Activism (Part Two)

In June two thousand and two I met with Mac Lushimba, a refugee as I was. He revealed to what he was thinking about the kind of life we were living in the Osire Refugee Camp. At that time, I and others were simple asylum seekers and there were no expectation of any RSD (Refugee Status Determination). Mac told me that he thought that we could start a movement which will make a pressure to the government of Namibia so that they can interview people in the camp and they can be issued with refugee status.
As Mac was the visionary he had the task to contact other people for this idea. Donat Kamiji, Germaine Tchabu, Eddy Mpiana, Peter Mudimba(+) were also contacted and they also shared the same ideas with me and Mac.
Some days later, we started writing our constitution and the main writer was the late Mr. Peter Mudimba.
After writing the constitution, we introduced it to the community of asylum seekers, many people adhered to this constitution. Some after the introduction of the association to the community, intimidation and harrassment started from the local police and the camp administrator.
A certain Monday he invited all the people who adhered to the Association and he intimidated members and the next day people started resigning from the association.
I could not resign because this association was my baby and I was the one to protect it.
We called the association ADR (Association for the Defense of Refugee Rights). I and my colleagues went through difficult situation but we stand firm up to the day the government decided to interview all asylum seekers.
I remember one day I and my colleagues were invited by the UNHCR officials to discuss about the ADR activities. The question I retain from that meeting after 16 years is "what after refugee status is granted to you, what are you going to claim?"
It was not easy, we had a great task to teach our members to be bound to the laws of the country otherwhise we will be deported by the government. Our members were really good in observing rules and laws of the our country of asylum.
There were two people who were complicating the life of refugees, the Namibia Commissioner for Refugees and the Administrator of the Camp. They could wake up and implement any rule as for example the Administrator of the camp could decide that there is no exit permit today, and the chairperson could call the Commissioned for refugees and if there is no successful feedback, he could call NamRights which was an ADR partner.
If today refugees and asylum seekers are living a life with dignity, it because of this organization led by a worth son of Namibia called Phil ya Nangolo.
Ya Nangolo is a great human rights defender without any discrimination. He needs to be rewarded by the world.
Many thanks to people and organizations like US Refugee and immigrant for the support they gave to asylum seekers and refugees in Namibia.
I volunteered so that refugee life in Namibia improve. Today refugees are being interviewed and others are being resettled to the third countries for those who need international protection.