Geologists from Planet Earth

The power of a geology education - Alina Khalida

• Julie Hollis • Season 1 • Episode 1

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Alina, with stunning grace and grit, transformed herself from a village girl tending cattle to an indomitable spirit, working for her nation's water security. From stumbling upon geology, to drilling for water in the driest corners of the Namib Desert, while battling unimaginable financial hardship, Alina's story isn't just about rocks and water: it's a testament to the transformative power of education, opportunity, and sheer human resilience. 

Teaching resources (questions prompts) for 12-16 year olds can be found here: https://www.tes.com/resource-detail/resource-13276404

Julie:

What do you know about geology? What does a geologist do? And who are these people who are so interested in rocks? In this podcast, I ask geologists from around the world to tell the stories that mean the most to them. And well, it turns out they're not who you might expect. the remarkable things they've done, the experiences they've had, and the passion that every one of them feels for the planet that we live on. But it's not about what I think. You decide for yourself. My name is Julie Hollis, and you're listening to Geologists from Planet Earth.

Alina:

Hi, my name is Alina, and I'm a geologist as well as a geohydrologist from Namibia.

Julie:

Welcome, Alina. Tell us your story.

Alina:

I was born and raised in northern Namibia, typical village life in Africa. I mean, I grew up like a village girl. I was looking after cattle and goats that my parents owned. I was going to school and then I would come back pounding mahangu, millet, and then, you know, play with other kids, normal games in the village. And then I was really, I think, fond of school and learning generally.

Julie:

Was there any early sign that you had a special interest in geology?

Alina:

I wasn't so exposed to geologists at the time. I'd go to school. I normally see teachers. I see pastors. I see nurses. I see policemen. But geologists, I won't tell you I grew up seeing one. Then when I went to grade four, I was fascinated by planes. I actually thought I was going to become a pilot. And then I go to high school and I fall in love with mathematics and geography. It was just so interesting. Geography, the curriculum that we had covered every from the weather, from urban and rural settlements. You're talking coordinates and geolocations and it's just fascinating. And then all the types of rocks, you know, at that time, I didn't have a clue that this would materialize in something I'll begin to enjoy on a daily basis. Like today, I'm a full-time geoscientist, you know. If you go to school, then you get good grades, then you qualify the minimum points to go to university, then you are going to university. I mean, we worry about how you'll find the university later, but that was at least the understanding. So after writing grade 12, I wrote really good points, Cambridge exam. I could go in any course that I wanted, but I was so determined to go in geo-related field because I really, really, really love geography. I did apply for university, then I applied for funding assistance. There was a government funding system then. Then I come to university I go like geo, anything with geo in it should say geography, right? So I stumbled upon geology in the prospectus. I applied for it and that's how I ended up in a geology class.

Julie:

So how did you find studying geology once you were at university?

Alina:

Unlike so many other courses, especially type of administrative courses, geology was just different. It was different in a sense that I think from second year already, we began going in the field to see the real stuff. We were doing mapping, we were doing structural, we were carrying geological hammers, we were carrying the compasses. It was so interesting and we had this interest Thank you so much. I think all the field schools that we've gone, this is when the other students are on recess and we are not. We're in the field getting exposed to the real deal. And, you know, we used to have a professor and he said, you know what, you never identify a rock from that far. You must get the hammer up, smash it up, and then you take the pen lens and then look at the mineralogy. I think it was so fundamental that it captivated interest. It kept us wondering what else is out there. You know, you would go to the real outcrops and now Namibian outcrops in geology are unbeatable. Like you would see things that people only see on TV. It's like if you watch National Geographic, that is what I started on, like right here in Namibia. It became almost like a tour, but you were in class, but it was so fun. At least for me it was.

Julie:

It can't have been easy though, coming from where you started.

Alina:

Where I come from, it's what you'd call socioeconomically challenged. In the absence of funding, grants and all this, I don't think I would have remotely even matriculated, let alone go to university. So that was the number one challenge, financial challenges, just to get by. basic needs, a writing pen, you know, stationeries, let alone the tuition fees. I think in second year, I came this close to dropping out because the loan that I had couldn't cover both the tuition and the hostel. And hostel assured me that I was at least in the campus, close to the classes, as opposed to worrying about where my next taxi fare is coming from. So I came this close to just dropping off. And then I became this case of, you know, there was a dean of student with student support, where students with all the social economic issues get referred to and then they get assisted. And by the grace of God, really, I was able to complete my studies with so much challenging circumstances. But that's the year that I will tell you, I started performing that high. It's almost like this situation fueled me that, you know, if I don't make it out of here to some way, you know, if I Fumble this. This is the one time of opportunity for me to change my life, to change my circumstances. And I think that's something I carry on today. It doesn't matter what I'm facing. I know that I'm not privileged. I know that I only get one shot at every single opportunity, so I don't waste it.

Julie:

So you're working hard, performing at a high level. But what happened from there?

Alina:

You know, shortly after, I think my second year, in my third year, just at the beginning, I got this... wonderful opportunity. 2015, a friend of mine saw a Basari advert. It was a Basari, one Basari opportunity for the whole country to grab. And I'll never forget, she shared it with me. And at that point, I didn't really comprehend that I was, this is a race against everybody in the country studying geology at the time. And then I applied, I got called for an interview, and that call changed my life because at that point, I thought, I just wanted not to drop out of school. I just wanted someone to cover the fees. This bursary was not an ordinary bursary. It came with opportunity to go further my studies in a different country at one of the best institutes in Africa for groundwater studies and that's how I became a geohydrologist and then it also came with a job offer at the back of that they say all you have to do is go and specialize in this this is what we hire people here to do and then when you come here your job is waiting for you it was like I'm dreaming I'm like okay there are people in the world who would pay for your funding and give you a job right after that because most funding doesn't really We come with that. And I was like, whoa. Oh, okay. I was the hippiest kid on the block. I was like. Oh, you got it. And I really, really took it and ran with it. They paid for my third and final year. And then they sent me to South Africa to do this geohydrology. I didn't really know what geohydrology was at the time, but I later found out that it's groundwater studies and then you get to become a groundwater specialist. It was a very state-of-the-art academy. I mean, we drilled boreholes. It's an exam. You can just imagine. Like, when I came in the workforce, I'd already seen the real stuff. I was like, oh, Wow, what an opportunity. And currently I work in that role for that entity that gave me that opportunity. I'm forever grateful. And my life has not been the same since. There's been other challenges, but not those ones.

Julie:

That took you to where you work now. Tell us about that.

Alina:

I work in Namibia's water utility. Namibia has only one water utility and This is an organization that is tasked by the government. It's a state-owned enterprise to supply water in bulk to the entire Namibian nation, with only a few exceptions of self-supplying towns, maybe five or so out of the entire country. My role as a geohydrologist is finding the source of water. groundwater to be specific. And maybe I get water from the ground in the aquifers, also get water from the surface water bodies. I was given quite the foundation. you know, to fully, fully understand what's happening and then to build on with the experience wherever I find myself. I could go in water chemistry. I could go in so much branches of geosciences and just groundwater sciences in general. Mind dewatering, you know, groundwater modeling, groundwater management, the water management, environmental management and compliance. There's so much. I mean, recently we are tapping into even diplomacy and governance.

Julie:

Tell us a little about the kind of work you do in practice.

Alina:

A typical example of that would be going to site a borehole, then drilling a borehole, supervising the drilling of that borehole, writing up the scientific drilling report of this and coming up with the recommendations of how this borehole will be operated, at what capacity, how many cubic must be pumped and for how long, so that you can ensure sustainability, so you can ensure that it can pump for longer without it running out of water and without you having to overstress or or over-abstract your aquifer, your resources. It looks different for various projects and for different areas as well. I've been, I think, to almost 70% of the country now, but the highlight was one of those projects that was in the Namib Desert. Literally, we were drilling in the Namib Desert following the Paleo Channel, and it was successful drilling. I mean, for the driest place on the sub-Saharan of Africa to find water there.

Julie:

That doesn't sound easy. How is it working in those conditions?

Alina:

After a month or four, you get used to it. You are tough. I mean, if you watch someone without ever being there, you'd be like, ah, this is so easy. But I think it will depend, really, how much grit and resilience you have and how easily you adapt. Because first of all, it's very remote. There's no network for the whole day. You are required to be on site, you know, as soon as possible to meet the contractors. They work under our supervision, so... I have to be there on time or in time so that all work can be done in my presence. I can account for quantities and qualities consumed on site and all the compliance that have to happen. So you could work with a group of, let's say, 10 people. This would be a contractor, maybe a principal, driller, and a team that are carrying things like your rods. They are carrying your casings. So you do also people management on that side. So it's just a combination engine of this you have to have your professional skills you have to have your geoscience skills you have to have your people school your soft skill your management skill and you combine all that to make it work it sounds a bit complex but i'll say with time it becomes like a reflex muscle like you can do it so easily and to be honest i enjoy this It can be really hard for people to grasp this invisible thing. They say, oh, so what are you doing underground? How do you know which side to find water? Is there an ocean underground? So I'm like, I'm sure if I wasn't in this field, I'd have the exact same questions.

Julie:

It must be also very rewarding. I mean, you're working on making water accessible to the population of Namibia, one of the driest countries in the world.

Alina:

When I'm growing in the career, I'm now understanding my role. It may seem so simple to someone, but you realize it makes a difference between life and death, literally. Now, Namibia has declared a state of emergency because of drought. The president made that declaration. Water resource availability, scarcity, and the impact this resource is facing from climate change. Oh my God. It is so crucial. They say water is life and you realize you're holding the lives of people. So how well you deliver, how fast you deliver, how diligent you are makes all the difference in the delivery of this very precious, precious commodity.

Julie:

When you reflect on your path to this point, where you came from and where you are now, what do you feel?

Alina:

You know, reflections is something that gets me very emotional because when you just think of where you're coming from, one minute you are a child of, I would say, illiterate parents who didn't have much of an education of their own, yet they pushed so hard. with the little that i had to make sure you got an education an education that then later propelled me in a geology field and then gave me the life that i have now it is a beautiful life that has meaning that has purpose that impacts other people's lives on a daily basis getting these life-changing funding opportunities that sounds just miraculous you navigate all of it it's not easy it's challenging but it is definitely not where i started and um you Realize your story when you tell it. Inspire someone, especially those coming from where you come from, to say, it is possible for me as well. So many kids, God knows from anywhere, could become something. You know, I'm here and we're still going. We're still going strong.

Julie:

Alina Khadila is a geohydrologist working for the Namibia Water Corporation. She is also a mental health advocate, member of youth organisation Global Changemakers, and sustainability leader with United People Global. My name's Julie Hollis, and you've been listening to Geologists from Planet Earth.