1.2 Introduction
Before I really
start writing this blog, I should first explain who I am, what qualifies me to
write a blog and where the name of the blog comes from.
Let me start with the last because it is the easiest. I grew up in the ‘50s, ‘60's and ‘70's on a farm in the south of the old South West Africa, today Namibia. Or maybe I should say “started to grow up”, because I'm still busy doing it. On the farm we only had radio reception on short wave. We used to call it “railway radio” because it whistled (static) on all stations.
With weather forecasts there was a forecast for South West Africa, maybe saying something like "hot in the south", and then something like: "... and extremely hot elsewhere." In our part in the far south we believed "south" referred to the bigger towns of the south, Keetmanshoop and Mariental, and "elsewhere" was us. It was a place nobody knew about. Everyone was always speeding through to the north, because there was “nothing” in the far south. I could never understand that. How could there be "nothing"? We were there and we were not "nothing".
In recent years I've started working in places that were more "elsewhere" than where I grew up. In some places there were even "nothinger" than in the far south of Namibia. The countries I worked in included Eritrea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somaliland, Somalia and Sudan (Darfur). Perhaps this is what I want to achieve with "Letters from Elsewhere" - to say that in "elsewhere" is also "something". There are people, beautiful nature, so much more than what meets the eye.
Now how on earth did it happen that I was wandering around in such places? Well, partly because I needed (and still need) an income, partly because I have been doing something that I believed made a difference, and partly it was an opportunity to live out my “wanderlust”. After all, the name of farm where I grew up was Nimmerrust (Never Rest) ...
In a previous life I was a minister of religion and a chaplain in the army. I left the army in January 2000 after applying for a severance package and retired as a minister. One of the features that I sometimes consider to be a strength, but sometimes also cause a lot of inconvenience is that I'm pretty naive. I thought I could make it out there. But business and marketing were never my strong points.
And so it happened that I started working abroad in landmine action. I started out as a field logistics coordinator for Mechem, a South African demining company in Eritrea in a stand-in position. This was followed by rapid road assessments and mechanical mine clearance, until I found my niche in Mine Risk Education. I worked for commercial mine action organisations, a non-governmental organisation, a non-profit organisation, and finally for the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
Due to a cut in funding my contract in Darfur, my last posting, has not been extended after 31 December 2017. I am currently home, but the horizons are calling and I'm looking around for new opportunities.
Over the years, I have regularly, and sometimes less regularly, written a newsletter to family and friends to relate my experiences and observations. In Eritrea there was no internet connection in the field. There I kept a diary like in the old days - by hand.
Sometimes my observations were critical about the international humanitarian community, including my employers. But I only did it when I thought it was necessary. My hope is that these writings will also help to improve their incredible contributions to the well-being of people.
I hope you enjoy the trip with me, as much as I did. Secure your seat belts. Here we go.
P.S. Please comment to help improve my writing, and promote discussions in the topics I will be touching on.
Let me start with the last because it is the easiest. I grew up in the ‘50s, ‘60's and ‘70's on a farm in the south of the old South West Africa, today Namibia. Or maybe I should say “started to grow up”, because I'm still busy doing it. On the farm we only had radio reception on short wave. We used to call it “railway radio” because it whistled (static) on all stations.
With weather forecasts there was a forecast for South West Africa, maybe saying something like "hot in the south", and then something like: "... and extremely hot elsewhere." In our part in the far south we believed "south" referred to the bigger towns of the south, Keetmanshoop and Mariental, and "elsewhere" was us. It was a place nobody knew about. Everyone was always speeding through to the north, because there was “nothing” in the far south. I could never understand that. How could there be "nothing"? We were there and we were not "nothing".
In recent years I've started working in places that were more "elsewhere" than where I grew up. In some places there were even "nothinger" than in the far south of Namibia. The countries I worked in included Eritrea, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Somaliland, Somalia and Sudan (Darfur). Perhaps this is what I want to achieve with "Letters from Elsewhere" - to say that in "elsewhere" is also "something". There are people, beautiful nature, so much more than what meets the eye.
Now how on earth did it happen that I was wandering around in such places? Well, partly because I needed (and still need) an income, partly because I have been doing something that I believed made a difference, and partly it was an opportunity to live out my “wanderlust”. After all, the name of farm where I grew up was Nimmerrust (Never Rest) ...
In a previous life I was a minister of religion and a chaplain in the army. I left the army in January 2000 after applying for a severance package and retired as a minister. One of the features that I sometimes consider to be a strength, but sometimes also cause a lot of inconvenience is that I'm pretty naive. I thought I could make it out there. But business and marketing were never my strong points.
And so it happened that I started working abroad in landmine action. I started out as a field logistics coordinator for Mechem, a South African demining company in Eritrea in a stand-in position. This was followed by rapid road assessments and mechanical mine clearance, until I found my niche in Mine Risk Education. I worked for commercial mine action organisations, a non-governmental organisation, a non-profit organisation, and finally for the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
Due to a cut in funding my contract in Darfur, my last posting, has not been extended after 31 December 2017. I am currently home, but the horizons are calling and I'm looking around for new opportunities.
Over the years, I have regularly, and sometimes less regularly, written a newsletter to family and friends to relate my experiences and observations. In Eritrea there was no internet connection in the field. There I kept a diary like in the old days - by hand.
Sometimes my observations were critical about the international humanitarian community, including my employers. But I only did it when I thought it was necessary. My hope is that these writings will also help to improve their incredible contributions to the well-being of people.
I hope you enjoy the trip with me, as much as I did. Secure your seat belts. Here we go.
P.S. Please comment to help improve my writing, and promote discussions in the topics I will be touching on.
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