Home > Conclusion
Conclusion
|
| Students at PE/Recess at Hage Geingob High School |
It didn't take many visits in and around the country of Namibia
to begin to realize that physical education and sport do not have the same
priority and meaning as they do in the United States. The obesity epidemic,
video games and lack of any kind of exercise among the youth in the United
States has become such a priority for physical educators that it starts to
limit any thinking outside of that. I started to question the inclusion of
physical education at all in Namibia. Students are coming to school hungry
and improperly cared for. Many are orphans and are having to walk long distances
to get to school. PE and sport cannot be separated from the socioeconomic,
racial and gender issues of any country. However, as I listened to more Namibian
people and visited more areas of the country, I began to realize that, while
PE may not be a high priority, it can, and should, be of high importance.
Physical activity has so many benefits with regards to health, self-esteem
and general well being.
|
| Students proudly singing for us at Hanganeni Primary School in Swakopmund, Namibia |
Many children in Namibia seem to have had their childhood taken away from them -- they are having to worry about basic needs being met and have lost the privilege of just being able to play, laugh and have fun. We witnessed many groups and organizations that are trying to stop the cycle of economic, racial and gender disparity in Namibia. Many have realized the value of combining their efforts with some sort of physical activity.
Athletic leadership is also making
a positive shift in Namibia. The more racial and ethnically balanced Namibia
Sports Commission (NSC) and the National School Sports Union (NSSU) replaced
the all white Namibia National Sports Council (NNSC). This shift was brought
about by the 2003 New Namibia Sports Bill, which strengthened the role of
the NSC and decreased the role of the NNSC. The bill also specified the role
of the Namibian National Olympic Committee with regards to funding and the
Olympic games. 15 With Namibia's
fairly recent entry into the Olympics, their entire team in 2004 in Athens
consisted of a racially imbalanced five white and four
black athletes (imbalanced considering whites
make up a little over 5 percent of the population).
15 Of these nine athletes,
Agnes Samaria was the lone female representative from Namibia,
competing in the 800m run. Appointing Agnes
Tjongarero, a white female, as president
of the Namibian Olympic Committee, as well
as hosting the World Conference of Women
and Sport, are steps in the right direction
towards racial and gender imbalance in the
young country. 16
|
