Namibia / The Himba Millionaires

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That is the name I gave to this small community of Himba people in Namibia’s Northwest where is just passed some days ago. Probabely the only Himba-community with a white female Minister of Finance. Himba’s are to Namibia what the Maasai are to Kenya and Tanzania and Bushmen to Southern Africa. The difference in Namibia is that white ‘native’ people talk about their fellow nationals the San and the Himba in a very strange way: just as if the white nationals are superior to the natives. AIt seems to be
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Namibia / Kalahari

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Sand, sun. Endless space. Sweat dripping from my chin. This the area where Bushman or San survive. High un-employment and more than average number of Aids orphans. Chinese, yes, even here in the middle of nowhere are opening their trade centers. There plans to give them agri cultural land some 200 kilometer more north east from here in Rundu. Amazing thing and quit anachronistic: gprs is working, so it did this posting with my mobile.
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Zambia / human scavengers on the polluted dumpsite

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Been a bit hectic the last days: Nairobi-Amsterdam-Nairobi-Lusaka-Kabwe-Lusaka. Finally some time to write a bit on my mobile. Arrived from Kabwe last night. Visited the town that according to a report is considered as one of the most polluted places in the world. Prepared for the worst, I arrived and was a bit surprised to see a happy town with a lot of activity. But generally spoken poor people in Africa are not proud to be poor: they dress up smartly. So you dont notice. Until i visited a heavily
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Dutch writer Bas Vlugt writes Novel about Africa: Transit

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For those who missed it: journalist/writer friend Bas Vlugt presented his new novel last thursday in the Dutch city of Haarlem. The story is situated in West Africa of the now. It’s about tradition, modernity and the clash between those two. It’s a story about friendship, love and betrayal and it’s about longing: where do you want to be in this world? I am reading it now and I am looking for someone who want to read it after me, as every book has a unique track and trace number.
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