Donna Collins
Angela Prusa has come a long way from her Omaruru roots where she was born and raised. Transforming herself since from a country girl, into an alternative world traveller on a humanitarian mission.
Dressed in a brightly coloured flowing African print skirt, and adorned with beads, jewellery and an elaborate nose ring, which is a prominent facial accessory, Angela is tall, arty with a peaceful ‘Hippy’ like quality to her. At 30-something, Angela has had a fascinating life, and has travelled and lived in Mexico, India, Thailand and parts of Europe, where she embarked on, amongst others, social projects for homeless people living in refugee camps. This included doing graffiti mural art assignments as well as introducing and cooking health based vegetarian meals with the women.
In the UK she embarked on another task of providing homeless women with sanitary towels, as well as raising awareness of the devastation plastic is doing to the planet. She also journeyed her way through India for a couple of years, where she worked with bead and brass jewellery makers in the northern rural areas creating dazzling rings and pendants. Currently, Angela is residing in Swakopmund, where she is also selling hand crafted jewellery on behalf of two friends who accompanied her back to Namibia, who she says are indigenous tribes folk and “alternative healers” from Mexico.
Nevertheless, before her arrival, she embarked on a short pilgrimage through South Africa accompanied by them, where they spent over three weeks visiting many rural areas connecting with African spiritual healers or ‘Sangomas’, who still practice their traditions. Here they performed ceremonies and offerings to the land as they prayed for rain, peace and for protection of the wildlife against poaching.
Angela is presently keeping herself busy working on an environmental climate change project, as well as going into the DRC informal settlement area of Swakopmund, where she is offering alternative healing methods to mothers who suffer from alcohol addiction. Being a woman who is close to nature and believes in living off the natural resources, she has also is showing these women how to grow their own vegetables, and become self-sustaining.
Angela is raising funds to take two of these rehabilitated women to South Africa, for a training course on acupuncture ‘Nada’ – specifically targeted for people with addiction and stress. She wants these women to in turn share this alternative healing method with their community, and for it to become sustainable over the long term, even if she is not there. Being a single parent who also travels with her young nine-year-old son, she puts him through home schooling, and believes that he has already learned so much just by living with different cultures and countries.
For now, Angela plans to divide her time between Namibia and the UK to keep the momentum of her projects alive, and says she is someone who feels privileged to be alive. “My rent for living on this earth is give back to this planet,” she said. “I believe it is our responsibility to look after those less fortunate, to create a positive effect to leave for our next generation and I want to want to inspire others to act.