September-October! It's gettin' hot in here!

September and October! Reaping the rewards of hard work!

The third school term started in September and after a short break in August (we had our Mid-Service conference and medical checkups so not much time off to travel!), the school activities and events were in full preparation swing. The most important event was the Readathon and it was my duty along with the teacher librarian, Ms. Handima, to organize the week-long event at the end of the month. In the meantime, I went to Tsumeb up north for 1 week as a PC Resource Volunteer. I worked with another Volunteer to help train the new PC group 44 in technical training. We assisted and helped coordinate Namibian teachers and the PC trainees in lesson preparation and co-teaching sessions. It was great to see other Namibian schools and meet teachers and get to know the new trainees. There are about 50 new PC trainees in this group but about half of them were doing training in Tsumeb while the rest were to the north in Oshivamboland. What a great group of bright, talented and enthusiastic people! They were also learning their new language and staying with host families. I remember my PST training last year and it is probably the most difficult and overwhelming part of your PC service. I’m sure this group will nail it and I look forward to seeing some of them in the south south (as we are fondly called) as many will be sent down this way, south of Windhoek.

Back to Gibeon! Apart from the Readathon, there were also many teacher workshops (for the Namibian teachers, but this means they are absent and you must cover for them!), a Gala event (a dinner fund-raising evening), my reading program (still chugging along), the library and setting up all those great new book donations (thanks Liz and our Italian lady group!), a pen pal exchange (thanks Diana in Italy!) AND I got back in touch with the orphanage and am meeting the kids twice a week to read stories, color, set up a reading-craft area in their home. I want to identify the older kids at the orphanage who are having reading problems and assess the young ones who are starting English at the primary school.

I’m including a variety of photos: my Readathon helpers, 8A English (I missed getting a group picture of these kids), kids at the orphanage posing (Oh! so proud!), some of our school’s Readathon events and some various motivational events and awards ceremonies at the school.

It is getting warmer…we are in spring, going into our summer. I’m well, get lots of peaceful rest, and have learned how to fix lentils in a variety of ways! Can’t get enough of them! We have a pending teacher strike (warnings started in September but between voting on whether to strike and negotiations with government…it may happen mid October. We PC must not participate so we are told to stay home and not interact with teachers or learners. When the strike does come, I’ll spend time with kids at the orphanage and in the community…away from the school. OH! I also recently attended a senior citizens of Gibeon luncheon and hope to get involved with them. I just happened upon the meeting and the organizer acknowledged me (only white non-clicking person present!). I was told they are doing evening English classes for the old people….hmm…right up my alley, no? If anything, it will improve my Khowkhowgowab, I’m sure.

End of Term 2

END OF ANOTHER SCHOOL TERM….AND ONE YEAR IN NAMIBIA!!

Well, August marks one year that I have been in this beautiful, interesting country working for the US Peace Corps! I have certainly had my ups and downs but I firmly believe it was the right thing to do at this moment in my life. While teaching English and working on my projects, I have been able to have LOTS of time to reflect about events in my life and to put things into perspective. One year also marks the time when Volunteers generally start thinking about what to do when they finish their service. I’m still not sure but am beginning to put together a plan for work and life in California. Let the research begin!

Back here at site…things are quiet as Term 2 just finished and we have about 10 days break. I plan to stay in the capital Windhoek for some days and then to attend a cultural event near my village. There isn’t enough time to do much traveling so I’ll gear up for Term 3, make preparations in the library for the Readathon event in September and just plan ahead for the new term as new projects always seem to fall in your lap and you need to be prepared to take them on.

Want to thank friends and family who have donated soccer balls and goodies for me! It is so great to receive things over here! Our mail comes only twice a week and so getting these big boxes after such anticipation is a wonderful feeling. I will give the balls to the kids when they return…they will be so pleased to have such quality equipment!

Have had some water issues for weeks (my flat was flooded and I missed an important school event in another town!) but it was just restored and now it’s only the leaky toilet to fix. People recognize me on my walks in the village and I greet them in local language but I’m afraid I still haven’t made progress. I plan to memorize some basic phrases at least just to be cordial but I really don’t need to speak KKG for my service and work. I should have learned Afrikaans…it would have been easier because it’s similar to Anglo-Germanic languages and doesn’t have those darn clicks!

I’m including some photos of my students…many good kids and some very naughty ones! There are also shots of my village in the Spring, our newly completed village Tourist Center (hopefully, there’s a project brewing up there too…) and a strange photo of some of my garbage that I found on my walk in the village. Kids go through the garbage heap to find food or look to recuperate anything. I guess my notes for lesson plans weren’t to their liking….!

June and July...it's winter time!

JUNE AND JULY - FULL OF EVENTS!!

Although we are already well into July, I want to post some of the events that have been going on at my site. We had a special program for the African Child day on 16 June. It is a public holiday in all of Africa and it is a day to honor the Soweto uprising of 1976. The children and teachers were required to go to school and celebrate with song and dance. All the grades had to perform and give speeches. The event lasted 5 hours! It ended with a film about freedom in South Africa and liberation from Apartheid rule. The kids told me they watch that film every year on this holiday. They seemed to be genuinely proud of the day and their ‘Africanness’.

Then we had a sort of pageant called Mr. & Mrs. //Oaseb. Oh! How they were excited for this event! It was on both the Friday and Saturday to generate money. There were about 8 categories and both girls and boys came out, strutting their stuff. Lots of family and friends came, squealing and snapping photos. They would dress up and play this loud house music…the same music over and over! I went crazy. To be honest, I wasn’t feeling well and left after about an hour. There was too much ridiculousness going on and I really didn’t see other teachers. I felt silly and there was lots of vanity! Afraid I didn’t get any pictures…not to worry as everyone else was snapping away on their cell phones and putting on Facebook. An interesting cultural experience indeed!

The following weekend was very special! There was a Cultural event in the community. All the schools of the Hardap region participated. It started Sat morning and lasted until early afternoon. Some kids traveled from far to participate. There were 4 lower primary groups, 2 upper primary groups, our secondary school and 2 adult groups competing. The groups that won in their category would go to regional level and then national to compete against other schools. The classes were selling food and such at the bazaar. I took both photos and video and I wore my Damara dress and tried to look the part.No photos of me, afraid! It was very entertaining to see how proud these children are of their culture and traditions. The Nama are a proud bunch and it starts from a very young age. The girls dance very daintily and shuffle their feet with hands on hips while the boys hop, jump and boggie all around. I am told it is typical for the male to strut and ‘show off’ for the girl while she moves gracefully around with the other girls. They perform different skits about coming of age or respecting elders. The music is a jig with accordion and lots of drum beat….the ‘Nama dance’.

I have been selected as a Resource Volunteer and will help train a new group of Peace Corps Volunteers who come in August. It’s mostly training to familiarize them with what to expect and to make the transition for them a bit smoother. There is a lot one can learn from current Volunteers serving in Namibia. It is my first training and professional opportunity to get out of my village. I’m really looking forward to seeing the other Volunteers and exchanging stories.

The second term of teaching is going much better as I know what is expected and I know my learners’ names. My secondary projects of library, newspaper and reading program are slowly coming along but I do wish I had more help from Namibian counterparts.  I’ll start a pen pal project soon when kids in our countries start up school again. I’ve received some donations from friends and family back home in the form of soccer balls, books and school supplies. Thanks so much and these kids really appreciate the generosity!

The final exams start first week of August and the term will end 19^th. Lots of correcting and grading to do! Look forward to my holidays and time to take in the culture and diversity of this country. 

I'm trying to upload videos as well as photos...cross your fingers!

Magical May Part 2!

PART 2!!

A few days after the departure of my friend Susan, my Uncle Dennis arrived in Namibia. We had 10 fun-filled days of driving around mostly the northern part of the country. We started in Okakara where another Peace Corps Volunteer, Russell lives. I knew Russell and Uncle Dennis would get along as they are athletic, hard-working, ex-military AND had lived in the Washington area. They  swapped stories and had some good laughs. It worked out great! Russell joined us for the trip. We hiked Waterburg Canyon, stayed in Otjiwarongo and visited a crocodile farm and even ate croc meat! Yes- it DOES taste like chicken! Then we took a game drive at the Erindi Game Reserve and saw all kinds of wildlife. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the lodge, overlooking the waterhole. We spent the night in Omaruru at a lovely guest house. We drove on to Swakopmund and stayed for 2 days. We went to Walvis Bay and hiked Dune 7 and then lunch along the sea to watch the flamingos. Russell took us to some eating spots during our stay at the seaside. It was nice to have great food and REAL coffee in such a pleasant atmosphere.

We left Swakopmund and dropped off Russell along the way to Windhoek. I had promised a Namibian family in Rehoboth that I would have visited them when my Uncle came so we drove straight on down and arrived at the Shabaz family in the afternoon. Uncle Dennis fit right in and we enjoyed a curry meal with Shaheeda and her family. Namibia is a big country and the drives are long so it was great to have quality time to talk with my Uncle during the long journeys. Uncle Dennis had very generously offered to rent a great 4x4 vehicle and it was perfect driving along many of the gravel roads. I got to do some driving on the left and once you get into it, it’s not too difficult. We drove back up to Windhoek for the last 2 days and did some shopping and eating out at the Cultural Centre. We saw the display of the Gibeon Meteorites in the Tower Mall. It was fantastic! The weather was good, there were no hassles and I was again treated like a queen!

I am now back at my site and the second term is in full swing. Today is Saturday and some students have Saturday classes so I will go open the library and be available for other learners. There will be many events this term: more sports competitions (soccer and netball), Mr. and Mrs. Oaseb (a sort of pageant), a Gala event (farewell party for the Grade 12 learners), a celebration for the African Child Day June 16 (which is a national holiday but we must put on a celebration, ie parade, speeches and such) AND a regional Cultural event which will include our school and the village. Whew! And on top of all that, we must teach, administer tests and I will continue my reading program!!

I am doing well…hair is getting long, don’t shower so often (cause water is too cold and am too lazy to dunk my head in bucket bath), have a new feline addition, name’s Gigi (kids brought him to my classroom during a lesson) and I manage to keep in shape with my 15 min stretching in the morning. Sad to say, am not making much progress with the language and hope to find a reliable tutor shortly.

Here are some photos from my time with Uncle Dennis…more to come!