Norman Maurice Nanuseb | Namibia
What do you do in your home country and what do you hope to do upon your return? In particular, with the integration of your experiences here?
I am a nurse by profession, an LGBTI human rights activist, I work around democracy, community development, human rights, and HIV/AIDS related issues. I also own an event management company where I organize events for youths in my town and the surrounding community to help them develop skills and speak up about problems affecting the youth. The program is to help them to become responsible, productive, and reliable citizens of our country.
I am hoping to copy and paste this experience and what I have learned to cultivate my community back home. When I am here I am speaking on behalf of those who are not able to be here. I hope to implement new programs as well as incorporate things I learn here with the programs that I have already implemented at home. What I am learning here will not only help me professionally but also personally in my leadership skills and communication abilities.
What is your favorite thing about your home country? How about Philadelphia?
Gosh! Namibia, my motherland. I love Namibia, it is my motherland, my home country, the place where I feel I belong and I can be myself. It is very diverse, very beautiful. We have the most tourist attractions in the continent. We have 12 ethnic groups, many of which hold to their traditional way of life. This makes the country unique, it makes it special. People in Namibia are very welcoming, it is the land of the brave.
Philadelphia is very beautiful, even more so than I expected. Coming from a place where there is not as much infrastructure development, Philly feels like what I would think New York would be like. I would say that the best parts of Philadelphia are the Drexel University campus and the Gayborhood.
Do you have any hobbies or an interesting fact you wish to share about yourself?
As a hobby, I like organizing events. I am a hustler, so hustling is part of my hobbies. I like giving back to the community. I play netball for sports. I listen to a lot of music, and I enjoy singing and dancing (in private).
If I were to come to your home country, what is the first thing I should eat?
Damara traditional cuisines are the best. You know, Damara know how to prepare good food. We have traditional and also modern food. My favorite traditional food is donkey meat with pop (porridge). It is the cheapest meal that you can get – we prepare it with its own fat with a bit of spice and salt. Simple and delicious.