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