Moving to Namibia and orphanage work

Hello Tellybeans,
I am respondng here just in case others have the same enquiry as you do.

Visa: If I were you I would just get the visitor's visa which as an American will get at the airport when you come in at no charge(for anyone else it is important to check with the Namibian High Commission or Embassy in the country you are coming from first). Before the expiry of that apply for a work visa. They will issue you one valid for three months which is renewable. That will give you time to settle and figure out what agency/orphanage you are going to work with. With that you will get your renewal without any problem. Your not being married is not an issue at all since you can get one on your own merit. If you were married of course you would be endorsed on his.

Accommodation: There are several areas that I would recommend living in as an expat. Klein Windhoek is very nice, upscale and also quite expensive. A furnished flat will run about N$12,000.00. There is Hochland Park and PioneersPark as well which are nice safe areas, near the city center, malls and the University and the Polytechnic. You should be able to get a nice three bedroom house for about N$10,000.00. There are a few places right in town near the Polytechnic that you can get a two bedroom flat for about N$8000.00 but they are in very high demand. There is also a nice residential surburb called Eros that I like. It is also very upmarket.All these places are within ten minutes of the Polytechnic.

Namibia is where Europe meets Africa; you will find most of the comforts and nice things you are used to in the US and Europe right here. I love the Meruah Mall, me feel like I am in any US or Canadian mall. You can get any appliances; nice clothes, foods and spices (critical for me) as well as the total African experience all in this little country. What more can one ask for surely?

Orphanages: There are several orphanages here. I recently hosted a conference on HIV-AIDs and that brought the reality of the magnitude of this epidemic home. The number of orphaned kids is staggering. My daughter coaches young kids basketball and often volunteers at one orphanage. I have asked her to do a little write up for me which I will post here in the coming days. I will also introduce her to you and you can ask her all your questions.

We also have the UN here. I know UNAIDS is running a huge campaign in the regions. I do have a good friend on that program. He would have info on most of the orphanages they fund and or work with. I would be happy to introduce you to him when you are ready. The Council of Churches is another good resources.

CARS: One of the things I found most impressive here is that they have the latest models of all the nice cars. Apparently there is a rule against importing cars older than five years old. Most cars on the road are new. Because the banks finance cars most people are driving nice and fairly new cars. Used cars are therefore quite affordable. There are lots of dealerships around so you will find a car you like that is affordable easily. Insurance is also not overly expensive.

ROADS: One of the best things about Namibia is the road network. There are good roads to any and every place. The government has done well on that score. I think also because there is not much rain the roads do not get spoilt and get potholes as in other African countries.From here youc an consider trips to South Africa and Botswana, to Angola and Zambia at very little cost. The big trip would be to go to Kenya on Safari. I think that is something you can treat yourself and your partner to while you are here in Africa. The wildlife and Kenyan coast, I believe, are unparalleled in the world.

On corruption: Thankfully, Namibia has not become afflicted by the horrible corruption that is the problem in almost all African countries. If there is some it is very discreet and not rampant. It is possible to get things done without bribing every official on the line. I pray it stays that way.

I know your heart is in working and cuddling the babies. Please consider doing something with the youth. Namibia has a very young population. It's leadership is very young too. However, there is a definite vacuum in their personal development. I know because I manage a women's basketball team. They are hungry for guidance and mentorship. Through several forums you can get involved and spend very few hours but impact many young people and through them, the people of Namibia.

I hope this long treatise is useful to you and to others who might be considering relocating to this incredibly beautiful country.

Best regards,

Zenani

hey telly,iam in windhoek,my name is oiva,iam a namibian

the cost of living is not expensive
\u cann manage accomodation in 1000 us dollars( 1 us dollar = 7 namibian dollars) so to live in a decent double bed room flat,u will pay 7000 namibian dollars monthly,u can also get for cheaper 5000 nam dollars,if u are lucky

going with car,u need 10,000 us dollars( 70 thousand nam dollars),u can buy a decent car.but u can also take car loan from bank using your husband employment,u need to pay the loan back within the contract period of your husband

bring cat here? i dont know much about it,but u will get info about it in namibian embassy at your place

opening orphange will be encouraged,as they are many orphange here,but as i see,u will stay here only short time,so its not advisable to open by urself,since u need to get licence and many paper works,these things will take time and here in africa,almost everything is slow.so its better if u go to any already exiting orphanage and social service there

if u want to know anything else,feel free to msg me