A message of hope from the US
Michael Kauatjitotje, a Namibian national, is currently studying architecture in the United States. He shared his varsity experience with The Zone as 'n foreign student in another country.
Michael Kauatjitotje
In 2017 someone told me not to worry about the future because I showed promising signs of becoming successful.
I annoyingly laughed at their comment, citing it to be “a fake compliment to make me feel good about myself”.
Now two years later I’ve learned one thing from my experience of studying in the United States: Learn to love your hard work and your journey, because success isn’t guaranteed and sometimes the hope that started your journey might be the only thing that carries you on - as there might not be rewards along the way.
I was excited to study architecture in the US - a country that takes centre stage for all things relevant in the world.
Northern Virginia was a practical place to go because I have American family that live here. I couldn’t have picked a better place to study, as it has shown me a more practical vision of the US than say New York City or Los Angeles would have.
Virginia has shown me the restless hard work that goes into upholding the powerful engine that is America. In fairness, I must digress to appreciate all the amazing moments and adventures I’ve experienced and that I am still experiencing in the short one year and nine months that I’ve spent here so far.
I’ve visited an abandoned asylum from the 1920s that’s a federally restricted territory. I’ve so far visited six US states, with Georgia being my favorite, because Georgia gave me the most unfiltered version of past and present America. Since the US is a land of multiculturalism I had to make sure to observe as many religions as I could, and Buddhism was the most thrilling to observe. On the spectrum of academic achievements, I have managed to maintain a much more pristine academic excellence than I ever had in Namibia. Apparently first world schools are way more forgiving. I’m also using the practical skills I’ve learned in Namibia from 10th and 11th grade Model United Nations (MUN) at Academia Secondary School, as I am going to represent my college at an intercollegiate conference hosted by the United Nations in New York City. I’m a blood ambassador for the American Red Cross, and I devote countless hours to serving the community in every way possible.
Additionally, the best part of studying in the US is the wide array of people and personalities I’ve come across. I’ve met people from various backgrounds and learned more about the human experience than I ever imagined. They are from countries as far as India and further, and have taught me that at the end of the day, despite our linguistic differences, we are all human in our experience of hardships, dreams, and aspirations. But despite my amazing and deeply meaningful American experience, I now realise that with enough hard work and persistence I could have created meaningful experiences anywhere in the world, including Namibia. Now to get back on the topic about hard work and a strong sense of hope.
The idea of relentless hope has always seemed cliché to me, yet it is the only thing I cling to for assurance. Hope has become a strong and reoccurring philosophy in my life. I never once thought that hope would carry me this far. I’ve had many strong determinations substantiated by nothing else but hope, which makes for a very scary world, supported by the flimsy concept of hope.
This concept, though it may seem delusional at times, is the one strong thing I have picked up in the US that would be wonderful to employ in Namibia.
Earlier this year I was on a WhatsApp video call with two of my cousins that live in Namibia. As they were filling me in on the family drama, I casually asked how the political situation in Namibia was going. With a downcast tone they told me: “You know how things in Nam are, mos, the situation here will never change.”
My fellow Namibian youth don’t care, they’ve lost hope. In America it is morally unacceptable to think you cannot change the political imperfections in your country, because Americans believe that this country is all they have and they have no choice but to force progress. I tried to convince my cousins to protest or vote - anything to set change in motion. They laughed at me, citing that I was delusional and that Namibia isn’t America. I am here to say that hope is something that shouldn’t be lost. Maybe I should have kept my delusional, hopeful self in Namibia and not chased my own enjoyment abroad. Maybe then I could have contributed. But, I am here to remind my fellow Namibians to regain the same sense of hope our parents had during the liberation struggle. Namibia is ours, and we have nothing else but Namibia. We can all be the voice for progress in Namibia; all we need is hope.
In 2017 someone told me not to worry about the future because I showed promising signs of becoming successful.
I annoyingly laughed at their comment, citing it to be “a fake compliment to make me feel good about myself”.
Now two years later I’ve learned one thing from my experience of studying in the United States: Learn to love your hard work and your journey, because success isn’t guaranteed and sometimes the hope that started your journey might be the only thing that carries you on - as there might not be rewards along the way.
I was excited to study architecture in the US - a country that takes centre stage for all things relevant in the world.
Northern Virginia was a practical place to go because I have American family that live here. I couldn’t have picked a better place to study, as it has shown me a more practical vision of the US than say New York City or Los Angeles would have.
Virginia has shown me the restless hard work that goes into upholding the powerful engine that is America. In fairness, I must digress to appreciate all the amazing moments and adventures I’ve experienced and that I am still experiencing in the short one year and nine months that I’ve spent here so far.
I’ve visited an abandoned asylum from the 1920s that’s a federally restricted territory. I’ve so far visited six US states, with Georgia being my favorite, because Georgia gave me the most unfiltered version of past and present America. Since the US is a land of multiculturalism I had to make sure to observe as many religions as I could, and Buddhism was the most thrilling to observe. On the spectrum of academic achievements, I have managed to maintain a much more pristine academic excellence than I ever had in Namibia. Apparently first world schools are way more forgiving. I’m also using the practical skills I’ve learned in Namibia from 10th and 11th grade Model United Nations (MUN) at Academia Secondary School, as I am going to represent my college at an intercollegiate conference hosted by the United Nations in New York City. I’m a blood ambassador for the American Red Cross, and I devote countless hours to serving the community in every way possible.
Additionally, the best part of studying in the US is the wide array of people and personalities I’ve come across. I’ve met people from various backgrounds and learned more about the human experience than I ever imagined. They are from countries as far as India and further, and have taught me that at the end of the day, despite our linguistic differences, we are all human in our experience of hardships, dreams, and aspirations. But despite my amazing and deeply meaningful American experience, I now realise that with enough hard work and persistence I could have created meaningful experiences anywhere in the world, including Namibia. Now to get back on the topic about hard work and a strong sense of hope.
The idea of relentless hope has always seemed cliché to me, yet it is the only thing I cling to for assurance. Hope has become a strong and reoccurring philosophy in my life. I never once thought that hope would carry me this far. I’ve had many strong determinations substantiated by nothing else but hope, which makes for a very scary world, supported by the flimsy concept of hope.
This concept, though it may seem delusional at times, is the one strong thing I have picked up in the US that would be wonderful to employ in Namibia.
Earlier this year I was on a WhatsApp video call with two of my cousins that live in Namibia. As they were filling me in on the family drama, I casually asked how the political situation in Namibia was going. With a downcast tone they told me: “You know how things in Nam are, mos, the situation here will never change.”
My fellow Namibian youth don’t care, they’ve lost hope. In America it is morally unacceptable to think you cannot change the political imperfections in your country, because Americans believe that this country is all they have and they have no choice but to force progress. I tried to convince my cousins to protest or vote - anything to set change in motion. They laughed at me, citing that I was delusional and that Namibia isn’t America. I am here to say that hope is something that shouldn’t be lost. Maybe I should have kept my delusional, hopeful self in Namibia and not chased my own enjoyment abroad. Maybe then I could have contributed. But, I am here to remind my fellow Namibians to regain the same sense of hope our parents had during the liberation struggle. Namibia is ours, and we have nothing else but Namibia. We can all be the voice for progress in Namibia; all we need is hope.
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