Final Words

If any of my friends could see me now, they would be laughing hysterically. Last week I was running around to kill a chicken in rural Namibia, and now I am sitting at the Johannesburg Intercontinental Hotel, starbucks coffee in one hand, a double jack daniels sitting on the table, and blackberry buzzing with new bbms on my lap. I just enjoyed watching the movie Due Date at one of the premier shopping areas in the southern hemisphere, and last week I was boiling my water to rid it of any diseases.

While I usually frown at people who come from such impoverished areas, then go straight back with ease to the over consumption and wastefulness that exists in the western world, I am different now. Of course, it is unfair that 3 billion live on less than 2 dollars a day, it is unjust that AIDS, a very preventable disease, it still rampaging millions of people, slavery is higher now than it was 200 years ago, and women are still considered second class citizens in a large area of the world. Despite this, if I were to stop my life, stop the cell phone use, stop buying, ignore friends with less-important issues than global epidemics, essentially 'go native' , my life would be pretty darn boring and unproductive.

What I have learned from this trip is that yes, i have seen people struggling for food, as america becomes the fattest nation on earth. Yes, i have seen people struggling for medicine and healthcare, as America complains about giving healthcare for everyone. But more importantly, is that yes, you can go to a nice restaurant and enjoy a nice hotel room, but you can still make a difference. Shutting myself off from society will do no good, rather engaging more in society will make the most change. So I finish this trip changed, in the part of me that has more understanding of the global community and a greater drive to help, though I am still Scott Karrel. I still like my nike dunks, my good cup of coffee, and going to nice dinners in NYC. This is a lesson that I think applies to all of us. You don't have to be Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, or Gandhi....you can be you. Do whatever you can to change the world. Starving oneself, protesting constantly, and volunteering in the developing world is ideal for some people, but for some it is not. Do what YOU can do, but Do Something. Going to fancy clubs and nice restaurants will do nothing, but going to fancy clubs and nice restaurants, AND donating a few times a year and volunteering several times at a local shelter will DO something.

Be The Change

Thank you for following my adventures, and see you all back in the states!

Cheers from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland, and South Africa (the places I've been to on this trip)

Scott

PS. That being said, it will still take me a few weeks to return to 'american' culture

Change Has Come

The word ‘change’ now seems somewhat of a cliché post-2008 Obamamania election, but it is a word that I think really defines my time here in Namibia. As most of you know, I volunteered in central Swaziland in 2007, and now 3 years later I have returned and I am currently sitting in the same room that I occupied at that time in the Ezulwini Valley in the central region. I chose to revisit the Kingdom of Swaziland for my final travels because it represents the turn-around that has occurred in my life and the ultimate reason that brought me back to Africa. Swaziland taught me that yes, change can happen, but what is needed is constant determination, constant perseverance, and constant patience to see it through. In 2007, I did not possess those fundamental elements and I ended leaving this country with regret.
I chose to go to Namibia not because I was delaying my career or I was running away from life, but to try and finish what I started- making a difference. With the genuine support from friends back home, the continuous confidence boosts from family, and the will power to see something through to the end, I can finally say with great happiness that change has come to Divundu, Namibia. On Wednesday, I left the village that I now call my second home, weary eyed, haggard, and exhausted, but also joyful. My final exit took place in the brand new Divundu Combined School Library, complete with 2 brand new computers, new bookshelves, new tables, new chairs, new couches, new bulletin boards, new paint, new books, new whiteboards, new dictionaries, a new DVD player, a new fax machine, a new printer, and a new digital camera, but more importantly a new spirit. A spirit that only existed when they watched tv or saw pictures of schools in Windhoek. Change happened all over Divundu. Change happened for all the donors who now have a connection to people thousands of miles away from home. Change happened for all the possibilities that could be used with the library. Change happened with the new found hope for the school. Change happened for a local entrepreneur who will now be teaching computers at the school. Change happened to people I know back home, who never knew about Namibia, but now can name some facts. Most significant though, is that change DID happen. I left Divundu proud and honored that I could be a part of such a transformation. It was not a one-man act, it was a joint contribution scaling 2 continents.
Besides the physical change, there was one thing I hoped to achieve on a more physiological scale. Since the beginning of my stay, the color of my skin was addressed at every possible moment of the day. Whether it was people calling me Mukuwa (white man), people staring at my skin turn red in the sun, people telling me the difference between a white mentality and a black mentality, people addressing my wealth because I am white, people confiding in me that they want to be white, or people pointing out the actual physical differences between a white man and a black man. I knew I could never solve any racial prejudgments, but I thought I could try. I did my best to break every stereotype- walking into the bush where some have never interacted with a white person, eating local food whenever I had the chance to show that my stomach can handle it (even if it couldn’t later in the night), danced at the local shebeen when most white people go to their own bar and most black people go to their own bar, and learned the Thimubusku language to prove that a white man can learn a local language (many of the elders didn’t think it was actually capable for my tongue or my mouth to learn it). At my goodbye party, I went around the room reiterating that there is no difference what-so-ever between a black person and a white person. While I don’t think I convinced everyone, I do believe that a slight change happened in the mentality of some of my colleagues- that all white people are not the same or all black people are not the same.
Finally, change also happened for me. My friends and family know that I went into this experience nervous, reluctant, and scared that I would regret going for six months. I leave now more confident than ever that I made the greatest decision I have ever made. I left Namibia, attached to a small community of wonderful people for the rest of my life and the clear accomplishments that were made.

I will finish this with my favorite quote and a quote that we painted in the new library:

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”

Cheers,

Scott

My African Adventure

On Tuesday, I perhaps had one of the craziest moments of my life, so sit back and enjoy this story. My friend Justine, a volunteer about 350km away from me, was headed to Livingstone, Zambia to pick up her mom and Aunt from America, so she decided to break up her trip and stay in Divundu one night and enjoy the area. She was able to get a hitchihike from Rundu with a German lady traveling around Namibia. When she arrived at the petrol station in my village, Justine informed me that the German lady was going to Buffalo Game Park and invited us to go with her. Buffalo Game Park is a game park about 25km from me, that has elephants, zebra, hyenas, hippos, etc., however it is poorly developed. It lacks proper road care, maintenance crews, signs, not many visitors, and even overnight park rangers. As we entered the park, I made sure the German lady was aware that I had to be back in 2 hours to work on some things at school. Immediately we saw hippos in the nearby Kavango River, kudi, springbok, snakes, and loads of fresh of elephant poop. An hour into the trip, the German lady made a turn with the car into the bush to try and see if we could spot this elephant.

With 4 wheel drive, we drove over high sand, big water puddles, and deep vegetation. About 15 minutes into this journey, we approached a large puddle (more like a mini pond) of water. Four wheel drive was activated and we made it over. Despite this, another situation loomed ahead. This time didn’t go so well. Mid way through the deep water, the car just stopped. At this moment, the border fence to Botswana lay on our right, the main road of the park was 20 km away, and there was no cell phone service. The one rule of a Game Park is to not get out of the car, but of course this has to be broken in order to get us out. Justine and I got out and for 1 hour pushed, pulled, shook, and lifted the car. With night approaching, we all were thinking the same thing in our head- no one knows where we are and we had to prepare to stay the night. I decided to do a very dumb thing, walk around until I found service. I walked 10 minutes into the bush and was able to get one bar and managed to reach my good friend James in Divundu, and said, “its scott, stuck in buffalo game park near Botswana border, send help!” Walking back, I saw a huge snake and smelled fresh elephant poop. I quickly ran, determined to get out of here. Justine and I pushed, pulled, lifted, and shook the car and finally it budged. We hopped in the car and set out for the entrance. Not even 2 minutes later, the car splashed right into an even larger pool of mud! By now, I am tired and only wearing my boxers as my shirt and shorts were covered in mud. I got out again and pushed. Justine looked for sticks to we can create some traction for the wheels.

Suddenly though, I heard voices. They were coming from over the border fence in Botswana. I ran and screamed, and as I listened closer I realized they were speaking Mbukushu. “Wiye Popa No- come here now” I said. There were a bunch of cattle herders who were astonished that I could speak Mbukushu and offered to help. They climbed over the border fence into Namibia and helped us to no avail, and after 45 minutes headed back. The car was stuck in 2 feet mud, and to make matters worse it was dark and raining (again- the worst thing to do is be outside). We got in the car and prepared to sleep. About two hours later, we saw the headlights of a pick up truck and my friend James sitting in the front. Thank God! He had been searching everywhere. They brought chains to move the car out, but after 30 minutes we concluded that the car was so deep in the mud we would need a bigger car and more force to get it out. Justine and I assumed the three of us (the german lady, Justine, and I) would just go back tonight and then the German lady would come back tomorrow with a crew to get her car out. Seems logical as there are poachers, elephants, lions and James said there was a herd of hyenas not far from us. But the German lady refused, she would not leave her car. It was now 10 pm and although we were begging her to come, she kept refusing. We left her there, 20 km deep in the bush, no cellphone or anything. Justine and I made it back to Divundu, scraped, cut up, muddy, and with barley and clothes by 11 pm, just lucky to be safe. An experience I will never forget and even a person I will never forget. If it wasn’t for my friend James, things would be very different.

OOooo Namibia!

Peace,

Scott

Update: I called the police about the German lady that night, but they did nothing, and didn’t seem to care. We hired a crew of a few men and bigger car to go and get her and by 9 am the next morning, she was back safe in Divundu

Progress Report

Progress Report

Here is quick progress report for the library/donations:

- The current make shift library will be moved to a new classroom next week
- The paint is bought and I have hired some local kids to paint it on Sunday
- 2 new computers have arrived and programs are currently being installed
- 2 new couches have arrived
- A 4-1 fax, printer, scanner, copier has been added to our school office
- A new digital camera has been bought and will be added to the library for teachers to rent for a day for a class
- 10 dictionaries have been added to the shelves
- 150 books have been donated from Windhoek (the capital) and will be delivered sometime in December
- Shelves, a whiteboard, and 20 nice chairs will be delivered next Monday
- A local man is building benches, a computer table, and bookshelves which will be ready on Friday
- We have been sponsored to have The Namibian, the national newspaper, delivered for a year

Here is a quick Progress report for the community:
- 12 professional soccer balls will be delivered this week to be given to the school and some street kids
- 1000 Namibian dollars will be given to the coach of the local soccer team to travel to a regional competition in December
- 1000 Namibian dollars and a sewing machine will be given to the leader of a newly established Women’s Group in Divundu.
- A brand new Dell laptop and a book shelf was purchased and given to a local entrepreneur to expand his business in computer lessons, printing, etc. The same man will be hired by me to teach the learners how to use those 2 computers next year when I am not there. The contract is being set now.

All great news!

Cheers,

Scott

Is This The Same Country?

One of my goals in Namibia was to explore its vast area of land. I live in the Kavango Region, deep in the northeast section and far from the rest of the country. While a major part of Namibia is desert, each part of the country is extremely different then the next. I decided to make my way to Swakopmund, a coastal city that still has held onto its German roots about 100 years after colonization. Like usual, the only way to get out of Divundu is by hitchhiking and since this was such a far destination I thought it was necessary to go with someone. I invited one of the teachers at school who had never been to the coast or had ever seen the ocean. We left two weekends ago afterschool and withstood the 13 hour drive, YES 13 hour drive to the coast. Long hours on a Kombi, a minibus used for transporting long distances, will definitely make you tired as they are usually overpacked, uncomfortable, with a minimum of 3-4 babies always on board crying. The next morning, we woke up early to explore the city and visit the dunes of the Namib Desert. We didn’t have to go far as the desert started literally 1 km outside the center of the city. We came with a sandboarding instructor and we spent the 2 hours sandboarding down the dunes, pretty amazing and a once in a lifetime experience.
We spent the afternoon walking down the streets, walking past German signs, German restaurants, and a majority of white people. Definitely a culture shock, as I am the Mukuwa of Divundu (white man of Divundu). Exhausted and full of sand, we headed back to our hostel, had a few drinks, then went to sleep. On Saturday we took a taxi ride to Walvis Bay, a neighboring city that is a major port for Southern Africa. Only a few hours later, we returned to Swakop (its nickname), to meet up with some volunteer friends from that region. The bars there are much different than the Shebeens of Divundu, but I surprisingly missed the simplicity of just beer and a few other drinks that Divundu offers. We walked to the beach and watched the African sunset over the Atlantic…beautiful. We made sure to bring 2 containers with us to take the ocean water back home, as some people in the town informed me that it keeps the witches away :) . By Sunday, I thought I was relaxed and prepared for our 13 hour journey home. But 6 hours in, I was praying for an ambien or some other pill I could get my hands on. By 9 pm we arrived in Divundu to learners asking us questions, teachers wondering how the trip was, and community members begging to see pictures.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving...much to be thankful for

Cheers
Scott

Time Flies

Although Namibia is not famous for its Halloween celebrations, I still had to bring some of the Halloween spirit to the deserts of northern Namibia. Explaining about the ghosts and witches of Halloween didn’t go over to well with my learners, as most here believe in witchcraft and witch doctors. But, I brought in some candy to my classes to explain the festive nature of the holiday. Anything with candy, is a fun day for the learners. On the Friday of Halloween weekend I hitch hiked to the town 200k from me, Rundu, to meet 5 other volunteers from the region, where we would ultimately travel another 400km to meet up with 20 other volunteers from WorldTeach. While this was part a Halloween celebration it was also our end of service conference to prepare for our arrival back in the USA. The gathering was in Tsumeb, a developed town with malls, restaurants, parks, etc. Friday night we all dressed up in costumes (I was a thug as you can see in the picture- every part was borrowed from my learners), drank, and hung out at the hostel. On Saturday, we had workshops all day, and finished the day off with a nice dinner at a hotel. On Sunday, I was already back in good ol Divundu.

Now that it is the month of November, I am finally realizing that it is the beginning of the end of my time here as I will be leaving village-life on December 9th. In the classroom, we finished the syllabus in all my classes and now we are reviewing for the end of year exams in 2 weeks. After school, I have been working on a few projects with the very generous donations I have received. My first goal was to get a sign for the front of the school for people to know that there is a school here. Even though we are not in the bush, from the tarred road you can’t even see a school. I found a welding company in Rundu, and they made a street sign for us, and it is already placed in front of the school- looking great! My second goal is to fix our library, our lack their of. We have a classroom with 2 shelves of books, in no specific order, thrown all about. I ordered paint, a sofa, and dictionaries and they have all been delivered here at school. Over the next week I will be fixing up the room to make it a more inviting place for the kids to read.

As many of you know, I love current events and the news, even thousands of miles from home. Everyday, I buy The Namibian, the national newspaper for Namibia, to keep myself updated. After I read it, I usually give it to my learners to glance at the pictures or read an article in my class. I always thought it would be great if the school could get the newspaper delivered everyday, but the problem was the expense. After much calling and emailing with the head of marketing at The Namibian, they agreed to find a sponsor who would pay for Divundu Combined School’s subscription to the newspaper everyday. Starting at the end of the month, the school will begin to receive the newspaper, sponsored by OneAfrica TV station. It will be an awesome addition to the library.

The final part of the money I plan to put with school soccer team. Soccer is played everyday afterschool and is a great outlet for the learners not to go to the shebeen (bar). The ball they use now is made out of plastic bags and a deflated ball that is 2 years old. Soccer balls and some uniforms would help them a lot. As much as I love helping out at the school with the donations, it is definitely not an easy task. Due to our location, purchasing books, buying hardware, and renovating a room, becomes 1000 times harder. But, seeing how much progress a simple coat of paint or a dozen new soccer balls does, really makes me want to do more. Thank you everyone for all your.

This weekend I will be traveling to Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, coastal cities that are former colonial cities, so they have a large German influence. They are supposed to be gorgeous. I will be going with another teacher from school who is one of my good friends.

Hope it isn’t too cold in NYC…its about 115 degrees here!

Peace

Scott

Don't Run With the Zebra

Since I got to Divundu Combined School, one of main goals was to bring some learners on a trip. Although textbooks and classroom materials are important, sometimes its what you learn outside of school that is more important. Only 20 km away from Divundu is Mahango Game, Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute, and Popa Falls. For the normal tourist 20 km seems like nothing, however for almost all my learners, they have never traveled even outside their village. With the help of a donation from my Aunt Marcia and my Uncle Robert, and a recent paycheck from working here in Namibia, I put together my funds to arrange a field trip for my grade 5, 6, and 7 classes. That’s 81 learners!

This past Friday, the dream became a reality. I arranged for a big truck to pick us up at 7 am and head to the park. Because of Namibian Time (everything is late!), we ended up leaving at 8 am. We entered the park at 8:30 am with all the learners singing and dancing in the back of the car en-route to the park. Despite being in the bush, the learners have never seen an elephant, zebra, springbok, kudu, buffalo, etc. and that’s exactly what we saw. We would turn a corner and see buffalo walking, look in the trees and see monkeys, gaze in the distance and see a herd of zebra running, and glance at the river and see hippos walking out. There are no words to describe the look on the kids faces. Chaperoning a field trip is a much different than chaperoning one in the United States. Trying to do a buddy system, or making lines didn’t work so I ultimately just gave up. Midway through the game drive, one of my grade decided to jump off and run with the zebra. While it was a funny sight, it was probably the dumbest thing you could do at a game park.

By 11 am we left the game park and headed to KIFI (Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute), which is a research center that does fish farming and studies fish. The learners got a tour of the fishponds and got to speak to scientists about their research. By this time we were all hungry, so we headed out towards Popa Falls, where we would be given a nice lunch by a Lodge. About 5 minutes into our ride, a big THUMP was heard, and we looked down to see the big tire deflated under the car. I had 81 learners who were hungry, tired, and hot, greatttttt! Changing a tire on a big truck is not a simple task, and it ended up taking 2 hours. As I was pacing back and forth glancing at my watch, the learners took it in stride and just danced and sang as they waited.

With the car started we traveled to Popa Falls, a waterfall right near our school, however an entrance fee is needed that most of the learners can’t afford. At the lodge we ate goat, chicken, French fries, and rice. Unable to walk from exhaustion, all of us jumped in water to cool off. At the end of the day, the learners continuously came up to me thanking me for a day they will never forget (I know I will never forget it!).

Wish you could all see their faces. Thank you Aunt Marcia and Uncle Robert!

Peace,
Scott

Working Together

Dear Friends and Family,

I sit writing this letter to you 1000s of miles from home, the countries of Angola and Botswana just minutes from my door step, hippos and crocodiles in sight, the sound of goats and cows penetrating my ears, and the smell of traditional Mbukushu meals all around. My home for the past 5 months has been Divundu, Namibia, smack down in the center of southern Africa. I am currently teaching English and social studies to grades 5,6,7,8 at Divundu Combined School through the program WorldTeach. The hurdles and obstacles that these people face each and every day may seem unlivable for most, however their constant determination, hopefulness, and strength allow them to continue. With HIV/AIDs overcoming Namibian society, tuberculosis gripping all parts of the country, severe unemployment making everything difficult, drought and rain becoming recurring patterns, and a school system that lacks even the most basic resources, it is easy to give up and surrender to the whims of these struggles.

Although we do not have the ability to solve all of these overwhelming issues, we do have the power to try. In my short time here, I have seen how a set of dictionaries given to the school from my parents has inspired my students to read, how a pen given to each student has encouraged them to do their homework, how a school dance has given them the opportunity to have fun, a field trip to a game park has opened their eyes to a small part of the world that they would have never seen before, and a book on Nelson Mandela has given them the confidence that anything is possible. These were small acts that required little effort, but had such an enormous effect on the community. It did not cure HIV or provide jobs, but it gave hope- something that is needed for everyone in this world.

As I begin my final months here, I wanted to reach out to all of you and include you in my efforts. If the tiny assistance from me could have such a beneficial outcome, the effect of many will be tremendous. When put together, we have the power to change the world and unite with a small community in northern Namibia. I am asking for your help because this is a rare occasion in which each of you can feel connected to your contributions, as I will be able to keep you updated on the actual status and effect of your donation. The money that I receive will ALL go back to the school. Books, proper school supplies, and a computer could change the atmosphere forever, providing new opportunities that do not exist here. If anyone doubts the effect of a few dollars or a small gift, I ask you to try. ONE person has the power to change the world, and the results of these donations will prove that.

If you would like to join me in my efforts, checks can be made out to
“Scott Karrel” and mailed to:

Scott Karrel
586 Hamilton Place
River Vale, NJ 07675

Thank you and I look forward to sharing my experience with all of you when I return. Miss you and hope all is well!

Sincerely,

Scott Karrel

ONE PEOPLE

*This blog post follows the same path as the previous one I just posted, however, the sheer influence that the subsequent event had on my life, made me create a new blog post to share it with you.*

My day last Wednesday started like any other. I woke up at 5:30 am, had an apple, prepared my starbucks instant coffee (thanks deb and dean), and walked to school at 6:20 am. My first period class is grade 7 social studies. We are studying the causes of conflicts/violence and how people resolve them, so I brought in some newspaper clippings of currents events happening around the world. I noticed in class that one girl in the back was writing the entire class time, but with a class of 35 kids, I assumed she was taking a lot of notes. I finished my lesson early and quickly headed to my grade 6 where I was administering a topic test on Namibian culture. Midway through the period, another teacher called me outside in an urgent manner. He immediately informed that a girl in my grade 7 class, wrote a suicide note to a friend claiming she was going to kill herself today. With my heart beating fast and my brain going in every which direction, I made him instantly take me to see her. The girl, about 15 years old, was sitting in our make-shift library, huddled on the floor and crying.

I know that suicide is a worldwide problem, and threats happen quite frequently, but I was naive to the issue. I NEVER thought I would be caught in a situation like this. I stood there, watching a girl who was only perhaps hours away from taking her own life, and I am now the adult supposed to help. Unfortunately, due to the lack of education on psychological issues, many of the teachers were unsure on how to deal with the issue. Therefore, I decided that although I was not trained in social work, my experiences in the US prepared me a little more than the other teachers. My first goal was to determine the issue behind her threat. Since she was not speaking, I decided to bring my laptop into the room and have her listen to music and show her funny pictures of me throughout my time here. With her laughing now, she was more open to talk. She translated each word into English. The note spoke about how she does not have a father and her mother currently lives 30km in the bush. She is living with Aunt now, who wants to send her back to her mother for doing poor at school. The girl’s frustration stems from the fact that if she was sent home she would never attend school again because of the location in the bush, and the beatings she would receive from her other family members.

I listened to her talk about the death of her father, the separation from her mother, the beatings she received when she was younger, and her desire to remain at Divundu Combined School and continue her education. I was on the brink of tears, but I had to keep composure to show some stability. By killing herself (which was definitely intended, as she said she had the pills ready), she would not have to deal with any of the issues that confronted her: no family that supports her.

Ultimately, I thought of the one thing that reminds me everyday of who I am and my goals in life: the ONE bracelet I wear. I have worn a white rubber bracelet that just says ONE on it since I was 16 years old. It symbolizes that we are all ONE people, ONE family and the simple premise that ONE person can change the world. An hour into our session, I took off the bracelet and put it on her wrist, signifying that although she doesn’t have her mother and father with her, she is my family, the teachers are her family, the learners are her family- we are ONE family.

The day ended with her Aunt making a judgment to bring her to the hospital for a proper social session with a doctor. In the end, my learner did not kill herself, however a thought like that does not just leave in a day. My goal throughout the remainder of my time here, is to remind her each and every day that someone is always there to help you in a dire situation.

This weekend I saw that same girl at the local bar, with two beers in hand. For this, I know the know the challenges that tomorrow will bring, and the next day, and the next month, and the next year will be the greatest in her life, but at least she knows she is not alone. The ONE bracelet has helped me in hard situations and now it is passed on to her to assist her. Hopefully, when she feels in the right place, she will pass it on to someone that needs her help to.

I learned a great deal from this day, however I hope I will never have to do it ever again.

ONE

Scott

ONE Family

Upon entering Divundu, Namibia you will see a petrol station on your left, Divundu Combined School set amongst the bushes on your left, and a location straight ahead (a location is an impoverished area where people are usually refugees or lack the money to buy a plot of land, hence it looks like a shanty town). After the location, there is the majestic Kavango River and the start of the Caprivi Strip, gateway to Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. On all sides of this tiny town, lie hundreds of huts, homesteads, mud houses, and of course goats, chickens, pigs, and cows everywhere.

The area in which I live is hot, dry, and vast. I have currently been here for four months, and it has NOT rained once since I have been here. Yup that’s right, I have not seen rain in four months. Besides the lack of rain, the people face such issues as unsafe drinking water, unemployment at over 60%, illnesses (HIV, malaria, and TB are ravaging sub-Saharan Africa), technology shortage, and the sheer distance it takes from place to place (Namibia is huge- and everything is very spread out). Despite these daunting obstacles, the Mbukusku people (the tribe with whom I live with) still manage to go to school, look for food, walk dozens of kilometers for water, and travel great distances by hitch hiking. They know that the road may be steep, the weather may be hot, the food may be little, and the education may not be the best- but they do it to live.

What I have noticed here is that it does not matter where you came from, who you are, or how old you are, they all care for one another. They are all ONE family. Aunts, uncles, grandpas, grandmas, and cousins all live in the same homestead because the thought of leaving someone to fend for themselves is unheard of. If someone doesn’t have food, you share the bread, if someone is sick, you go to church to pray and scrounge any money for a doctors visit, if you need to go the city over 200km, you hitchhike with someone going in that direction. Last week, my roommate and fellow teacher began shivering and throwing up during school. It turned out he had malaria. As I was flipping out and unsure what to do, one teacher with a car rushed him 50km to the hospital, 5 learners used their little money to buy him bread, one teacher prepared a light meal for him, one learner sent his mp3 player in a car to the hospital for him to borrow, and 3 learners boiled water so he would have clean water upon his return. As his temperature rose over 104 degrees, I watched with a glazed stare as members of the community did whatever they could do to help. Luckily, over the past week he has recovered to full health. This type of assistance and support for those who are ill, happens everyday as someone new is diagnosed with malaria, TB, Bilharzia, or the countless other diseases that exist here.

On Tuesday, Divundu had one of its daily blackouts, however this time it was longer than usual. When the power goes off, unfortunately the cell network, the lights, and the water are also disabled. As I tried to help the learners go to bed with my mini-flashlight that can barely illuminate 4 feet in front of you, a car pulled out in front of the learner’s hostel. Surprised and startled by any movement this late at night, I walked outside to see 20 little children with a pillow and blanket in hand. The truck was an OVC (orphaned and vulnerable children) vehicle sponsored by UNICEF. Being the only teacher on duty that night watching the learners, I approached the truck and spoke with the driver. The 20 children were OVCs on a field trip with UNICEF and had no where to sleep that night. With no electricity, a packed hostel, and no water, you could imagine what my face looked like. In a matter of only 10 minutes, my learners started giving up their beds so these young, new children could have a place to sleep. Without any hassling from me, the girls and boys at my school had created a mini- hostel for these OVC children without complaining, or fussing over it. Some even agreed to sleep on the floor, so these other kids could have a proper bed. This moment is truly a telling moment to the type of kids they are.

Everyone in Divundu understands the enormity of the task that lies in front of them, however they do not give up. If any of you are worried of how far I am from home, you can be comforted that I live amongst people who really care about each other with myself included.

Hope all is well

Peace,

Scott

Cross Your Fingers- Just Get to Divundu

From visa issues, to grading over 400 exams, to my parents visit to Africa, to backpacking South Africa, and to return to teaching, A LOT has happened since I past posted on this site.

My adventures with Debbie and Dean cannot be told without describing the few weeks before. Upon arriving in Namibia I was given a 3 month work visa, which I would have to renew on September 1st in order to stay till December. Simple task- go to the Ministry of Home Affairs in Rundu (the town near me) and get a stamp for my second visa, which I was already approved for by the government. I swung open the doors to the Ministry, eager for my next 3 months here. After waiting in line for an hour (my patience level is waning), I go to the counter and explain my situation. In less than a 2 minute span I was screaming and cursing under breath upon hearing that the region I live in can no longer issue visa extensions. My only option; take a 13 hour ride to the capital and wait 2 days for my visa to be approved at the national office. Frustrated, tired, and annoyed I headed home and did the only thing I could…ate 3 packs of Doritos, got my clothes together and headed for the capital. After all the issues, it was worked out and I fortunately got the visa in Windhoek.

My next task, was to return to Divundu and begin grading my learner’s end-of-term exams that were taken while I was away. Currently I teach grade 5 social studies (29 learners), grade 6 social studies (38 learners), grade 7 social studies (25 learners), and grade 8 english (3 classes of 44 each). With about 225 exams to mark, the pile continued to increase as my English classes took 3 exams (reading, writing, and listening). Unfortunately, grading continually got easier as more and more of my learners failed. Usually about 1 or 2 kids from a class actually pass these exams, and this statistic held true for my classes. Very disappointing to see an F on every paper.

At this time, my parents were already en-route for Victoria Falls in Livingstone Zambia, My plan was to start hitch-hiking in the early morning on Friday, August 20. When I woke up on that day, my school was struggling to find enough teachers to proctor the last exam so I offered to stay for 2 hours. Bad Choice. I got to the ‘hitch-hiking’ point at 10 am and I waited there till 3 pm: till a car was willing to pick me up. I arrived in Katima (the last town in Namibia) at 6:30 pm and of course the border closed at 6:00 pm. I took a taxi to a hotel near-by to get a good night sleep and return back to the border post first thing in the morning. At 6 am I crossed the border into Zambia and took a 2 hour bus ride to meet Deb and Dean on African soil. I met the parents at the Zambezi Sun Hotel and surprised them from behind in the hotel lobby. We went to the falls, took a helicopter ride, and the best part: ate an unbelievable dinner.

The next day, we rented an automatic car from a local man and set out for Divundu, Namibia. Our route would take us across the Caprivi Region, an area of Namibia with Angola on one side and Bostwana on the other that is inhabited by few people and occupied by elephants, lions, crocodiles, and other animals. We were fortunate to get an automatic car, but the only way to describe the car we got is: a headache. In order to prevent it from being stolen, the driver aka my dad, had to turn the car on through a sequence of steps, and if not done correctly an ear piercing alarm would go off (the sequence was stepping on the break, pressing a button, locking the doors, turning the keys half way, then on- however it never seemed to work). We had our fingers crossed the whole time, just counting the kilometers to Divundu.

Despite its remote and under-developed area, Divundu is actually home to a few 5 star small lodges due to its proximity to the Okavango River, the Botwana border, Angola Border, and game parks. We stayed at a lodge, 5km from my house that I would never guess existed so close to me- gorgeous. In Divundu, I showed my parents my house, introduced them to some teachers, gave them a tour of the area, went on a boat cruise to view hippos and crocodiles, and took a safari at the local game park, My ultimate goal was to have them meet the learners and have a a mini- party in which they see culturally dancing and singing. Unfortunately, due to a lack of food at the school, the learners were all sent home because the school did not receive a shipment of food for them. Despite this difficult situation, a couple dozen learners came in to see my parents. Such an awesome sight to see Debbie and Dean taking pictures with the people in my village and the kids that I teach. As you can imagine, it was such a great moment.

After 4 days, we traveled back to Victoria Falls, spent the night, and viewed the seventh world wonder from the Zimbabwe side. The next day we took a short plan ride to Cape Town, South Africa, for the last leg of their trip. In Cape Town, we headed to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope to see one of the most southern spots in the world. Throughout the rest of the day we explored the city, witnessing its beauty. With a week of great memories and adventures that we will always remember, they said their goodbyes and returned back to the USA. For the next week I traveled from Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Johannesburg. With one bag on back I met people from all over the world and was able to go on a safari, swim in the ocean with wild dolphins only feet away, drive through Soweto Township (former home of Mandela and largest black township in South Africa), and party with backpackers from all over.

I am currently back in my village, and a week back into teaching. With the support from my parents and revived spirit from my trip, I am extremely excited to return to the daily routine of life here in the village.

Hope everyone is enjoying life back in the US!

Peaece,


Scottttttttt

Becoming Mbukushu

I began my stay in Divundu, simply known as the Mukuwa of the town. I am the only white man for miles and miles, and everyone that I met was always awe-struck that I lived here. However, in the past few weeks, a change has slowly been occurring, mukuwa is fading from their vocabulary, and it is being replaced with Mr. Scott, Sir, Teacher, Mitiri (teacher in Mbukushu), or Thiyemo (the Mbuskushu name some of the people around town call me). Without intention, I noticed that I know a great amount of names of the people around town, have started to greet everyone in the local language, I walk into the village without hesitation, I am waving to people on the street, my phone book is filling up, and now I am starting to dress different. Each day, I carry a little book around with me, and I have my friends and learners write down a few phrases in Mbukushu and translate it to English. Since I can barely make half the sounds, it usually take me 10 tries to enunciate the word correctly, but once I get it right, I try to study it each night.

To continue this process, I decided that I would integrate myself more into the community. Last Friday, I went for my Friday night beer at the shebeen (bar) and I was telling the other people there that I have never been to a Namibian wedding. Well, in pure Namibian fashion, they told me they were all going to a wedding in the morning and that I could definitely go too. In a matter of 5 minutes I had an invite to a wedding and the wedding pictures, in which I had no idea who the couple were, where it was being held, or who was attending. But, of course I said I would go! Therefore, the next day, with some of the information in hand, I went to the private picture taking at the local waterfall, then hitched a ride with the wedding procession to the reception. Being the only white person there definitely made me stand out…a lot…but the bride and groom loved that I was there. With a few drinks inside, I said what the heck, and began dancing. Soon everyone there was staring at me dance to the song Waka Waka, taking pictures with the bride and groom, and greeting the women in their traditional outfits. Once the wedding was over I was absolutely exhausted, but it was definitely amazing to crash a Namibian wedding.

On Sunday, I woke up early to go to church with some of my learners. Namibia is over 90% Christian, so trying to explain that I am Jewish doesn’t really go well with them. So after much pleading and begging, I promised them that I would go to church. I met 20 learners at the school and we began our 5k trek to the catholic church in the next town. Once there, I realized that the service would not be done in English, it would be done in Mbuskuhu. But, I guess it really didn’t matter to me anyway. The service was filled with lots of singing, women in traditional outfits, and dancing. Although there was a language barrier that separated us, I loved hearing the different songs and seeing the people genuinely happy (except I wish there were bagels and lox like at temple ha). After church, the learners took me into their village to show me their houses and have a much-needed lunch with some of the families.

As I await the arrival of my parents next week, I am already eager to see more aspects of the local tradition and lifestyle. I have promises from everyone that they will teach me how to milk a cow, kill a coat, ride on a donkey cart, see a witch doctor, paddle on a slim canoe, and live in the village for a week. I have an exciting few months ahead of me, and can’t wait to share it with all of you

Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the summer!

Miss you all.

Scott

The Hope of a Nation

With each day that passes in this far away village, thousands of miles of home, I am constantly learning new things about myself and my perceptions of the world. Although I am not close to the concrete jungle of NYC, the political quarrels of Washington, the celebrity lifestyle in LA, or the music scene in Miami, I reminded of these characteristics by my learners in my tiny town in north-eastern Namibia. Whether it be the New York City shirts and urban fashion they replicate, the “Obama for Africa” backpacks that most of them own, the famous actors and actresses they ask me about, or the Lil Wayne, Beyonce, or Usher songs they sing on the way to school, America seems to be a part of my and their vernacular a lot. While people in the states may be viewing a divided government, a high unemployment rate, and catfights on the tv, my learners see the true America, a beacon of hope, prosperity, and freedom.
Their desperation to come and live in America does not come purely from the vast wealth we may have, it comes from the sheer opportunity that America offers. We complain about a 9% unemployment rate, however Namibia skyrockets over 50%. In my village alone it is over 60%. When asked what they want to be when they grow up, most reply with the only viable jobs that are here: teachers, store owners, workers at posh hotels, or nurses. At their age, I was foaming at the mouth to be President of the United States, and before that it was an astronaut, a teacher, an archeologist, and an actor. We are fortunate to have that distinct quality to hope for a better day, because we have seen so many examples of it before.
As I try to walk home from school at 4 pm, I do not make it home till 6 pm, due to the trail of learners that want to ask me questions regarding slavery in America, why we have Alaska and Hawaii, why don’t we include Canada and Mexico in our Country, where do the famous people live, and what does our national anthem sound like. These inquiries typically end with them asking me to take them back to America or the surprising request for me to adopt one learner so he can be a citizen. This afternoon, I was asked the most thought provoking question that pressed me to write this blog entry: What is it like being American? I stood there, staring at him, and he waited on his toes for my answer. I offered a quick reply, then came home and thought about it some more. What is like being American? The first word was fortunate. I went to public school till grade 12, when many here only make it to grade 8. I made it to Boston University, when many can only dream about attending college. I traveled the world to Australia, Thailand, Ghana, Israel, Swaziland, and Namibia, when many of them have never even been to the city (Rundu) 2 hours away. I am guaranteed health care, when many here fail to see a doctor due to lack of accessibility. Finally, I enjoy the simple freedom to do as I please, to hope for something better, when many here have lost any sort of hope.
Ultimately, I understand how lucky we are to be from the United States of America, a nation that still offers hope to millions of people, even in this small village in north-eastern Namibia. We may disagree on how our country should be run or if we will remain a super-power over China, but I am proud to say that I from a country that offers hope to these 400 children at Divundu Combined School.

Now back to lesson planning, off to Windhoek (the capital) this weekend , for a meeting with my supervisor.

God Bless America

Peace
Scott

A Whirlwind of a Trip

Since I have not updated the blog in a while, I need to catch all of you up on my weekend trip to Victoria Falls. My village, Divundu, is at the beginning of the Caprivi Strip (google image it), so all cars heading from Namibia to Zambia, northern Botswana, or Zimbabwe must drive through my town. All of the other WorldTeach volunteers are in the Central-North of Namibia, so since a few wanted to see Victoria Falls, it worked out great that their bus had to stop in my town along the way. Although, I am in a prime location for traveling as I am in the vicinity of so many different countries, the problem lies in actually getting to places. There are no taxis, trains, or daily buses in the area, so the only way to get from place to place is hitchhiking. The other volunteers were taking a big bus, the Intercape, that begins in South Africa and travels to Victoria Falls two times a week, so this was a great opportunity for me to get out.

At 6 am I joined the other volunteers on the bus and journeyed for 8 hours till we got to Livingstone, Zambia. Because of school on Monday, we had 24 hours to explore, enjoy, and complete everything we wanted to do. Once we arrived, we immediately got into a cab and went to the Falls. With my heart pounding, legs jittering, and eyes fixated out of the window, we could already see the mist from the falls over a kilometer away. After paying the entrance fee, we ran as fast as we could, then abruptly stopped as we all witnessed one of the seven wonders of the world. There are no words to describe how unbelievable, cool, fantastic, mind-boggling, incredible, and astonishing they are. We ran to each viewing station as the sun set all around us. By 6:00 pm we hopped into a cab, adrenaline still gushing from what we just saw, and quickly went back to the Hostel to get ready for dinner.

At the hostel, I bumped into an American and we had the usual conversation, “where are you from”, “what are you doing here”. Of course, I was thousands of miles from home, in the middle of southern Zambia and…she is a BU grad student with over 15 other students and professors from BU. Of course! I gave her my email, and some of the students might come towards Namibia later in the year and stop by my house. BU geography. I am surprised she wasn’t jewish and I didn’t go to camp or birthright with her.

Once changed, the four of us, took a taxi to the Royal Livingstone Hotel. A 5 star hotel set just a kilometer from the falls. I hadn’t eaten a ‘good’ meal in 2 months, so we all thought we’d splurge, and splurge we did. The place was one the nicest hotels. With gazpacho for an appetizer, Impala and porridge for an entrée, sorbet to clear the pallet, a chocolate dish for dessert, and 2 bottles a wine to accompany the dinner, I was definitely in a good state. During dinner, a Canadian man came up to us asking if we wanted to see a traditional Zambian cultural group perform. He started a non-profit that sponsors one, so it worked out great that he was able to drive us. Although we were enjoying the performance, all of us were ready to hit up the town of Livingstone. We asked the taxi to take us to the best club in town. At the bar, I instantly headed over to the whiskey. Four hours later, we were still enjoying the dancing, the music, and of course the drinks. 4 am came, and I was reliving my BU moments at Ts Pub and Jtree, but we ultimately decided to head home.

With only 2 hours of sleep, we awoke, and moved to our next stop, a helicopter tour. We boarded the helicopter nearby and none of us talked, we just had our eyes fixated out the window. I didn’t think it was possible to top the day before, but this took the prize. From above we could see everything, including elephants grazing right above the falls. Even though it was a short 15 minute ride, the image was captured in my head (and the 100 pictures I took). Afterwards, 2 of the girls did a zipline/bungy near the falls, but I decided to save my mom and dad the heart attack, and enjoy lunch and watch.

At 11 am, we hopped on the Intercape and by 7 pm I was back in the village, preparing for my lessons the next day. That was all done in 24 hours! It was an amazing trip, and luckily I will be back in 3 weeks to enjoy it with the parents.

Keep a look out for another blog post this week. Hope everyone is enjoying the heat in NYC!

Miss you all.

Peace,
Scott

90 Degrees + Packed Car + Baby + Dirt Road+4 hours = Not A Good Combo

If there is one situation where I know my life has drastically changed in a matter of two months, it is this one. Last Saturday, I traveled into Rundu (the big town), to get groceries, use the computers, and see some of my learners perform in a debate competition. I left my house at 5:30 am (freeing cold and darkness) to stand outside and wait, so that I could hitchhike into town. Once I got my ride and made it into civilization, I stumbled upon a great coffee place where I met another volunteer for much-needed eggs, sausage, fries, and coffee breakfast. No bagel, but definitely worth it. After only a few hours in town, I decided to head back home, as I don’t like relying that much on hitch hiking later in the day. Within a few minutes I was able to get into a Kombi (a small mini bus) that would take me directly to my house. Upon entering, I had no idea what I was getting into. The care quickly began to take on more and more people, belongings, and a lot more babies. Soon I was in the back row, my feet up to my chest with luggage on the ground, and a baby crying on my lap, with the mother holding her other baby. A ride, which is usually a 2-hour affair, was now 4 hours long, down a dirt road, and a non-working air conditioning. We stopped at the bank of a river, so half the car and get on small canoes and cross into Angola without going to the border post. I gawked at this crazy sight; I just sat there (baby in hand) laughing at how my life has taken such a different path from that of 2 months ago. Although the experience was painful and tiring, the only thing I could do was smile. I was never the most patient person, so for me to endure these hours felt good in my head.

In my classes, I am continuing along the lesson plans and trying to prepare my learners for their end of term national exam in August. In my English classes, I gave them a test out of 50 points on verb tenses. The grades were…absolutely awful, and I probably failed 75% of the class. However, I have gained enough trust with my learners that they simply informed me that most did not study (mostly because they are not used to taking ‘real’ exams throughout the term). Therefore, I decided to have another test this week, in which I would average the two grades together, to boost up their grades. After school, I offered tutoring sessions and surprisingly I have learners staying for 3 or more hours after school eager to learn more. Their enthusiasm and constant quest for knowledge, makes me excited to go to school each day.

Being a teacher has also allowed me to interact with the learners on a personal level. Each day I will have a line of kids outside my house, asking me how I am and if I need any help with anything. Unfortunately, this perk also comes with a downside. This morning, I was handed a piece of paper during class and was asked to help inform a learner that her father had just passed away in the hospital. The girl is about 15 years old, and I was supposed to perform the daunting and heart wrenching task of telling her that her father had died. It was not easy for me, and I do not think I have experienced anything like that in my life. It was a rough day, and I hope I never have to do anything like that ever again.

After school, I am a still running with a few kids and we will have an official running club set up in the coming weeks. Namibia Marathon 2010 (#college shirts again). I have now become a regular around the town, and I have learned how to have basic conversations in Mbukushu (which makes everyone laugh and scream). They love it! At night, I attend evening study, which I have made into a time where I just joke around, bring some music, and try to make the kids laugh (which is pretty easy, if I say anything in Mbukushu, they crack up).

This weekend I am off to Victoria Falls, one of the 7-world wonders- on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, with three other volunteers. At the beginning of August, I am off to capital of Namibia again for a check-in with some WorldTeach volunteers. Deb and Dean are set to invade Namibia August 19, and I can’t wait to finally how this amazing experience with my parents. After that comes, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Johannesburg South Africa. Great line up coming up.

As some of you heard, I will only be turning on my blackberry every once in a while, email me whenever you get a chance, I love hearing news from the states. Check out some new pics on fbook too.

Peace,

Scott

Do you know Chris Brown and Jay-Z?

Do you know Chris Brown and Jay-Z?

With over one month of my stay in complete, I still cannot get over how fast is going. In 5 weeks, I have already had the adventure of a lifetime, and I can’t imagine what else is in store for me for these next 5 months.

I am finally getting settled with my teaching in both my social studies and my English classes. In my 5th grade social studies class, we are learning about water conservation and rainfall, so they are currently making posters to hang around school to save and conserve water. In my 6th grade social studies class, we are leaning about democracy, so for that I am having them go through the process of electing a class president (speeches, nominating, choosing a vice president, campaigning, and voting). In my 7th grade social studies class, we are learning about population distribution, so I am using the world map to explain the different populations of the world and reiterate how small Namibia is (2 million people- 2nd most least dense country). In my English classes, we just finished up verb tenses (simple and continuous past, present, and future) and they will have their first exam with me on Thursday. I told them in class that they can come to me with any problems that don’t involve class, and now I have slowly become the school unofficial guidance councilor (haha I have students coming to me about home issues, pregnancy, disease, boyfriend, girlfriend, life in America, etc). I wasn’t expecting all of that, but it is actually fulfilling and fun helping them with their problems outside of school.

After school is over, I help out with afternoon study, in which they are supposed to do homework and study their notes. Usually afterwards, I go to the petrol station in town and get the newspaper (The Namibian), and read it over a Fanta. Its always great doing this because I can catch up on some news and I get to see everyone in town. Next, I head over to the local bar to catch up on the World Cup games. The Ghana game last week was absolutely insane. All the kids crowded around a small TV at the hostel at school and I trekked to the bar to watch with 50+ people going crazy for Ghana. It was a tough battle, and everyone thought they were going to win, so it was very disappointing at the end. People were sad for a day, and then they were already back to supporting another team.

By 6, I make dinner in my house. This has been everyone’s main question to me. What have I been eating? Unlike my trips to Ghana and Swaziland, I now have full control of what I make for my meals, so I will not be coming back 30 pounds ligher. Therefore, at the grocery store I buy pasta, canned vegetables, fruit, cheese, sliced meat, and splurge on Doritos, cereal, and cookies. I have bread and butter in the morning, an apple for snack, a chicken or ham sandwich for lunch, and pasta with sauce and veggies for dinner. The difference is I make everything and I can only go grocery shopping once a week by hitchhiking on Saturday morning 200km. So it is definitely an adventure each day. There are MANY times I wish I could just order for delivery a large pizza with pepperoni, but a grilled cheese is fine for now. Finally, by 8 pm I am absolutely exhausted and I am usually struggling to keep me eyes open (I get up each morning at 5 am).

This past weekend I met some Americans in Rundu (the town 200km away) for lunch and in the town I saw about 30 Americans. The peace corp volunteers were having a big celebration for July 4th. On Sunday, it was back to reality, and I washed my clothes (by hand in a bucket!), lesson planned for the week, and hung out with some friends. I now have a ‘crew’ of some of the younger teachers at the school and even some of the 10th grade students (some are 18,19, and 20, as most learners in Namibia fail grades multiple times). I went for a 10k with a few friends and stopped at an unbelievable nearby waterfall, seeing huts, traditional homesteads, people leaving church, and of course goats, cows, and dogs along the way.

As for the title of the entry, almost everyday I will have a learner come up to me and ask me- Is Jay-Z cool in person? Is Beyonce nice to you? How many times have you hung out with Rihanna? Do you know Angelina Jolie? Well since I hang out with all of them, it was easy to answer. Hah. Most only know about America through movies or songs, so they all assume that these are average Americans who could be your friends. You could imagine how disappointed they were when I had to tell them that it is nearly impossible to hang out with these celebrities, and the coolest celebrity I met was Will.I.am enroute to the bathroom in Boston.

Hope everyone had a great 4th. Keep me updated on your lives, I love reading emails from all of you. Currently planning my Debbie and Dean’s trip to Africa now, followed by backpacking trip around South Africa in early September.

Peace, Scott

From Mukuwa to Mr. Scott

Well I finally transferred from being the Mukuwa of Divundu to being Mr. Scott, Social Studies and English teacher. I began my tenure as a teacher last Monday with three 8th grade English classes and three 8th grade physical science classes. While both classes have complete and very thorough syllabi, sample lesson plans, and sample assessments, the school lacks any capacity to effectively carry out a class successful. I began my English class, by speaking and the kids just glaring back at me. According to the syllabus, they should be reading a novel, reading poems, and giving oral presentations. In actuality, they barely know how to carry out a full conversation. In my physical science class, I examined the well-written syllabus with delight, then I asked for the textbook. Indeed, they did have a textbook, however it consisted of doing labs with chemicals, experiments with test tubes, and measuring with a scale…all of which we did not have any.

Despite this, I knew when I coming here that it would be a challenge. So, I rolled up my sleeves and began teaching. In English, I had the students write a letters to me, so I could assess their level. Surprisingly, each one wrote very intimate letters and took their time describing their life. From AIDS, to lack a food, to working in the farm after school, to losing a parent to TB, Malaria, or another illness, these kids have really been through a lot. Currently, we working on simple sentence structures, but I am trying to make the class fun. Today we listened to Michael Jackson (their favorite artist) and I gave them lyrics to the songs and they circled/underlined the verbs, the adjectives, the prepositions, the nouns, and subjects. The day before we read an article on the World Cup in the Namibian newspaper. I think I am finally making headway with them. Ultimately, they had an opening for a 5th, 6th, and 7th grade social studies teacher, so immediately switched from physical science to social studies. Now I am beginning to develop lesson plans for the rest of my months here to make the classes fun and interesting.

The school day is from 6:50 am to 1:00 pm, then the students have an hour break for a very mini lunch, then they afternoon study, where they sit in their class and do their homework and study. Around 3:30 pm I am beat, so I head over to the village bar (it’s no Mantra, Jtree, or Brass Monkey), to watch the world cup games and have an afternoon beer (Windhoek Lager is the Namibian beer- tastes like rolling rock).

On Friday night, a few 10th graders (could be anywhere from 16-21 years old) and me organized an extravaganza night. I bought balloons, apples, and lots of rice. We did bobbing for apples, a dance competition, a singing competition, and a food eating competition (wish it could have been beer pong and flip cup, ha but they were too young). I asked the principal if they could stay up till midnight, and with permission, everything went to plan! All day they are yelled at by their teachers for not performing and at night they suffer in boredom without anything to do besides soccer or talk to one another, so this was definitely an escape. I worked it out with the staff that we can hopefully do this every other Friday. Should be fun.

Other than that, the teachers and students have been amazing towards me. On Sunday, one of the teachers friends had a car so they took me all around the Divundu area. Since I live on a beautiful river, there are 4 star lodges, where the white South Africans/Namibians come up for holiday. They drove us to one, where we got a beer and watched the sunrset and viewed hippos splashing in the water. To top it off we crossed the border into Botswana, which is 10km from my house. Along the way I saw warthogs, Kudu, Spingbok, and herds of zebras. Unbelievable!! I wish I could share this experience with all of you, or if I could just show you my daily life. It’s amazing!

Hope all is well, keep me updated on your lives.

Miss you all

Scott

Mukuwa! Mukuwa!

After my two weeks of orientation, I finally made it to my village of Divundu. On Tuesday, a Ministry of Education vehicle picked up me and the other semester volunteer at 8 am and we set out for our VERY long journey. We would first travel to Rundu, the major’ city in the Kavango region, then part ways. I am 2 hours to the west of Rundu and she is 1 hour to the east of Rundu. The ride up was….barren. Once we were 10k outside the capital, the scenery was desert, then mountains, then desert again. At Rundu, I hopped in a new car and headed towards Divundu in the darkness. I knew I was leaving civilization when we were forced to go very slow due to cattle, donkeys, goats, and dogs crossing the road.
At my village it was nearly impossible to see anything. I was brought to my house by one of the teachers. I am living in a teachers house right behind the school. It is a cement house with a bathroom, a ‘kitchen’ (no refrigerator or stove- just hotplates), and three bedrooms. Two other female teachers and the niece of one with 2 children occupy the two other bedrooms. My room is small box with a locker in it.
Wednesday was the ‘Day for the African Child’, which honors the rights granted to all children. The students had off that day but they performed traditional dances and gave speeches. We were told that the Minister of Education would come and give a speech to our school, so we waited…and waited…and waited (in the blazing sun!). Yet, he did not show up. After school, one of the teachers invited me over for dinner and to show me around the village. The school, which I will be teaching at, is a combined school, in which it has grades 1-10 and the students live at the school. The village is on the Okavango River, a beautiful river dividing Angola and Namibia, and has hippos and crocs. The town has a petrol station and a market, and spread out huts, where the people live. 90% of the population here are subsistence farmers.
On Thursday, I woke up early to travel into Rundu to get my tax id number so I would be able to get paid. Getting into Rundu is a bit of adventure as the only way to get there is by hitch hiking. While this may seem like suicide in the states, it is extremely normal here as it is the only real mode of transport in the rural areas. Therefore, I put my hand up and hitchhiked in car with 4 other people inside. On the way home, I did the same thing, kinda cool and I will definitely be meeting some interesting characters through it. At night, the power went out in the village, so I was stuck using my flashlight and trying to fill out paperwork at the same time.
On Friday and Saturday I attended a big cultural competition at the local Youth Center. 15 schools from the nearby area all came to showcase their traditional dancing. The first day I thought I could walk there, and 6k later, I was burnt and exhausted. My learners (students), all acted out traditional stories and performed dances in costume. It was great! I also got to meet a peace corp volunteer who has been working there for 1.5 years. Good to see another American nearby!
As for the name of this entry, Mukuwa. The people in my village speak a language called Mbukushu. In that language mukuwa means white man. Since it is VERY rare for a white person to be in the village, whenever I walk by people will whisper mukuwa, or kids will scream it. Not offensively, just out of curiosity, and ha because it is true, I am the only white person for miles.
The principal is out on leave till Monday, so I will not begin teaching till Tuesday but it looks like I will be teaching 5-7th grader Social Studies, and upper level English.

Miss all of you.

-The Mukuwa of Divundu

Ame Yame Scott (My name is Scott in MBushuku, my language)

For the past 2 weeks, I have been in Windhoek, Namibia (the capital) at a backpackers hostel for orientation. Each morning and afternoon we have ‘class’ with our field director to discuss the culture of Namibia, take a lesson on the language of the people I will be living with, and tour downtown Windhoek.
The city itself is pretty developed, with a few malls, KFC, hospitals, markets, nice hotels, all over the area. This past Wednesday we went to witness the racial and economic divide that still exists in Namibia. We first visited a former settlement/township called Katutura, which was set up by the Apartheid regime to keep blacks separate from whites. Even though it is 20 years since Namibia gained independence from South Africa, the area has changed very little. Home to a majority of the Windhoek residents with over 120,000 people; the houses consist of tin shacks, little electricity, and little water. We stopped off a local market where I was able to eat meat cooked on a bbq and dried caterpillars (yum). Next we traveled not more than 10 minutes to the hills over-looking the city. Comparatively, this area was mostly all white, had huge mansions, gated communities, nice restaurants, and BMWs, Lexus, and Range Rovers scattering the streets. Pretty shocking that in such a short distance, two very different worlds exist.
At night, we went to a Herero Tribe (a tribe in the North) Restaurant in Katutura. All the volunteers were greeted with goat heads, in which most of us ate the tongue, the skin, the ear, and the eyes (including me!). We ended dinner by drinking a traditional drink, aka sour milk and dancing with people at the restaurant.
On Friday, with the start of the World Cup, a few volunteers and I went to the mall to pick up some last minute items. Everyone was blowing horns, painted in South African colors, and music was blasting. Later in the day we went to a local bar to watch the Mexico v. South Africa game. Watching it with South Africans, Namibians, and other foreigners was unbelievable. The enthusiasm is contagious. The next night we went to another traditional restaurant, with food consisting of porridge, caterpillars, chicken, and spinach. Even this tiny restaurant set up a projector to watch the USA vs. England game. Amazing!
Now I am awaiting the next part of my journey. I will depart on Tuesday morning for Divundu, Namibia, a 12 hour car ride north of Windhoek. This will be my home for the next six months, as I will be teaching English class at Divundu Combined School to multiple grades. I will be living right on the Okavango River, which separates Namibia and Angola, O, and by the way, it is FILLED with hippos and crocodiles. The closest ‘big’ town is 2 hours away and Victoria Falls (one of the world’s seven wonders), is a 7 hour car ride. So, basically…I am far far away from everything. But, I am looking forward to this experience very much, and can’t wait to share it with all of you.

NEXT STOP: Divundu, Namibia

Keep me updated on all of your lives- skarrel10@gmail.com

-Scott

Welcome to Namibia

Well, I finally made it to Africa. After a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, a 5 hour layover, and a 2 hour flight to Windhoek (the capital of Namibia), I made it to my destination. My greetings to the country, however, was not one that I expected. Despite an hour yelling/crying saga with the Namibian immigration official, I was only granted a one week visa, not the 6 month work visa that I applied for. How this was possible, I do not know. With entry into the country at least, me and a few other volunteers met our field director and went to the hostel where we were staying. The 30 minute drive was spectacular. From that short drive I was already able to see the beautiful landscape of the country.

That night I met the 12 other volunteers who would be in Namibia, had a quick dinner, then quickly fell asleep from exhaustion. The next morning we began our orientation by going into the city. I exchanged money, got a namibian cell phone, and ultimately worked out my visa situation (so all is good now!). At night we went to the bottle shop (liquor store), and a few of us played Kings and watched the laker/celtics game (from the night before)with a few Namibians, (ha not very different from a night at BU). However, once I travel to my village, the experience will be much different, as the electricity is sparing, the tap water is unsafe to drink, and the area is not developed.

Right now, I am currently writing this from my blackberry (crazy right?)

K, off to start another day of orientation.

Scott