Let us continue our little blog on Namibia.
The last chapter was about Niko’s childhood. Niko is in charge of the outside maintenance of our residence. If you would like to see previous blogs/stories, you can locate them at: People of Namibia. Chapter 1: Nikodemus Childhood – A la Carte Travels
Around a cup of tea, Niko generously agreed to tell me about his childhood, education, his work at the farm, getting married, his move to the city and his life today.
CHAPTER 2: NIKODEMUS AT THE FARM
So, Niko completed his education and graduated at the high school to Grade 12 (a year before A levels in the UK, and la Terminale in France).
As part of the curriculum, they had Nama Cultural Dancing and Niko was very good at it.
@khoiforlife
After his graduation, Niko was admitted to further his education and to go and teach Nama language in South Africa.
Unfortunately, his parents could not afford the school fees and he was sent, at the age 20, and for 5 years, to the family community farm to look after his grandfather’s goats and sheep.
At the time, Niko’s grandfather was sick and Niko was the only one working and living at the farm.
When you start working at the community farm, the Government helps by giving 15 goats and 15 sheep. You raise them and after 5 years you give 10 goats and 10 sheep back to the government so that this donation can perpetuate.
They do not have cattle in this arid area because the cows eat too much grass and drink too much water.
The government also helps for agriculture giving plants and when they grow you can sell them.
Mostly it is subsistence farming, which means that in practise they grow crops and raise animals only for their own co
nsumption without any surplus for trade.
Niko said it was a very tough life, and as there were many draughts, he mostly ate porridge.
About 1.1 million people live in communal areas, out of a total Namibian population of 2.6 million people.
In Namibia there is commercial farming, where the land is privately owned and there is Communal Land.
Communal Land, which used to belong to the indigenous communities, now belongs to the Government, which then distributes and allocates the land among the rural communities.
In our next blog, we will explain how Communal Land works in Namibia.
Have a nice evening
Kind regards
Murielle
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