Holidays at Ongha yaNaghonda Village

Ongha is situated in northern Namibia, in the Ohangwena region and form part of the ‘Four-O-Regions’ of the country. The first people started to settle here in 1940 with a headsman named Naghonda. Hence, the name of the village is derived from the headsman’s accepted name in Oshiwambo known as Ongha yaNaghonda. The main language here is Oshikwanyama. When school holidays approached, plans were already proceeding as to where we will be spending our holiday. In two days after school closed we were on our way to Ongha with my parents’ trusted mode of transport the ‘Ondobe Liner’ an Iveco minibus my uncle drove. On the way one will see homesteads are interspersed with flat landscape and between fields one will come across Makalani Palms, Mopane and Marula trees. I was always excited regardless of taking this journey multiple times, as I was going home to see my family.

I preferred the August holidays as Mahangu pearl millet harvest season completed. However this was the April holiday that fell perfectly in time for Mahangu harvesting. Here we follow the cycle of the sun as during this period the Namibian sun is harsh. The wake-up call was usually 5 am, each of us have to head to the elimba store room for kitchen items to pick up a knife to cut off the heads of pearl millet plant and Oshimbale a truncated cone basket which is used to collect and carry. 

During the harvesting a few of people (inclusive of both men and women) cut the heads of the pearl millet, whereas others collect and carry to the Oshipale threshing floor to dry. At 8 am one of the women will head back to the house to make breakfast and bring mepya in the field. Everyone retires into the homestead at 12:00 as the sun is at its peak and looking forward to quenching their thirst with Oshikundu pearl millet drink, as lunch is being prepared. 

Afternoons usually consisted of milling the threshed and chuffed grain from previous harvests with wooden stamping stocks to ensure there is flour to cook Oshifima stiff pearl millet porridge, to brew Oshikundu pearl millet  drink and  Omalodu iilya pearl millet and sorghum beer. Milling was always fun, time passed as humour-filled conversations were shared. When milling was completed, preparations were underway.

The evenings were consumed with story-telling as it is an important part of spending time together as a family, and of cause everyone had something to contribute. On nights when it was full moon we played games, diila-ekende (also known as blikkie-vol-maak and fill-the-tin) and hide-and-seek was a favourite, as the Oshiwambo homesteads are open and spacious. 

It was a long day, so we fell asleep peacefully.