FAREWELL NAMIBIA!

My departure is near and my service is coming to a close. I left Gibeon at the beginning of the month. It was bittersweet: I’m excited to go home but sad to leave my learners and the projects I started. My school had a going-away party for me with gifts and speeches. It was touching to hear some colleagues thank me and wish me well. The following night, some other teachers made a potjie, a stew cooked in a big cast iron pot over the fire, and we talked late into the night. They talked about their childhood school days, many before Independence, and how severe the teachers and parents were at that time. Then they sang Nama songs to me and thanked me again….THAT made me get emotional! It was a lovely send off….under the beautiful starry night, round a big fire. It was truly unforgettable.

In these last couple of weeks, I have assisted with some intensive training sessions as a Resource Volunteer for the new group of Peace Corps Education Trainees. It was a great opportunity to see other schools, meet Namibian teachers and work with other Volunteers and PC staff to further professional development in Namibia. We held technical sessions for teaching English at schools and it was a good fit for me. I wish I could have done more during my time here.

I said my last goodbyes to fellow Volunteers and Namibian friends. It is strange to say goodbye, knowing you’ll probably never see these people again. All the young Volunteers are doing big trips around the world: Middle East, Indonesia, Nepal. Wow! I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it back to Africa. There is so much I still have not seen but home is calling me now. Travel can wait. This experience has given me time to reflect and consider what’s important. I look forward to the next chapter in life.

LASTING MEMORIES AT C//OASEB

I haven’t written a blog post for awhile now but I will put together some events and try to describe how these last months in Namibia are unfolding.

Our winter school term is the shortest but the most packed full of events and important deadlines. Add to that my Close of Service week (I received my Peace Corps Service certificate!) and some workshops to prepare to train the new Peace Corp Education group, and I don’t know where to start to retell everything!

 After all the fund raising events of June, July was meant to get serious about our studies and help learners prepare for exams. I started a reading program for some grade 8 learners who cannot read. Yeah, you might ask…”How are they in grade 8 but they can’t read?” This problem happens a lot in Namibian schools as kids are pushed through the system and sent to the next grade after having repeated a grade. So we have some 18 year-old grade 8 learners. These kids weren’t taught basic phonics and don’t recognize letters so they can’t read in any language. They try to follow lessons and take notes but in the end, they don’t pass the exam. The system and their parents or guardians have failed them but schools don’t have programs or specialized teachers in place to deal with this issue. I started with 10 kids and we made some progress this month but they need regular sessions for a full academic year to make any real improvements. I do notice their confidence and motivation have increased significantly. I think they just appreciate the attention and time that an adult can give them and they see they can learn and follow a lesson or textbook. I’m worried that this program will not continue as my colleagues tell me there aren’t the resources.

We had some fun art classes as we celebrated July 4 and drew flags and learned about Independence Day. It was great to get a little Peace Corp Goal 2 in there and teach some American culture. I also taught them ‘Hotel California’ and had the kids listen to the song as we sang along. It was another culture lesson about music appreciation and some history of California. All they wanted was for me to sing it and make a fool of myself! In return, they sang some Nama songs and danced for me. These kids have such rhythm.

At the end of July, we had the Matric Farewell or Graduation trip for the grade 12 learners. There are only 18 of them (and 20 teachers) and we all went to Swakopmund near the ocean for the weekend. What a crazy bus ride! I think it takes less time to fly to the US then it did to get to the ocean! All the stops, snacks, drinks, loud music, kids (and teachers!) drinking too much….but it was a lovely occasion on Saturday and the kids were so dressed up! For some, it was the first time to see the ocean…even some teachers. We had a braai at the beach (Yes! They are stirring the stew with a stick) and then we saw the aquarium and climbed Dune 7. A very exhausting 2 days!

After that, I stayed in Windhoek for 2 weeks for my Closure of Service and other training sessions as a Resource Volunteer. I received my Peace Corps certificate and was confirmed that my final day in country would be 28 September. I had hoped to travel a bit but instead, I will return to California and start getting acclimated and catch up with family and friends. Oh! Yes! I do need to look for some work, too.

 I have tried to keep this blog to educate others about my host country, my community and the work I do here. I have kept a scrap book and personal journal as well. So many lasting memories with Namibians and I have learned so much about myself and my family and friends too. I am not the best photographer and I haven’t managed to catch all the moments but it has been truly rewarding and challenging. I took some pictures of my village and the structures most people live in.

I wouldn’t say the Peace Corps has been the most difficult thing in my life, but it was definitely one of those ‘to do’ things on my list. Now, I know….I have a better idea of how I want to direct my life, professionally and personally. It will be scary and daunting at times…so much has happened in the USA since my departure, but I’m excited to start a new chapter. I look forward to visiting everyone who has encouraged me along this crazy experience.

WINTER EVENTS AT C//OASEB

This month has raced by! There have been so many events going on here at the school and I’ve been trying to keep busy at the orphanage and children’s community center. Can’t believe June is over! Most of the projects at the orphanage are reading stories to the kids and learning songs and chants. Most kids marvel at being read stories! I’m not sure adults take time here to READ to/with their children. I thank Diane Favre in California and Mary McMahon and friends in Italy for the material and books. They are greatly appreciated!

The main events at school this term are the African Child Day (June 16), Culture Day, Mr. & Miss Oaseb and the Entrepreneurship Day. Most things take place during the school day so lessons are cancelled. I feel the Culture Day was the most successful as there was a variety of things going on: traditional dances and drama performances, food and educational displays of what the different tribes here in Namibia are all about. I was part of the Oshiwambo group…lovely pink and black skirt! The Nama group is dressed in the patchwork costumes and naturally, these locals put on quite a performance. There was a lot of braai meat (donkey meat, too!) and porridge, spicy spinach and bread cooked in the potjie (cast iron pot). I will include a lot of photos of the kids and my colleagues!

My teaching is going along well…I know all my students and we manage to make progress in their English skills. We have developed a routine and they know what to expect. Most of them try to work hard but of course, there are the troublemakers who disrupt class for attention. I’m not a good disciplinarian and try to reason with them and explain why bad behavior isn’t in anyone’s favor. Sometimes it works…sometimes it doesn’t. The kids and teachers here are accustomed to old-fashioned ways of disciplining students (Yes, corporal punishment) but I tell them it isn’t an option for me. I don’t always get the respect I deserve but I know I have affected and convinced some kids about a positive, respectful learning environment.

I have fewer than 4 months here in Namibia and hope to plan a last trip before I leave the continent….maybe Zanzibar or Kenya!! There are some important PC training and workshops to attend in this last period and I look forward to thinking about life back in California post-Peace Corps.