Just
when you thought all teenagers were self indulgent and didn't
care about anything but music and being cool, you meet a
young man named Paulus (pronounced Palace).
Paulus lives in a township
outside of Swapokmund in Namibia. He is very poor and lives
in a town that resembles a concentration camp, but he has
the warmest smile and heart. Untouched by his tough living
conditions, he has hope and a wonder about the world and
the people in it.
He approached me when I
was on a township tour of his neighborhood. He made picture
frames out of card board in the shape of his country Namibia
and was selling them for 10 Namibian Dollars ($1 US). I
of course, bought one and we started talking.
It was a pleasant surprise
that Paulus was so well spoken for someone of his age. We
talked for a while and then with a glow in his eyes he asked
me to be his pen pal. He said he has a file at home of all
the different people he has met and kept in contact with.
His hobby is to learn about all the different counties of
the world and meet new friends in the process. I was so
touched that he wanted to write me, it made my entire trip
to Namibia worth while.
