The portion of Namibia that we went to was an area called the Caprivi Strip, which is a strip of land that extends from the country, and is bordered by Angola, Zambia, the tip of Zimbabwe, and Botswana. We took a speed boat about 2 minutes to Botswana Customs, and then another five minutes to the Namibia water border. Impalila Island (where we were; 26x15km [16×9 mi)) is the area of land where the four countries (Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana) meet, and is the reason we chose to focus on this area when planning our trip.
Namibia was a German colony and, as a result, there is still some German influence. Education is free, but the families have to pay for uniforms and books. There are 562 students who come to Impalila Island for school because students in Namibia can go to school anywhere. Parents choose schools for their children based on the quality of the teachers, and the availability of family members with whom their children can stay. However, the Chinese have recently built a hostel on the island for the next season of students to stay if they do not have any family with whom they can stay.
There is free medical care in Namibia as well, and if medical issues are more serious than can be handled on the island, individuals will be taken by boat or car to Botswana, and then placed on a plane to go 200km (124 mi) to the nearest Namibian hospital. There are doctors at the border who will ride with the patient to the hospital to keep the patient stable.
There is no electricity on the island, but there is a water pump that was installed (donated by a German woman who owns a lodge near the village we visited) after 6(!) children were eaten by alligators last year (2018) while trying to bring back water for the elders from the Zambezi River. Other animals on the island are buffalo, elephants, bush bucks, impala, hippos, warthogs, and hyenas, as well as a number of varieties of snakes, including the cobra, green and black mambas, and puff adders, but you don’t see the snakes unless they are pushed out by the rain. The main economy is fishing, as they take seafood to Botswana to sell. They also rely on agriculture, but because the had a dry rainy season for the first time in a very long time (if ever), they struggled with that this year. We were told that it was cheaper to live in this part of the country than in the city because they can find wood from the bush, water and fish from the river, etc.
The village we visited consisted of one family living together, with 52 adults and 31 children. There are 62 villages on the island, and each one has a Chief, who manages the island, and helps people solve their problems. He usually calls a village meeting to discuss how to solve problems. However, if there is a problem between couples, the Chief will not call a village meeting because it would result in gossip. Problems between couples are resolved with the Chief and the couple.
When it comes to marriage, marriage is considered to only be between people who meet requirements for a good reputation, such as being respectful. For both men and women, if they have a bad reputation, either person can say “no” to marriage. For those who marry, the husband has to pay a dowry, and then the wife joins the husband’s family.
The Chief meets with other chiefs once a week on Fridays, so we were unable to meet him, as we visited on a Friday. If they have a big problem on the island, they come together and appeal to the government. When a chief is too ill to perform his duty or dies, he is replaced by the second oldest male member of the family. The money that is generated by visits to the island is distributed by the Chief to the members of the village, with the poorest people receiving the most money so they can take care of their children.
After our stay in Botswana and our side trip to Namibia, we were driven about 15 minutes from the Chobe Safari Lodge to the border of Botswana for Customs, and then we took a ferry (less than 5 minutes) across the Zambezi River to Zambia, during which we were able to see the Namibia and Zimbabwe water borders, as this is where the four countries meet (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana). It is also where the Chobe River meets the Zambezi River. Up next – Zambia…