Meet Nelson

I had the pleasure of meeting a friend of Jay in Keetmanshoop- Nelson.  Nelson invited us into his house in the location outside of Keet's and permitted me to take some pictures.

Nelson's house is located near the back of the location just two plots down from his mother's.  He lives alone in this small shack. The lot it sits in is clean.  He sweeps it somewhat regularly and picks up trash when it accumulates. 

Nelson, outside his house giving a typical Namibian "cool guy" pose.	Nelson and Jay inspect his latest invention and science fair entry- the gambling machine.	The sign above the door proudly says "I fix Radios" in both English and Oshiwombo.

Outside his house, Nelson invites me in.  The sign above the door reads "Radio Repair" but is slightly deceiving: Nelson will attempt to repair just about any electrical appliance.

As I enter his home a wave of humid heat washes over me.  The tin walls and roof of the shack absorb quite a bit of heat and since there are no windows the ventilation is very poor.  Despite this his home has a pleasant quality to it.  On one side of the 15' by 10' room is his bed, framed on two walls with colorful sheets that hang from the wall.

The bedroom- a make-shift bed with a metal grid as a box spring, boards as a frame and a small mattress.	The entertainment center.  You can see a radio on the right with a speaker.  The TV and computer do not work, but he keeps on trying to fix them.	A solar panel on his roof.  It charges a car battery during the day that he uses to power his light and radio.

His clothes hang from wires on one side of the bed, while a broken TV set holds several electrical items as a table on the other side.  There are many inventions around the room.  Clocks, suit cases, radios and a gambling machine which he displayed in the science fair in Windhoek a few months ago.  Nelson loves to make things.  He uses items he finds in the trash and gets from family and friends to put together unique and artistic electrical appliances.  He talks to me briefly about capacitors and resistors, terms that he picked up in his 11th grade science class this year.  He hopes to learn more so that he can put together more complex devices.

Nelson shows off the suit case he made from fence wire and cardboard.  A colorful and artistic creation.	Nelson and his little brother look over a fan that he made from spare parts. He can't use it at night because it drains his battery.	The CD clock on the wall keeps time perfectly.  Another project inspired by the parts he was able to find.

Nelson is 21 years old and has just finished the 11th grade at KHS (Keetmanshoop High School).  Next year he will finish 12 grade, a task that is made more difficult and unlikely given his late start in school.  These days he spends his time playing games on his cell phone, talking to girls, and learning about computers at the community center.  He has dreams of being a musician when he's finished with school and loves to rap. 

Surly one of his many talents will enable him employ somewhere in Namibia.  I have hope for Nelson, and every other youth who learns, tries and aspires.