I spoke with Dr. Aina Ihambo by web conference on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Swakopmund and a chilly, grey morning in Columbus, OH. She looked relaxed, refreshed, and radiant in spite of just finishing her shift at Mondesa Family Medical Clinic. She was dressed in a simple white cotton blouse and sipping on iced juice at an outdoor cafe.
I organized the call because I was curious to know more about Aina’s long journey from humble beginnings in Mondesa to a licensed medical doctor practicing in Swakopmund.
We chit-chatted a bit to check our internet connections and get caught up, and then started discussing Aina’s story. In full disclosure, I have known Aina, although not really well, for many years. She was a learner at Mondesa Youth Opportunities (MYO), an organization I founded in 2004, for two years.
When Aina was 4 years old, she moved with her mother, Petrina Kookayi, to Swakopmund from the village of Onaanda-Alusati in Omusati Region where she had been living with her grandparents. She was one of 4 children being raised by her single mother.
Aina started kindergarten in town but then moved to Tamaraskia where she attended Swakopmund Primary School. She was a good student and by her own admission very quiet and shy and says “I still am.”
In grade 8, Aina was accepted into MYO where she excelled and in 2009 distinguished herself as ‘Learner of the Year’. Aina said “MYO helped open my eyes, boost my confidence, and let me come out of my shell a little bit”.
When I asked Aina about how her time at MYO, she had an interesting story. Her best friend was and remains Ndeshipana David. Ndeshipanda was an MYO learner where she also excelled in tennis, playing some matches for the national team at junior level. After school, Aina would often go to the MYO campus or tennis courts and during breaks, Ndeshipanda would come outside to talk and hang out with her friend. Finally in grade 8, Aina was selected for MYO and joined her friend.
In grade 9, Aina was accepted into Namib High School, the premier school in Western Namibia, where she continued to excel academically.
Aina had always thought she would be a teacher. She wanted to be in a position to help others, children in particular. But by the time she graduated from Namib High, she still did not have a solid plan. She did however know that she did not want to go to Windhoek to University. Aina said she was intimidated by the size and hustle and bustle of Windhoek and did not want to go there and be away from her family.
This is where her mother stepped in. Aina’s mother put out the word to her friends and network that her talented daughter needed to find a way to get to a good university to continue her education. Through one connection or another, an article came to the household that described a scholarship program in Moscow Russia for high performing Namibian high school graduates. Aina applied and was accepted and off she went to a foreign country and a city many times larger and more intimidating than Windhoek.
Aina said leaving her family at the young age of 18 was very hard. But she also knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. By this time she had decided to pursue a career in medicine. There were 13 Namibians from each region in the country selected to attend this 6-year education program, so at least she had some people with her who spoke her languages and understood her cultural upbringing. Still, the dramatic change of environment and culture left her feeling like a “stranger in a strange land”.
Aina also had left behind in her mother’s care, her 8-month old daughter, Taleni Ihambo.
Bravely, Aina would occasionally wander into Moscow City Center where she got lost many times, but owing to maps and GPS was always able to find her way back to campus. She found the food interesting but not altogether unappealing. She said “Russians eat a lot of soups”.
In Russia, Aina attended People’s Friendship University of Russia. The program was, as one can imagine, intense. Aina had to learn Russian at the same time she was thrust into the difficult curriculum of pre-medicine courses and finally followed by the medical school classes.
In spite of all the challenges of a very difficult curriculum, adapting to a new language, culture, and country, and being away from her family and friends for 6 years, Aina persisted and graduated from the medical doctor training program in 2023. She was now 24 years old.
Aina returned to Namibia in 2019 where understandably it took some time to readjust to life in Namibia. The pace and intensity of the schooling combined with the hustle and bustle of Moscow is a stark contrast to the laid back nature of Namibia and Namibians.
In addition, Aina was now discovering a considerable amount of work and bureaucracy remained ahead of her before she could begin her dream of practicing medicine. “Things don’t always go according to plan” she said in describing her next steps upon return to Namibia.
But the same way she had faced and overcome all the other obstacles in her life, Aina simply started taking on the challenges and kept moving forward.
In 2024, Aina finally completed all the additional training and certifications and is now a practicing medical doctor. She is currently working in a private medical facility in Swakopmund while she waits to be assigned to a hospital in Namibia for her permanent placement. Aina is also volunteering to assist some children who may need medical assistance in conjunction with Sue Wagner and Silver Lining, an aid and relief organization working in the area.
Although her schooling took place in Russia, Aina’s scholarship was funded by the government of Namibia and she is now required to practice medicine in the government health care system for 6 years to repay her schooling. But Aina did not seem upset by that. I asked her if she ever thought about immigrating to another country like South Africa or Canada or the US to practice and she said while she had thought about it, 6 years is a long time to wait. By the time she finishes her obligation, she may well be married and have a larger family. Aina loves kids and definitely wants to have a big family one day.
Namibia is lucky to have Dr. Alina Lishi.
