Namibia and South Africa
Nation Building, Globalization and Decolonizing the Mind

In cooperation with the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College, APPLES is pleased to provide an opportunity for students to spend the fall semester in Namibia and South Africa.

The program is based in Windhoek, a modern city of 250,000 located in central Namibia. The city reflects the German colonial influence as well as the impact of apartheid and South African occupation. It is surrounded by hills, trees, gardens, and greens that provide a contrast to the aridity of much of Namibia. Its climate is dry but pleasant, with an average high temperature ranging from 68 to 86 degrees. English is the official language of Namibia; Afrikaans, German, Oshiwambo, Otjiherero, Nama/Damara, and numerous other indigenous African languages are also spoken. The program also includes a two-week travel seminar to Capetown and Johannesburg, South Africa.

The program is based in Windhoek, a modern city of 250,000 located in central Namibia. The city reflects the German colonial influence as well as the impact of apartheid and South African occupation. It is surrounded by hills, trees, gardens, and greens that provide a contrast to the aridity of much of Namibia. Its climate is dry but pleasant, with an average high temperature ranging from 68 to 86 degrees. English is the official language of Namibia; Afrikaans, German, Oshiwambo, Otjiherero, Nama/Damara, and numerous other indigenous African languages are also spoken. The program also includes a two-week travel seminar to Capetown and Johannesburg, South Africa.

A Heritage Scholarship program is available for students of Pan Afrikan descent through the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College. This scholarship covers tuition, fees, room and board, in country expenses and medical insurance.

Program Highlights

Term: Fall 2009
Dates: August - December
Application Deadline: Mid February
Reflection Seminar: Enroll in Spring 2010: Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 2-5pm (service) and Thursdays, 3:30-4:45 (seminar)

Timeline

Mid February:  Applications due to Study Abroad
Late February:  Applicants interview with APPLES
Early March:  Study Abroad notifies nominated participants
Late March:  Intercultural Competency Workshop
Late March:  Pre-Departure Orientation
Mid April:  Ropes Course and Reflection

Pre-Departure Orientation

In the spring, APPLES prepares students for their experience through a comprehensive orientation program focusing on issues related to cultural awareness, cross-cultural service, travel logistics, teamwork and communication.

The Orientation highlights the importance of linking the global experience with local service-learning, application and reflection after returning to North Carolina. In addition to the Orientation, students participate in a half-day Ropes Course and reflection experience prior to departure.

Tips on working with people of African descent

Academic Coursework

Learn about the struggle to build nationhood and the long-term project of decolonizing the mind from the people of Namibia and South Africa. These nations deal with challenges posed by under and unequal development, by the rapid process of globalization in today’s world, and by their legacies of apartheid and colonialism.

• Political and Social Change in Namibia: A Comparative Perspective
• Racism and Resistance in Southern Africa and the U.S.
• The Development Process – Southern Africa
• Religion and Social Change in Southern Africa
• Service-Learning Internship

Service Experience

While in Namibia, participants experience 90 hours of hands-on service with local, non-governmental organizations, deepening their understanding of Southern African culture and society as well as enhancing their own language skills. This allows for a level of interaction and practical experience that is hard to achieve in the traditional classroom, and thus supplements and complements the rigorous academic curriculum.

Participating in a service-learning placement allows students to:

• Deepen understanding of Namibian culture and society
• Learn more about and practice skills needed for working collaboratively in a regional and a global context
• Strengthen capacity for cross-cultural understanding and communication
• Form valuable relationships with local persons and organizations
• Contribute in a positive way to the host community

Service placements are made based on interests, goals, and the needs of the community, specifically working with orphanages, schools, social service delivery, and advocacy for social change.

Namibian Service Agencies

Housing

Students live together in a large house in Windhoek with other program participants. During the trip to South Africa, modest hotels and guest houses serve as accommodations. The programs also include a 10-day homestay with a rural family in Northern Namibia; an eight-day homestay with an urban family in Katatura, Windhoek; and a five-day homestay with an urban family in Soweto, Johannesburg.

Educational Travel

The program includes a two-week travel seminar to Capetown and Johannesburg, South Africa. Shorter trips to other parts of Namibia include the Etosha Game Reserve and relaxation in Walvis Bay/Swakopmund on the Atlantic Coast. There are also opportunities for personal travel on weekends and during breaks.

Reflection Seminar

On returning to Carolina, students enroll in “Connections”, a 1-credit reflection seminar that compares the lives of new immigrants in North Carolina to that of their origin countries.

The seminar explores concerns for health, education and social justice through selected readings, class discussion and reflection. Returning students engage in local service-learning with newly arrived immigrants. As mentors, they provide assistance with activities supporting school achievement and facilitation of bilingual fluency for middle or high school immigrant youth.

To obtain contact information for the current GSL Chair, please refer to the APPLES' Organizers directory.