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Published: January 12th 2013
Hello, again, all my friends,
Sorry to have already missed my once a week deadline. I'm toward the end of three weeks of orientation, mostly in Windhoek; but last week we spent in Imungwelume, up north, near the city of Oshakati. We didn't have wireless available, and I have not bought a Netman which lets you do internet through the phone lines, because I am pretty sure my school will have wireless access.
The week in Omungwelume was at a school called Eengedjo where we were doing a practicum. They had put out the word (it was still their summer vacation) that we would be there and I think we probablly had 60 - 80 students from grades 5-11. It was great fun. We worked in pairs or threes to plan and to teach lessons. The first two days my group taught 8-11 graders, and the last two days grades 5-7. When we go to our respective schools, we'll all be teaching different things. I am pretty sure I will be doing 8th and 11th grade English, but won't know for certain until we get there.
Omungwelume is a largish village, and the school is a partial hostel school (about 50% of students live there during the week). The learners who came were so cute and fun and full of intelligence and good humor. They tolerated us well, and we felt like friends when we left. Two of our number will be teaching in the village; a married couple. But they'll be in different schools. Jessie will probably be the librarian, among other things, in her school, so I am envious.
The trip was very interesting. About 8 hours on a bus. Partway up, we crossed what is called the Red Line. It has mostly to do with cattle, but is also a holdover from the colonial days when each ethnic group had its own area. The Owambos are the largest tribal group in Namibia. In their culture, cattle represent wealth, so they don't really market them, and they tend to roam freely (with a herder). In the South they produce cattle for sale and the Southerners do not want them to mix. But there is a huge difference in how people live on one side of the line or the other. So one reason for doing our practicum was to break us in gently. There is much more subsistence living and poverty in the North.
While we were there, Bret's (our field director) girlfriend Angelina invited us to her mother's home for a traditional dinner. I took some pictures and hope to figure out how to upload them. We ate mahangu (millet) made into a thick paste. You took a chunk and rolled it into a ball then dipped it into a chicken stew sort of dish. Really a stewed chicken with lots of juice. It was quite yummy. I've seen that done in movies, I think, so I am pretty sure other cultures eat that way, but what they eat may be different. In showing us over the homestead, they let us all take a turn poundig the millet and, of course, laughed at us. It is a giant sort of pestle, very heavy, and the millet is in a hole in the ground. They pound in the hole. If two are available, they pound in the same hole working in rhythm. It would be really hard work. They do have some machinery for the harvest, but much is done by hand, so they all work very hard. But they were so friendly and welcoming. I really had a good time.
We are back in Windhoek now. We all leave next Thursday for our various posts. If I haven't said yet, I will be at a hostel (boarding) school in Divundu. You can go on the Ministry of Education, Namibia website and see a picture of it. It is called a "Vision" school and is the first, so we are basically the flagship for about six new schools being built around the country. Namibia has a program called "Vision 2030" with very high goals for education in Namibia. They are wisely spending a much larger percentage of their GNP on education than our country or state do. I hope I can live up to this. And I hope I might become the unofficial librarian for this year. Wednesday before we go, we are going to meet with the national librarian. I guess we can order books from the national library to stock our libraries. I don't think we keep them forever, but shall have to find out.
We have a busy schedule for the next few days, but keep your eye on the blog. I'll try to get some pictures posted to go with this letter.
Thanks for the emails. I think if I had got back from the North and not had any emails, I would have burst into tears! I'll post again sooner with pictures from so far.
Wendy
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Gillian Towers
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Hello my Friend.
How great to hear from you thank goodness for the technology we have today. Last weekend went up to the ski house that Simon has with another couple in Madison NH they are renting it till April. All very nice 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms and plenty of room. Simon put Cameron on skis and she went up on the ski lift!!!! Going to watch Mia play indoor soccer this afternoon and then back to Tracy and Chris for the evening. Tomorrow having brunch with Terry and Bob. Bob is doing fine and is in good health. Well we still have plenty on snow but it has turned milder. Look forward to your next blog. LOL Colin & Jill xoxo