Last Saturday, March 21st 2015, marked 25 years of Namibian independence. From German, to British, to South African rule and oppression, Namibia was one of the last countries in Africa to become independent in 1990.

-Image of the Namibian flag
(Blue symbolizes the Namibian sky, the Atlantic Ocean, marine resources and rain and water. Red represents the Namibian people, their heroism and their determination to build a future of equal opportunity for all. White represents peace and unity. Green symbolizes vegetation and agriculture. The yellow sun signifies power and existence.)

There is certainly a great deal to celebrate. In 25 years Namibia has come a long way in terms of gender and racial equality, in strengthening political and legal institutions that allow democracy to prosper, in strengthening the economy and empowering vulnerable groups. In 25 years, there have been five national elections, three presidents and five parliaments. These power shifts have all occurred without violence which is significant in a region of the world where such changes often lead to uprisings, use of force, and even crimes against humanity.

Namibia had one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world, approximately 22.5% of the adult population was living with the STI in 2001. The rate is still high,over 13%, but hopefully the impact of HIV/AIDS in Namibia will continue to decrease until it becomes nonexistent. The mortality rate has also decreased due to wider access to modern medicine and a huge amount of international assistance.

There have been significant changes in the country. There has been noticeable migration from rural areas into the cities, increased access to education through outreach and eliminating fees for secondary school (previously only primary education was free). There is certainly room for improvement in terms of access to education for those in rural areas, especially girls, as well as room for improvement in the quality of education, but this is an occasion to focus on what has improved.

To celebrate independence, Andrew, myself and some friends from LAC handed out constitutions on the main street in Windhoek (Independence Avenue!). They went like hot cakes--we distributed over 1000 Namibian constitutions in 20 minutes and people were thrilled to receive them!! I have never seen people so excited to receive constitutions and it was incredibly heartening. Many individuals at LAC also wore traditional dress for the occasion.

-Andrew and I with Yolande, from LAC

-Namibian colors flowing from jets

On Saturday there were festivities at Independence Stadium where the new president and others were sworn in. There were heads of State from all over the world, Namibian colors streaming from jets, and thousands of people thrilled to witness this day. The only strange part of the stadium celebrations was that in the "normal area"(the not-VIP area) where we were standing there were very few, if any, white persons. I found this a bit upsetting, but hopefully those not present were simply celebrating from another location.

-This festive vehicle has prominent photos of past presidents as well as Mr. Hage Geingob, the newest president . We took to calling it the #prezmobile.

-Independence Stadium Celebrations, Windhoek

-Independence Stadium

In any case, I am happy to have been part of such a wonderful milestone in Namibia. There is still a lot to improve in terms of human rights protections and strengthening government institutions but I have confidence that Namibia will get there one step at a time.

-This gentleman saw me taking photos and posed