Ingenuity meets need

The diversity of various types of vehicles in Namibia is astonishing. There are traditional-type semi-trucks (lorries), and pick-ups (bakkies). But, every time you turn around, you see someone has taken a chassis and done something creative with it. Similar to trucks used by vets (with storage for equipment and medicine) or ranchers (flat bed trucks) in the States. But, many more adaptations. People movers (such as the photo at right) used to carry tourist-campers around Namibia are one example.

So, it was no surprise when I discovered that Polytechnic had its own people-mover vehicle. The need: field trips to take students out to study natural resource management where it happens. The problem: you need a 4x4 truck to get there, in most cases. Second problem: class size is usually 20-25 and your standard 4x4 truck can squeeze in 8 people, if you stick people in the back. The solution: the lorry to the right. The faculty bought a Mercedes chassis, used, and designed the 'box' that carries everyone around. It can carry 25 students easily, and has room for field equipment. And, it's 4WD. It can fit down the narrowest roads fairly easily.

Students take week-long excursions to various parks around the country, and the lorry gets a lot of use. During game counts, there is a hatch that students can open to get on the roof--for great perspective for the game counts. Later this semester, we plan to compare detectability of wildlife during a survey between students on the roof with those inside the lorry.

Kelly has a book that we brought over here called "Desert Peoples". Neither one of us has read it yet, but it talks about the contribution of people who lived in 'tough' environments to human history. The basic idea is that when you're literally stuck between a rock and a hard place, ingenuity happens. And, the results can be interesting. For an obvious example, think of Egyptian culture and contributions to irrigation technology.

On a daily basis, we see people in Namibia that have an idea, and are trying to make a living with it. Entrepreneurship is rampant. Example 1: a older lady sits outside the grocery we use, and she sells muffins (perhaps she knows the store doesn't sell muffins). One day, I bought some muffins from her. She smiled, and opened another container next to her. "Would you like some fish?" she asked. "Not today," I replied. "I used to be a nurse," she told me--perhaps to convince me the fish was OK to eat?! She had some nice fried fish, but that wasn't what I was expecting to see in that container. Example 2: guys wandering parking lots selling knives, padlocks, candy, and just about anything. Again, how they make the choice of what to sell is interesting.

It reminds me a bit of when we lived in Georgia and saw people selling socks and pillows on the side of the road. Interesting decision, and first reaction might be to chuckle. Who really went out thinking they needed socks and might find someone selling them on the way to church? But, it's creative. It's a way to get the bills paid.

Maybe some of the ingenuity will rub off on us. Because, for a year, we are desert people.