With funding from Spain, the Namibian government bought five farms totaling about 81.5 square miles. They parceled the land and distributed it among 50 black families. Along with the land the government gave them 10 cows and 1 bull. Named after the queen of Spain, this community was called Queen Sofia Resettlement Project.
The goal of resettlement is to increase the number of black farmers by giving them the start up resources they could never afford on their own, but all across Africa these types of projects have consistently failed. For example, 70% of the cattle donated to Queen Sofia farmers was exhausted within the first 3 years, either for meat or selling for the money, meaning only 30% was reproduced to make a sustainable herd. Recognizing the failure potential, the Namibian government has recently partnered with a Christian organization called Kunene for Christ to help make this project successful. This is the community where I've spent the last week on an outreach with a group of 10 NETS students.
In the mornings we visited the 5th-7th grade classes. For three days we talked about how sin only comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but how Christ came that we might have full life, and then spoke about sexual purity as an example of that. We played games, performed dramas, gave out prizes, discussed questions, and memorized John 10:10. It was great fun getting to know the kids in those classes and sharing the gospel with them in practical ways.
In the afternoon we hosted a Kid's Club where they were led through the Wordless book, memorized other verses, made crafts, and played more games. A few of us were given time to speak encouragement to the teachers. I shared from Galatians 6:7-9 about how in due season we will reap what we sow, so do not grow weary of doing good works. We also went in pairs to do house visits. We would pray with families and share a short devotion with them if they were interested. The whole community was incredibly welcoming making us feel right at home.
Over the weekend we led a Sports Day with the kids doing different relay games and having netball and soccer tournaments. We had brought a bunch of water balloons and squirt guns so at the end of our activities we had great fun getting everybody wet. We would say, "Whoever catches this water balloon will win a prize," then throw it high up in the air. A crowd of kids would try to catch it, but inevitably it would break and everyone would get soaked.
That evening we hosted a talent show, not to share our talents, but for the community to share theirs. We wanted to show them that they could have fun even without having a lot of resources or technology. Some kids sang, others did modern dances or cultural dances, one family did a funny skit. Even some of the older ladies in the community came up and danced. It was a fabulous time that helped everyone, if just for a moment, forget their desperate circumstances and share in an evening of joy and laugher.
When we first arrived I had switched my phone to airplane mode and I purposefully didn't bring my laptop. Being "unplugged" helped me truly engage in the community that was right in front of me, the NETS students and the Queen Sofia families. I was reminded of the joy of simplicity. We don't really
need all this stuff that we surround ourselves with, and often times it's just distracting. While there certainly are immense problems with poverty, perhaps this is one area where the rest of us could learn from it.
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