Longer update pending the Internet connection
So I wanted to make sure I got something posted in case the Internet died on me but now I'll try to be more thorough.
Let me start with last Friday and the site announcement. We all had been doing interviews with the PC staff so they could assess where each of our skills matched the schools' requests and Friday was the big day to find out where we would live for two years. Instead of just reading stuff off and giving us some information they made a map of Namibia on the ground (40 meters x 25 meters) and marked all of the towns where people would be placed. Then they read out names of PCT's and the town they were going to so you could find your town and see who else was nearby. Since I didn't know anything about the towns I was more concerned with who was nearby than where I was. Turns out I live close to some people who I had already talked with some during training and some that I had barely spoken with at all, not for any real reason except that the group is so large. I think I explained once already where Coblenz is but if you don't have a map handy, take your left hand and position it such that you can see your palm with your fingers facing down. Stick your thumb out perpendicular to your fingers, that is the Caprivi strip, and fold your index finger back on itself and you have a portable map of Namibia. Coblenz is north of you middle finger about halfway between your thumb and the joint where your middle finger attaches to you hand.
I met my supervisor, Ms. Kasete, on Monday and there was a long hot meeting for all of the PCTs and supervisors to go over policies and such, then Tuesday we left for Coblenz. Ms. Kasete came with her husband and a son who just finished university in Windhoek. The drive took about 5 hours with a stop in Otjiwarongo (tj is pronounced like sh) for groceries and to visit two of Ms. Kasete's sons, a stop near Okakarara to see Ms. Kasete's parents and the site for the family holy fire (traditional Herero religion). We saw several warthogs and baboons along the road as well as goats, sheep and cattle. Shopping in Otjiwarongo was difficult, the Spar there is very good but how do you buy food for a week when you don't know what you might already have and you don't want to have leftovers b/c I won't be back to Coblenz until January. The best thing I bought was a fresh loaf of bread some ham and some mustard. You can't go wrong with a good sandwich, and I bought enough fruit to have a piece everyday this week which is a major upgrade from our diet in Omaruru. Namibians and especially Hereroes are heavy meat eaters, mainly beef. In Coblenz there is a small store that carries some canned goods, soap and a few other essentials but otherwise I will do my shopping in Grootfentein on the weekends.
Once I arrived in Coblenz on Tuesday Ms. Kasete left me to get settled in my house. After I had unpacked and looked around and all the pots/pans/spices that Erfan (the PCV I am replacing) left behind it was only 3pm and I was getting hot inside and bored. I decided to go outside and meet some of the children if for no other reason that they were staring at me through the window. The children are very friendly but mostly curious. They gave me a tour of the school, which is quite large and covered in sand. There are separate areas for the hostels and the classrooms and the whole grounds is fenced in with barbed wire on top. Everything I have seen in Namibia is fenced in with barbed wire, i think mostly to keep animals out. Tuesday evening Ms. Kasete's son drove me around town to show me the shops, it took less than 15 minutes even though we stopped to greet everyone we saw. Coblenz is very small. Most of the people live in shacks of scrap metal or worse. The gov't provided money for people to build brick houses but most of the people have not finished (maybe they squandered the money so the gov't would not give them more for the next phase) so they are still living in shacks instead of a permanent structure. Ms. Kasete lives in a very nice house that feels completely out of place next to all of the shacks, it almost makes your stomach turn to see the contrast in living standards. Even my small house is luxury in comparision. Oh yes, the essentials, I have running water (including hot) and electricity to power the lights, refridgerator and stove/oven. Now I just need some air conditioning. Its not so bad most of the day but it doesn't cool off very quickly inside so that last night it was still 86 degrees in my house when I went to bed.
Wednesday morning I met all of the teachers at 6:45 before classes began. Ms. Kasete introduced me well despite my difficult to pronounce name, and asked them all to be hospitable to me. There is no 'L' in Otjiherero so everyone has some trouble with my surname. I am getting used to some of the terms they use here like surname and grade 8 instead of eighth grade. Then we went out to greet the children in the morning, they were singing their morning songs and Ms. Kasete introduced me again and told them to use me and my knowledge but not misuse me b/c I might not come back if they are not good to me. There is a lot of pressure to stay, i think many people would be deeply hurt if I ever decided to leave before the two years. After this I went to the library that Erfan started, this is my domain that I inherited from Erfan. I have the keys to the whole place and already feel like I am in charge. A teacher just came by and was almost deferential when borrowing a book. I hope to pass on some of the responsibilities of the library to another teacher, but part of my role as a volunteer is to not teach as many classes so I have time to spend on the library and other projects. The library includes the books (about 3,000) 5 computers (which I am using now), and the TV/VCR/DVD with DSTV (satellite TV). Last night we watched a little CNN, sports and the Simpsons. Erfan used to record movies and show them to the children for N$1 (one dollar Namibian) on Fridays and Saturdays to raise money to pay the fee for the DSTV. In many respects I have been put into a box of doing everything Erfan did, so I think I will try to carry on his projects for now and then see how we might modify some things and pass responsibilities to other teachers in the future. I am troubled that the library was closed since Erfan left until I came. As soon as I opened the doors to the library though, the students come immediately (maybe 10 of them) to read and ask to play computer games.
Yesterday I was able to read through the grade 10 examination and it looks very difficult. I would like to see the Math today b/c even though I will be teaching grade 9 next year, I must teach towards the grade 10 exam. That is the one that determines if a learner can continue to grade 11 & 12. I also want to find out about the labortory equipment today to see what is available for teaching physical science next year. In the same way that they teach math all together (algebra, geometry, trig) and increase depth each year, physical science bounces from topics in chemistry to topics in physics and increases depth each year.
There is much work to be done and I am feeling more at home in Coblenz each day. I don't think I have ever been so emotional in my life, but sitting in the library I can see how much Erfan poured himself into this place and the opportunity he has provided for these kids, I hope I can build on his achievements, make them sustainable and help this community lift itself out of the cycle of poverty.
What kinds of books do we have in the Coblenz library? Lots of childrens books in very simple English (fiction and non-fiction), encyclopedias, some classics in simple language, some unabridged editions (Grapes of Wrath) and Harry Potter books 1, 3 & 4. We have five computers that the children can use on Mondays and Wednesdays. Some games: Connect 4, Chess, cards. For now I'm keeping my resources to myself so that I can bring them out strategically when the school term starts. Several of the learners helped Erfan in the library with cleaning, checking out books, etc. and they are eager to continue doing so b/c they want to keep that priviledge status. I am happy to let them take that responsibility but I am a little nervous b/c I don't know them at all and they are teaching me how things have operated in the past. Mostly I am trying to learn the routine that everyone is used to. As I understand it now a normal day starts at 7AM with classes until 9:45, break until 10:15 and class until 1PM. Lunch is at 1 so the teachers retire to their houses to avoid the heat, but Erfan typically took his lunch then returned to the library at 2. The library would stay open until afternoon studies which are at 3:30 until 5. Dinner is around 6pm, which is a nice time of day b/c the sun is setting.
I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow and Saturday, maybe just talk with the children and learn more about the school and how things work around here. On Sunday I will get a ride to Grootfentein to meet 2 other volunteers, 1 is working in Grootfentein (Beth) and 1 is in Otjituuo (Will). We will then travel to Otavi to meet Rute and the 4 of us will get a ride back to Omaruru. I will spend two nights in Omaruru, then we start our community based training (CBT) which will be in Otjibingwe I think for all of the Otjiherero speakers. I think there will be 12 of us living in Otjibingwe for 4 weeks until Dec. 23 when we will congregate back together for the end of training. I probably will not get a cell phone until after Christmas when we will be able to shop in Windhoek because Coblenz is 75 km from the nearest tower I have an antenna on my house to plug a cell phone into but I need to make sure I have the right adapter which is only sold in Windhoek. I am not completely confident in this, but I believe I will receive mail in Coblenz at the school adress which is:
Coblenz JSS (which stands for junior secondary school even though we have grades 1-10)
Otjituuo
Namibia
Once I know for sure I will post my permanent address and phone number on the side bar, until then Happy Thanksgiving, I am thinking about you all and wishing I could be with you to stuff myself with turkey and stuffing and potatoes and pie and pie and pie.
Let me start with last Friday and the site announcement. We all had been doing interviews with the PC staff so they could assess where each of our skills matched the schools' requests and Friday was the big day to find out where we would live for two years. Instead of just reading stuff off and giving us some information they made a map of Namibia on the ground (40 meters x 25 meters) and marked all of the towns where people would be placed. Then they read out names of PCT's and the town they were going to so you could find your town and see who else was nearby. Since I didn't know anything about the towns I was more concerned with who was nearby than where I was. Turns out I live close to some people who I had already talked with some during training and some that I had barely spoken with at all, not for any real reason except that the group is so large. I think I explained once already where Coblenz is but if you don't have a map handy, take your left hand and position it such that you can see your palm with your fingers facing down. Stick your thumb out perpendicular to your fingers, that is the Caprivi strip, and fold your index finger back on itself and you have a portable map of Namibia. Coblenz is north of you middle finger about halfway between your thumb and the joint where your middle finger attaches to you hand.
I met my supervisor, Ms. Kasete, on Monday and there was a long hot meeting for all of the PCTs and supervisors to go over policies and such, then Tuesday we left for Coblenz. Ms. Kasete came with her husband and a son who just finished university in Windhoek. The drive took about 5 hours with a stop in Otjiwarongo (tj is pronounced like sh) for groceries and to visit two of Ms. Kasete's sons, a stop near Okakarara to see Ms. Kasete's parents and the site for the family holy fire (traditional Herero religion). We saw several warthogs and baboons along the road as well as goats, sheep and cattle. Shopping in Otjiwarongo was difficult, the Spar there is very good but how do you buy food for a week when you don't know what you might already have and you don't want to have leftovers b/c I won't be back to Coblenz until January. The best thing I bought was a fresh loaf of bread some ham and some mustard. You can't go wrong with a good sandwich, and I bought enough fruit to have a piece everyday this week which is a major upgrade from our diet in Omaruru. Namibians and especially Hereroes are heavy meat eaters, mainly beef. In Coblenz there is a small store that carries some canned goods, soap and a few other essentials but otherwise I will do my shopping in Grootfentein on the weekends.
Once I arrived in Coblenz on Tuesday Ms. Kasete left me to get settled in my house. After I had unpacked and looked around and all the pots/pans/spices that Erfan (the PCV I am replacing) left behind it was only 3pm and I was getting hot inside and bored. I decided to go outside and meet some of the children if for no other reason that they were staring at me through the window. The children are very friendly but mostly curious. They gave me a tour of the school, which is quite large and covered in sand. There are separate areas for the hostels and the classrooms and the whole grounds is fenced in with barbed wire on top. Everything I have seen in Namibia is fenced in with barbed wire, i think mostly to keep animals out. Tuesday evening Ms. Kasete's son drove me around town to show me the shops, it took less than 15 minutes even though we stopped to greet everyone we saw. Coblenz is very small. Most of the people live in shacks of scrap metal or worse. The gov't provided money for people to build brick houses but most of the people have not finished (maybe they squandered the money so the gov't would not give them more for the next phase) so they are still living in shacks instead of a permanent structure. Ms. Kasete lives in a very nice house that feels completely out of place next to all of the shacks, it almost makes your stomach turn to see the contrast in living standards. Even my small house is luxury in comparision. Oh yes, the essentials, I have running water (including hot) and electricity to power the lights, refridgerator and stove/oven. Now I just need some air conditioning. Its not so bad most of the day but it doesn't cool off very quickly inside so that last night it was still 86 degrees in my house when I went to bed.
Wednesday morning I met all of the teachers at 6:45 before classes began. Ms. Kasete introduced me well despite my difficult to pronounce name, and asked them all to be hospitable to me. There is no 'L' in Otjiherero so everyone has some trouble with my surname. I am getting used to some of the terms they use here like surname and grade 8 instead of eighth grade. Then we went out to greet the children in the morning, they were singing their morning songs and Ms. Kasete introduced me again and told them to use me and my knowledge but not misuse me b/c I might not come back if they are not good to me. There is a lot of pressure to stay, i think many people would be deeply hurt if I ever decided to leave before the two years. After this I went to the library that Erfan started, this is my domain that I inherited from Erfan. I have the keys to the whole place and already feel like I am in charge. A teacher just came by and was almost deferential when borrowing a book. I hope to pass on some of the responsibilities of the library to another teacher, but part of my role as a volunteer is to not teach as many classes so I have time to spend on the library and other projects. The library includes the books (about 3,000) 5 computers (which I am using now), and the TV/VCR/DVD with DSTV (satellite TV). Last night we watched a little CNN, sports and the Simpsons. Erfan used to record movies and show them to the children for N$1 (one dollar Namibian) on Fridays and Saturdays to raise money to pay the fee for the DSTV. In many respects I have been put into a box of doing everything Erfan did, so I think I will try to carry on his projects for now and then see how we might modify some things and pass responsibilities to other teachers in the future. I am troubled that the library was closed since Erfan left until I came. As soon as I opened the doors to the library though, the students come immediately (maybe 10 of them) to read and ask to play computer games.
Yesterday I was able to read through the grade 10 examination and it looks very difficult. I would like to see the Math today b/c even though I will be teaching grade 9 next year, I must teach towards the grade 10 exam. That is the one that determines if a learner can continue to grade 11 & 12. I also want to find out about the labortory equipment today to see what is available for teaching physical science next year. In the same way that they teach math all together (algebra, geometry, trig) and increase depth each year, physical science bounces from topics in chemistry to topics in physics and increases depth each year.
There is much work to be done and I am feeling more at home in Coblenz each day. I don't think I have ever been so emotional in my life, but sitting in the library I can see how much Erfan poured himself into this place and the opportunity he has provided for these kids, I hope I can build on his achievements, make them sustainable and help this community lift itself out of the cycle of poverty.
What kinds of books do we have in the Coblenz library? Lots of childrens books in very simple English (fiction and non-fiction), encyclopedias, some classics in simple language, some unabridged editions (Grapes of Wrath) and Harry Potter books 1, 3 & 4. We have five computers that the children can use on Mondays and Wednesdays. Some games: Connect 4, Chess, cards. For now I'm keeping my resources to myself so that I can bring them out strategically when the school term starts. Several of the learners helped Erfan in the library with cleaning, checking out books, etc. and they are eager to continue doing so b/c they want to keep that priviledge status. I am happy to let them take that responsibility but I am a little nervous b/c I don't know them at all and they are teaching me how things have operated in the past. Mostly I am trying to learn the routine that everyone is used to. As I understand it now a normal day starts at 7AM with classes until 9:45, break until 10:15 and class until 1PM. Lunch is at 1 so the teachers retire to their houses to avoid the heat, but Erfan typically took his lunch then returned to the library at 2. The library would stay open until afternoon studies which are at 3:30 until 5. Dinner is around 6pm, which is a nice time of day b/c the sun is setting.
I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow and Saturday, maybe just talk with the children and learn more about the school and how things work around here. On Sunday I will get a ride to Grootfentein to meet 2 other volunteers, 1 is working in Grootfentein (Beth) and 1 is in Otjituuo (Will). We will then travel to Otavi to meet Rute and the 4 of us will get a ride back to Omaruru. I will spend two nights in Omaruru, then we start our community based training (CBT) which will be in Otjibingwe I think for all of the Otjiherero speakers. I think there will be 12 of us living in Otjibingwe for 4 weeks until Dec. 23 when we will congregate back together for the end of training. I probably will not get a cell phone until after Christmas when we will be able to shop in Windhoek because Coblenz is 75 km from the nearest tower I have an antenna on my house to plug a cell phone into but I need to make sure I have the right adapter which is only sold in Windhoek. I am not completely confident in this, but I believe I will receive mail in Coblenz at the school adress which is:
Coblenz JSS (which stands for junior secondary school even though we have grades 1-10)
Otjituuo
Namibia
Once I know for sure I will post my permanent address and phone number on the side bar, until then Happy Thanksgiving, I am thinking about you all and wishing I could be with you to stuff myself with turkey and stuffing and potatoes and pie and pie and pie.
posted by Brock Blackburn at 8:38 AM
2 Comments:
Happy Thanksgiving! You are going to be such a blessing to the people in Coblenz. I will eat a little stuffing for you!
It is wonderful that you have the ability to send so much detailed information. You are a great man of God sent for a special purpose. Erfan sounds like a great PCV to follow. We will try to call you Sunday at 10 PM Namibia time. Did you get our phone message on Tuesday? We love you. Mom and Dad
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