The Citizen, 2010-03-04, Page 32PAGE 32. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010.
Former Blyth-resident
Mark Nonkes is continuing
his quest to bring a better
quality of life to Namibians
after a brief stop home.
Nonkes recently took a
break from his job with the
Namibian Legal Assistance
Centre (LAC) to visit Blyth,
but is hard at work
providing options and
opportunities to residents of
Namibia.
Nonkes is currently
working as a
communications officer for
the LAC, a Non-
Governmental Organisation,
and acts as a liaison between
donors and the LAC, as well
as working to inform
Namibians about their
rights.
“I primarily work with the
national radio broadcaster,
the CBC equivalent, and
organize shows about things
like: what to do if you are
raped, where to go if you
need to escape domestic
violence, and why men
should pay child
maintenance,” Nonkes said
in his correspondence.
The Republic of Namibia,
a Southern African country
that borders on the Atlantic
Ocean, is a problem-spot,
according to Nonkes, but
has potential for growth
thanks to the country’s
fairly stable political
system.
When asked what
problems are paramount,
Nonkes explained, in
correspondence to The
Citizen,that there are
several big problems.
“The lack of gender
equality affects most
women,” Nonkes said.
“Namibian women face
violence in their homes and
communities, and it it so
accepted that they often
accept it as being part of
life.
“HIV is huge, one in
every six people here is HIV
positive,” he said. “And that
has led to a lack of working
adults.”
Poverty, a problem which
afflicts many South African
countries, is also very
apparent in Namibia.
Nonkes stated that more
than half of the country live
on less than $2 a day, and
are not formally employed.
This problem is further
compounded by the fact that
Namibia has the worst
wealth inequity in the
world, meaning the rich are
very rich, while the poor
live in extreme poverty.
Residents of Huron
County sent bicycles over
through Nonkes and his
parents as a means of
helping the society grow,
and Nonkes said the bikes
have provided many
benefits to locals.
“[The container the bikes
were in] has now been
turned into a small bicycle
repair and sale business,”
Nonkes said. “The money
generated at the container
helps [a large group of
volunteers who care for
people in advanced stages of
HIV] to have a reliable
income, and also provides
five previously unemployed
people with jobs.”
Nonkes also said that the
bikes have provided
reliable, sustainable
transport in the
community.
While visiting any foreign
culture can be a shocking
experience, Nonkes says
that the changes he was
prepared for, and the
changes he wasn’t prepared
for, have proven to be
different.
“I knew I would stick out
like a sore thumb in an
African country,” Nonkes
said. “So the culture shock
was fairly minimal... I was
surprised how quickly
people invited me into their
lives.”
Nonke’s struggles have
come from the preconceived
notions.
“When I first came, I
thought there were easy
solutions,” he said. “For
instance, I thought if you
gave someone a goat, they
would quickly benefit and
their lives would change.”
While this small act of
kindness is appreciated and
does provide small support,
a whole change from within
needs to happen to
overcome the complexities
of poverty, Nonkes added.
Nonke’s brief visit home
has made him realize what
he misses, and it is the sense
of community he got from
his hometown.
“You really get a sense of
community with the people
of Blyth. There’s something
really special about it,” he
said. “There’s definitely a
comfort in a place where
people are endlessly
supportive and have your
best interest at heart.”
More information about
The LAC and the work they
do can be found on their
website at www.lac.org.na.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Nonkes in Namibia
Former Blyth-resident Mark Nonkes (second from right) poses with members of a competitive cycling team that he sponsors in Namibia. Nonkes works for a
Non-Governmental Organization in the South African country, educating locals about their human rights.(Photo submitted)
Nonkes returns to Namibia after visiting Blyth
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