibian arts landscape, but they have remained dedicated to their craft. “Our struggle has been with the business side of our art,” explains Elise. “We have never received support from the government for our business. We rely solely on ourselves and our customers for support.” Namibians are among the customers and, of course, tourists are drawn to the colourful, uniquely Namibian dolls. “We chose these dolls as our art because this is our tradition. Tourists ask many questions about the dolls and we are proud to tell them about our traditions.”

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“It has been a hard journey but we love making these dolls. It is our passion.”

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Feature

Don’t allow problems to cover you – pile them up and climb on them, so that you can reach a higher level. – Abigail Bachopi

inding your calling is one thing, but having the courage to follow it is quite another. If you are brave enough to do both, then life is full and comes alive.

Abigail Bachopi has always known that she belongs in the community, helping children. In 2003, Abigail co-founded Family of Hope Services, as a safe haven for children in Katutura. Today, Family of Hope Services is a wellestablished centre, supported by the community and praised internationally for providing care, education and counselling support to more than 450 children. Abigail’s calling has not only transformed her own life, but it has also become the impetus for positive change in thousands of lives. She visited the 99FM’s Master Your Destiny studio.

MYD: Tell us your story. AB: I grew up in a homestead with more than 18 siblings from the three wives that my father had. My life has always been part of a community. One of the things that stood out when I was growing up was all that we shared – the sharing of things, the sharing of values, the sharing of parents even. As a child, you always belong to the community – that’s my upbringing.

compassionately cares for children

One interesting part of my life was when I was studying executive secretarial skills in Harare, and I worked with a lady who was attending to a number of children that were hanging around on the streets. She would bring in the street kids and teach them values. When no one else had a moment for them, she paused and gave them love. Being part of that – volunteering with a deeper involvement in serving a community – made me realise that this is exactly what I want to do.

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Abigail Bachopi

MYD: And then from growing up, where did you go before you started the Family of Hope Services? AB: After boarding school, I did national service and some teaching, where I started a youth club. I also studied skills, such as counselling and psychosocial counselling, which are valuable in helping the person who needs me, my passion.

MYD: And how did you take it further? AB: In 2001, I was studying psychosocial counselling for my advanced diploma. I’d been in Namibia for almost six years, and I ended up working with a support group for people living with HIV and AIDS. Because the parents who attended the group couldn’t leave their children alone, the children would come with their parents to the meetings. Mostly they came to the group because they would get a meal. I always had a heart for children, so I asked the lady in charge of the support group if I could start working with these children. I think there were only about 18 children from the group of about 165 women and men. From that small beginning with 18 children, we realised that there’s actually quite a need in the community to help children. So we did research into ways to help meet this need. Out of this research came the initiative to provide basic support for the children’s basic needs, including education because we believe that with education you can change your tomorrow. So that’s it, the actions that led to starting the Family of Hope Services, a registered welfare organisation. MYD: Tell us about the centre and where it is today? AB: I recall days when we had more than 2,000 people standing around, leaning on the fence, trying to get information and help with the basics – school uniforms, hygiene pads, things that you would take for granted. After nine years from our base at a community hall in Havana, we have been able to serve more than 450 children. This is a sign of our support from the community, our leaders, international donors and local supporters like Imago Dei, which funds our food and nutritional programmes that provide meals for over 265 children on a daily basis. We also have a remedial school programme, which helps prevent kids from dropping out of school by giving them support and counselling. For children who had to drop out of school, the programme provides educational support to help them get back into classes. Often it is the paperwork and the documents that cause the most problems, and we help parents and learners with that. The more you help people, the more you realise that it’s usually not the money for school fees that people need, it is being able to offer counselling, psychosocial counselling support and play therapy for some of the children.

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One of the strengths we have at Family of Hope Services is the support that we get from the local authorities, the community and community leaders. We have a Care Team Committee made up of individuals who choose to say, ‘OK, I want to be able to monitor the wellbeing of at least 10 to 15 children around me.’ It’s all the things that have

been brought together to prevent children from dropping out of school, from working with the children to assisting the struggling caregivers and their households. MYD: It’s an incredible success story because you’ve mobilised the community to get involved. That must give you so much joy. AB: It does. And it’s one of the joys that I carry and encourage in others – to share the values of caring. To me that is the core, to leave the world a better place than what I found. We have quite a number of children that were in the remedial programme that are now part of the youth club and youth leadership. Our Centre Manager came up from the youth drama group and is studying development in her last year of university. Remedial leaners who moved through the programme are now giving back to the school! There are so many joys. Beneficiaries who have become capable of helping themselves and others have built Family of Hope Services. That’s why our member numbers are increasing on a yearly basis. Children that we have helped become adults, help others. So for us, it is accumulation of success. MYD: How did you keep strong through the difficult times? AB: It is in my heart for children and I look to God to say, ‘Give me strength to do what I need to do’. I recall a little boy, Johannes, who went to be with the Lord. Johannes was paralysed and lost his mum, and moved into SOS Children’s Village, an orphanage. When I had hard times, I would go to the centre and just be there, watching him come through the gate and go into the centre. They used to joke and say, ‘Oh, that’s Abigail’s boss,’ because he inspired me … and that goes for quite a lot of the children, they pick me up. There are actually a lot of good people out there who want to help children, but they don’t have the time, and perhaps they don’t have platforms available to them. We are literally in the business of being in the community, seeing to the needs of the children and being their voice. MYD: That’s incredible. What advice would you have for those people listening to find the thing that makes them feel alive? AB: I would say to them that they should open up. Think about what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you wake up and the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep. Look at that. Follow it. Sometimes it will call you to take risks. Just be courageous and consistent in what you are doing. Even if you’ve got a job that you just do for money, find that thing in life which makes you say ‘This is it – now I am now living!’

MYD

Growing by giving to children After getting a scholarship to study yoga in Kenya at the Africa Yoga Project, which she describes as “all about community yoga”, Beauty returned to Namibia and contacted the Physically Active Youth (PAY) communitybased project in Katutura to offer her services as a teacher. “I teach yoga twice a week to children at PAY. It’s a wonderful centre with wonderful people and wonderful children. We play, we laugh, we joke, we sing, and I teach them yoga in a really fun and cool way. “It’s not about perfection. It’s about getting them to give their bodies positive attention, and for them to also learn something new that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.” The results have resonated across physical and emotional levels. “Yoga is all about connection, not only connecting your mind and your body and inside you, but also about giving and connecting with other human beings. “When I teach, we start and end with a Circle of Trust. In that Circle of Trust I feel like they’ve learnt to have respect for each other, not to speak when someone else is speaking or hurt the person standing next to them. The Circle of Trust enhances a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood amongst the children, to know that they have a family bigger than what is at home.”

On a physical level, being aware of their bodies ultimately helps the children’s confidence. “A lot of the things that we carry in our physical bodies manifest emotionally. You can see when people are confident, you can spot them from a mile away, they stand tall, and they speak in a certain way. “A lot of these children that I practise yoga with have started to look and carry themselves with confidence. They are in charge of their bodies and they are learning to take control. “Our Circle of Trust also offers them opportunities to voice their opinions, and that has also made them more confident to speak out, to be able to say what makes them uncomfortable or what they enjoy. “And their concentration levels have also improved. Their love for the practice of yoga has also increased, and they can practise even when I’m not around. It’s like a little gift that they have, and nobody can take that away from them.” Beauty has been blessed to receive gifts from others too. First from her parents who have always been givers and encouraged their children to give, then from the founders of the Africa Yoga Project and from her yoga teacher in Windhoek, Linda Raven. “Honestly once someone has touched your life through their giving and presence in your life, it’s contagious. Once you’ve received, you can’t help but to feel the urge to touch someone else’s life.”

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“Whatever you send out, you will get back, this is what I know for sure.” This is the belief that inspires Beauty Boois, a young yoga teacher, to use the lessons she’s learnt and the gifts she’s received to encourage others.

Never be defeated

Maya Angelou said, “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” At 19 years old, after facing years of bullying at school and the prospect of having her leg amputated, Foibe Silvanus knew she had to make a decision. “After all these things that happened to me, I thought, ‘I cannot feel sorry for myself. I have more to offer than to feel self pity.’ So I said, ‘No, I’m going to make a difference in my community.’” Foibe would not be defeated. In 2004, she moved to Windhoek and joined the Family of Hope Services. “I started by joining the youth programme and I became a volunteer. Family of Hope Services – FHS – gives hope. It restores your dignity and inspires you not to give up on life. “Back then, I received food and some used clothes, but it was never about what I got, it was always about what I could give back.” Foibe thought she wanted to become a nurse and do home-based care, but her time at FHS inspired her to give back to the community through social work, and she is currently studying for her degree at UNAM. “Being with FHS has taught me a lot. It opened my eyes to all that we can offer – talking to someone, giving them

a hug, listening to someone’s story and reassuring them, especially when they feel overwhelmed by circumstances.” Foibe believes that finding your passion starts with selfdiscovery, knowing your inner strength and what you are good at. “It’s natural to follow you passion, it’s like water that flows in the riverbed. For me, it’s helping another family by registering their kids in school or following up on issues in the community. This is what makes me whole.” Foibe believes that following your passion is a lifelong process. For her, it includes education and using her experiences to help others. “Family support helped me to move beyond the bullying I experienced in school. My advice to young people is to choose a friend that you can learn from, and to surround yourself with people who will help you build your life, not destroy it.” In the future Foibe plans to return to her community in the north and share what she’s learnt with those living in rural areas. “Children in rural areas are very vulnerable, and I am also passionate about working with elders. They inspire me with their histories. One day, I will go back to the community where I came from and give back.” Returning whole and undefeated.

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Rhythm, beat and life

One of the members of the Drum Café Namibia, Thabiso Dube, says that he has always wanted to perform.

“Ever since I was in kindergarten, performing has always been my dream. But there’s very little you can do in performing arts without rhythm. That’s where drumming kicks in as the base. So when I joined Ongoma, it was a great stride as a performer to have the djembe as my major instrument.

In Namibia, the Drum Café is an evolution of the Ongoma rhythm and percussion group. “There is something about a group drumming that is immensely powerful and invigorating. Even people who claim they don’t have rhythm usually get proven wrong when they join a drumming circle. We’ve even facilitated interactive drumming at Dagbreek School for intellectually impaired children. They did just fine following the rhythm,” shares Irmi Röder, the co-founder of the Drum Café Namibia.

“Imagine a world without music or rhythm? That would totally suck. So I would gladly advise all Namibians to go to a theatre, take up music or drumming classes, or even ask us to be a part of your event and get involved either as a performer or with an audience.” Irmi adds that with the launch of the Drum Café Namibia, their wish is to, “… bring the joy of communal drumming to all major companies in Namibia. We want to add the joy factor to conferences and symposiums by invigorating participants and getting them to listen to each other and work together. We want to unite people and bring them together through the amazing experience of group drumming. Our team-building programmes are designed to break down barriers to create more open organisations; align people to a common goal, mission or vision; improve communication; and accelerate productivity by motivating staff.” She adds that in the words of Warren Lieberman, the founder of Drum Café, “The first thing we hear when entering this world is the beat of our mother’s heart. Drumming is something everyone and every culture can relate to. My experience is that drumming makes people happy.”

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The Drum Café, a global drumming movement, has landed here in Namibia. This means more opportunities to immerse ourselves in the art and the healing practice of drumming. Research demonstrates many positive effects of drumming, including accelerated physical healing, boosted immunity, feelings of wellbeing, ability to release emotional trauma and benefits for illnesses such as anxiety, asthma, mental illness, arthritis and much more.

“This African drum is a spiritual instrument. According to oral tradition, it was not only used for entertainment, but healing purposes as well. This clearly depicts how integral it was as a part of life, as a healthy soul equals a happy life.

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Our

Feature

natural heritage

Marlice van Vuuren on why we need leopards

Co-founder of N/a’an ku sê and well-known Namibian conservationist, Marlice van Vuuren shares her journey and vision for the future with 99FM’s Master Your Destiny.

MYD: How did you get involved in the incredible work you are doing? MvV: I wanted to become a vet but my heart was on the farm, working with animals. My parents were farmers and got into conservation, so it’s in my blood. I’m lucky because my husband saw this passion and he started working with me. With a Dutch investor, we purchased a farm outside Windhoek, N/a’an ku sê, and it’s grown from there.

MYD: It’s amazing that you are doing work at the clinic where people can have scans and medical services. Now, tell us about the work that you’re doing with the environment. MvV: Ten years ago, we started a lodge, N/a’an ku sê, to create jobs for San people from Epukiro. We also founded the wildlife sanctuary and began doing research, most of which started because of conflicts between humans and wildlife. For example, someone has a baby baboon, which is cute when it’s small, but then becomes a lot of work and a problem, so the animal ends up at N/a’an ku sê. We realised that we couldn’t just take in animals; we have to deal with where the problems are. We started working with farmers to help with conflicts that they were having with cheetah, leopard, wild dog and baboon – you name it. With any animal that they have a problem, or is orphaned, we try to give them a solution. This made us realise that we need a base in the north and the south, where the land is intact, so that we’d have release sites for animals.

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/a’an ku sê Lodge and Wildlife Sanctuary is a place where the conservation of animals and culture are interlinked. N/a’an ku sê is actively involved in improving the lives of the marginalised San community through education, employment and healthcare. In addition, the sanctuary is home to orphaned and injured animals and conservation research projects.

We also have a clinic in the east of the country. It started out seeing about 60 patients on a Saturday afternoon and now has two full-time volunteer doctors, a Namibian nurse and two interpreters. There are many people involved, like Johannes Brandt who is an eye surgeon and does our eye operations. We cover an area of about 10,000 square kilometres around the clinic and we see 5,500 patients per year for free.

First prize is if we get a call about a carnivore. We try to collar the animal and release it immediately on that farm. We let the farmer know that from the next day onwards they will get daily downloads on that animal to give them an idea of where the animal is and if there is a potential conflict situation. We can clearly see if this animal hunts in the same area for three or four days. Then we’ll tell the farmer to go have a look. If the animal has taken a calf and if they do it twice more, then you know that is the culprit that you were looking for. But the majority of animals that are killed are not the livestock killers. If you identify the problem animal, get a permit and a professional hunter, we will cover the costs … but don’t take out random animals. Having a big leopard on your property – one that will keep everything smaller out – is your insurance policy. It will control your cheetah and jackal numbers, and you’ll benefit from it. MYD: We hadn’t thought about leopards as a benefit to a farm. MvV: Most of our problems are because we already interfere so much that there isn’t a balance. We have two projects in the south at Kanaan and Neuras where, after putting out camera traps, we are starting to understand the numbers and patterns of movement of leopard, cheetah, jackal and hyena. In the north at Mangetti Cattle Ranch, we started a research project four years ago. We collared two elephant cows to learn about their home ranges, whether they are resident there, where they move to and where we should make buffers so the farmers aren’t constantly struggling with the fences. Now everyone wants to start a tourism venture, so that they can benefit and the elephant doesn’t get shot. MYD: Once you have done the research, you can make informed decisions that will benefit the animals and the farmers in the future. MvV: We try and do applicable research with PhD and masters students to find answers before we jump to conclusions or start shooting.

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MYD: What is some of the research that you’re most proud of? MvV: That would be the research we’ve been doing for the past eight years on cheetah and leopard. From translocation and monitoring afterwards, we have an 85% success rate of survival with leopards and with cheetahs it’s about 65%, but not a lot of them get shot. They are killed by leopards or spotted hyenas, or leopards kill other leopards. Remember these cats are monitored daily, so we can call a farmer and tell him there is a specific leopard on the northern border of his farm, so if he has livestock there, he just drives around once or twice a day and the leopard will move off.

We have one leopard, Lightning – she was so tiny when she came to us. I thought she was a young leopard, but Kiwiti, a Bushman working on research with us, said, ‘No, she’s fully grown.’ She was too small to collar, so we kept her for a year and when we released her, I said a little prayer, ‘Don’t get shot, don’t go and catch something you’re not supposed to.’ She moved from NamibRand over the mountains to Neuras. When that farm came on the market, we bought the property where we make wine for conservation. Lightning had settled down there. She’s had cubs three times, and she’s not once gone back to killing livestock. She might have done it once, but not everything with spots will catch livestock. MYD: Tell us how you are doing wine for conservation. MvV: We bought this piece of land because of Lightning. It’s close to Sossusvlei and has a small winery. We had to make a decision to let the vines just stand there or to make wine. My husband, Rudie, is business minded. He’s also a big dreamer and he makes things happen immediately. So we started researching how to make wine and got good advice from wine makers in South Africa. Now we make a red wine, port and brandy. For every bottle sold, part of the money goes back into conservation. MYD: You’ve also been working on an exciting project showing what it’s really like to work in wildlife conservation. MvV: I was approached by kykNET to do a story for Groen, a wildlife programme. I was the presenter the first year and the second year we decided to involve the whole van Vuuren family. We also donated the shows to NBC to show Namibians what other Namibians are doing. Namibia Breweries came in as the main sponsor and then Toyota in Gobabis got involved. We shot 13 different stories around Namibia with different people working on conservation. I think it’s great exposure for Namibia. In the next series we have three full episodes on the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the work that they do. I am so proud to be a Namibian. Our government is doing a lot of good work that nobody knows about. We can criticise very quickly, but they are doing good stuff and need support from the public. We have so much talent and so many people doing great work. Namibia is a great country for conservation.

MYD

Off the beaten track Namibians have many reasons to be proud of our country. One example that has gained international respect and mimicry is our community-based natural resource management, or CBNRM. Since its founding in the mid-1980s, the CBNRM programme has become an international model for combining tourism, conservation and community development for the benefit of rural Namibians living in communal conservancies. These communities have rights to manage and distribute benefits from wildlife resources in their areas, gaining not only access to and responsibility for defined areas, but also the motivation to conserve natural resources. The numbers are impressive – 82 communal conservancies, covering approximately 161,900 square kilometres, with approximately 180,000 people living in them, and 37 joint-venture lodges between private tourism operators and conservancy partners.

Well-known Namibian artist and conservationist, Helge Denker, explains that, “Exploring conservancies is now easier with the launch of Conservancy Side-Tracks, an innovative tourism route development project that intends to make the myriad of attractions found in conservancies more accessible, while also guiding tourism traffic onto preferred routes and ensuring the land-holders have a say in what happens on their land.” Still in its pilot phase, the Conservancy Side-Tracks Project is putting together maps and guides that will describe day outings for self-guided trips or can be used to complement local guiding services. No doubt, this will add to the experience, the adventure and inspiration found in Namibia’s communal conservancies.

Trust in silence Silence can be found through meditation, through sports that push the body while focusing the mind, in specific places, such as a church … or the Namib Desert, which has been described as one of the largest natural cathedrals on Earth. “The desert is of course the ultimate destination for those searching for silence, as its large, uninhabited, open spaces scream silence and almost forces those who enter the far-reaching vastness to become silent, both inside and out.

“The desert influences people in many different ways, but more often than not, a journey to the desert will inevitably lead to reflection, introspection and questioning ourselves. Because of the secluded and silent environment of the desert, one often spends long moments thinking about life, the universe and everything. It is almost set in stone that you will leave as a reinvented person. The strength and personal wisdom that you will gain from such a journey could very well bring a renewal of trust in oneself.”

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“Silence of the mind is the key to introspection,” says Namibian writer, Marita van Rooyen, “and it always helps to have silence around you in order to be able to fully shutdown and allow your mind, body and soul to become quiet.”

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MTn Our rapidly changing world is driven by communication, global connections that are based on access to telecommunications and the internet. Those without access to the physical and educational skills necessary to communicate are getting left further and further behind. This is why MTN Business, a leader in telecommunications across 23 countries in Africa and the Middle East, is dedicated to investing in education for all as part of its 21 Days of Y’ello Care, an annual staff volunteer programme that encourages all MTN employees to make a meaningful contribution to community development. Each MTN initiative is judged on the number of volunteers and stakeholders involved, its impact on the community and the project’s sustainability, with MTN Namibia winning the prize for Innovation in 2013.

MTN’s commitment to education is not limited to 21 Days of Y’ello Care. We are committed to an ongoing process whereby students are encouraged to expand upon their potential. Clinton Muinjo is a prime example of this growth. As a high school student, Clinton participated in MUNNAM and he remains involved as an adjudicator at the MUNNAM Conference. He also avails support to UNIC to help train new delegates. As President of the Debating Society at UNAM, Clinton organised the first UNAM Open, the largest debating tournament in the country, sponsored by MTN Business. We believe that when young Namibians experience the power found in sharing their ideas, it unlocks a world of possibilities for themselves and our entire, connected global community.

In line with MTN’s vision ‘to lead the delivery of a bold, new Digital World to our customers’, MTN Namibia is a proud supporter of the Model United Nations Namibia (MUNNAM), an international educational programme that inspires students to pursue sustainable solutions to the issues facing our global community. Participants, known as delegates, are assigned countries and given a topic to research. From this research, they formulate a position, which is presented and debated during a two-day conference. Throughout the process, they hone critical skills, such as research, writing, debating and public speaking, as well as critical thinking, leadership and teamwork abilities. Prior to the conference, MTN sets up remote research labs in Khomasdal and Katutura with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) so that participating students who don’t have access to the tools needed to conduct research are not at a disadvantage.

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Each year 150 students from Windhoek, the coast and the North are well prepared to take on the challenges at the Model UN conference, presenting their positions with confidence and pride.

Contact: MTN Business Tel: 061 209 8000 www.verizonbusiness.com.na

Why travelling in Namibia will fill your heart with pride and wonder

A feature in Travel News Namibia entitled ‘Wanderlust’ is a showcase for beautiful, affordable holiday locations across the country that has been growing in popularity amongst Namibians. The writer of the series and avid Namibian travel fundi, Elzanne Erasmus, believes we should all adopt a little ‘wanderlust’. “People have a different spark that fuels their fire,” shares Elzanne. “Curiosity is mine. And it is this curiosity, plus a group of like-minded friends, that led me down Namibia’s dust roads. That’s what ‘Generation Wanderlust’ is all about. It’s the spark that urges a group of young Namibians who love their country and want to explore it, to set off and travel. Meeting people along the way that inspire you, seeing sites that fill your heart to the brim with pride and wonder. “Every inch of our country is covered with these sparks of ‘awesome’. You may think that a night out with friends in town, laughing and having a ‘jol’, is fun and makes you feel alive, but you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced that exact moment while sitting on top of Big Daddy in Sossusvlei, or lazing in the rapids of the Popa Falls in the Kavango River, or following a desert elephant as it meanders down the Ugab River. Namibia’s beauty, its aweinspiring people and wildlife and the epic moments you’ll create on your travels, that makes you come alive.” While places are inspiring, it’s the people – those you travel with and those you

meet along the way – that turn a trip into an experience. “In every corner of the country I have met someone who fuelled my love for the land – from school kids in Rundu, tour guides at Twyfelfontein to Herero women selling crafts next to a dust road outside Ozondati. There was one thing all these individuals had in common, irrespective of their age, culture or location – they love Namibia and they have a full understanding of the importance of preserving it. “Each one explained to me that for their community to survive they need tourism to thrive. This is what drives them and gives them a sense of pride. Raymond – a guide at Twyvelfontein – refused to tell me where I could see rhinos. For all he knew I might be a poacher and it was his job to protect them. Henriette, selling her crafts by the side of the road, wore full traditional Herero dress, despite it being 38 degrees Celsius. Toivo, our skipper on the Kavango River, knew the name of every single bird we spotted and taught me more than any book could. Each had something to add to my experience. “I believe it is a common misconception that travelling Namibia is reserved for the foreign tourist with his shiny VISA card and extra-long camera lens. There is so much wonder for Namibians to see, explore and experience … and we’re lucky, because it’s right on our doorstep. “What I love most about my countrymen is their pride and spirit. We love being called Namibians and we never miss an opportunity to shout it from the rooftops. It is this pride that should inspire Namibians to explore their own country. They will be amazed to discover how much more beauty and wonder there is to fall in love with once they start this journey.”

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‘Wanderlust’ – the irresistibly strong desire to travel or wander; the word may be German in origin, but the feeling is universal. The impulse to explore, to push the boundaries and challenge preconceived ideas can be realised in the calm of a Tibetan monastery, at the depths of the sea, or it can be quenched right here at home.

orgiv

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Feature

John Sam

moved forward through forgiveness

veness John Sam is an unlikely voice for the power of forgiveness. After spending 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, he is not only ready to forgive, but also asks the same of those around him. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny spoke to Sam about the transformative power of forgiveness.

MYD: John, tell us a little about yourself? JS: I was born and raised in Windhoek, in a Katutura neighbourhood, and a few years back, I went to prison. MYD: How did you end up in prison? JS: I met a certain Nigerian friend, or so-called friend. He was lost and he didn’t have anywhere to go, so I gave him a place to stay. Our friendship grew, and he informed me that he had a business partner somewhere in America who was staying in South Africa. They wanted to use my postal address for receiving parts from South America before sending them on to South Africa.

I was arrested, my Mum was arrested, and my sister was arrested. Because the postal address was registered in my Mum’s name and my elder sister was the one who picked up the stuff from the post office, all three of us were arrested. Thanks to the Almighty, they were released and I was the only who was sentenced to prison. I was sentenced to 20 years, of which two years were suspended. MYD: How did it feel in that moment to have your whole life ahead of you and then to be behind bars? JS: It was heartbreaking. My Mum even passed away while I was inside, so it was very tough. I only learnt to serve my sentence and to be myself – that’s what helped me the most – and I prayed a lot. While I was still in prison, Mr Jay-Jay, who is now my boss, was a prison guard. He was working with the sports administration division, and he liked the way I played football. So when he was moved from the sports division to the workshop division, he recruited me to be a panel beater and a spray painter. So for the last nine, maybe ten, years of my sentence, I was at the workshop doing spray painting and panel beating. When I was released, he was the first person to approach me and give me employment.

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orgiveness is the peace and understanding that comes when you let go of that which has hurt you – not for any one else, but for yourself. This release adds to your own sense of freedom and has been shown to reduce anger, depression and stress, leading to feelings of hope, peace, compassion and self-confidence.

But it turns out these electronic parts were not real electronic parts. Cocaine was stashed in the files. When I took this ‘friend’ to the bus terminal to go back to South Africa, he was arrested and he pointed me out.

MYD: That’s fantastic because so often people who’ve served a sentence in prison come out of prison with nowhere to go, because people don’t want to employ an ex-convict. JS: True, they don’t want to forgive them. And if you are not accepted back into society, it is very easy to go back to prison. MYD: Did you find when you came out of prison that the community was forgiving of what you had been through and what you had done? JS: Actually, the close members of my family were forgiving. The fact that they knew that I went to prison for something I didn’t do, they were maybe more forgiving. There were some people who were talking, but you don’t worry about them. MYD: How important is forgiveness in a community? JS: Forgiveness is very important. Without forgiving I don’t think you will strive into the future. It is always good to forgive and forget. I’m still trying to forgive this so-called friend, but I heard he passed away. Apparently a person mistook him for somebody else and accidently shot him. So, while forgiveness has been hard, I’ve got peace of mind. MYD: What has this experience taught you about yourself? JS: Prison taught me a lot. Sometimes I think, if it wasn’t for prison, I could have been dead a long time ago. Because I grew up in prison, without my Mum, that made me a stronger person – more independent, hard working and looking forward to the future. MYD: Did you meet a lot of people like that in prison that needed forgiveness from the beginning? JS: Definitely, there are people who deserve to be in prison and those who don’t deserve to be in prison. There are those who committed crimes, but they learn from their mistakes. There are those who committed crimes, but after they serve their sentence they will go out and do the same thing again. There are a lot of different characters in prison. Crime does not pay. It only brings hardship to you. There are only two ways out – either you die or you go to prison. I won’t advise anybody to commit any kind of crime. MYD: How important is it to have a support system in order to be able to rise above difficult situations? JS: It’s very important. Without support, I don’t think you will manage.

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MYD: Since you’ve come out of prison, you’ve been employed at Jay-Jay’s Body Repairs for eight years now, and according to Jay-Jay you often win the employee of the month award.

JS: That’s true. In everything I do, I always give my best. That’s the kind of person I am. I never want to disappoint, and I’m always trying to learn from what I’m doing. MYD: How important was it to have support, such as Jay-Jay, in your life to give you an opportunity? JS: It was very important. I don’t see Jay-Jay as my boss, I see Jay-Jay as a father figure. If it was not for him, I don’t know where I could have ended up. MYD: Did you have any difficulties with colleagues and people that didn’t know your story, but just knew you’d been to prison? JS: Ja. It was difficult to prove to the people that I am a changed person; that I want to try to live a positive life. But like I said in the beginning, I never concentrated on them, I just try to be positive and live my life positively. MYD: If you could give a message to those people that judged you, what would it be? JS: It is not their place to judge. The only one to judge us is the Almighty. MYD: Do you have forgiveness for the system that sent you to prison? JS: We are all human beings, and it was people just like me who were judging me, so I’ve got no regrets. I’m just looking forward. MYD: Who inspires you, John? JS: My inspiration comes from my boss, Jay-Jay. I want to be as successful as he is one day, and have my own company and my own employees. He is a very positive inspiration to me. MYD: And would you also employ somebody who’d been in prison before? JS: Definitely. Why not? MYD: If you could go back and give any message to your mum, what would it be? JS: I would have told her that she was a very strong woman. Sometimes I think what I did, affected her health. I would have liked to ask for her forgiveness. If she was still around, I could have shown her that I could have been a better person for her. MYD: Do you think that she would have forgiven you? JS: Of course, no matter what – how big, how small – your mistakes in life, your mother is the only person you can go back to. MYD: What message do you have for anyone listening about making mistakes? JS: I’d tell everybody to forgive one another and forget about the past. But work on your mistakes to improve your life. I want to be a successful businessman one day, create more job opportunities and live my life to the fullest.

MYD

Power

the

of forgiveness in building a successful business

With a successful panel beating and body repair workshop in Windhoek’s Northern Industrial Area and many business awards, including Best Service Provider in the annual Sam Nujoma Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Awards, Jay-Jay is testimony to the fact that one can do well by doing good. “As an entrepreneur, the most important piece of advice I’ve been given is to always be disciplined in whatever you are doing, focus on your vision and respect your employees, as without them you are nothing in business,” shares Jay-Jay. “In business one has to know your own limits, especially when dealing with employees. Forgiveness is sometimes necessary, but it is also necessary not to allow yourself to be misused by your employees, because this might lead to an unruly workforce and this can have serious consequences.”

With a dedicated staff and a growing business, Jay-Jay has found this balance. He opened his first workshop in 2003 as a one-man business. By 2010, the business had grown to the extent that he purchased an additional erf and built a modern workshop that is complete with cutting-edge automotive-repair and spray-painting equipment and machinery. “The opening of this workshop was my proudest moment. It meant that we could serve an increased number of clients in a more cost-effective manner and that the sky is the limit for Jay-Jay’s Body Repairs.” Jay-Jay advises up-and-coming business people to stay focused and to refrain from mixing business with either pleasure or politics. “You must learn to be patient because a successful business person does not reap the fruits of his or her business in the first five years. Patience counts in business. A business without a history is no business.”

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Moses ‘Jay-Jay’ Leonard is known in business circles as the man who went from being a prison warden to being the employer of ex-convicts. As founder and owner of Jay-Jay’s Body Repairs, he has given people like John Sam a way to earn an honest living and a chance to find hope for the future.

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SOCIal wElFaRE Pick n Pay Namibia – contributing to the social welfare of our communities and the growth of our country

and every Pick n Pay branch in the country is committed to supporting a local community organisation.

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rom Katima Mulilo to Katutura, Outapi to Ondangwa, at Pick n Pay Namibia we continue to expand the positive impacts we have on our customers’ shopping experiences and on our nation.

Managing Director, Norbert Wurm, stresses, “We are very grateful for the support received over the years by our customers, and the Namibian community at large. The least we can do to show our gratitude, is to give back where and when we can, to the community in contribution to bettering their livelihoods.”

A subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, Pick n Pay Namibia is integral to the group’s metric vision of creating an additional 4,000 jobs by 2019 – Pick n Pay Namibia currently employs close to 2,400 Namibians at 23 stores across the country.

In 2016, we committed to another five vital community-based organisations: • Oonte OVC Organisation in Ondangwa, which provides daily meals, home-based care and educational programmes for orphans and vulnerable children

Focusing on the critical role we play in supporting government’s ‘Growthat-Home’ strategy, Pick n Pay strongly supports the collective vision of eradicating poverty as outlined in the principles and goals of the Harambee Prosperity Plan.

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Mainstream Foundation in Katima Mulilo, which educates and cares for 50 children with disabilities

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Dorkas Community Development Organization in Windhoek, which assists children and the bedridden elderly with meals

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Anamulenge Primary School in Outapi which provides meals – fundamental to a child’s ability to learn

As part of our corporate social responsibility and in line with O&L Group’s purpose of ‘Creating a future, enhancing life’ for all Namibians, each

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Namibia Children’s Home in Windhoek, which cares for and provides therapy to more than 100 orphans and vulnerable children.

In support of our nation’s endeavour to increase local procurement and employment, Pick n Pay Namibia and its agro-production partner, Natural Value Foods, have been producing vegetables locally at Otavifontein for retail at its stores throughout Namibia. Pick n Pay is not just a retailer; it is part of a growing community, as evidenced by its impact on social organisations, employment and food security. Pick n Pay continues to reaffirm its commitment to the nation, making a difference by truly living and passionately driving their purpose – Creating a future, enhancing life for all Namibians. Pick n Pay Namibia Tel : +264 61 296 4500

Freedom in forgiveness “Forgiveness is often confusing to people. We sometimes understand that forgiveness implies that we think more of ourselves than of the offending party. As if we were bigger than them, so we can forgive them. Forgiveness then has an arrogance to it, an ‘I’m better than you’ colour to it, which puts off many of us,” says Cécile Lescurat-Thieme, an accredited journey practitioner.

“That’s OK. Even if only 20% of true forgiveness takes place, then that’s the energy we’ve recovered for ourselves. That is the amount of pain lifted, until we reach the point where we are ready to let it go all at once. “You need to let go of it in order to be free. But remember that it is a process and, however long you’re on the journey, you are the one reaping the benefits.”

“In truth, forgiveness hasn’t got much to do with the offending party. It is a place of letting go within ourselves and for our own benefit.” “Sometimes it is challenging to let go, to give to ourselves in that way. It is not second nature. We’ve learnt to hold on so tight, so that in life or in a ‘journey process’, we can only forgive a few percentages at a time.

Trusting yourself As Nabukenya Muwonge, life coach and public speaker, explains: “Trusting yourself means that you have confidence and faith in yourself – your abilities, your intentions, your dreams, your desires, your plans, your actions and ultimately, what you deserve for yourself. “If our trust in ourselves is unsteady then we will feel insecure, because everyday life with its usual obstacles will shake us. Developing trust in yourself comes from getting to know yourself and then trusting the awareness that comes with this understanding.

“From the time we are born, we receive messages about ourselves. Some of these messages are affirming and build our self-confidence, whilst others are destructive and can shake our self-confidence. Knowing and trusting in yourself enables you to remain confident in your belief in yourself no matter what you might hear from the outside. “For me, learning to trust myself is a journey that continues in those quiet reflective moments and with help from teachers, role models and my faith. Prioritising time to reflect on my life has helped me to learn to value and trust myself.”

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When we’ve made mistakes and summoned the courage to forgive ourselves, it is often critical to re-establish trust so that we can move beyond that moment to a better future.

ADvERTORIAL

paSSIOn In aCTIOn At Autohaus Windhoek, our passion for automotive excellence, customer care and the greater Namibian community drives us. Our employees take great pride in working for Metje + Ziegler – one of Namibia’s oldest companies – and representing Audi and Volkswagen, global brands synonymous with prestige and craftsmanship. While the stage is international, our approach at Autohaus Windhoek focuses on the individual. We are dedicated to helping our employees expand their skills – and they are recognised as among the best in southern Africa, year after year. Ildiko Nagy began her career as a receptionist at Audi 13 years ago; today she is a sales executive. Her ambition to succeed hasn’t gone unnoticed by Audi Southern Africa who has for the past seven years named her winner in her category of new vehicle sales.

According to JP Pretorius, Dealer Principal and the Director of Autohaus Windhoek, “We believe in self-empowerment based on a good attitude and aspiration to be the best at what you do. We spend over N$1 million a year to improve customer services and to empower our staff. This is a direct contribution towards the communities we serve. “This positive contribution is evident in the range and number of awards and accolades that we consistently receive.” This is passion in action. This is Autohaus Windhoek Contact: Marika Muller, Tel: 061 277 775 marika@metjeziegler.com

Francois Hanekom, a sales executive in our Light Commercial Vehicles Division, is a self-described ‘petrol head’. His passion is evident in his work. For two consecutive years he has received Volkswagen SA’s Golden Circle Award as top in his field in SADC. George Coetzee, a sales consultant for new vehicles at Autohaus Windhoek, was awarded third place in the Golden Circle Award in 2014 and second place in 2015. George attributes his success to the team: “At Autohaus Windhoek we have at least five places in the Top 10 every year for the most sales in southern Africa. This keeps us positive and motivated to give our best.” This motivation has lead to remarkable opportunities, as Tanja Hlasek, a workshop quality controller, and Anneke Havenga, a service advisor, can attest. These two women represented Audi South Africa as one of 71 teams from 36 countries that participated in the Audi Twin Cup Competition in Portugal. On the world stage, they demonstrated their skills in diagnostics, repairs and customer relations.

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Training, opportunities and accolades inspire our employees, and empower them to give back to the community. This is illustrated, for example, by the VW Amarok that we were able to provide to Windhoek’s SPCA for responding to animals in need.

Autohaus Windhoek

In truth, forgiveness hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t got much to do with the offending party. It is a place of letting go within ourselves and for our own benefit.

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CĂŠcile Lescurat-Thieme, Journey Practitioner

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Feature

ater Pierre van Rensburg on Windhoek’s water supply

• N amibia is an arid country and, as such, is prone to droughts. • Without significant global policy change, the world will only have 60% of the water it needs by 2030. • In a warming world, droughts will expand and dry places will get drier. In short, we have a water crisis. Pierre van Rensburg, the Strategic Executive for Infrastructure, Water and Technical Services at the City of Windhoek, shares his insights with 99FM’s Master Your Destiny.

PvR: It’s important for people to realise how the water supply system works for the central area. Basically there’s a state-owned supply system, centred on the Von Bach Dam and operated by NamWater. The City of Windhoek, just like any other town, buys water from NamWater, the bulk supplier. This system supplies water to Windhoek, eastwards to the airport, including all the housing developments in between, to the north up to Okakarara with all the towns and villages in between, and to the west to Karibib, including the Navachab Mine, which is

This system has a finite capacity, like any other system, and we’ve been exceeding that capacity since 2012. So the system is too small for what we are drawing from it. Regardless of us having a drought, which we have at the moment, that system would still have been failing slowly because we are overdrawing from the system. That’s the real crux of the problem. The government launched a project in 2014 looking at the long-term augmentation of the system, basically, to add to the water supply system so that we can increase its threshold. That addition can only come in maybe eight to ten years time. In the meantime we need to survive with what we have. That is the challenge. The only real weapon we have is to reduce the demand because the supply is fixed, and we have to match the demand to the supply. So even though everybody is in a race against time to augment the system and drill boreholes, those can only augment it by so much. At the end of the day, it’s down to people using less water. And that is not just a ‘drought thing’. The drought’s just basically exposed that the system is inadequate. When you hit the system with a drought, it will just collapse and that’s what we’re seeing now in 2016. It’s also not a short-term drought problem. Even if we get normal inflow into the dams, we’re still drawing more water per annum from the dams than they can supply.

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espite the random good years of rain in Namibia, there are facts that we cannot dismiss:

quite a big consumer. So everybody gets water from the same state system.

MYD: So eight to ten years is what we’re looking at? PvR: It requires a long-term mind-shift on how we use water. Every consumer has to be mindful of what they do with water and how they use it.

do with the pool businesses? It’s people’s livelihoods – and the same with car washes and a lot of other businesses. So we’re trying to regulate, but not restrict or forbid, because we don’t want to kill businesses in the economy.

I believe if everybody cooperates, we can meet this challenge, but it needs to be carefully managed, and that’s where the City of Windhoek comes in. We have access to about 90% of the water consumers, so we must drive the message from our side and even penalise where it’s needed.

And people are using innovative ways of saving water. For instance, they’re filling pools from captured rainwater; they’re buying water from farmers who have boreholes outside the City of Windhoek and trucking it in to do that initial fill of the pool.

MYD: Yes, I’ve heard that penalties are being imposed and that people’s water may be cut off if they’re wasteful. Is this correct? PvR: Generally people want to be warned, but some of those people might choose not to cooperate, so then we will have to take a different approach and impose penalties. If you reduce water use in your garden, you could easily save 50–60 per cent on your consumption. That saving will be enough to go below the threshold that we’re advocating, which is 90 litres per person per day. You can save further, for instance in your household, by using the water you’ve captured in the shower to flush the toilet and by flushing less often. This could be a water saving of 6–15 litres per flush, depending upon the type of toilet that you have. When you buy an appliance, make sure it is water efficient. They are rated AAA, with energy ratings and water ratings. If we use water as per normal human needs – for cooking, a little bit for cleaning, sticking to a five-minute shower – we should be fine. It’s just to get that mind-set across. It’s not an issue about money – some people will pay more for water and simply pay the fines. I think that the message should be – use water wisely because you want to contribute to society as a whole, not because you’ve got your own selfish needs. MYD: Are swimming pools still allowed? PvR: Swimming pools are allowed. Many people have been keeping their swimming pools running by using rainwater to top up the levels. The problem with swimming pools is evaporation. Depending on the surface size of a swimming pool, we lose about a centimetre of water a day to evaporation in Windhoek. Over a week you lose six or seven centimetres. If you have a large surface area it becomes an issue. So keep the cover on; keep evaporation down.

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MYD: I’ve also heard that there may be a stop to putting in pools in new buildings. PvR: All these things that touch on the economy are a little bit tricky, because if you stop all pools, what do you

MYD: Is there an emergency plan if we do run out of water? PvR: We will have to go into water rationing. If we cannot make the demand match the supply, we will be at a point where we will have to have water every second or every third day. If you look at it in global terms, there was a large drive from the UN Millennium Development Goals to extend water and sewerage coverage to 100% of the population by 2050. Last year they updated it – now it’s the Sustainable Development Goals – but they are still focusing a lot on coverage, which means people with access to a live water point. But with some of these coverage points, like in India for example, people have water for one hour in ten days. Yet, that’s seen as ‘having water coverage’. We don’t want to end up in that situation where we say we have coverage of water, but the water is not physically there, but that’s what could happen. Physically, we will only be able to supply a limited amount of water. For the typical domestic consumer having water every third or fourth day may not be such an issue, but if we look at industries that have to carry on with production on a daily basis, it is a real issue. We are still positive that, given what we’ve done over the last year by investing in water infrastructure, we should be able to make the demand match the supply. But if people don’t cooperate, then we will end up in that situation. MYD: Ultimately the message is: Do what you can in your home to try and reduce your consumption. PvR: The secret weapon, so to speak, is to push the consumption down. Everybody must contribute. Don’t think that your little bit that you’re wasting is not important. All those little bits across 400,000 people makes a huge difference. People should take their destiny in their own hands and say, ‘I can contribute as an individual and be a part of the solution to the water situation.’

MYD

Growing your own food in the time of a water crisis Water is always a critical talking point in arid countries such as Namibia. However, many people and organisations are stepping up to share potential solutions to curbing water wastage when producing food. The Desert Research Foundation of Namibia has built aquaponic systems at several schools in southern Namibia. Bernadette Shalumbu explains that aquaponics produces both fish and organic vegetables in a dynamic, natural, pond-type ecosystem. Described as ‘the farming of the future’, aquaponics can be designed to provide food for a family or be scaled up to provide food on a commercial basis.

Antje Schidlowski is part of Namibia Future Farming, another non-profit organisation that is also spreading the word about aquaponics. She shares that Namibia Future Farming has established a demonstration site in Windhoek for members of the public to view the system and have their questions answered by specialists. Aquaponic systems can also grow greater quantities of produce compared to conventionally grown vegetables planted in the ground. Using aquaponics, vegetables usually grow significantly faster and at three to four times the density without depleting the nutrients. What’s more, you don’t need to possess extraordinary growing skills or have a lot of space to make use of an aquaponic system. The system can be built to the size you require and needs very little attention once set up.

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For Namibia, the best part about aquaponics is that, by recycling water and nutrients in a closed-loop system, it uses 90% less water than traditional farming. Another benefit is that no harmful fertilisers are used, so there is no danger of contaminated water running off and making its way into the water system.

Staying true to our botanical heritage Namibia has over 200 endemic plant species – plants that are found here, and nowhere else on the entire planet. These endemic plants are adapted to the environment, evolving over time and in conditions where drought is a common occurrence. Many of these unique plants also have medicinal properties and many more are a part of our rich cultural heritage. Not one of these plants is a cactus. In fact, there is not a single indigenous cactus species on the entire African continent. Yet this invasive plant is taking hold in Africa. As explained in an article by Luise Hoffmann for Travel News Namibia, “In order to save water, and because they have beautiful flowers and are often easily available, one might be tempted to plant cacti in the garden.” Luise Hoffmann, an author and an avid amateur botanist who helped collect data for the Namibia Tree Atlas, has become well known in botanical circles for her research and published information on invasive cacti in Namibia. “Since the 1990s I have observed the alarming rate at which various cactus species have multiplied and continue to invade open spaces in Windhoek. “During my visits to lodges and guest farms, I increasingly find cacti planted for ornamental purposes. When I point out the dangers, the answer often is that these plants have beautiful flowers, are easy to find and grow vigorously with very little water or attention – which is exactly the problem! Many people are not aware that all cacti come from Central America.”

Luise outlined the reasons why this is a concern for Namibia. Cacti have no natural enemies – neither insects nor microbes. They dominate and crowd out our indigenous vegetation, so we lose grazing for our animals. They form impenetrable thickets, which is bad for humans, animals and tourism. Birds and small mammals become impaled on cactus spines and die a painful death of thirst and starvation. Parts of the plants easily stick to tyres, footwear and animals, are so dispersed and then take root. Some animals eat the fruit – baboons, birds and small mammals – and spread the seeds, which germinate readily. Luise went on to explain that there are ways in which you can be part of a local solution: •

lant no cacti of the invasive species, rather none at P all, since cacti are not easy to identify and may only turn invasive after having fully adapted to Namibian circumstances.

•

ake photos of any invasive cacti you might find in the T bush, or in remote settlements and towns, note the locality and report to the National Botanical Research Institute (silker@nbri.org.com or +264 (0) 61 202 9111).

•

emove any cactus plant you might find anywhere, let R it rot in a thick plastic bag or let it dry out on a solid surface where it cannot root and then burn it.

•

I f you belong to a tourism or farmers’ association, an environmental organisation or any similar grouping that can convince government to pass legislation to eradicate invasive species, do so urgently.

“And remember “ Luise adds, “the next time you plant, choose one of Namibia’s own indigenous or endemic plants for your garden.”

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Youth,

our water custodians of the future

An energetic new voice in promoting sustainable water practices

“As an individual, you need to recognise that water is life. Without water there would be no business, there would be no industry,” stresses Bernadette Shalumbu, a member of the Namibian Youth Water Task Team from the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Youth Water Forum. “This is especially true as we are facing a water crisis. We need to realise that it is not just up to the City of Windhoek to ensure we have water security, it is up to each individual.” When discussing the fact that many people still ignore the water crisis, Bernadette notes, “A lot of people are still ignorant. They say things like, ‘I’m not going to save water, I can afford to pay the N$2,000 penalty,’ or that, ‘the reclamation plant will just make us more water,’ but as an individual, you need to ‘thirst’ to save that last drop of water.

“You need to make the choice. We shouldn’t need penalties or to be sanctioned before we take action. We need to care for the cause.” The Namibian Youth Water Task Team has been mandated to broaden the platform for sharing information, engaging the youth and giving the youth a voice when it comes to matters of water, sanitation and environmental protection. It is up to each one of us to be part of the solution. The youth are the future and will determine whether we as a nation will be successful in matters of sustainable water management and environmental protection. What’s more, Namibia’s youth are eager to be part of the dialogue and the solution. The future innovators and researchers in the fields of water engineering and conservation are today’s youth and, now with an official task force, their efforts can be channelled to make impact.

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As part of the solution to sustainable resource utilisation – now and in the future – the voice and the actions of Namibia’s youth are vitally important.

ADvERTORIAL

MInIng IS a lOT lIkE lIFE ...

... there are highs and lows, and given the mercurial nature of the markets, the lows can be excruciatingly low. But again, just like life, how we react in the low times is the true measure of our character. For the past several years, copper prices have dropped precipitously. Weatherly, an AIMlisted mining company that focuses on copper in Namibia, has felt the effects, but we have not only managed to open our new Tschudi mine, creating hundreds of new jobs, we have also found an opportunity to assist our fellow Namibians. Weatherly donated 57.5 hectares of land, worth in excess of N$30 million, to the Municipality of Tsumeb, heeding the government’s call for the private sector to become more actively involved in the economic transformation of our nation. Throughout Namibia, a lack of affordable housing and serviced land undermine poverty alleviation. This is highlighted in the Harambee Prosperity Plan under its two pillars of ‘Social Progression’ and ‘Infrastructure Development’, whereby thousands of serviced plots will be made available across Namibia within the next few years. Addressing this issue and the importance of Weatherly’s donation, Tsumeb’s CEO, Archie Benjamin, said: “In the long run, having the

donated land will assist the council to conduct adequate town planning. In addition, with this donation, we will be able to service land and make more land available for the provision of improved basic services such as sanitation, water, electricity and therefore improve the standard of living conditions of the residents.” Weatherly remains committed to the process of transformation. With the Tsumeb Municipality, the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia and those currently living on the land, we can help to dig the trenches, thus providing the lifelines where services will be laid and the next steps of transformation can take root. Six years ago, people began moving illegally onto this piece of land owned by Weatherly. Here, the poorest of the poor found refuge, but not relief. Today this land is becoming a place of hope. At Weatherly, in good times and bad, this is who we are – a company dedicated to the safety of our employees, providing value to our stakeholders, and a better future for our fellow Namibians.

Contact Weatherly Mining Tel: 061 293 1000 www.weatherlyplc.com

At the end of the day it’s down to people using less water ... that’s not just a ‘drought thing’ ... it requires a long-term mind-shift.

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Pierre van Rensburg, Strategic Executive, City of Windhoek

D-Naff

on the weight of revenge

efore you begin on the journey of revenge, dig two graves – a proverb, which like most is founded on a wellknown truth.

Revenge is the desire to get even, but there is nothing even about it. Revenge is a reduction. It reduces you to your worst self, impairs your health and when it is left uncontrolled, it may have dire consequences. Revenge takes you to the darkest places of your heart. D-Naff – an award-winning, Namibian gospel singer and motivational speaker – has been there. He shares his story with 99FM’s Master Your Destiny of how he overcame the desire to get even.

MYD: Tell us your story. D-N: My story is the story of a man who got married to a woman, and the marriage was dissolved within four months. When the pain set in, I started to drink. It didn’t help. The memories were still coming. You can drink to forget the body, but not the spirit. So that began a process of moving from one bar to another, one restaurant to another, just drinking, for three years. I was struggling with the pain and the ability to get beyond that. How am I going to answer to my family, to my fans, to everybody that looked up to me? They’re going to be pointing fingers at me and saying, ‘You should know better, you are a church person, here you are the one divorcing’. When I was planning on how to deal with these issues, a thought came to me, ‘Why don’t you just kill her, and then you kill yourself? Nobody will ask questions. You’re gone, both of you. The thoughts are gone, the memories are gone, lives are destroyed.’ So do it.

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Feature

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Gender based violence

I worked for Home Affairs and we issued gun licences. On one of my good days, I went to apply for a licence. One of the police officers in charge of licences didn’t know me, but he asked, ‘Aren’t you D-Naff, the guy always singing about God? Whatever problem you’re having that’s making you look for a gun, can’t your God help you?’ That just crushed me, and I left his office. Somehow, God left heaven and went into this police officer, to protect me and protect the lady. I continued drinking, and I started seeing other women. I didn’t love them. I just used them to fill the void left by my ex. But it didn’t work. I was still angry. I was still bitter. I sat there in the bar, planning. You know that wickedness always gets the better of you when you’re drunk. You can plan the most evil things a human can imagine. This guy walks up to me in the bar and says, ‘You know you’re not supposed to be here.’ I’m thinking why is God not leaving me alone? He keeps on sending these people to me. So I took my car and I left. I thought, ‘Okay, forget about the lady – I’m gonna crash this car and die.’ After I finished drinking the bottle, I’m getting ready to drive the car off, and I can hear a voice telling me, ‘Who disappointed you? Is it me or the lady?’ This God is chasing me around. Man, why can’t he just leave me alone? Eventually I went home. Then she came home – we were still living together. She was asleep. I was looking at her and another thought came to me – to go to the kitchen, pick up the knife and just slit her throat. So I took the knife. But when I looked at this person, I thought, ‘I can’t harm her. I walked down the aisle with her, and she’s my first love.’ So I put down the knife. She never knew. When she left, I was completely broken. A man came from the US, who specialises in cases of broken families and marriages. When I met him, he said, ‘You need to meet your ex and forgive her. If you forgive her, you’re going to be free. If you can’t do that, you will be in prison forever.’ I took probably a week or two to compose myself, and then I picked up my phone to call her. When we met the next day, she was expecting a fight, because she knew I was very, very angry.

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But I told her that I wanted to ask her to please forgive me. And I took this opportunity to forgive her for what happened. My marriage is gone, but ‘Forgive me, please.’

Then she said she would like to ask me the same thing. The minute she said she forgives me, she stood up. I stood up. We hugged each other. I just felt something fall off me. It was the weight of not being able to forgive that I had carried for so long. But now I was happy again. I was free. MYD: How did your life change? D-N: I went back to the church to ask for forgiveness from the congregation, because for the three years that I was outside of them I had looked at them with another eye. There are many people out there who are standing on your shoulders to see what the future holds. So when you quit in life, they also quit – it affects them. They might not physically quit, but they quit emotionally. Most of the people that were in the church came there through me, through the music. They follow you to that church, so when you quit, they also quit. And for that I owed them an apology. Eventually the preacher told them, ‘Your brother is home, like a prodigal son. He has asked you to forgive him. This is what he did – he was open. Do you forgive him?’ And the church went, ‘Yes! We forgive him!’ I don’t think there’s a person out there who doesn’t have a fault or an issue, so there was no judgment. They gave me their love and I moved on with life. It’s been almost five years, now. I’m married again, and I have two kids. MYD: Congratulations! D-N: Imagine if I had killed myself, I would have lost what I have now. Life has turned out to be very beautiful for me. Whenever there is an event here – whether it’s the biggest gospel show in the country – I am the first artist they call. This is the life I’ve always wanted to live. Now I’m happy. But it took the ability to forgive somebody. MYD: Do you have any message for someone listening? D-N: Somebody said to me that if you are the type of man that has something negative to say to women, just write it down, fold it, and when you get home, you give it to your mother. She is one of the women in society. And another thing, if you are a man who has children or you are planning to have kids – especially girls, daughters – you don’t want anyone to mistreat your daughter, you’d better treat the woman that you are with well. Life has a way of paying back people. It might not come back directly to you, it might come back to your kids. Before I started singing, I used to motivate students by saying, ‘Listen, pick yourself up, forget about the past, it’s gone, today’s here, tomorrow’s waiting.’ What matters is today and tomorrow.

MYD

Seventeen-year-old Ginola Nauseb is wise beyond his years. A student at Concordia College and a member of the Physically Active Youth project in Katutura, Ginola is also a writing enthusiast. Here he shares his thoughts about breaking the cycle of abuse. Always a victim, never a victory, a story by Ginola Nauseb Abuse in all of its forms – physical, emotional, verbal, etcetera – has become a norm. So much so that we call it love when we are abusing each other. Parent-tochild abuse is the most commonly practised, followed by man to girlfriend or to woman. Growing up in Katutura, every child has seen abuse, which in turn shapes the way most kids have grown up. Not only has an average Katutura child witnessed abuse, but in most cases, they are also victims of abuse. As children, we have seen many mothers being abused with unabashed actions and emotions in the streets, with masculinity the biggest cause. Male dominance over women and children is the primary form of abuse. Usually in society, men are believed to be dominant and therefore use their position to demand or get things going their way. Not all men are selfish, but the male figure wants to own everything that crosses his path. That’s why parents, especially fathers, abuse their children because, yes, it’s his child and that puts him in the place to discipline using violence. This is the exact thing he does to his girlfriend or wife – using abuse as a way of demanding respect and maintaining discipline, without thinking of the consequences.

The reason domestic violence, gender-based violence, racial discrimination and sexual abuse has increased is because the following generation has adopted it from their predecessors. Boys and girls that have been abused have seen how it’s done and they understand the effects and how it shaped them. We judge ourselves as ‘good’ and this is also a human belief or norm. Our children use the same method of discipline when they grow up to be parents. A good parent wants his child to be just like him, disciplined and well mannered. The method of aggression most people have adopted to achieve this, is the reason we see so many women and children in hospitals and police station queues. For many, the abuse has affected their lives permanently. Rape victims in my community don’t even have the self-esteem to walk to the shop, and can’t usually have a conversation longer than five minutes because they fear that the topic of sex will come up. Many boys become gangsters and thugs because they have been equipped with violence through abuse at a very young age, thus they are a risk to many locals in Katutura. However, I would say that in spite of being abused, some have become respectful, humble and honest people and that it taught them great lessons in life that they will teach their kids – namely, not to abuse.

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cl e cy

n i k g a t e he r B abu

Worthy of help and assistance A lifeline for those in need of counsel, support and guidance

“Gender-based violence [GBV] is shrouded in taboo, silence and shame,” stresses Brigit May Rudd, the Gender Programme’s Manager at LifeLine–ChildLine Namibia. “The root cause of gender-based violence is gender inequality. If we lived in a world where men and women were equal, we would be able to remove gender-based violence. We need to start seeing all humans as equally worthy. With the 106 GBV HelpLine Campaign, we are specifically looking at removing the shame, silence and taboo.” 106 GBV toll-free HelpLine was launched by LifeLine– ChildLine Namibia in partnership with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare, the Ministry of Health and Social Services and USAID (United States Agency for International Development). It is a service that can provide all Namibians with an anonymous place of safety in times of fear, abuse or concern. “Namibia is in crisis in terms of atrocious GBV issues and every person and every sector needs to do their part. LifeLine–ChildLine does counselling best and we know that in cases of GBV, people need counselling possibly for years. You don’t come out of a GBV-relationship without counselling.” The 106 GBV HelpLine is accessible in every part of Namibia, so even those who live far away will have access to someone who is trained, kind and who can help. Another important role of the helpline is to disseminate information on laws and the rights of victims of abuse.

While the 116 ChildLine number has been in existence for many years, adults often call that number seeking help. The 106 GBV number offers an alternative, with counselling that addresses relationship problems, abuse, GBV issues and more. Brigit says that the helpline is a place where, “With the support of a qualified counsellor, you can explore yourself and discuss topics that you might not be comfortable discussing with your family or friends. “Calling someone is just one small step and all you need to take is one step. One step at a time is the best thing you can do in a moment of crisis. Even though it might be scary, take the step.”

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in Namibia tackle abuse The arts provide a platform for communicating and expressing what is happening in a society. It is also a place where, through expression, healing can take place. “As much as we create platforms for artists’ personal exploration and expression, we encourage them to be thoughtful in their presentations of their explorations,” shares Desiree Nanuses, the government’s Curator at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN). In 2013, NAGN addressed gender-based violence by issuing an open call for all art forms – including performance, visual, drama and music – to form an exhibition. Over a six-week period, a different event took place every week at partner institutions such as the Theatre School, Franco–Namibian Cultural Centre and the Goethe Institut, and at public places like restaurants and shopping malls. OYO Dance Troupe, Spoken Word Namibia, FreeYourMind and performance artists created flash mobs in open spaces with reenactments of physically abusive relationships, and encouraged dialogue and discussion afterward. An art therapist was tasked to work with the women at Safe Haven, a place that houses women who have been through abuse, to explore ways of healing through visual art. They created a quilt with various messages, which was also included in the exhibition.

Desiree stresses that, “At the NAGN we do not believe in creating art for art’s sake. We believe that the visual arts are a means of communicating and of connecting with wider audiences. We encourage artists to comment on national and global issues. Their comments are through their artworks.”

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The exhibition was so successful that, with funding from the United Nations, it travelled to the UN headquarters in Geneva and to Kansas City in the USA for additional exhibitions.

ADvERTORIAL

FROM ClERk TO DIRECTOR One simple action can change your life. For me, it happened in July 2003, when I was working at the Deeds Office in Windhoek. I showed my results for the Deeds Registration National Diploma to André ‘Hamutenya’ Swanepoel, a Director at the then Dr Weder, Kruger & Hartmann – now Dr Weder, Kauta and Hoveka Inc. – and he said, “If you want to study further, talk to us.” That was it – action, reaction ... and he didn’t stop there. He constantly followed up. He gave me names of the universities to consider, and Gys Ligthelm, another director at the same firm, gave me the universities’ contact numbers and email addresses. Finally I got the nerve to request for an application form from the University of the Western Cape. When it arrived, I kept it in my office until Mr Swanepoel asked again whether I had received any application forms. He took the form and completed what for me was the hardest part, the financier.

From 2004 to 2008, I studied at UWC through a scholarship from the law firm that covered tuition, books, accommodation and a stipend. I did holiday jobs at the firm and Mr Swanepoel kept up with me and my studies. On 1 January 2009 I started as a candidate attorney at Dr Weder, Kauta and Hoveka Inc. and enrolled at UNAM’s Justice Training Centre. On 11 March 2009 I graduated with an LLB. Today, I am a Conveyancer, Notary Public and a Legal Practitioner in the High Court, and a director of the firm. I remind myself and others in my community, that when opportunities come, like it did for me in the most unexpected way, that you must grab it with both hands. Don’t hesitate. My determination, passion and hard work carried me throughout my studies into my career, but had it not been for Dr Weder, Kauta and Hoveka Inc., I would not be where I am today. Thank you to the almighty elephant!

When I got my diploma, I thought that was as far as I would go with my education. I never considered law school; I couldn’t afford it. Mr Swanepoel came back to my office, he even paid the R100 fee that enabled me to post the form to South Africa. In November, I received a provisional acceptance letter from the University of the Western Cape.

Weder Kauta Haufika Inc. (WKH) 3rd Floor WKH House, Ausspannplatz Jan Jonker Road, Windhoek Tel: 061 275 550

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We should question why we are doing things. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good, we should support it ... and if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bad, then we need to stand up and say something. Make our voices heard.

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Suta Kavari, Investment Strategist, Capricorn Group

Posit thinkin Sylvanie Beukes on the power of intent

cience is demonstrating the many benefits that come from positive thinking. These include lower rates of depression, better coping during times of hardship and stress, and even greater resistance to the common cold. Positive thinking is strategically using the power of your mind to direct the flow of your life. By rewiring our brains for a more positive outlook, we are able to transform situations, increase opportunities and create possibilities that lead to a better quality of life.

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To discuss how positive thinking works, why it works and how it works for us, Sylvanie Beukes – a successful Namibian businessman whose positive attitude to life is contagious – joined 99FM’s Master Your Destiny in the studio.

SB: I always had the belief that I wanted to succeed in business, and to do this, I had to empower the why factor – Why do I want to achieve this? – as opposed to the how factor. The how factor was unavailable to me. I didn’t have the resources, but the why factor is something I’ve been doing for so long that it overrides everything else in my mind. It’s created brand new circuits. So whenever I’ve encountered problems in my life, they do not have a root in my mind, they are there, but they somehow just wash off, simply because my state of mind has grown. MYD: You also wrote a book that is about to be reprinted. SB: I wrote a book called New Money Masters about three or four years ago. I had all the information in my head that I wanted to write. I was possessed, so to say. There was something that was making me write, write, write. If you have a desire that pushes you so badly, the work becomes less. Even if the work becomes more, you don’t feel the effect of it, because the desire overrides the effort.

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tive ng Feature

Start with what inspires you, and whenever you are confused in life, go back to what inspires you. Remind yourself why you need to do it. Why you need to be successful, why you need to be a better husband or wife, why you need to be a better businessperson. The more important the ‘why’, the easier the ‘how’ – in fact, the ‘how’ doesn’t even need to exist. You will make it happen. MYD: And you are currently helping Namibian entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. SB: I believe in what martial artists call a ‘ready state of mind’. You don’t overreact, you don’t underreact – you react to the energy and you allow the energy to go through you. It’s not only about the energy, it’s about being practical, knowing how to deal with the frustrations in your life, and knowing how to capitalise on the opportunities in your life as well. MYD: From a psychological point of view we start to adopt the behaviour of people we are around. If they are negative, it can seriously take away from our plans. SB: Here’s the interesting thing: The first step towards having a positive mind, is not trusting yourself. Very strange! It’s part of my life philosophy. The very first step to becoming a better person is not to trust the blueprint that you are working on right now, and to start recognising what you want to be. Find the thing that you want to be, and then gravitate towards that. So instead of working from where you are right now, rather work from where you are going. And then those resources that you need to get to where you want to be start filling up the gaps. MYD: What do you do every day to keep yourself uplifted and motivated? SB: I think the first thing I do is to remind myself where I’m going. I’ve been doing this for so long that it’s like a second habit. Another new habit that I picked up in the past couple of years is that I’ve learnt to play rapid chess online, which forces me to develop strategy under pressure. It keeps my circuits very fresh. Your ability to solve problems is determined by your ability to always make interesting connections between unknown connections, or objects that are unrelated. That allows you to be very critical to any move that happens in life. Your overlooked opportunities might be your greatest breakthrough. So my habits are generally around keeping my mind as soft as possible, so that I’m always able to grow, and un-grow certain things that I don’t want in life.

MYD: How did you get to this place of understanding? SB: I’ve always been on the lookout for something good, something that defines me in a new way. Possibly at the cornerstone, is the desire to help people. It makes an interesting recipe. You are on an onward journey, while at the same time you want to help others. Suddenly certain doors open, and you become like a candle that provides light for other people. Habits are infectious because the world reminds us that a lot of things are not possible. Stay where you are, keep in your comfort zone. Be afraid of change. It’s always refreshing to carry that energy that people can feed off and say, ‘Wow! It is possible.’ MYD: I feel your infectious positivity around the studio. What advice would you give to the person whose lifestyle is causing them pain? SB: I’m a student of the art of alchemy. So what I’ve basically done is, even if someone is in a painful situation, I try and use that as a resource to move that person to a different place in his or her life. Every state of mind and everything around us, serves some evolutionary cause and effect. The only thing that you need to do is understand the dance, the algorithm, so that you always use the pain, pleasure, heartbreak, jealousy, anger in a way that moves you forward and minimises pain in your life. And once you reach that state of mind – that whole oneness with yourself – you can face a lot of battles. MYD: Do you have a mantra for life? SB: I believe in always maintaining a calm state of mind. But at the same time, I really believe you cannot control the odds of life, so you must always be ready to react to whatever life throws at you. A long time ago, I created systems that allow me to deal with failure, frustration and heartbreak – at the worst of a dark cloud, I would write a poem. And I would do a performance at the Spoken Word. I literally transform everything into an outlet. I have a plan for everything and that’s the gift. Beyond belief is the power of intent. Intend to do something. Intend to change. Intend to become the person you want to be and do it.

MYD

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Young Namibians caring for the needs of youth GreenVille Solutions, a young startup company, is proving that making a difference is possible. Working with schools in impoverished areas, this company provides solar lights to students who do not have access to electricity at home.

Namibia’s 2011 census figures show that about 62% of households in Namibia do not have direct access to electricity. Of those, over 30% use candles for lighting, 14% use wood and 10% use paraffin or kerosene. Many of these homes have poor ventilation and fuelbased lighting poses serious health hazards, such as respiratory problems due to black carbon emissions, eye problems due to the dim light, and increased risks of burns and fire. The company’s Edu-Light initiative raises sponsorship to provide solar lights free of charge to learners so that they have a chance to study in a safer, brighter and healthier environment, while also enabling their families to save on energy. “We saw a need for tackling energy poverty while providing clean energy and breaking the perception that solar energy is either too expensive or of low quality.” For each solar lamp that replaces a paraffin lamp or candle: • Families save money • Indoor pollution is reduced • Children can study as much as they want at night • Small businesses can still operate when darkness falls • The risk of fire or burns is reduced.

“When people call to tell you how impressed they are with your product or that they have stopped using candles or paraffin and become more productive at night, it helps you to push through when things get tough because you know you are making an impact.” After attending the International Renewable Energy Symposium in Windhoek, Sylver said, “My most interesting ‘take home’ was the fact that access to modern and clean energy should be a human right … and that Namibia has the potential to be a solar powerhouse for the region. “With Namibia importing over 60% of its electricity from neighbouring countries, and with those neighbouring countries experiencing an energy crisis too, it is just a matter of time before they pull the plug … or that the cost of electricity drastically increases affecting the Namibian economy and the quality of life. “We should be encouraging things like feed-in-tariff, where individuals can feed their excess electricity into the main grid and be rewarded for it; something some regional electricity distributors – Erongo RED and CENORED – are already doing. This enables the electricity providers to deal with the demand and keeps the money in Namibia. “Namibia has the potential to produce enough energy to be independent and export it to neighbouring countries, creating employment and reducing poverty in the country. Renewable energy – solar and wind – is the only option.”

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Sylver Kibelolaud, one of the founders of the company, explains the motivation behind the initiative, “Our motto is to improve lives one solar light at a time.”

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lIFECHangIng EDUCaTIOn F

lexibility, affordability, enhanced opportunities and accomplishments that instil pride in oneself – these are words that graduates use to define their experience at the Southern Business School.

For Rodney Saul it was the biggest game changer in his life: “The desire to pursue my tertiary education was always there, but one gets caught up in the struggle for survival. I needed to take care of myself and I had to make a contribution to my family. Southern Business changed my life.” Since its inception in 1996, Southern Business School has created leaders in the private and public sectors, providing higher education and training in a framework where quality, affordability, recognition and customer service play a central role. From short-course programmes to diplomas, bachelors and masters degrees, the Southern Business School provides top-quality higher education and training. With its innovative practices, which include the use of technology and the adaptation of its courses to respond to or in anticipation of changes in the business environment, Southern Business School has become one of the leading private higher education institutions in southern Africa. More than 70 short courses, on subjects that range from leadership skills to office administration and financial

management, are offered in Namibia. Experienced Namibian trainers and professionals teach all the courses, which are fully accredited and count towards broader degrees. For Cavin Sankwasa Shamukuni, the flexibility of studying online was key to his successful experience at Southern Business School: “My experience with SBS Namibia was excellent. Materials we were provided with, including CDs and DVDs, were developed for distance education. The institution has exam centres all over the country where I can write my exams. I feel like I am in control of my life.” Another student, Desmond Strauss, adds, “The online library gives me access to so much information for my studies, as well as for my work activities. Plus, the lecturers are easy to reach and are very supportive.” Mathilde Aukongo, who graduated with a Diploma in Management and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at Southern Business School, sums up her experience: “I needed the competitive advantage in this everchanging world. With Southern Business School, I have picked my partner in my future.” Southern Business School Tel: 061 308 781 www.sbs.ac.za

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The power of Namibian fusion chefs The journey and the people who inspired two Namibian chefs to culinary greatness.

“It was quite an experience,” says Mighty-Power. “We learnt a lot and got to try out different cuisines that we never thought we would try. We also got to show people some of Namibia through our food. We made a ‘paptert’, which most people there had never heard of or tasted before. They loved it. We gave them something different to what they expected.” Uerihepura speaks passionately about cooking. “I fell in love with cooking when I was about 18 years old. Back then I was working as a security guard at the Windhoek Country Club. I would pass by the kitchen and see the chefs cutting the meats and others making cakes. I fell in love with everything I saw in the kitchen, and the smells and aromas coming out of the kitchen. So I decided to go back to school and from there I started working towards a career as a chef. “I love the creativity that one always puts into cooking, the passion that goes into cooking. You get to show how you feel on the inside and the more love you put into your food, the better your dish comes out. Another thing I love about cooking is the pressure you are under to send your dish out on time. You are challenging yourself.” When talking about the pressure that is synonymous with a professional kitchen, Mighty-Power says, “When we started as students in the kitchen, we had many people drop out because they couldn’t handle the pressure. Like they say, ‘If you can’t take the heat, stay of the kitchen.’

“Pressure is part of life and to achieve your dreams you need to push through the pressure.” Uerihepura adds, “We have a rule in the kitchen from when service starts and that is don’t take anything personally. The kitchen is full of pressure and people shouting; if you take things personally you will not make it.” The two men are both enthusiastic and inspiring, with big dreams to grow as chefs. “Life is a learning process,” says Mighty-Power. “I try to keep on top of my trade by reading a lot of books and watching lots of cooking shows like Master Chef. Fortune Kangueehi being on the show inspired me to one day be in such a competition representing Namibia.” “My family inspires me,” shares Uerihepura. “I am from a hard-working family. My mum, even though she is unemployed, raised all of us kids on her own. She supported us and pushed us. She inspires me.” The chefs are also positive when it comes to culinary pursuits in Namibia. Uerihepura says that he would like to see more Namibians becoming chefs. “Being a chef is a great job. You get to be creative every day and every day is different.” Mighty-Power adds, “Namibia is a country with so many different tribes and each tribe has their own way of preparing their food, so if we learn from one another, if we bring our ideas together, we can create something very different from the rest of the world – something unique and something really Namibian.”

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Two graduate chefs from the Namibian Institute of Culinary Education (NICE) – Uerihepura Mbuende and Mighty-Power Mwashekele – represented Namibia in the Berlin International Green Week in Germany, the world’s leading consumer trade fair and exhibition for agriculture, horticulture and food industries.

ADvERTORIAL

naMDEb SUppORTS SUSTaInablE COMMUnITy DEVElOpMEnT

he Futree–Ngaye Onda Tameka Project – simply known as ‘the Futree Project’ – is a sustainable garden project situated on a two-hectare piece of land on the northern edge of Oranjemund. It supports Namibia’s national drive of alleviating household food shortages. The project’s long-term vision is to develop the current area into a flourishing crop production site where knowledge transfer can also take place. What makes the initiative even more remarkable is that it is being driven by the residents of Oranjemund.

With a rich history of mining diamonds profitably, responsibly and sustainably, Namdeb Diamond Corporation continues to contribute to the wealth of Namibia and its people. For this reason and in pursuance of supporting sustainable community projects and self-sufficiency, Namdeb donated a compost shredder to the Futree Project.

The project is currently run by volunteers who care for and maintain the garden using their own gardening equipment. On Saturday mornings, when they are available, volunteers spend two to three hours working together maintaining and improving the garden.

Namdeb continues to embrace sustainability and encourage behaviours and practices that support its goal of having net positive effects on the community, environment and its employees, produce zero waste and use zero fossil fuels.

The volunteers apply their gardening skills in activities such as weeding, pruning, hand watering and maintaining the drip-irrigation system. Volunteers also have beekeeping experience. The project has had success in producing butternuts, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, kale, onions, beetroot and garlic on a small scale.

The Oranjemund branch of the Mineworkers Union of Namibia matched Namdeb’s outreach by donating garden tools in support of this worthwhile project.

Namdeb’s contribution to the Futree–Ngaye Onda Tameka Project is aligned to the Company’s belief that through sustainable living, a better future is indeed possible for generations to come. Tel: 061 204 3333 www.namdeb.com

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A passion written in the

The struggle and the story behind becoming a world-famous astronomer

Rob Johnstone is a happy man. He’s been featured on CNN talking about the magic of Namibia’s night skies. His name is on the planet Mars on a microchip inside the Mars Exploration Rover. After working at NASA, he founded Space Observation Learning Namibia in 2009, offering stargazing and astronomy education that showcase the wonders of the Namibian sky. Rob was not always an astronomer, but knew in his heart that it was his calling. “I am self-taught. By no means was it easy, but the most amazing aspect about being self-taught is that once you learn and apply it to your everyday life, then you get a greater appreciation of what you learnt and also about what you’ve learnt about yourself in the process.” Rob keeps his motivation high through practise, reading and never giving up. “We will never know everything, especially in astronomy where we still have many unanswered questions and still so much to learn.” Today Rob is the only professional astronomer based in Namibia who travels the globe to hold stargazing tours anywhere in the world. “First and foremost, you must have the desire and drive to be an astronomer. It is not easy due to the working hours, which are in the evening till very early in the morning, when in the winter, especially, it can be bitterly cold outside.

“Astronomy is the study of the universe around us, finding out how it works and where we, the human species, fit into the whole grand scheme. “When you see what is out there through large telescopes and one starts to understand the distances involved, then one starts to realise how small and insignificant we really are in the whole grand universal scheme. So the best answer to what being an astronomer entails, is to teach and show everyone where we fit in and how we understand things work from a scientific field of perspective. “The biggest thrill for me in my work is seeing the absolute joy and wonder on someone’s face, especially the kids, when viewing deep-space objects through the telescope. It is one thing to read and look at pictures in a book, but nothing comes close to the feeling of being out under the stars and looking through a telescope and seeing it with your own eyes. “To see the most wonderful planet in our solar system with its ring system shining brightly in the blackness of space at a distance of over 1.3 billion kilometres away – Saturn – has brought some people to tears.” Namibia is officially the second-best viewing location in the world, with its night sky beautifully clear and unobstructed with light and other pollution. It is the envy of many astronomers all over the world. “We are so blessed to have such awesome clear skies at night that we sometimes take it for granted, however, we must realise that our night sky is a natural treasure to be admired.”

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“The best piece of business advice I have comes from Sir Richard Branson. He said, ‘Do what you love, love what you do and the rest will take care of itself – happy is the man that can work and play at the same time.’”

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Boundaries Afra Schimming-Chase on setting boundaries

They are our guidelines that determine what works for us, allowing us to separate who we are and what we think and feel, from the thoughts and feelings of others. 99FM’s Master Your Destiny spoke to Afra Schimming-Chase, a financial planner and motivational speaker, who shared her personal journey on where to draw the line.

Establishing personal boundaries is about telling people what you’re willing to do and what you’re not willing to do, which gives them a blueprint on how to operate with you and should, in theory, make relationships easier. On more than one occasion I experienced not having boundaries, and in 2014, it caught up with me. I had quite a hectic year. I worked really hard, not necessarily very smart, but I was running on all cylinders. One day I woke up and I was ill. I had flu-like symptoms one day and I was vomiting the next. The doctors did blood tests and came back later, saying that I have glandular fever, more commonly known as the ‘stress virus’. All my inner resources had been depleted, there’s nothing left. Later, we were on the farm for a friend’s birthday. I felt extremely light-headed and I walked towards the car because I wanted to lie down. My son was sitting on the front seat and he said, ‘Mummy are you okay?’ I remember saying to him, ‘I just need to lie down,’ but I didn’t get to the car, I fainted in front of the car, and in front of my son. For an eleven year-old that wasn’t a fainting spell, he thought I was gone. When I came to, my child was on my chest, doing everything to try and bring me back to life, in terms of his world and what he was experiencing. That was my wake-up call in terms of personal boundaries. I promised myself that I never want to see my son that afraid again.

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oundaries are the physical, emotional and mental limits we establish to protect ourselves from being manipulated, used or violated by others.

MYD: Why is it important to establish boundaries? AS-C: Boundaries are important because people need to know where they stand with you. There’s a quote that I really like from Iyanla Vanzant, ‘People violate you when you don’t have clear boundaries, because you don’t tell them how to behave in your life.’

Many of us struggle with being limitless with what we think we can achieve. Sometimes you think yes, you might be capable, but is this really a priority, should you be focusing on it? There are so many things that become priorities in our lives. People and relationships are one thing, but we spend so much time being distracted by a Facebook ‘like’ or an email that requires your attention. Where previously you were interrupted every hour or hour-anda-half, now you’re interrupted every second, every halfsecond. So it’s really tough to keep to your boundaries. There’s this split second in between the stimulus and your response where you have the freedom to choose. But we don’t always use that freedom to choose. We don’t always question ourselves sufficiently to say, ‘Hold on. Should I say yes or no?’ I think from an emotional perspective, we just run for it. If we could be more self-aware, we would use that freedom to choose more effectively. I read something that said, ‘examine what you tolerate’. When you start writing down the things that you tolerate, the kinds of things that come up are interesting. For example, tolerating the lack of clear-cut conversations about things that are important to you. You might be afraid of the impact, or of what someone else might say – of disapproval – so you just stay away from it. I speak a lot in financial terms, but this approach relates to everything in life – you are your most important creditor. It’s so important to pay yourself first. If you look at your relationship, as a parent with your children, for instance, when you’re happy, your kids are happy; when you’re not happy, they won’t be happy. It’s so important for us to begin with ourselves, because it gives us that personal power to be there, be available for those that matter to us, and things that matter to us. With a clear understanding of being there for yourself, setting boundaries would be easier. They give you an opportunity to create a vision for your life. MYD: Why do you think that we get a sense of we’re okay when other people are okay? AS-C: People around us definitely teach us about our boundaries, but as human beings we can create our own healthy boundaries. Focus on the question, ‘If you were to get past this hurdle, how would you like your life to look?’ Make sure you record that in writing so that you have a vision that you can look towards. Be clear about what it is that you do want. Make sure you focus on the end result, the feelings, the emotions and the experience you would like to have.

We’re so afraid of saying what we want. I don’t know if that goes to the underlying question, ‘Am I deserving enough, am I worth it?’ I create dreams and then I spend half my life watering them down because I believe they’re too lofty. Robin Sharma, when he was here, said, ‘We keep talking about this stuff as the soft stuff, but it’s actually the hard stuff,’ because the proof is really how consistent you can be with what you’ve created for yourself. I can look at my own example. The difference between last year and this year is that now I am aware. Thank God life actually sent me something that forced me to create boundaries. I’m adamant that I will become more and more consistent about creating personal boundaries in my life. We speak of a time management course. We can’t manage your time, but we can teach you how to manage your priorities, what’s important to you, and how you can allow that to feature. In terms of these priorities, it’s something that you need to create. You are the driver in your life. In terms of last year versus this year, the first thing is my relationship with my little man. I think that he experiences me as more present and in our relationship we are able to speak straight to each other. For example, my son can immediately see when I’m stressed. In myself, I think I’m more self-aware. Where last year I was always busy getting things done, now I’m conscious of my day. I try and arrange meetings in the morning, so that in the afternoon I’m able to work from home and work with him on his homework. I changed my focus in terms of realising that this is the only life that I know I’ve got, and I need to be really clear about where I’m going to spend my energy. Just picking up the phone and finding out how somebody is, or sending them flowers, going for breakfast at my favourite place – I’m making time for things that matter, and I can see that it makes me feel more inspired about life. I read that each time we set a healthy boundary, we are actually saying ‘Yes!’ to more freedom. And I think that as human beings we want nothing more than to be able to experience freedom and joy and love. And what’s important is that if you set healthy boundaries, you are actually saying ‘Yes!’ to you.

MYD

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Who needs boundaries in relationships?

Boundaries in relationships are all about the balance between managing the ‘us’ and still being ‘me’. It’s about knowing that being in a relationship comes with certain commitments and responsibilities, with the aim being to protect the relationship and to ensure trust, love, joy, fun, intimacy and security. Relationships need to be conscious of the balance between power or dominance and submissiveness, togetherness and separateness, sex and intimacy, communication patterns and styles, etcetera. For example, it is important to understand that every relationship needs an element of togetherness and separateness. Doing things on your own creates some mutual longing for the other; the togetherness creates the need for separateness. Problems often arise when one partner is always dominant in an area and the other always powerless or passive … or one partner is always strong and the other weak … or one partner totally needy and clingy and the other one always avoidant, absent and withdrawn. You get the picture? In each of these aforementioned scenarios, the couple may have reached a certain pattern or dynamic, but it may not be one of mutual balance. Boundaries should aim to create reciprocal balance and help us to become aware of the areas in our own life that need some ‘personal work’. Through the eyes of our partners and their feedback, we come to see our own shortcomings and the ‘room for personal improvement’ that will also benefit the relationship.

Boundaries keep partners accountable and serve as a reminder of our commitment to each other. All of us must be allowed to feel the consequences of our actions. Love is not about rescuing our partner out of their repetitive dysfunctional patterns (like getting them out of debt, time after time) or about taking responsibility for their actions. We should accept our limited control over people’s decisions, but we have the right to give and allow reasonable consequences, should these decisions impact us. Boundaries should be clearly communicated and negotiated between the parties. No party should be left in the dark about what is considered appropriate or inappropriate or damaging to the relationship. If you are not able to negotiate this between the two of you, get professional help and guidance. Boundaries can be negotiated about our bodies and physical touch, sex, the way that we speak to each other, revealing the truth, physical space away from each other, how we spend our available time, emotional distance, our connections with other people, money spending, work, family members, our children, pets, hobbies, secrecy (like security codes on phones), alcohol consumption … to name but a few. Consequences of breaking these boundaries need to be respected, clearly negotiated and revealed at different times during our relationship. When negotiating boundaries, have an open mindset and attitude. If we listen and try to understand our partner’s deep-seated need and motivation for a specific boundary, and if they feel heard and acknowledged, the chances are good that they will be more open to hearing our need and to empathise with that need. That is a win-win situation for both of you!

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A lack of boundaries invites a lack of respect, therefore, negotiating and communicating boundaries is key. As Namibian clinical psychologist Heidi Burmeister-Nel explains:

Boundaries are also about respect. It is important to understand that we cannot control the feelings, attitude, behaviours, choices and values of the other, and to still allow and respect the other person’s ‘otherness’. Each individual must take responsibility for and control these aspects within themselves.

ADvERTORIAL

kUMwE FaRMIng k

umwe Farming was established in 2013, after a visit by Dr Whitey Basson to the Prime Minister of Namibia at that time, Right Honourable Nahas Angula. At this meeting, the Prime Minister expressed his vision for Namibia, where food for own consumption would be produced and where education would be the prime mover to unlock employment opportunities for young people. As a result of this meeting, Dr Basson became the driving force in establishing Kumwe Farming, as well as projects in Namibia aimed at educating the youth towards employment, such as the Retail Readiness project which was launched in 2015.

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Kumwe Farming is a joint venture between Namibian individuals, the Shoprite Checkers Namibia Development Trust and the Kumwe Women’s Trust. With a grant from Shoprite Checkers, the Kumwe Women’s Trust was able to purchase 40% of Kumwe Farming, making the trust the largest single shareholder in the company.

The farm operates 20 large hydroponic tunnels and produces fresh vegetables for the Namibian market. Shoprite Checkers, through its Freshmark Division, guarantees a market for all the farm’s produce, as and when it is required.

the sole discretion of the trustees of the Kumwe Women’s Trust.

Before production could begin, suitable land, quality water in sustainable quantities and equipment designed to work and last in Namibian conditions needed to be found. After almost two years of planning, preparation and building – and more than N$10 million invested – the farm started producing in 2015.

Contact Tel: 061 223 008 www.shoprite.co.za

The farm became fully operational in 2016 and will deliver approximately 110 tonnes of vegetables to the Namibian market between July 2016 and June 2017. This represents a significant contribution to food security in Namibia and cuts down on imports. When the farm becomes profitable, the dividends paid to the Kumwe Women’s Trust will be used to improve the lives of women and children in Namibia, as per the registered Trust Deed and at

Shoprite Checkers and the Kumwe Women’s Trust are proud to be part of making former Prime Minister Nahas Angula’s vision a reality.

guilt

Goodbye to the

of the working mum

Leandre Kurz of Let’s Talk Psychologists provides more insight into why working mothers should let go of guilt: Guilt is an emotional response that serves as a warning sign and emotional regulator. It signals the need for behavioural modification in order to prevent repeating what we personally regard as wrong. Guilt should serve a helpful purpose in teaching us about our own behaviour, instead of being an emotional and irrational response to encounters. New mothers who leave their infants in the care of others and return to work often experience guilt. Similar to other situations, their guilt responses can be irrational, emotional, without purpose and therefore contribute to an overall negative affectivity and general mood. For those mothers struggling to come to terms with the first day of work after maternity leave, the following benefits may make the process slightly less guilt provoking. Working instils a sense of purpose outside motherhood. It allows for the mother’s financial independence. In many instances heading back to the office enables a woman to reconnect social ties and engage in social interaction outside her home and family. It allows women to have a break from nappy and breastfeeding duty, and also motivates greater involvement from their partners.

Older children, especially females, often experience their working mothers as role models. Working mothers allow space for their children to develop an early sense of independence. Engaging in occupational activities reduces their chances of developing depression, while numerous studies have proven that the babies of working mums tend to grow up as children with welladjusted personalities and fewer behavioural problems than predicted by most guilt-ridden beginner mothers. This may result from work schedules that compel the setting of boundaries and routines to ensure that household activities run smoothly. While the benefits to the infant of a working mother may put the mother’s guilty conscience to rest, these pointers may further help ease that little g-voice in her head. One must understand your guilt and its purpose. Guilt serves to help us re-examine our behaviour and make changes. In this case, guilt is healthy and appropriate. When guilt serves no purpose as it does not signal the need to re-examine behaviour, it becomes irrational and inappropriate. New mothers can benefit from identifying which behaviours they have engaged in and which of these have to be re-examined. Feeling guilty about not having taken necessary care to ensure the safety and welfare of your child may be appropriate. Feeling guilty because you fear that your baby’s development will be negatively affected by your absence (despite knowledge that many children have grown up in the same manner) will be inappropriate. Secondly, if there are behaviours that need to be re-examined and you find that guilt feelings were not inappropriate, make amends as soon as possible. The sooner changes in behaviour are made, the sooner the need for the warning signal – guilt – disappears. Finally, learn to accept that no one is perfect. Accept that everyone makes mistakes. Take lessons, change your behaviours, and move on.

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A 2010 meta-analysis of 69 studies over 50 years found that, in general, children whose mothers worked when they were young had no major learning, behaviour or social problems, tended to be high achievers in school and have less depression and anxiety. The positive effects were particularly strong for children from low-income or single-parent families, while some studies showed negative effects in middle-class or twoincome families.

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THE VIllagE InITIaTIVE

village is much more than a collection of buildings. Whether it is built of sticks or bricks, a village is defined by its sense of community, where a diverse group of people shares beliefs, resources, needs and risks for the common good.

Today, the Village Initiative is an interconnected maze of offices, coffee shops and restaurants, boardrooms and conference facilities drawing both businesses and artists, and residential areas that are inclusive of several socioeconomic groups, creating a collective, inclusive community.

Because these needs change, the process of building a village is fluid, evolving with the times and demands, but never losing the sense of belonging or the commitment to being part of something bigger than the individual sum of its parts.

At the Village, the business environment has been developed within the context of a positive natural environment. Many trees have been planted; creating a ‘green atmosphere’ that is pedestrian friendly and encourages walking and cycling.

When the Village Initiative began in 2000, community was top of mind, and it remains central to the holistic approach that has driven steady, sensitive development in this Windhoek enclave.

In 2016, the Village concept expanded to include the Village Market, a twice-monthly event that provides a platform for young entrepreneurs, a voice to different communities and helps to make micro-business opportunities available.

In what was a run-down part of town, where crime was rife and residents were moving out, neighbours began to discuss how their property could be used to create a community that would include places to work, live and socialise. This is the essence of urban renewal. It addresses job creation, housing, poverty alleviation and quality of life. It isn’t gentrified. To be vibrant it needs a cross section of socioeconomic groups within the community. A positive, public space is at the heart of the Village Initiative. It began by introducing the social aspect, in the form of a small, owner-operated coffee shop, which in turn became a meeting place and ultimately helped to attract other small businesses.

From food vendors to musicians to aspiring designers, young Namibians are drawn together to test their goods and services in the millennial market that is fast becoming a force in Namibia’s economy. The growth of a village is a patient process, built on dreams, organic growth and social cohesion. The vision for the Village Initiative remains sustainable and inclusive, as a dynamic reminder that it really does take a village to help a nation reach its fullest potential. The Village Management Tel: 061 237 922

The freedom in losing layers A contemporary artist and nude photographer on the freedom found in letting go

Contemporary artist and nude photographer, Julia Hango, who is widely known as JuliART, uses art for “exploring the human in nature, the conservative and hypocritical mind-set as well as the male-dominated culture of Namibia.” Julia began her career as a commercial photographer, but the competitive nature of the business didn’t appeal to her. “I looked inside myself and asked myself what kind of photography I really wanted to do. It needed to be something that I like and actually enjoy, so that I don’t do this purely to make money. I have been a nudist forever. It made sense. “I had to be selfish and say that this is what I want and so I am going to go and do it. It’s when you build up enough strength internally that you can start giving it away and it starts flowing out to other people. This is how selfishness turns to selflessness.” As a photographer specialising in nudes, Julia hasn’t always felt supported by the artistic community. “People tell me I’m being brave, but as an artist this is the worst compliment. I am not trying to be brave; I am trying to share my work. “For me, exhibitions are a way of giving Namibia a bit of me and my art, although it hasn’t always been received

in the way it was intended. I think a lot of people in Namibia come to my shows to belittle the models for being naked. To see if they can recognise the person that is naked and, if they recognise the person that is naked, then they feel the need to say to me: ‘I know that person.’ “At my last show, I had nude models and I had men harassing the models. What was worse was that the venue and people involved didn’t do anything to stop the harassers. “There is no space here for me and my work, yet. It seems there is only room for pointing fingers. We still have such a fear of anything different.” Julia says that is has been an arduous process for her to share her art with the art community, while commenting that this has not been the case at her international exhibitions. Her exhibitions in Sweden and Cape Town have been received with applause. “I try to provide a space where people can express what is within themselves. It’s so interesting how, when I ask models why they are willing to participate in a nude shoot, they often answer by talking about their insecurities. That, no matter how confident they are, when they look in the mirror and see something, they see something else, something they don’t like. “It’s okay to be naked, but not only in the sense of without clothes – it’s okay to let go of all the things, layers we pile over ourselves every day.”

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Art is about pushing boundaries, challenging us to look at life in ways we may have never considered and eliciting responses from the sublime to the uncomfortable.

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Dr Justine Braby & Reinhold Mangundu on happiness and wellbeing

appiness – not just a feeling or an experience – is becoming a factor that is gaining popularity as a measurement of success, not only for individuals, but also for governments and businesses. Now a team of passionate Namibian scientists working on the For Progress Namibia Project is asking, “Are we, as a nation, happy?” 99FM’s Master Your Destiny discussed with two members of this scientific team – Dr Justine Braby and Reinhold Mangundu – why, if we want to thrive, happiness should be our focal point.

MYD: Tell us about the happiness project. JB: Our study came from a background based on the realisation that what we measure right now is not exactly helping us thrive as a human society or in our development planning. We’re hitting all sorts of planetary boundaries, – climate change, biodiversity loss, things that we actually depend on for our survival ... water, fresh air and so on. We’re polluting, more and more people are getting sick, and at the same time our life quality at a global scale is not really increasing. So there are a lot of questions around what we are actually measuring and what we are defining as ‘progress’. Surely we should be looking at the most important thing – quality of life? In 2012, a small group of us did a study with very little funding, where we went door to door in five different suburbs in Windhoek with a questionnaire that covered nine domains from health to governance, education, community unity, environment and so forth, to find out how important these things are. Each of these domains had separate indicators. For instance, area and environment had employment opportunities, access to basic services, and so forth.

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Happiness

Feature

Education had access to schools, affordability of the schools, and availability of other informal education services and cultural institutions in the area.

can move forward, both through small-scale community development and by surveying a larger percentage of the population.

MYD: What were some of the surprising things that came out of sharing this information with community members? RM: When I facilitated some of the groups at the workshop at which we shared the results with the communities, the elderly people surprised me most. They were aware of so many issues they face because they have been living in the community for many years, and knowingly they got to share it with the young people at the workshop. If we can have more community meetings, more community participation, then we can drive the development we’re talking about. We can bring about the change we want.

The study basically represents a vision that we all need to have: What would we see as Namibia being a prosperous nation? Is it happiness and health and quality of life? I would assume that would be the most important thing.

JB: One of the important things we always underestimate is the sense of community trust and relationships, and that actually came out very strong. Community unity was stronger in Katutura, while in more affluent areas people don’t know their neighbours. Health was surprisingly strong. It was self-perceived health – it wasn’t about access to healthcare. It was how healthy are you? How much energy do you have? Those were relatively high, but most of the ‘stuff’ – infrastructure – was below sufficient. Of course Namibia has to develop and Africa has to develop, but how do we develop? What is our progress? How do we define it? What is our value system? We can’t say that it’s necessarily a happy life that people are living. MYD: A part of us knows that the current system isn’t sustainable. RM: The economic paradigm that we constructed happened a long time ago, when a lot of concentration was put on developing a country, on GDP and the economic status of a country, but not realising that in the long run our resources are being exhausted. If we don’t change the way we do things, if we don’t promote a paradigm shift, all of this will get back to us in the future. The youth are the future custodians of our environment. I like to refer to a quote by Nelson Mandela, ‘Education is the key to transforming the world.’ I believe if we, the youth, advocate for this and if we are included in all developments that are taking place right now, then we can bring about change towards more resilient and more sustainable methods.

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JB: There’s so much that can be done. We have a very passionate committee of volunteers, and government has shown a lot of interest in the different spheres. We hope that through partnerships and collaborations, we

If we want to keep within the economic paradigm that we have, then I would believe that we all do a localisation of the economy – small- or medium-enterprise systems – where everyone gets enough to be happy and healthy and have their needs met a bit more. Where everyone’s in a good space and we intrinsically link our lives back to nature as well. A ‘take home’ of our findings is for people to rethink what is important to them. What path are you taking in your own life that is bringing you happiness? And then look around you and see that for other Namibians. Especially for those of us who have – there are a lot of Namibians who do not. Inequality is a circumstance of where we are right now, and we all have a role to play – be more aware of that. MYD: If you could change the system right now, what would be the first thing you would address? RM: If I could change the system right now, I would create awareness. Imagine if we could take this throughout the country, educating, making people aware – then, I believe, the change we want, we’ll get to see it. MYD: Why is it important to expand this project around the country? RM: If people can see that wellbeing matters more than just achieving GDP, than just development based on economic status, then eventually they’ll get the message and start projects and bring about alternatives. Wellbeing and happiness are very important for a community. If people aren’t happy and aren’t involved in certain projects, how on earth will they drive those projects? MYD: What would you say to people listening now? RM: Change should start within you. It’s more about asking, ‘What do I contribute?’ The youth must get more involved because, if we can come up with alternatives, in the future we will say, ‘I was part of the change I’m seeing right now.’

MYD

Taking a break Tony Muganza explains why and how you should take a break

Holidays are a great source of relaxation, new energy and enthusiasm to live our everyday life and foster better performance at work. And this where is I should start …

mployees who take a work-free break E tend to perform better. The key here is ‘work-free break’. For a vacation to result in better performance, an individual needs to intentionally switch off from work. It is of little to no use for an employed person to take a vacation so that ‘they can do their own work’. There is no such thing as a ‘working vacation’, as this goes against the ideals of taking time off and missing the adventure. As human beings, the importance of restoration is rooted in our physiology. We are meant to pause between expending energy; recovery is what improves our performance.

T aking a break has the potential to increase overall family harmony. The key word here is ‘family’. Taking a break as a family increases the chances of and for sharing experiences that influence shared growth and meaning in family life. Shared family memories and time spent together help to promote positive ties between family members, providing opportunities for bonding, improved communication and solidarity.

Breaking away improves individual focus. As the body and mind unwind, there is a tendency to focus on a few important elements of a person’s life, such as personal growth and social development. Vacations allow us to gain new perspectives of our everyday life, which can lead to new and wider horizons on both a personal and professional level.

T aking a break is a great health booster. The majority of lifestyle diseases – such as heart disease, hypertension and obesity – are associated with extended physical and mental activity with limited to no punctuations of vacation. This is because stress, depression and other psychological conditions thrive in a ‘busy’ body. Taking a break increases the likelihood of generating feelings of calm, which relieves stress and allows the body and mind to heal in ways it cannot if exposed to continuous pressure.

Holidays are indicated for reduced burnout. Working all the time and getting things done makes one feel ‘great’, but the brain feels something completely different – burnout! Breaking away is a natural ‘fire extinguisher’ to that which burns from the inside. Taking regular time to relax makes you more creative and productive, stepping clear of your counterparts who are overworked and under-rested. When taking a vacation, make it simple. It is not the time to be extravagant and get into unnecessary financial trouble. If you are resource constrained, stay home, sleep and play with your kids. If you choose to travel, choose budget destinations that match your income. Pack light, no expensive gadgets, no computers and no detailed ‘to do’ lists. Just relax and enjoy the adventure.

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We are constantly being told that to be successful, we need to have balance in our lives and this includes taking a break to recharge ourselves. If you are feeling guilty about taking a break or are considering not taking a break when you get the chance, then this especially prepared piece by behavioural scientist, Tony Muganza, is just for you.

The restorative tonic of

Science is proving the many health and wellbeing benefits – better sleep, lower blood pressure and fewer aches and pains – that come with the simple practice of gratitude. How can we use the power of gratitude to reap these and other benefits in our lives? Karen Powell, a creativity coach and lifestyle mentor, helps us find some answers. Karen believes that gratitude has the power to profoundly change your life for the better. She has prepared eight gratitude tools that you can use to create an abundance of blessings in your life.

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Bring your blessings to life by making them visible Keep a ‘Gratitude Journal’. Every day write down five things you’re grateful for in your life. Then next to each one write why you’re grateful for it. Or, you could write down the things you’re thankful for on small pieces of paper and put them into a ‘Gratitude Jar’ each day, or create a collage of pictures representing things you’re grateful for, or do a ‘Mind Map of Blessings’. The different ways to make your blessings visible are endless. Use your own creativity to find one you enjoy.

Do a week of negative abstinence It’s hard to feel grateful when you’re pouring negativity into your life. Try this: For one week do not complain, criticise, gossip, or watch or read negative or violent TV, news, movies, videos, etc. Throughout the week and afterward, pay attention to how you’re feeling inside.

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Dig a little deeper Express gratitude for things you may have taken for granted. This can be for the shoes on your feet, the clean air you breathe, the dentist, the sunshine, the intelligence of each cell in your body doing its job … You can even express gratitude for the lessons learnt during the difficult times in your life.

In relationships Even if you’re having challenges in a relationship, instead of focusing on what’s ‘wrong’, make a list of all the things you’re grateful for in that person. Then every day express one of those to your partner. Watch what happens!

In matters of money and finances Instead of complaining about your bills or lack of money in the bank, shift the focus to how fortunate you are to be able to pay for whatever it is you can pay for. When you pay a bill, feel gratitude for the goods or service you received for your payment. What you focus on expands, so if you’re focusing on lack, you’re going to create more lack. If you focus on what is there, however small, then you’re going to attract more of that.

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Allow the full flow of gratitude If someone thanks you, be gracious. Don’t negate it or minimise it as ‘nothing’. Likewise if someone gives you a compliment, don’t turn it away or respond with all the reasons why they shouldn’t be complimenting you. Just say, ‘Thank you.’

Use gratitude to bring your passion or purpose into being Visualise yourself living your purpose. Then mix the feeling of gratitude into that picture as if it’s already happening. This is your most powerful way of allowing something into being. Make gratitude the bookends of your day. Before you open your eyes in the morning say, ‘Thank you.’ As you close your eyes before you go to sleep at night say, ‘Thank you.’ To truly transform your life, try to use gratitude not only as a reaction to an event, but more as a constant state of being. Then watch how you become a magnet for blessings of every kind to show up in your life!

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Gratitude is the most effective natural remedy for insomnia If you can’t sleep at night start a mental list of all that you’re grateful for. You can start with your body: ‘Thank you for my eyesight. Thank you for my hearing. Thank you for my heart …’, or you can list all the people in your life. Just continue listing one after the other. You will soon become relaxed and drift right off to sleep.

How

dance twirls with liberty and release

To dance salsa is to let your mind be still, your heart be open and your feet come alive. Incorporating elements of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean dances, salsa is an art form, an expression of creativity. For those seeking physical freedom of expression on the dance floor, Windhoek has a salsa club – Salsa Windhoek Social Club – whose main driver is Rémy Ngamije.

“For the last three years I have worked in very varied careers, but all of them have been fiercely intellectual, like studying law, writing, design and more,” shares Rémy, “but when you get to a salsa class and you dance, all of that busy-ness in the mind disappears. “This is what salsa dancing is – a feeling of release, where your body takes over and you are fully focused and present for the duration of the song. Afterwards, you feel rejuvenated, like you can go back to whatever it is you need to do.” According to Rémy, the benefits of salsa include being an easy dance to learn for beginners, providing an energetic workout, plus it’s simply fun. “Salsa is social, you meet new people and it’s relaxing. This is important when you consider that Windhoek is starting to get the stress levels associated with living in a big city.” Rémy laughs as he explains that the oldest dancer they have had on their dance floor so far was an 84-year-old woman who, in his words, “knew how to move; the woman moved.” No matter what your moves, salsa allows for continuous learning. “Even after you’ve been dancing for a long time, different people dance differently and you learn something new from everyone you dance with. Salsa is a conversation with someone without using words.”

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