Early in August we flew to the capital, Windhoek, where we spent a day meeting Namibian scouts and sightseeing. The next day we drove to the north, to a small village not far from the Angolan border, Tsintsabis. There we camped for a week and began the work of planting an orange grove – together with irrigation. This community project was supported by the Namibian Government who will provide ongoing support over the coming years. We were greeted by the Chief’s daughter, Alle, and the local children, who serenaded us with some songs of welcome. Throughout our stay we were humbled by the hospitality shown us and the lasting friendships which developed.
Over the next few years we hope to continue fundraising so that we can help provide more trees to enable the project to expand. All of this was only possible with the support of the parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes; so thanks to all those who baked the cakes.
Following the hard work digging in the sun, we spent the last few days in the Etosha National Park with the local rangers. Again, we were shown great friendship and the rangers not only took us out on safari but to places normally forbidden to tourists. Seeing elephants, lions, zebras and white rhinos up close was an unforgettable experience. Following that we spent some time with a cheetah conservation project, which takes orphaned cheetahs, nurtures them and prepares them for life in the wild.
All in all this was a trip of a lifetime. If you want to see some of the pics and even watch our video diary, please follow the link below.
Joe Wilson
The Hatters Explorer Unit
www.namibia.hatters.org