FlyWestair July 2021

FlyWestair www.flywestair.com

Your free copy

July 2021

discover Windhoek | lifestyle |

conservation | royal hustlers | economic pulse | looking global | explore etosha

GOOD TODAY. BETTER TOMORROW.

from the publisher

Stories in FlyWestair Magazine.

FIRE

are compiled by Venture Media’s content team, in partnership with Tribefire Studios and freelance contributors.

FlyWestair www.flywestair.com

June 2021

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A discover etosha | lifestyle |

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conservation | royal hustlers | economic pulse | looking global | explore the northeast

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“But how could you live and have no story to tell?”

- Fyodor Dostoevsky

Venture Publications (Pty) Ltd. PO Box 21593 Windhoek Namibia info@venture.com.na

Cover image:

Venture Media

This is us. extraordinary Namibian stories. publishing. content generation. content marketing. print. film. digital.

CONTENT IS

and also

by Tribefire Studios

1

Table of

contents

CONTENT IS FIRE

01

And collaboration is the future. FlyWestair Magazine is a compilation of Namibian stories sourced by Venture Media that entertain and surprise with interesting topics, introducing you to a new generation of trendsetters and Namibian influencers.

10

WELCOME ON BOARD

09

New destinations are on the horizon.

CLOSE TO NATURE IN THE CITY

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Ti Melen, the homey boutique guesthouse situated in Windhoek’s capital, yet not.

LIFE ON A TABLE

13

A quick and easy hake tagine.

SHOP LOCAL-ISH

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Shopping local is so much more rewarding. Have a look at what some hot local Namibian and South African brands have to offer.

ELZE DESIGNER JEWELLERY 14

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Jewellery inspired by the authenticity of detail in nature.

FASHION FIERCE

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Looking for a wedding stylist? Meet Ada Auala.

ART-IST

24

Martha Mukaiwa tours the art galleries of Swakop.

ROYAL HUSTLERS

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Wendy Kausiona’s transformative journey.

ZINA

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A lifestyle guide for women.

LOOKING GLOBAL 16 2

Has mental illness become a fashion trend?

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15 MIN SWEAT SET WITH ENA

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A full-body workout to get your blood pumping.

DISCOVERING THE ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

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The jewel in Namibia’s crown.

THE TRIBE

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Nautilus Production House: Raising the bar of excellence in Namibia’s music industry.

PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURE

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Life through the lens of Sky Ilifa.

ECONOMIC PULSE

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Where to invest your hard-earned money.

DON’T FEED THE FEARS

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Kirsty Watermeyer explores the powerful emotion that is fear.

SURVIVING DROUGHT USING ENCROACHER BUSH SPECIES

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Producing animal feed from encroacher bush.

DWARF GIRAFFE - SERIOUSLY?!

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Scientists are continuously learning more about Africa’s “tall horses”.

REMY THE QUILL

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Remy Ngamije’s humourous take on a vaccination queue experience.

NAMIBIA WINS 6 MEDALS

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Local brewers rewarded for their tasty beers.

CLEAN-UP INITIATIVE IN THE KUNENE REGION

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TOSCO coordinated initiative leads to tons of waste collected by conservancies.

DID YOU KNOW?

63

Fun facts, important dates and Suduko

LOVE NAMIBIA

Showcasing the beauty of our country.

64 30 3

A SUDDEN STORM SHOULDN’T DISRUPT YOUR LONG-TERM OUTLOOK ACCESS RMB’S FLEXIBLE SHORT-TERM LIQUIDITY Rebuilding our economy starts now.

www.rmb.com.na

CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANKING 4

FlyWestair

NEED TO KNOWS. with www.flywestair.com

How to buy

a ticket online Choose your ticket

Select which tickets you would like to purchase. We offer multiple fare options such as: Saver, Classic or Premium

Passenger details Please enter names as they appear on passport or travel documentation LOGIN to upload passenger details from previous booking.

Fill in your payment details in our DPO paygate to make final payment.

How can you make

a payment?

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

Eros Airport, Ondangwa Airport, Oranjemund Airport

Online card transaction

Immigration procedure Final Destination OMD

Oranjemund Exit

Transaction confirmation will be sent to passenger email entered.

You can also purchase

from:

• Windhoek Eros Airport Office • SkyLounge Eros • Ondangwa airport office • Oranjemund airport office • All major travel agents

restrictions Items NOT allowed in hand luggage: Lotions and aerosols above 100ml, flammable aerosol, sharp objects, i.e. nail files, nail scissors, Leatherman, matches.

MAX 20kg Per person

prior to flight

Departures Immagration

Online check-in opens 24hours before departure of the flight on www.flywestair.com Check-in opens 1h 30min before domestic flight and 2 hours before international flight.

Coffee Shop

Toilets

Read up on all our additional information reagarding terms and conditions, and tick the selection box once completed to continue.

Check-in

Arrivals Immagration

Arrival Gate

Additional flight information / rules

Luggage

Oranjemund Airport Final Destination CPT / ERS

Baggage policy, sporting equipment, over weight luggage or to add an additional bag(s)

Confirmation Mail

Payment

Cash payment at:

More options for the perfect trip

Office

Check-in CLOSES 30min prior to flight

Departure Gate

5

Ondangwa - Toivo ya Toivo

Eros Airport

Cape Town 6

FLIGHT SCHEDULE (EROS - ONDANGWA - EROS) FROM

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(WINDHOEK - CAPE TOWN - WINDHOEK) FROM

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It’s about time.

www.flywestair.com

fly@westair.com.na

+264 83 339 0011

Schedule as per date of going to print. Please check the FlyWestair website to stay updated on flight destinations, routes and schedules.

It’s about connecting with our customers.

Get in touch with us 24/7 via our new call centre.

+264 83 339 0011 It’s about time.

+263 83 339 0011 www.flywestair.com 8

Welcome on Board

FlyWestair New Horizons As we head into the second half of 2021, we are looking to the future. To new adventures and new destinations on the horizon. If you are a frequent flyer you will by now know of our plans to introduce two new routes to our schedule: Rundu and Katima Mulilo. We feel these destinations are integral hubs for so many of our nation’s northeastern denizens, and we would like to continue our pledge to support and connect Namibians. Katima Mulilo, the capital of the Zambezi Region, is also an important gateway to other SADC nations, notably Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Not only will the introduction of these two destinations help ease the weight of travel for those who live there and conduct business, as driving times between there and the capital are severe, but it will also support our crucial, currently downtrodden tourism industry. The introduction of Katima and Rundu is set to ease travel for visitors to Namibia who would like to include the Kavango and Zambezi regions in their itinerary, but do not have sufficient days in their schedule for the long drives there. It’s about time after all.

The current delay in starting with these operations is due to delays caused by the Transportation Commission of Namibia not being able to approve these routes. FlyWestair would like to assure you that we have had ongoing discussions with the Minister of Transport, John Mutorwa, on the matter and his office has given us the assurance that the delays will be resolved soon. FlyWestair will keep you up to date on developments in this regard.

It’s about connecting with our customers.

FlyWestair recently launched a new call centre, which will be operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure the

very best customer service. Our call centre can be reached at +264 83 339 0011. We know that people are the most important element of our business, both our team and our customers, and we want to focus as much energy as possible on improving your customer experience. We will continue to search for new ways to enhance your journey with us. Keep your eyes peeled for our Whatsapp line, too!

Keep in mind that we also offer COVID testing to the general public, conveniently done at our Eros Airport offices between 08h00 and 10h00 every Monday to Saturday.

Safety is ALWAYS first The FlyWestair team would like to remind you that your safety is our very top priority. We have done everything possible to ensure that the aircraft you boarded today is clean and safe.

We would also like to remind you that the continued safety of all passengers on board is as much your responsibility as ours. Please keep your mask on for the duration of your flight, only lowering it when you eat or drink. Staying safe and following strict health guidelines during this time is our collective responsibility as a nation.

We have added a new temporary policy where clients receive one free date amendment on their booking. We are here to support you during these uncertain times.

We hope you enjoy your flight with us today. Here’s to hope for a brighter tomorrow, exciting new horizons and staying connected while nevertheless staying safe.

Enjoy your flight.

The FlyWestair Team

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Ti Melen

Close to Nature in the City

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I

t is extremely rare to find the perfect blend between nature and the proximity to a capital city’s sights, restaurants and cultural vibe. Ondili’s homey boutique guesthouse Ti Melen, however, is that rarity.

Ti Melen is situated high against the slope of a hill at the very end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Windhoek’s Avis neighbourhood. Being literally on the outskirts of the city means that it is almost entirely surrounded by wonderful natural scenery. Stunning panoramic views to the west give a sense of being in town, while looking east the veld will serve as a precursor to what Nambian adventures lie ahead.

Ti Melen offers six spacious rooms, each with an en-suite bathroom and stylishly decorated with vintage furniture and finishings that transport you to the splendid living of a century ago. Each room has its own unique character and finishing touches as well as its own balcony or patio to enjoy the natural surroundings.

The roomy lounge is the perfect place to relax after a long day of exploring the city. During winter the perfectly situated fireplace makes the lounge a wonderfully cosy escape from the cold.

The raised front veranda allows for stunning views of the garden and surrounds each meal. In the back, you’ll find a smaller secret garden with a pool.

Ti Melen has the advantage of being only a ten-minute drive from Windhoek’s CBD. It is also just a five-minute walk to scenic Avis Dam where you can enjoy a relaxed stroll with ample opportunity for birding or go for longer hikes around the dam.

Ti Melen with its welcoming atmosphere and tranquil garden is the perfect guesthouse before starting a Namibian safari, as a last goodbye before flying out or to book a day room for the weary traveller waiting for a flight.

Book now or find out more at ondili.com

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IT’S TIME FOR THE PERFECT BEER

Not For Persons Under The Age Of 18.

Enjoy Responsibly.

Foodies

RABBI ELI’S HAKE TAGINE It’s so delicious, and so quick and easy.

Soak it all up with bread.

1 kg firm fish fillets (6 pieces) 15 ml turmeric 45 ml paprika 60 ml olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 10 cocktail tomatoes, halved 6 cloves of garlic, halved 1 onion, sliced 4 carrots, peeled and shaved 1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped 1 bunch parsley, chopped 125 ml water • Place the fish in a marinade bowl and cover with the turmeric, paprika, salt, pepper and olive oil.

• Shave the carrots with a potato peeler to reduce their cooking time.

• Start by packing your tagine (or saucepan) with the garlic halves, cocktail tomato halves, onion and carrot shavings.

• Cover with half the chopped coriander and half the chopped parsley. Put the pieces of fish on top.

• Cover again with the rest of the parsley and coriander.

• Rinse the marinade bowl with the water and pour it over the fish.

• Cover with the lid and simmer on low for about 20 minutes or until the fish has turned white and firm.

Hentie Burger

Discover more of Antoinette's delicious recipes in Life on a Table To order your copy contact Bonn Nortjé at Venture Publications: bonn@venture.com.na

13

KARIBU FLOWERS Karibu, which means welcome in Swahili, is a premium online flower and gift shop. It offers a large variety of fresh-cut flowers, preserved roses that last for over three years, candles, home décor and personalised gifts.

Founded in 2016, Karibu Flowers is the first florist in Namibia to retail distinctive flower boxes, a design concept that uses luxurious hat boxes for floral arrangements. www.karibuflowers.com @karibu_flowers_namibia

SHOP LOCAL-ish

The most unique local lifestyle brands and products that will guide, motivate and inspire you to express your identity.

Are you a Nam or SA-based small business lifestyle brand? List your label with us for only N$750 per month. fly@venture.com.na

NUTRIWILD Vittoria Viglietti, founder of NutriWild and researcher of ancient skincare formulas and therapies, is a qualified nutritional therapy practitioner, currently studying organic skincare chemistry. All NitriWild products are sustainably formulated using naturally harvested botanical ingredients.

They are gluten and alcohol-free and not tested on animals. www.nutriwildlifestyle.com @nutriwild

SNOESIG Snoesig is all about creating beautiful things for children’s bedrooms. Embroidered by hand and stitched together with a 1985 Bernina, each item is unique and can be customised to the theme of a room. Snoesig creations are ideal for baby shower gifts or a cute little birthday present for a boy or girl. @snoesignamibia @snoesignamibia

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ZE’RA Ze’ra Leather uses traditional and modern techniques to put together unique leather products. Quality craftsmanship is the hallmark of every piece created by Ze’ra Leather.

Ze’ra is Hebrew and means offspring or seed. “It took me to the origins of everything we can find in nature, including leather, and how much value there can be found if we look close enough. We have realised that nature is genuine and good and we must never forget to be good stewards.” - Ernst Blaauw, owner and leather craftsman.

Ze’ra aims to create quality and originality, but at the same time also sustainability in our country. Products present the values and characteristics that the master leather craftsman has learnt through his leather creations.

“It’s our heartfelt wish and passion to show through our products, how good, genuine and original one can be and how important it is to stay true to what you believe in.” @zera_leather

KAT-ACTIVE KAT-Active Apparel is a Namibian company focussing on women’s fitness clothing. The brand is a local employer and most of the manufacturing supplies are also sourced locally. Using fabrics that are suited for an active lifestyle, it strives to be the best manufacturer in Namibia when it comes to quality and it is certainly the best when it comes to price.

The names of KAT-Active clothing pieces are inspired by Namibia, incorporating the country’s wildlife, destinations and fauna into the themes of ranges. The brand’s range features tights, crop tops, sport bras, winter tops, hoodies, swimwear and more. www.kat-active.com @kat.active 15

Elze Designer Jewellery

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Local Craft

S

crolling through Instagram, I always feel a sense of pride when coming across a beautifully curated profile of a Namibian small business. I love that local! Recently, an Elze Designer Jewellery post made its way into my Instagram feed, and I found myself admiring a simple and elegant Cloudy Day Rainbow Pendant. Staring in admiration, I also found myself disheartened because I thought that if I had to put this on my birthday gift list, my husband would have to struggle with shipping it from SA. I wasn’t disappointed for long though because I discovered in Elze’s profile that her jewellery studio is based in Namibia.

The talented and passionate woman behind the crafting tools is Elze Eigelaar. From humble beginnings in a small garage with bad lighting to a fully equipped studio today, she has always known that she is a creator and maker. “Making meals, making jewels, making a home and making time for the important things in life.”

After her application to study graphics was rejected she surprisingly got accepted for jewellery design at the University of Stellenbosch and quickly grew a passion for this art. “I kind of fell in love with the world of melting metals and making functional art that people can wear and actually attach significant sentimental value to for various reasons”. Her business keeps growing and while it does, she concerns herself with sustainability in fashion, a hot topic and an important movement toward eco-conservation, keeping it in mind while making business decisions and expanding.

In crafting these dainty and unique pieces, Elze draws inspiration from her surroundings. She grew up in the Karoo but now calls Namibia her home-both of them landscapes which are rich in the authenticity of detail in nature, memories that inspire the stories told through her creations.

Her stories become part of her pieces, which become part of other women’s lives.

Find Elze’s work on Instagram @elzedesingerjewellery or contact her for a custom-designed piece via her website www.elzejewellery.com Ena Visagie

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The Namibian bridal stylist

making boss moves

Ada Auala

A

ny Namibian bride who has hired Ada Auala as a stylist for her big day can attest that this is a woman who can make dreams come true.

understated style.

Images of her bridal clients are consistently breathtaking and an expression of her signature elegant and

While I have interviewed Ada on numerous occasions, one thing that continues to impress me is her drive and constant high spirits. We caught up once again to talk about the growth of her brand and her pursuit of global recognition.

A dream career “This has always been my dream. After school, I went to study computer science against my will. I did IT for seven years but bridal fashion has been my passion since I was 12,” says Ada and adds that she always knew this dream would come true.

Since taking up the challenge to pursue her dream career she has styled over 200 brides in Namibia and beyond. “The first time I booked a paying international client was actually when my friend who was getting married in South Africa booked me,” she recalls. She flew to Cape Town in 2015 to style her client and international opportunities have continued to open up for Ada ever since – mostly in Zimbabwe.

Ada is renowned for offering brides a top-of-the-range luxury experience on the most special day of their lives, enhancing their natural beauty with a radiant, flawless finish complete with elegant hairstyling. Constantly striving to be on top of her game, Ada is experienced with all skin tones, ethnicity and hair textures, as much as she is well-versed in the latest wedding hair styles and makeup trends.

Finding her purpose One of the things that sets her apart is her clear brand identity and unique selling proposition. She believes that she found her purpose in life when she realised that wedding styling was her passion, and she notes that success in any sector comes only when one finds one’s niche and perfects it.

“I feel like my dream has just started. I’ve always wanted to have my own space, and my dream has come true with the new studio I just moved in,” says Ada and adds that she feels things can only get better.

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Not enough has been done to encourage and inspire young people.

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“Put yourself out there” Ada is a product of not only hard work and dedication, but she also goes a step further by putting herself out there for people to recognise her work. One of her best tools has been social media, which she uses brilliantly to market her services. Her Instagram page is expertly curated with images of her beautiful clients, inspiring quotes and informative live sessions on her regular collaborations with fellow content creators. “Make use of social media hacks and the tools to get your work noticed. Reach out to people in the same industry in and outside the country, DM them and create relationships with them. You never know who you might be able to collaborate with or who will see your work – that’s how I get international recognition,” Ada says.

Excited for the future While she is extremely proud of how far she has come by now, Ada is excited to see her brand grow even bigger. She looks forward to meeting more brides and to keep experiencing weddings in all cultures of people from all walks of life.

“To be honest, every wedding is unique. The experience is different with every wedding. I build relationships with every new bride, learn about new cultures and every time I see my clients in their wedding gowns I cry,” says Ada. So, as a wedding stylist who knows everything it takes to make a bride happy on her big day, who are her top picks to bring her own dream wedding to life one day?

Without hesitation, Ada mentions Kevin Wedding Planner (Zimbabwe) and Wendy’s Creations (Namibia) as her top two picks for planning her big day.

She also drops an honorary mention of Ruberto Scholtz (Namibia) to make her dream gown and Joy Adenuga (UK) for makeup.

One certainty is that by the time Ada walks down the aisle, we can expect nothing short of a showstopper wedding.

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based Communications Specialist, Blogger and Freelance Fashion Writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni and on Instagram @rukeekaakunga.

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Not for Persons Under the Age of 18.

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DISTELL NAMIBIA LTD PARTNERS WITH WILDLIFE CREDITS AND THE SOBBE CONSERVANCY

D

istell Namibia recently announced their renewed partnership for the third year with Wildlife Credits and the Sobbe Conservancy.

The community conservation programme spearheads the recovery of many wildlife species, dangerous and endangered species, on communal lands. Wildlife Credits differs from the traditional method of supporting conservation which relies on donations for inputs such as boots, vehicles, training, etc, in the belief that ultimately there will be a positive conservation outcome if people are appropriately paid for living with wildlife.

Wildlife Credits payments are made based upon measurable success. Therefore, funding does not go into a conservation plan, but it is applied to a conservation result, such as securing essential wildlife corridors to enable free movement of elephants.

Distell shared: “Amarula has renewed their commitment for a third year with Wildlife Credits, an innovative conservation initiative that rewards communities who are actively protecting and conserving wildlife and its habitat. This is cutting edge conservation, where funding is paid directly to communities for measurable conservation results. The ground-breaking partnership units Amarula, Wildlife Credits

and members of the Sobbe Conservancy in Namibia’s Zambezi Region who have been proactively protecting a wildlife corridor that is critical to elephant movements between Botswana, Namibia, Angola and Zambia. This is the community’s choice, one that doesn’t come lightly considering what hardships elephants can bring to rural farming communities, but one that will help to ensure the protection of elephants now and for generations to come.”

By rewarding conservation successes, Wildlife Credits and Amarula’s continued partnership provides an incentive for communities to continue to conserve elephants and other endangered and problem causing species. It is smart conservation and good business.

Technology remains at the forefront of the conservation efforts and rangers are trained and equipped to operate camera traps, a wildlife monitoring app and satellite verification to ensure the elephants are safe and out of harm’s way.

The Community Conservation Fund of Namibia (CCFN) continues to provide support to community-based conservation initiatives in rural Namibia, acts as an important interface between Amarula (Distell Namibia), Wildlife Credits and the Sobbe Conservancy.

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art-ist

Art Walk in Swakopmund

Photographer Johan Nieuwoudt

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I

t’s a bright winter’s day below the jolly red and white lighthouse that watches over Swakopmund’s buzzy town centre, and a smiling passerby in a forest green T-shirt offers me some sassy, lip-pouting advice.

“Take a selfie!”

Not a bad idea, given the light and the scene from my regular Friday perch on Slowtown’s street-facing solo seats, but the suggestion blows away on the breeze as Elijah, the best of baristas, hands me a cappuccino literally with my name on it and I geek out in unbridled delight.

“Martha,” says the coffee in frothy brown and white foam. And for the umpteenth time since my plague-fuelled escape from the city, I grin because, suddenly and with an endearing flourish, the coast sort of feels like home.

On the agenda for the afternoon is my favourite kind of Covid-era solo date – coffee and canvases.

For beginners, the itinerary is pretty simple. Fuel up on caffeine somewhere sunny and socially distant and then meander down the street ducking into anywhere that even vaguely promises a glimpse of the good stuff.

Photography by Johan Nieuwoudt

Swakopmund, if you yet have to discover this, is a place positively boasting with great galleries and an art walk at the coastal town can be a no fuss matter of strolling down Tobias Hainyeko Street and around the Brauhaus Arcade.

Just a few metres heading left from my regular coffee corner, a heavy metal gate is pulled open to reveal an old friend.

Photographer Johan Nieuwoudt - who I probably last saw jumping into a pool in full school uniform to commemorate our graduation from Oranjemund Private School - has grown up to own a hot-air balloon company, be a kindred world traveller, an incredible photographer and to gawk at me similarly 20 years older.

Though the pandemic has resulted in Johan needing to close his current shop and relocate to Mirror Mirror (right next to Slowtown. Isn’t everything?), his beautiful collection of travel photography and soulful portraits from as far as Cambodia, Hong Kong and Vietnam are certainly worth viewing at the new location.

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For beginners, the itinerary is pretty simple. Fuel up on caffeine somewhere sunny and socially distant and then meander down the street ducking into anywhere that even vaguely promises a glimpse of the good stuff.

Artwork by Lawrence Nyemba

Jerry Katambo

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Leaving my old pal after an exciting catch-up, my next stop is Art Stop which is a gallery and art supply store. Inside, budding artist and store supervisor Jerry Katambo is happy to give me a quick tour and point out some of his favourite pieces amidst a wealth of multifarious continental artists.

Jerry’s story echoes Johan’s in that he admits to having seen better days. The lack of tourists has been a hard knock but he is determined to see the other side of the pandemic which will surely bring crowds eager to cherish art and life and galleries.

Across the way at the vibrant Artists’ Arcade, the sentiments of a friendly trio named Wellington, Elton and Judith, are about the same. As I watch the artists work and we share stories about this strange moment in time, some tourists trickle in and I stand off to the side so as not to impede any sales.

Wellington, Elton and Judith will make whatever you want with what they have, which includes paint, canvases, beads, wire, driftwood and even corn husks.

From these humble materials, it’s incredible to see the possibilities of jewellery, pen holders, mobiles, décor and art and I leave thinking theirs is a story I would like to write a little more about.

To end my art walk and a tad further afield than I had planned, I find myself up a flight of stairs and in the Woermannhaus Gallery where artist Anne LacheinerKuhn exhibits alongside the !Ikhoba Project.

As ever, Anne’s cosmic collages beckon you to another realm. Yet, it’s strange to realise that, even in all their wild juxtapositions and creative characters, Anne’s imaginary worlds aren’t half as surreal as the current one. Pandemicridden, socially distant and only bearable for the small bursts of joy found in precious moments with family, anxious hours with friends or seeking art solo on a Swakopmund street.

Martha Mukaiwa is a columnist and writer based in Windhoek, Namibia, in between short, spirited sojourns around the world. Her narrative nonfiction, personal essays, travel writing and short stories have appeared in Travel Africa, Quartz, Fields & Stations, Holiday, The Africa Report, Truthdig, Matador Network, Africa is a Country, The Mail & Guardian, The Namibian & The Kalahari Review. Martha is an honorary writing fellow at the University of Iowa. Read more at marthamukaiwa.com.

Anne Lacheiner-Kuhn

Artwork by Anne Lacheiner-Kuhn

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Windhoek 99FM | Rehoboth Okahandja 99FM | Swakopmund Walvis Bay 99.4FM Otjiwarongo 94.1 FM | Oshakati Ondangwa Ongwediva 104.5 FM

But first Do the work!

99FM.COM.NA

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99FM APP NOW AVAILABLE ON:

W

endy Kausiona is an illustrious and inspiring business woman who has established herself as a leader in her industry.

Officially launched in 2005, Wendy’s Creations Events has become synonymous with luxurious, professionally put together events. Dubbed ‘Namibia’s Fairy Godmother of Weddings’ by clients and industry peers, Wendy’s passion is giving people unforgettable events to celebrate special life and personal milestones.

While she is most notable for the elegant weddings she helps put together, she has also worked on a number of high-level events, including national events where various heads of states were present. In this sit-down on the ‘Royal Hustlers’ show, she sheds light on her inspiring journey to the top.

of Technology degree in Public Management (specialising in Human Resources) and a Masters in Public Management.

As a child, Wendy always loved beautiful things around her. Colours, shapes and textures mattered to her from an early age, and this was revived at the Polytechnic. It was during these early years at university that her passion for decorating started to bloom, starting with invitation cards that she designed herself. “I can trace my love for beautiful things back to my need to have even my school books look different and beautiful,” she says. While this often got her into trouble at school, as a university student she was free to unleash her creativity.

ROYAL HUSTLERS Windeline ‘Wendy’ Kausiona on living the dream

Small town, big dreams...

Born and raised in the tiny town of Outjo, Wendy was raised by a domestic worker single mother.

Describing her small-town upbringing as the thing that shaped her into who she is today, Wendy is proud of how she was able to transform her life despite the challenges she faced in those early years.

Wendy’s childhood dream was to become a child psychologist, in order to better understand her own behaviour and why people differ. “Up until the age of 30, I was the most misunderstood human being. I had been labelled as a problem child,” she recalls. With her curious nature and determination to question everything, she often found herself wondering why she was so different from other children.

Reigniting a passion While her number one dream was to become a psychologist, Wendy was unable to immediately enrol in a course in that field when she arrived in the capital city, Windhoek, a little too late for university registrations.

On the advice of a lecturer at what was then the Polytechnic of Namibia, she enrolled for a political science programme instead, since besides psychology she was also interested in governance at national level. She went on to obtain a Bachelor

The beginning of Creations Events

Wendy’s

When she got married in 2005, Wendy’s dream came true as her husband gave her full control of planning, designing and styling the wedding. “I said ‘Hallelujah!

Finally I can do things the exact way that I want’,” she recalls fondly. The excited bride soon took over every detail of the wedding, from the design of her dress to the bridal party’s outfits – every last detail including the stickers on the water bottles for the reception.

Years on, and after finally going into business as an event designer and stylist, Wendy’s business is thriving.

With Wendy’s Creations Events, she has since provided strategic and creative leadership to a team of 25 permanent employees and over 80 casuals. Today, 15 years later, she has become the most sought-after event designer and stylist and is well-known for designing, styling and producing magical and thrilling event experiences for both Namibians and international clients in Namibia. One of the testaments to her success came when she won the Namibia Young Entrepreneur Competition in 2000.

Wendy has been able to create and build this brand that now inspires upcoming entrepreneurs in the sector. To give back, she offers on-the-job coaching sessions through her annual coaching workshops.

Tune in to The Royal Hustlers on 99FM every Monday to Friday from 07h35, with Namibian Royal Hustlers featured on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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Lifestyle Guide with

Busy Lizzie Turn your memories into beautiful art illustrations with Elizmarie from Busy Lizzie Studio.

About Hi, I am Elizmarie! Professional doodler and illustration artist.

Better known as “Busy Lizzie”, I am an aspiring teacher by day and a freelance illustrator by night. I started sharing my illustrations on Instagram back in 2019. I just love the feeling of people liking and reposting my work. I like to compare that feeling to an athlete winning a race. It’s a feeling like no other when someone appreciates the time and effort put into creating an illustration. I plan to one day do my illustrations from Paris in France. Until then I am happily living in sunny Windhoek!

Follow her journey on Instagram @busylizziestudio

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What is Broideo?

The term Broideo came from the word embroidery, and the brand is all about clothes and accessories with unique stitches that brighten up your day.

I can proudly say that I have launched five products within six months, and I am so excited for more. I offer embroidered T-shirts, rings, socks, pouches and tote bags. The pouches and tote bags are 100% made in Namibia.

I try to keep everything as local as possible by sourcing from Namibian suppliers. Furthermore, I started to involve a young Namibian mother in the production process of the hand-made pouches and tote bags. I believe that local support and production is essential for reviving the economy.

How did you start your business?

It all started with a little embroidered ice-cream on a black T-shirt that I bought at the beginning of last year. I thought how cute it would be to embroider little pieces of art on clothes. I started to embroider by hand, which was a total mess.

Seven months later I bought my first embroidery machine and from there on I totally fell in love with the concept.

I had a lot of ups and downs (still do), but YouTube was and still is my best friend.

I design my artwork on Illustrator, transfer it to an embroidery software where I digitize a vector file into stitches. After 2 to 1396 attempts of test stitching and design adjustments, I embroider the final T-shirt.

Effectively, I am a designer, photographer, social media manager, accountant and delivery service provider.

What lessons have you learnt so far?

Perseverance. Don’t give up! There are A LOT of ups and downs and self-doubts about market acceptance.

Regardless of people liking your concept, you have to be open for criticism and prepared to deal with sleepless nights, doubt and financial commitments.

The effort is worth the journey!

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omnoms

Winter Tea Recipe

Lifestyle with Zina

As the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder we are slowly welcoming the winter season in our southern part of Africa. Unfortunately, along with winter comes the flu season as well.

This month we want to share with you our favourite spicy immune boosting tea infusion to keep you healthy and warm.

The list of ingredients might sound a little daunting at first, but take our word for it, this drink can cure anything from a hangover to a cold in just a few sips!

INGREDIENTS: •

5 cm piece of peeled ginger

•

3 cm piece of fresh turmeric

•

The juice of 1 lemon

•

The juice of 1 grapefruit

•

4-5 lavender buds

•

1 tbsp of raw honey

•

A pinch black pepper

•

A pinch cayenne pepper

•

500 ml filtered water

METHOD: 1.

Chop the turmeric and ginger into thin slices.

2. Boil the water and add the ginger and turmeric to simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the black pepper, the cayenne pepper and the lavender and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice and raw honey to your pot. Do not boil the tea at this point as that would break down the vitamins and anti-inflammatory components of the raw honey and citrus fruits.

5. Lastly, pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer and serve hot in a beautiful mug or heat-resistant glass to keep you protected from the flu this winter.

We recommend drinking this infusion a couple times a week before going to bed, or first thing in the morning before you have your cup of coffee.

This delicious spicy immune booster can easily be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated whenever you feel you need it.

Bonus tip: Use the leftover squeezed lemon peel to remove any turmeric stains from your hands or chopping board by rubbing it on the stained area and then washing it off with dish soap. It really is a lifesaver when using fresh turmeric.

With that said, Zina Namibia wishes you a great start to the cold winter season! Stay warm, stay healthy and stay safe.

Recipe by @kimberleykrieger

zina_namibia | www.prostudio.cc/zina

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Looking Global

How Trendy is

Mental Illness?

Y

ou have probably seen it all over social media, the news, and possibly even at your workplace – Mental Health Awareness. What a fantastic and paramount campaign. Many of us know someone who is undoubtedly affected by mental illness, and unfortunately many of us also know someone who is no longer with us due to mental illness, leaving us to speculate about the preventability of it all and wondering whether we would have been able to help sooner if we had known more.

Fortunately, albeit slowly, the world is adopting a more accepting mental health culture with campaigns encouraging people to seek help and reassuring them that they are not alone and that all will be ok.

However, the awareness of mental illness, raised with the intense influence of social media, has also become not only an alluring topic of discussion, but also somewhat of a fashion trend.

After recently speaking to clinical psychologist Michelle McCulloch about her experiences, she shared some professional insight into the realm of mental health and the dilemmas she faces.

Michelle, who studied psychology with a passion to help people, now has to draw a very fine line between patients who are undeniably ill and in need of serious treatment, and those who seem to be listing their symptoms straight off Google.

Globally, psychologists follow what they fondly refer to as the “Bible of Psychology”, the DSM – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This “bible” has very clear criteria defining not only symptoms, but also the duration of the symptoms, the functionality of the person while experiencing these symptoms, and appropriate treatment methods.

Michelle says what often happens is that people use the correct words and terminology for their symptoms but then cannot elaborate further on how it makes them feel. “How does that make you feel?” – a common phrase we comically associate with psychologists. But this is essentially the crux of the matter.

People often come across an article or story on the internet or on Facebook and think, for example, “Well, I must be depressed because I have some of these symptoms”. This is similar to “googling” your physical symptoms and diagnosing your own medical disease. Although the information we have at our constant disposal is undeniably convenient, it often can be acutely damaging.

Michelle mentions a clear discrepancy between patients: the older generation, who still seem to be surrounded by stigma, misunderstanding and, sadly, sometimes shame. They don’t

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want anyone to know that they are seeing a psychologist or that they might be ill. This comes from years and years of a severe lack of understanding of what mental illness actually is. The word “crazy” was unjustly thrown around too often.

As a colossal contrast, there are adolescents who seem to find that mental illness is popular and are vocal about their diagnosis and treatment. It is “cool” to diagnose yourself with depression or anxiety.

Clearly, there is no healthy balance. Either mental illness is not understood at all or it is an everyday thing that everyone should have.

Another factor not usually considered is the seriousness of the treatments involved. They can range from therapy, medication, and/or admission to a psychiatric hospital. Adolescents often present symptoms but are not actually experiencing them.

They pay to see psychologists and psychiatrists unnecessarily and sometimes start medication, which can have side effects, when possibly it is not needed at all.

Social media is indeed doing a fantastic job of creating a gateway for accessible information, but overall, it seems to have more of a damaging effect. Although one might see something helpful and think “ok, so I am not alone”, within seconds one might also see something which encourages destructive behaviour, like self-harm. Presently, a common term is “Pop Psychology”, which refers to people who have no education in psychology but are sharing stories and opinions and tips which are, more often than not, huge misconceptions.

Nevertheless – Michelle made it very clear that anyone presenting symptoms of mental health should not be shrugged off or ignored because even just presenting or portraying mental illness may be a cry for help.

That having been said, it is better to be honest about what you are experiencing than go through a round of intricate treatments and medicines when they are not needed.

So where do we go from here? How do we know if we are indeed ill and in need of treatment or if we have merely diagnosed ourselves? How do we know if our friends, parents, children, colleagues, etc. are experiencing concerning symptoms or if it is merely a portrayal?

Whatever the case may be, Michelle recommends seeking professional help first and to be honest. Encourage those around you to seek real help and not internet help. Be honest about what you are experiencing and let a professional determine the way forward.

Contact Bel Esprit’s 24/7 helpline: 00264 81 455 0945 or the Childline Lifeline at 0061 226 889 if you ever need help.

Daniela Steenkamp

15 min sweat set with Ena

Time for change

A

ccording to Health.org, a health and pharmaceutical resource website, less than 5% of adults in America partake in 30 minutes of exercise daily and only one in three children are physically active every day. Although these statistics are taken from a study made in the USA, and the typical Namibian’s lifestyle may differ significantly, it’s important to measure yourself against those stats because your and your family’s health is important.

We have lived through half of the year 2021 already, and I admit that I haven’t nearly honoured all the good and healthy intentions I had for my body this year. Luckily I’m a pro when it comes to reflecting and I easily get fed up with myself which makes me want to do and be better. I want to encourage you to also flip to a new page and draft your plan for the second half of the year. It’s never too late to make healthier decisions!

To help you start, below is a 15-minute sweat session that you can start implementing a couple of times per week. It targets your whole body, and if you are not working up a sweat – add another round!

I don’t want anyone to regret not leading a healthier lifestyle earlier.

Full-Body Sweat Session All you need is: • 15 minutes • Water Each exercise = 30 seconds Rest = 1 minute after the 8th exercise Complete the circuit 3 times (and if you are able to, challenge yourself to a 4th round)

Jump in/out with floor touches

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Jump in/out with floor touches Plank Superman lifts 6 mountain climbers into 3 push-ups Crossover crunches 2 squat jumps into a 3-pulse squat Side plank combo right Side plank combo left

Turn up the tunes before you work up a sweat and enjoy this exercise! Enjoy doing it for yourself!

Crossover crunches

3 ways to better honour your intentions: 1. Clearly write out in your journal or on a piece of paper (revisit the page regularly) what you want to achieve, implement and/or change 2. Commit to daily doing something that contributes to each point you’ve written – even if it’s small 3. Keep track of progress and celebrate even the small victories! Action begets motivation, not the other way around Shoot me a DM and let me know how it goes @fervent_wellness

Ena holds a BComm degree in Marketing and Business Management, but because of her passion for fitness, she also studied to become a qualified Personal Trainer, working with individuals via online training and coaching.

Side plank combo

You can find her on the socials at @fervent_wellness & @enavisagie_8.

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36

Elzanne McCulloch

This is Namibia

Discovering the

Etosha National Park

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Liza de Klerk

The internationally renowned Etosha National Park – undoubtedly Namibia’s most popular tourist attraction – is the heart of the north-central region. The park serves as the ultimate stopover before heading for the arid northwest, the water-rich northeast, or the largely unexplored culturally rich Land of the Owambo People.

E

tosha owes its unique landscape to the Etosha Pan, a vast, shallow chalky white depression of approximately 5 000 km2 that forms the heart of the park. Once a large inland lake fed by the early Kunene River and rivers from the north, it began drying up about 3 million years ago when the Kunene was diverted to the Indian Ocean. A series of waterholes along the southern edge of the pan guarantee rewarding and often spectacular game viewing. In good rain years the pan fills with water draining southwards from Angola via a delta-like system of shallow rivers and oshanas, drying out in the winter to become an austere expanse of white cracked mud, shimmering with mirages and upward spiralling dust devils.

What we call Etosha today was proclaimed as Game Reserve No 2 in 1907 by the then German Governor Friedrich von Lindequist. With subsequent additions it became the largest game reserve in the world, covering a vast area of ±80 000 km2. For political considerations its size was progressively diminished, until by 1975 it had been reduced by 77 per cent to its present surface area of 22 912 km2. Nevertheless, it is still one of the largest game reserves in Africa.

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This is Namibia

Etosha is known as the jewel in Namibia’s crown.

Of the 114 mammals species found in the park, several are rare and endangered, such as black rhino and cheetah, and the lesserknown blackfaced impala, which is endemic to northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola. Etosha’s current population of black rhino represents one of the largest populations of black rhino in the world.

Other large mammals in the park include elephant, giraffe, blue wildebeest, mountain and plains zebra, hyaena and lion. Cheetah and leopard complete the trio of ‘big cats’. Antelope species range from kudu, gemsbok and the large and stately eland, to the diminutive Damara dikdik. Smaller mammals include jackal, bat-eared fox, honey badger, warthog and the ubiquitous ground squirrel. For the greater part of the year (the dry season) Etosha’s animals and birds are dependent on about 30 springs and waterholes. These provide excellent game viewing and photographic opportunities.

A good policy before setting out is to enquire from camp officials what the current game movements are. During the rainy season, the bird life at the main pan and Fischer’s Pan is well worth viewing. Etosha’s vegetation varies from dwarf shrub savannah and grasslands, which occur around the pan, to thorn-bush and woodland savannah throughout the park. Eighty per cent of all of Etosha’s trees are mopane. West of Okaukuejo is the well-known Sprokieswoud – Fairy, Phantom or Haunted Forest – the only place where the African moringa tree, Moringa ovalifolia, grows in such a large concentration on a flat area. Etosha is open throughout the year and is accessible by tarred roads via the Andersson Gate on the C38 from Outjo, the Von Lindequist Gate in the east from Tsumeb on the B1, the Galton Gate in the west from Kowares on the C35 and the King Nehale Gate located on the Andoni plains just north of the Andoni waterhole, which provides access from the north-central Owambo regions on the B1 from Onyati.

Photographs: Elzanne McCulloch Find more Namibian travel inspiration at www.thisisnamibia.com Follow @thisis_namibia on Facebook and Instagram for extraordinary Namibia travel stories.

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Perfectly situated in the heart of Windhoek lies The Sky Cafe at Eros Airport. It’s the ultimate grab and go coffee shop accessible for all transiting domestic passengers.

Sky Cafe is made up of a multi talented team who also provide VIP inflight catering, catering for business meetings and events to hosting product launches and year end functions in the Sky Lounge.

Pop in. Say hi. Enjoy the warm smiles, delicious coffee and yummy snacks.

0811241575/0812914362 annagret@theskylounge.net jamie@thesklounge.net

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THE TRIBE

The Tribe Exclusive featuring Nautilus Production House

T

his Tribe #ErongoExclusive features one of the most sought-after production houses in the Land of the Brave.

Making waves not only in the Erongo Region but across Namibia, too, Nautilus Production House is doing big things in the music industry and raising the bar of excellence with each production they work on. Co-owners Reiner von Hatten and Gernot Fritze take us through the 15 years of dream-chasing which led them to where they are today. They also share details on their inspiring All Ears Music Production which kept Namibians jiving during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.

Where did it all start, what is the history behind Nautilus?

Reiner: In my pursuit to uncover who was doing music at the time I very quickly identified that we didn’t need more music to be made, we needed to have conversations to be had about what we’re actually doing with music and where it’s heading. For the next ten years after I started out in the industry, I ended up working with many artists who as soon as they gained momentum would eventually move to Windhoek or South Africa to establish what they were trying to pursue. It became very clear that the coastal community needed a foundation. I ended up moving to Windhoek and worked in radio but after a few years I came back to the coast. It was just the perfect timing and the stars aligned. That’s when I ran into my business partner Gernot around six, seven years ago and that’s when the conversation started.

What are some of the projects that stood out?

Gernot: From the beginning, we kind of made it hard but exciting for ourselves. We didn’t want to be restricted to a genre or to only doing music. So we built a facility where we can do a little bit of everything.

For me, predominantly being a rock and metal producer and starting to work with Gospel artists, I really developed a love and a passion for gospel music. The more I worked with church bands and gospel groups, the discipline, the craftsmanship, the musicianship is something that stood out for me. Some

of the memorable ones include Worship Outcry and Ponty Dikua… but there are too many to think of.

With the Covid pandemic hitting the music industry so hard, how did you cope?

Reiner: Also in this respect we can’t just talk about ourselves.

One of the big things that happened last year was the National Arts Council of Namibia releasing the relief fund for artists. We decided to apply for funding for a project that was to benefit our local community through the All Ears event.

We pitched a live-stream studio recording session to show the public what musicians actually do in a recording studio.

Through this, we had a total of about 26 session musicians get the opportunity to have paid work, be in the studio to record, collaborate and gain experience for that one week.

That project has established a community at the coast that is involving itself in work that’s happening in our studio. So last year was actually a blessing in disguise.

Where do you see Nautilus over the next five years?

Reiner: This whole project started with big dreams but it will continue with big dreams. This industry is largely based on taking risks and that’s something that we’ve taken up well.

Five years from now we want this industry to be slightly more established especially in our coastal community. When you go to your parents in five years and say you want to be a musician, the answer is not going to be ‘no’, they can rather go ‘look at Nautilus, it’s not impossible’.

Watch The Tribe on One Africa TV (GOtv 90, DStv 284, DStv Now) every Friday at 18h30 with repeat shows on Saturdays at 17h30, and Mondays at 21h00.

Proudly Sponsored by Alternatively, listen to The Tribe on 99FM every Friday at 19h00, and follow The Tribe on Instagram @thetribenamibia and on Facebook @TheTribeNamibia.

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Photography Feature

Life through

Sky’s lens

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S

ky Ilifa’s passion for photography developed from high school.

Capturing everything that crossed his path on camera was a way to hold on to memories dear to him.

This trained his photographic eye and led him from taking random shots to really planning every picture, shifting his style to a more narrative art form.

“I see photography as a tool that allows me to create through expression, to bring out beauty and forge stories. A picture may say a thousand words but when you deliberately express yourself through that same image it turns those words into a thousand stories that have the potential for immortality,” he says.

Through practising different forms of photography he finds it difficult to narrow down his style to just one genre. “I would describe myself as a wandering cameraman who draws inspiration from everyday life. I see the world as my muse and my camera as a mere extension of myself. Hence, I always have my equipment with me because beauty is everywhere and you just need to look,” Sky explains.

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Photography Feature

“Photography has taught me that you cannot force creativity onto yourself in the hope of creating meaningful content. You can only achieve that when you stop and lock all your thoughts away, only then will you start appreciating life, but when you press that shutter it becomes your legacy. That moment will ultimately be how you are remembered through your photographic expression.”

Follow him on Instagram at @sky_ilifa.

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Great businesses to

PARK YOUR MONEY

I

nflation in Namibia has averaged ± 6% over the long term, which means that after 12 years you will only be able to buy 50% of what you were able to buy previously.

Surprised? This is in a normal environment. What if inflation is even higher for a while?

The biggest question on investors’ lips is whether the tsunami of stimulus (money creation by central banks) will result in above average inflation. Why is this important?

Traditionally, central banks raise interest rates to curb inflation when the economy becomes too hot. If inflation is above average, it could mean that interest rates need to rise.

The problem is that many countries have so much debt that they are not able to afford a rise in interest rates. This could mean that central banks might be forced to allow inflation to run its course, which could seriously reduce people’s purchasing power (your money’s worth becomes less). This potential for inflation has caused many investors to scratch their heads trying to figure out where to park their funds. So, yes, sometimes it is not only hard to make money, but also difficult to know where to park that money.

In a potential world with above-average inflation and lower growth, one of the places to invest in are businesses.

However, not all businesses. Which ones are suitable?

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Let’s look at a simple income statement: • • • •

Sales (of goods and services) Costs (to produce those goods and services) Tax Profit after tax

If inflation rises, there is a strong possibility that the costs of the goods (or services) that you produce or sell will go up.

All else being equal, this would mean that your profit drops.

You could try to increase the price of the goods or services that you sell, but there is a chance that the volume of goods or services will decrease and, as a consequence, also reduce your profits.

Certain types of businesses have the ability to increase prices without it having an effect on their sales. Let us assume that you are the manufacturer of very specialised and critical braking systems for aeroplanes. These braking systems may be a fraction of what it costs to build an aeroplane, and given that it is business critical, the aeroplane manufacturer might not make a big fuss if the “braking systems business” passes through inflationary or above inflationary price increases. The customers of these businesses can therefore absorb inflationary prices and in certain instances, where

Economic Pulse

competitive advantage. In other words, the barriers to entry are high for competition, while their products and services remain desirable.

It would therefore make sense to park your hard-earned money in a diversified portfolio of businesses that have these characteristics to allow your wealth to grow while you focus on other things.

We intuitively recognise those types of businesses: • • • • •

these businesses are so special, it could be above average price increases.

Other businesses have so much scale that inflationary pressures get reduced by their buying power (ability to negotiate due to size). A company like Shoprite is able to use its buying power to keep the price of its basket of goods below that of its competition while being able to increase its revenue.

Sometimes businesses have economies of scale where the costs of producing those goods and services decrease as volumes increase. It is also possible to have almost no cost in producing additional items. Take for example a company such as Microsoft. A product like Excel is developed once and thereafter it is sold to many businesses without any real additional costs, except for maintenance and incremental development, which becomes very small as volumes increase over time.

From the above, it should be clear that the ideal company is able to increase revenue and reduce cost over time, and specifically in times when the consumer is under economic pressure. Such companies have what we call a sustainable

hospital groups like Netcare or Mediclinic beer brewers such as AB Inbev cigarette companies like British American Tobacco retailers such as Shoprite technology giants such as Google and Microsoft, etc.

Does this mean that we should just rush out to buy them?

If you are a frequent flyer, you might recall a previous article where I wrote about “valuation always matters in the end”.

Even great businesses cannot be bought at any price. The value of any asset is a function of today’s value of future cash generated. The excess stimulus has caused parts of financial markets to be overbought or, put differently, to be very expensive. However, the uncertainty that remains in the world causes people to act irrationally from time to time and this creates opportunities to buy into great businesses at great prices. If you don’t know when something is on sale, talk to someone who does.

René Olivier René Olivier(CFA) is the Managing Director of Wealth Management at IJG, an established Namibian financial services market leader.

IJG believes in tailoring their services to a client’s personal and business needs. For more information, visit www.ijg.net.

To sign up for the Economic Pulse newsletter, send an email to: daleen@venture.com.na www.namibiatradedirectory.com

NETWORK

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Wellness

F

ear is such an interesting emotion. It is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world. While it serves an important purpose of keeping us safe or mobilising us to respond to danger, it is only useful in small doses.

As with most things in life, the poison is in the dosage. Too much fear, and it will act as an immune system suppressor. The old adage about worrying yourself sick is an actual possibility.

Over the past 30 years, more than 300 studies have been done on the link between stress and the immune system.

Collectively they demonstrate that fears and psychological challenges can actually modify many features of the immune response.

The immune system acts like an immigration officer that stops anything from entering the homeland of your body. It is patrolling the body for cells that are foreign and harmful to it. When we are in fear these ‘immigration officers’ become overwhelmed and this reduces the immune function, which makes us more susceptible to foreign invaders.

This shouldn’t become another thing to add to your list of worries, and if you find yourself worrying that your worry is weakening your immune system – stop. We have the choice and the power to direct our thoughts.

Fear, being an emotional reaction to something that seems dangerous, can be managed. While we cannot remove our emotions, and we wouldn’t want to for the valuable purpose they serve, we can find ways to express our emotions safely, and we can adopt techniques that help us work with our emotions.

There is no quick fix or a one-size-fits-all solution, but just by understanding our own fears we can move ourselves away from being ruled by fears. Firstly we need to understand that fear is an emotional response to our perceived danger and that it is an automated response that happens in the most primitive part of our brains. When we heed the message that there are dangers around us that we need to guard against, we do not need to be under fear’s control. Like all emotions, fear wants to be acknowledged. When we accept where we are, we are able to shift our emotions.

Don’t Feed the Fears Fear is actually the opposing force to love. The vibrational frequency of fear (in complete contrast to the frequency of love) is slow, sluggish and lethargic. When we are in a state of fear, we are often tired and listless. We can move ourselves out of the state of fear, simply with our minds. One approach is to focus on the things you are grateful for. When we are in a state of fear, we automatically focus on what could go wrong and what isn’t going well versus what is going well.

Keeping our attention on the things that give your life joy, and holding that which we love in our mind’s eye, has the power to move us from fear to love. As the poet Rumi said, “close your eyes, fall in love, stay there.”

Another very useful tool for moving ourselves out of a state of fear comes in the writing of Don Miguel Ruiz, the author of The Four Agreements. In this book, Don Miguel writes about four ways of living that bring us a life of joy. The third agreement in this collection is Don’t Make Assumptions. It is a simple and powerful approach to life. We have a tendency to make assumptions, to use our powerful imagination to create all sorts of stories about the meaning of things. The biggest assumption of them all is that we assume that everyone thinks the way we think, and that everyone sees life the way we do.

When we become aware that we are making assumptions, we start to recognise that ‘just because we are thinking it doesn’t make it a fact.’ If we don’t make assumptions, we can focus our attention on the truth, not on what we think is the truth. Working from a position of truth enables us to deal with the facts instead of facts peppered with emotions.

Another tool for managing our fears right now would be to avoid the coronavirus ‘gossip’. If all our conversations are about how afraid we are right now, that becomes the theme song in our minds. Simply by limiting or restricting our intake of worry-filled conversations, we reduce the amount of time spent in fear. Perhaps you could institute worry-free meals, where at every mealtime you put an embargo on pandemic conversation. Perhaps you make your mealtimes an occasion to talk about sports, or nature or anything else that interests you. By consciously creating spaces that are joy-filled, we block the reign of fear. So when you are next having a meal, remember not to feed the fears.

Kirsty Watermeyer

49

Surviving Drought using

Encroacher Bush Species How a Farmer ensured the Continuation of his Farm using Encroacher Bush Species to make Animal Feed

Salomo demonstrates how he uses his hammer mill to grind branches from invasive species into smaller pieces for his animal feed.

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Salomo with one of his 1 kg bags of activated charcoal that he makes himself and sells to other farmers.

Salomo Kauari on his communal farm

T

he thornveld savanna of the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia is, while beautiful and expansive, in some places so overgrown that the wall of vegetation allows nothing through.

It is this area where Omazera village, home of the Kauari family, is found.

Salomo Kauari, like his father before him, is a full time farmer – a communal farmer and a member of the African Wild Dog Communal Conservancy. As the thick rain clouds of a good rainy season build above us, Salomo proudly demonstrates how his innovations and training enabled him to weather the recent drought.

Farming was always in his blood, and even when he left the farm to work in the capital city, Windhoek, he did so for one of the largest agricultural retail entities.

While there, he also took the time to make use of as many training opportunities as he could and learnt about “animal health and nutrition”.

Then, in 2014 when his father passed away, Salomo returned home to begin what he was always meant to do. His understanding of the value of learning had been established while working in the capital city, so his priority now, as a full time farmer, was to learn more.

also in Otjiwarongo, where the bush-based feed booklet was launched. This was the first time I heard about bush-to-feed and the link to drought. The training helped me a lot because you get different ideas. Some you can use, and others you can’t, but it helped me a lot.”

Salomo continued to attend as many training courses as he could over the years, especially those on bush-based animal feed. “From there I decided I have to buy my own machine”, he says. “It was around April 2019 that I bought my own machine. I also attended a bush-based animal feed production workshop and a Train the Trainer workshop that year. I was just gathering experience on bush-to-feed.

On how to prepare it, how to make rations and recipes for different animals. So when I came back home, I could try it. At that time, I was just trying to make different recipes for different animals.”

This was how my twelve calves survived the drought and they are big now.

How Training sparked Innovation According to Salomo, he had an added advantage because of the training courses he attended. As he explains, “I attended courses by GIZ. The first one I attended was the 19th Rangeland Forum in Otjiwarongo, which was mostly about adaptation to climate change. Then I attended the 21st Rangeland Forum,

Salomo purchased a hammer-mill machine, which is used to grind feed material into smaller pieces. What he didn’t know then was that by investing in his bush-to-feed production, he was ensuring a lifeline for his family farm.

Surviving the Drought

The area where Omazera is situated normally receives around 350-400 mm of annual rainfall.

Namibia has, however, been in the grips of a drought since 2012, with rainfall averages dropping each consecutive year.

“2019 was also the time our rainfall was very low. In 2018 we had about 290 mm, and in 2019 we only had 130 mm”, Salomo explains. “So I knew I had to make a plan. I used the bushes. I made different recipes, for survival or maintenance feed. This was how my twelve calves survived the drought and they are big now.”

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“The mothers of the calves died in the drought, so I had to try and help the calves to survive. I used a mixture of bush feed, bran, molasses and salt. If it had not been for the idea that I got from most of the training for using bush-to-feed, I could have lost everything – even the bull. Other farmers were asking me how come my bull is so fat when theirs are thin and dying, but my bull didn’t even lose its condition”, Salomo says.

Salomo’s Process and Innovation Salomo uses biomass for his animal feed, by mixing encroaching species with other food supplements such as bran and molasses.

“You take the problematic bushes, the encroaching bushes, you then cut off the branches, and put them in the hammer mill.

When you are finished you put them on a black sheet to dry. I have found, though, that it’s better to cut and leave the bushes in the field overnight before they go in the hammer mill. Then most of the water is out. After you dry the feed on a sheet, you can mix it for the cattle.”

Salomo with his finished protein blocks. He makes them according to his own recipe.

To further improve the ease of his process, Salomo welded an old barrel to create an instant mixer. “I made my own barrel for mixing, you put all the ingredients in the barrel and roll it on the ground, and it comes out ready mixed”, says Salomo, proudly showing off his innovation which has already impressed his farming neighbours.

While he experimented to perfect his recipe for bush-based animal feed, Salomo has also created a recipe for protein blocks, made of “tree pods, mixed with bran, a bit of phosphate, molasses, water and salt.” He has also started the production of activated charcoal, which came about in response to a common problem faced by farmers in the area. As Salomo explains, “from September to January we have a problem with poisonous plants”. Salomo now uses his hammer mill to create charcoal powder which can be added to the livestock’s drinking water to help reduce toxins and prevent poisoning. “With the same machine and the same process, I also make activated charcoal.

I pack it into 1 kg bags and sell it to other farmers, so that their cattle do not die from their poisonous plants.”

Climate Change and Farming today Salomo notes that farming today is very different from farming in years gone by. This, he feels, is why it is so important for farmers to be adapting and looking for sustainable innovations in farming practices. “Climate change has affected everything and has also changed everything. When I grew up, my father didn’t even use most of the supplements we use. They didn’t even vaccinate their cattle as often. Nowadays if you have small stock, you have to vaccinate them four times a year. I don’t know, there’s a lot of diseases nowadays,” Salomo says with a sigh.

Salomo has invented a technical solution to his process, by welding this barrel to become an animal feed mixer.

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“The other challenge is that the grazing areas are becoming smaller because there are a lot of camps around. Everything is fenced, so I have to plan how to let my animals survive in a small space. I have to supplement. Farming is very different.”

The Future is in sharing Ideas Despite the many challenges, Salomo is optimistic about the future. “I am very proud of where my operation is going. There are always many challenges in farming, but the training happened when we faced a drought, and it helped me. It meant my cattle and livestock could survive the drought.”

Salomo now shares his knowledge and skills as a mentor to other farmers. “I’m currently a mentor for Agribank, so I also advise farmers on ideas, mostly on livestock, animal health and animal nutrition. I started with FSP, the Farmers Support Programme, which was funded by GIZ, and now I am part of Agribank’s Advisory Services Division. This programme gives advice and trains farmers in different areas. It links one mentor to ten farmers in the same area, who then visits these ten farms every month. “You visit them every month, see how they are doing or if they are having problems.”

“It’s very rewarding because farmers are doing many practical experiments,” says Salomo with a smile, “when you are talking with farmers you will always learn something you didn’t know.”

Salomo feels there is still a need for more support in the animal feed sector, as it is an emerging sector, and there is still much to learn. However, he also feels that farmers are good communicators, and as they continue to share their experience, the sector will grow.

His advice to anyone wanting to learn more about this sector is to “attend information days and visit workshops. That’s where you get the information, and if you are a farmer you really need that information. Auctions are a great place to get information. Even if you are not selling, you might meet a farmer who gives you an idea”, Salomo notes.

“Start where you can, reach out to relevant advisory services so that you can have the right idea when to start and how to start. If you can afford the machinery, buy it, but if you can’t afford the machinery you can still start, just start where you can.”

The Future for Salomo Salomo says he knows he is where he belongs and he is excited to see where the journey will take him. “My father schooled us and fed us with farming. When I look back, my background was always just farming. I knew that I needed to take my experience back to the farm.”

And he continues, “I’m very proud because every year I make a step forward, it’s good. I have expanded, I now have a big warehouse, I have more livestock and I have diversified my livestock. I now even have chickens and a small vegetable garden. I am very happy, other farmers also approach me for advice. Every move I make feels like a step forward.

Kirsty Watermeyer

Salomo’s products after passing through the hammer mill: activated charcoal on the left, and on the right finely chopped branches for animal feed.

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Dwarf giraffe Seriously?!

Research teams from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) spend a lot of time looking at giraffe, but two particular giraffe recently caused them to do a double take. In amongst the other giraffe that they regularly monitor in Uganda and Namibia, they found two dwarves!

G

CF’s monitoring team in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda saw their “mini-giraffe” for the first time when he was still a young calf in December 2015, and spotted him again during annual surveys in 2016 and 2017. Meanwhile, another team in Namibia photographed a four-year-old giraffe on a private game farm in 2018 that was still the size of a calf! He was found again during their latest survey in July 2020. Each giraffe (dwarf or not) is identified by its unique coat pattern, so the researchers can follow individuals over time.

Being diligent scientists, the GCF teams do more than just watch the giraffe they find – they measure them using a clever, non-invasive method known as photogrammetry. Once calibrated to different camera focal lengths using objects of known sizes, one can get a fairly accurate measurement of giraffe legs and necks from suitable photographs. This means that the scientists can determine the growth rate of young giraffe and the average height and bone lengths of the giraffes in each population without having to sedate and physically measure any of them.

This technique certainly came in handy when studying the two dwarves (the Ugandan was nicknamed “Gimli” after a dwarf from the Lord of the Rings, while the Namibian is known as “Nigel”). Emma Wells, who led the Namibian GCF survey on the game farm notes: “the Namibian

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The bones measured by GCF scientists. Figure from Brown and Wells (2020).

Giraffe Comparison. A normal sub-adult giraffe (A) has much longer legs than those found in Uganda and Namibia that display what is known as skeletal dysplasia (B and C). Figure from Brown and Wells (2020). farmer had spotted Nigel regularly over the years, it was only after our observations that he realised that Nigel was not a juvenile but a fully grown male giraffe. It is mainly in comparison to other giraffe that his difference in stature becomes obvious.”

Although both giraffe were shorter than usual, different bones seemed to have been stunted in each case. While Nigel had a much shorter phalanx (ankle to hoof) bone than normal (4 cm shorter than the average of 20 cm for sub-adults), Gimli’s phalanx was close to average. The next bone up (metacarpal – ankle to knee), however, was much shorter on Gimli (38 cm) than Nigel (51) cm, and both were well shy of the average 65 cm length. The knee to shoulder bone (radius) on both giraffe was about 20 cm shorter than the average. Nigel’s neck was 24 cm shorter than the average 135 cm, but oddly enough, Gimli’s neck was 11 cm longer than average!

reaches sexual maturity, a dwarf male giraffe is unlikely to have much luck with the ladies.

Why these dwarf giraffe appeared in two totally different giraffe populations – so distantly related that they are considered separate species – remains a mystery. The population in Murchison Falls National Park underwent a “bottleneck” in the late 1980s when their numbers dropped to fewer than 80, but a genetic study indicated the Namibian that levels of inbreeding are surprisingly farmer had spotted low. Much less is known about the genetic diversity of Namibian giraffe on private Nigel regularly land. However, skeletal dysplasia occurs in about 4 in 100,000 live births in humans, so over the years, it only about 111,000 giraffe remaining was only after our with in all of Africa, we are not expecting to find many more dwarf giraffe. observations that

he realised that Nigel was not a juvenile but a fully grown male giraffe.

“Instances of wild animals with these types of skeletal dysplasias are extraordinarily rare”, observed Dr Michael Brown of the Ugandan GCF team.

“It’s another interesting wrinkle in the unique story of giraffe in these diverse ecosystems.”

This strange combination of bone lengths certainly makes dwarf giraffe stand out from the herd, but it has negative implications for their survival and reproduction.

It is unlikely that either of them can reach a giraffe’s top running speed of 60 km/h – Nigel even has an unsteady walking gait. The population of giraffe in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda experiences low predation rates from lions, while the Namibian game farm has no lions at all, which explains why they have survived this long (although Gimli was last seen over three years ago). But being short in stature probably means that even if he

Dr. Julian Fennessy, Director of GCF, commented – “The fact that this is the first description of dwarf giraffe is just another example of how little we know about these charismatic animals. It is only recently that our research has shown that there are four distinct species of giraffe. There is just so much more to learn about giraffe in Africa and we need to stand tall now to save them before it is too late.”

Giraffe Conservation Foundation

For more conservation stories, scan the QR code to visit the Conservation Namibia website:

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Vaccination And Other Stories

he queue is long. Of course it is long. It is a queue in Namibia. In my time here I have never seen a short queue. I even wonder if there is such a thing. Whether it is at the till of a shop, in the municipality waiting to pay utility bills, or in a bank’s foyer – I have observed lines to come in two varieties: nonexistent or long. This one is the latter. It is at the Central Hospital. People lean against the wall for support; they look for shade wherever they can find it; some sit on the sidewalk to rest their legs. Those who were smart enough to bring umbrellas (you can always spot the expert queuers) hide beneath them, and those who remembered to bring chairs (truly accomplished Namibian queuers) fold them out, take their seats in resignation and distract themselves with newspapers or their cellphones.

There is one man who has brought an umbrella, chair, reading material and snacks – he is the real MVP. The queue does what every line of its kind does: as more people make their journey to the hospital to receive their first or second shot of the Sinopharm or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, the line gets shorter at the front and longer at the back. I am somewhere close to what would be the front. Despite my early arrival, there was a healthy number of people already waiting. That is another thing I have noticed: it is almost impossible to be the first in line – there always seem to be other early birds who are also out for their worms. Nonetheless, I am in the queue and it is long.

This is another fact about queues: while you are queuing you hear things. Things you are not meant to hear but hear anyway, things that you are meant to hear but would prefer not to, and things you want to hear but do not.

of the vaccines at high volume. The report is nonsensical, but its dubious information is shared with misguided conviction. As it grows in incredibility some people walk a little away to distance themselves from ludicrousness. The woman who is being told about the report excuses herself to take a phone call and takes a few paces for privacy. When she finishes she does not return to her place, preferring to tinker on her cellphone. There is a man telling a newcomer that, ag, ja, this COVID, hey, I don’t really believe in it but I just thought I’d get this just in case. As one, the queue turns to stare at him. He lowers his voice sheepishly. Further back, there is a group of university students debating the new J. Cole album and how, ne kau, he is hands down the best rapper alive. He is not. But when you are in a long queue you have to listen to the falsities of youth and hold your peace.

And there are two people talking politics with each other.

Quite predictably there is talk of the raging corruption, an understandable complaint; but the Apartheid nostalgia makes me will the queue to move along just so I do not have to hear nonsense about the good old days that were good for some but not for others.

Things you are not meant to hear but hear anyway, things that you are meant to hear but would prefer not to, and things you want to hear but do not.

I am not, for example, meant to hear the conversation the man has with his significant other over the phone. What starts with a casual greeting with all the necessary petnaming becomes a heated argument about errands that are not being attended to. The man explains: he is in a long queue.

No dice from the other end of the line. The call concludes with a huffy silence. We make eye contact – him knowing I heard him, him wishing I did not. I shrug my shoulders in a no-good-deed-goes-unpunished kind of way. He gives me a well-what-are-you-gonna-do sigh. We find other distractions to occupy us as we continue our monotonous existence in the queue. We are both going to be here a while and we know it; he will need to stockpile apologies for later.

The list of the things you are meant to hear but would rather not is quite extensive. There is a woman telling another woman about a new report she read about the effectiveness

There is only one thing I want to hear but do not: the nurses calling the next batch of people into the hospital so that they can be screened and vaccinated.

That rare and blessed occurrence that heralds a forward shuffle in the queue is too rare for my liking. I watch and listen for it to no avail. The queue gets long and longer. I hear stories about how closely the virus has touched a family.

A cousin or a friend has been taken. I hear about lost jobs, cancelled holidays, deliveries delayed at the border, and extended academic semesters.

A nurse comes out.

The queue snaps to attention. The promise of movement straightens spines.

Progress, however small, is on the horizon.

“We are going for lunch. Please come back at two.” She walks back into the hospital.

The line groans.

And it grows longer.

Rémy is a Rwandan-born Namibian writer and photographer.

He is the founder, chairperson, and artministrator of Doek, an independent arts organisation in Namibia supporting the literary arts. He is also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Doek! Literary Magazine, Namibia’s first and only literary magazine. His debut novel “The Eternal Audience Of One” is forthcoming from Scout Press (S&S).

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Namibia Wins Six Medals in the African Beer Cup

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amibian brewers made the country proud by winning six medals at Africa’s biggest beer competition in June.

The 2021 African Beer Cup saw Roof of Africa, a Windhoek-based restaurant, accommodation complex and microbrewery, take home bronze for the Roof Pilsner and silver for the Roof Draught under the Pale Bitter European Beer category, while their German-style Festbier, the Roof Woodxxxxer, won silver in the Pale Malty European Lager category. Camelthorn’s Urbock took home silver in the Amber Malty European Lager section.

In the Strong European Beer and Amber Bitter European Beer categories, the Swakopmund Brewing Company won gold and bronze for Urbock and Helles respectively.

The African Beer Cup is Africa’s largest beer competition and entries are accepted from all over the continent. Any licensed commercial brewery, big or small, is eligible to participate as long as the beer is brewed in Africa. This year’s competition saw a record of 210 entries from 12 different countries including Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. A total of 67 medals were awarded in 31 different categories.

Based on the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) guidelines, each entry is judged by a panel of beer experts, brewers and qualified judges in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

The BJCP is used for its strong focus on stylistic accuracy.

Furthermore, each beer is judged twice by two different panels to ensure the most accurate results possible.

The 16 gold medallists went head-to-head in a best-of-show to determine the overall winner. The Space Llama double IPA by a relatively new brewer from Cape Town, Afro Caribbean Brewing Company, was crowned Best Beer in Africa. Winners of the Best Beer in Africa receive a once-off piece of art rather than a trophy, to commemorate their win. This year’s piece was designed by Thembisa artist Pappas Khoza.

This year a special award was added, called the African Celebration Award and sponsored by the Beer Association of South Africa (BASA). It celebrates the outstanding use of African ingredients in beer and was awarded to Nigeria’s Bature Brewery for its Black Gold Stout.

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Clean-up Initiative in the Kunene Region

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OSCO (Tourism Supporting Conservation Trust) recently coordinated clean-up campaigns in the ≠Khoadi-//Hoas and Uibasen-Twyfelfontein conservancies in the Kunene Region. The campaigns consisted of workshops to educate community members on waste management and to create awareness aiming to change mindsets and perceptions of waste pollution.

The first major clean-up was conducted in the ≠Khoadi -//Hôas conservancy in settlements such as Anker, Erwee and Maarine Way. The second was done in the UibasenTwyfelfontein conservancy where garbage was removed from the Aba-Huab River near Louw’s Inn settlement, including the areas around the intersection of the D2612 and D3254 district roads. The Aba-Huab River is unfortunately famous for plastic waste lying around, and the joint cleaning effort of community members and lodges in the conservancy was an incredible exercise. Tons of waste were collected in the conservancies – an indication of the success of this initiative.

Next in line for cleaning are the conservancies of Torra, Purros, Ehirovipuka and Tsiseb. Among the biggest challenges

of the initial clean-up campaigns were the lack of equipment and dumping sites. As part of the long-term solution there is a need to construct waste separation stations in the conservancies. They will serve as waste collection points where waste is sorted into categories and recyclables are separated from non-recyclables. The initiative is a long-term project determined to find sustainable waste management solutions in communal areas in an effort to move towards a cleaner Namibia. The initiative also hopes to create employment incentives for youths in communal areas.

TOSCO is a Namibian non-profit organisation founded in 2012. Its objective is to link tourism to conservation by supporting conservation projects and activities carried out in conservancies, supporting people who are living with wildlife and promoting sustainable tourism.

Any donations of plastic refuse bags, hand sanitisers, accommodation, fuel and transport, refreshments during clean-ups, promotional goods (sun hats, caps and T-shirts) and contributions to the construction of waste separation stations in the conservancies will be greatly appreciated. For more information on how to support this initiative, contact TOSCO at info@tosco.org.

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18 July 1918 Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013) was born in Mvezo, South Africa.

16 July 1945

25 July 1909

On this day the first atomic bomb was detonated on the barren plains of Alamogordo Bombing Range, New Mexico. A nuclear test bomb with a mushroom cloud of 12.5 kilometres high.

Louis Bleriot became the first man to fly an aircraft from one country to another successfully. He took off from the coast of France and landed across the channel near Dover, England.

International Plastic Bag Free Day

25 July 1978 Louise Brown, the world’s first ‘testtube baby’, was born in Oldham General Hospital in England. Her mother, Lesley Brown, first underwent what we now recognise as IVF (in vitro fertilisation) under the supervision of gynecologist Dr Patrick Steptoe and physiologist Dr Robert Edwards in November 1977. Her daughter, Louise, was born by caesarean section.

7 July World Chocolate Day

18 July Nelson Mandela International Day

20 July

International Chess Day

28 July World Nature Conservation Day

29 July

FUN FACTS ABOUT JULY:

World Tiger Day

July was named after the famous Roman general Julius Caesar by the Roman senate; as it was the month he was born in. Julius Caesar was a formidable military general and statesman who was largely responsible for changing the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

On July 5, 1946, the world’s first bikini was unveiled in the famous Piscine Molitor swimming pool in Paris. The bikini was modeled by showgirl Micheline Bernardini. While two-piece forms of swimwear previously existed, none used as little fabric as the bikini.

30 July World Friendship Day

30 July International Day Against Trafficking Persons

July’s birthstone is the ruby.

SUDUKO

31 July World Ranger Day

EASY

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The goal of Sudoku is to fill a 9×9 grid with numbers so that each row, column and 3×3 section contain all of the digits between 1 and 9.

7 4 3 2 1 6 5 8 9

Although he was not certain that the vaccine would work, French microbiologist Louis Pasteur successfully gave the first antirabies vaccination to nine-year-old Joseph Meister, who had been bitten by an infected dog.

Neil Armstrong made history by taking the first step on the moon while declaring, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”.

6 8 9 3 4 5 2 7 1

6 July 1885

Bastille Day, commemorating the storming of the Bastille, igniting the French revolution, in 1789.

3 July

8 3 2 1 9 7 6 4 5

U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the historic Civil Rights Act in a nationally televised ceremony at the White House.

20 July 1969

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2 July 1964

14 July 1789

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DID YOU KNOW?

OBSERVE & TAKE PART!

This month in history:

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Love Namibia

BLOOMS FOR YOU | A young elephant carries what looks like a bouquet of wildflowers while munching alongside a dry riverbed in Namibia’s northwestern Damaraland area.

Elzanne McCulloch

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