I will remember Candy for the rest of my life. Not for what he looks like or what his occupation is, but for the we way he opened his heart and home to us along our journey through Namibia. We first met Candy across the road from his homestead under a large tree shadowing the village bottle shop. We introduced ourselves, chatted for a bit and then Candy pointed us in the direction of his homestead. We drove our little Yaris across the street and into the fenced in area which to my surprise housed five small mud huts. The huts used few branches to frame the outside of the mud packed walls. The mud had began crumbling in some areas creating holes in the walls large enough for a hyena to sneak through. Candy is 22 and attending 10th grade this year (we we’re introduced to him by his teacher Kerri, with whom we happened to be Couchsurfing the night before). His younger sister also attends a local school approximately 3km away from their land. Candy’s brother and grandmother are both unemployed so the only way they make money is when Candy’s Aunt sells milk from her cows and shares the proceeds. Candy was born and raised on this homestead and now lives there occupying one hut, while his sister, his brother, and his grandmother occupy the other three. The fifth hut has been empty since his uncle passed. There is a small, low grass-thatched hut situated between two of the mud huts where a fire was still smoldering.

Candy began to paint us the picture of his village life immediately. We first joined him to go and collect fresh water from the clinic 5km away. There were two fresh water spouts in his village for its entire population, neither one being extremely close to his homestead. Usually, he would walk there with two large empty containers, fill them up, and carry them back… 5km away!

Once we filled the water and returned it back to the homestead we set out on foot where Candy showed us around his village. He took us to one of the infamous cooka shops where the villagers produce a grainy, tart, traditional alcoholic beverage. Candy mentioned it’s a very popular place to hang out during the day for for the high percentage of people not working (it gives them something to do during the day). Candy then showed us the small convenience store that villagers visit whenever they have money, which is sporadic and infrequent. Until then, they try to survive with the little they have.

That night for dinner, Candy taught us how to make mahango porridge over the fire which he prepares and eats every day, three times a day. Usually, he will include a soup mix or a local relish from the bush to dip the porridge in. We all sat around the fire and enjoyed the small meal with him. Afterwards, we sat idly around the fire (still somewhat hungry) on disintegrating cinder blocks and old paint cans chatting about village life and answering Candy’s constant questions about the US. Chris began showing him pictures of the US, our families, etc and he was in complete awe. I could not tell if he was more impressed with the photos or the iPhone we used to show him.

The next morning, we all indulged in more porridge and said our goodbyes. Candy thanked us several times for sharing his meal with him and allowing him to share with us his village lifestyle. He was so proud to share his customs, his homestead and the village life. Upon driving away from his homestead, I remember looking back and being humbled by the experience. Those who say the village life is so simple overlooks several key factors. Their agendas may not be filled with breakfast meetings, running errands, soccer practice, and vacations, but they are focused on the hard work of day to day living. He appreciates the laid back lifestyle of showing his guests around, chatting with his friends, living off the land, and attending to the chores of his homestead. It surprised me with how long it took us to do basic stuff such as retrieving clean water. I’ve never in my life appreciated the things we take for granted (running water, electricity, and plentiful foods) so much. THANK YOU CANDY FOR THE AMAZING EXPERIENCE!