ANSA International Program Blog

The recent rains in Namibia brought a whole new look to the Hope Initiatives communities in the center of the country.  Lush green hillsides accented with seams of yellow and purple flowers  made it difficult to visualize the skeletal shadows that usually linger in the dust when the sun glares over the dry acacia tree branches.  The rains had wreaked havoc on rural villages and dams, especially in the north, but the colorful new look provided a little respite from the usual vastly brown savannah canvas. 

The colorful landscape was a perfect backdrop for the cooking classes, nutrition workshops and outdoor meetings the ANSA team participated in with the staff and community members in the squatter settlements of Okahandje Park and Kilimanjaro.  Dieticians Margie and Sapna, from California and Washington, DC, respectively, worked with Hope Initiatives staff Eugenia and Faith as well as Namibian dieticians Samantha and Celeste to put together a year-long workplan to address the comprehensive nutrition needs of the orphans, at-risk youth, caregivers and HIV+ adults.  Nutrition workshops were held for the caregivers and HIV+ support groups, and each class was packed!  Especially fun was the cooking class with a group of girls 12 - 18 years old where they made mahangu, mixed salad and game stew (plus something else I could not catch the name of!). 

Special thanks to Ron Karp of Sonoma County's Food for Thought for his insightful leadership in addressing technology and accounting upgrades as well as his input for board development and fundraising potential.  Between the workshops, classes and capacity building activities, this was an action-packed visit for the ANSA team and one that was a catalyst for work that will continue in full swing with the great leadership of the Hope Initiatives staff and volunteers.  From home in the U.S. the ANSA team will now follow up on upgrading their technology and accounting capabilities so they can spend more time working with their programs and less on their computer frustrations!

Big thanks to the Hope Initiatives crew for all their great work while we were there -- as always, it was an honor to work with you.  And special thanks to the playgroup for letting me join their Saturday morning "exercise" group.  That was a real workout!

Peace to all...Mary