A Few Notes from Gideon

Gideon was one of the first people I met in my new home.  He works in my building as a cleaner, gardener, general handyman and IT specialist.  Not kidding.  He's one of the best at keeping the library's computer lab running.  He also sings in the big choir at the big Lutheran church and smiles a lot.  He picks up the mail for my foundation, and one day he brought me a postcard one sister sent from Paris.  I spoke a bit of French for him, and the next day he came into the office and asked, in French, if he could sit for a minute.  He learned the words on a phone app.

Today he stopped by and agreed to a brief interview.

He was laughing through his struggle with English,
and I grabbed the camera to take a picture.  As soon
as the lens cap came off, he made this serious face.

Name:  Gideon Gomachab  What do you do for work?  General worker; I am doing everything.  What do you like most about your job?  I enjoy reading and watering the garden.  And what do you do for fun?  Singing and doing maradon.  Maradon?  Marathon running.  Mostly I participate in the Rössing marathon and Areva marathon.  I usually do five kilometers.  Not the long run; the 42 kilometers?  I would not be able to do that thing – it's too far.  How long does the five kilometers take you?  About 45 minutes.  When was your last singing competition?  It was in June, with the church, in Uis.

Gideon at work, keeping the grounds beautiful.

Where did you grow up?  Sesfontein  Do you like it better here in the desert?  I don't like the desert, but I stay here.  I came in 2006.  I came to study and then started working.  I stayed for the job.   How did you learn so much about computers?  I was helping the people in the library who needed to do this, this on computers, and then I went when the man taught some classes from Rössing Foundation.  But mostly you taught yourself?  Yes, yes.  Mostly I just learn myself.

What's your first language?  Damara-Nama  And what other languages do you speak?  English (pronounced 'Ingleez')  I'm not good in Afrikaans but I'm learning.  Also a bit of Otjiherero.  Fabiola says you're really good at Damara-Nama.  You write it really well.  I used to write elder people's wishes every Sunday for the radio.

Trying to think what's 'typically' and 'un-typically'
Namibian about himself made him laugh so much he
didn't notice the camera until too late!

What's 'typically Namibian' about you?  (Gideon thought a long time to come up with an answer for this one.)  I keep a garden and grow typical Namibian food like mielies, wheat grain, pumpkin and watermelon, and sometimes we are also growing tobacco and then we are selling to the big companies.  What's 'un-Namibian' about you?  (Again a lot of thought, but this time he could not come up with anything.)