I'm now a Peace Corps Volunteer!

You'll be happy to know I've passed Peace Corps Training and was sworn in this past Friday as a Peace Corps Volunteer! But to back up a bit, the final Silozi test was this past Wednesday. It went better than expected and I managed a score in the intermediate range. Thursday we traveled into Windhoek to do some administrative paperwork and shopping before going out to site. I'm going to be living with a family in a homestead for the first six weeks so I held off on buying pots and pans till I'm in a place of my own. I did buy a travel sized sleeping bag and enjoyed a much missed burger and french fries meal.

The swearing in ceremony was rather brief. Out of the 45 that we started with, 44 were swearing in. The PC country director and someone from the Ministry of Education gave speeches, the ambassador from the US embassy swore us in, and then a few from my group gave speeches in their class language. I gave a word of thanks in Silozi last weekend during our Host Family appreciation lunch, so I was spared this time around. But the Namibian crowd were really entertained hearing us speak in their languages. We sang a few Namibian songs followed by a local school choir sang and then we were let loose to celebrate. An unlucky few from our group whose sites were nearby had to leave right away, but for the majority of us who weren't leaving till the next day, made a dance party up on a few rocks just outside of town.

Managed only a couple hours of sleep before shipping out to site the next day with Lorna and Stephanie (my two fellow Caprivians). A bit of confusion with a last minute switch in drivers and a misunderstanding of just how much of luggage we each had. It didn't help that the PC gave each volunteer a humongous green truck to store our valuables in to go along with our the two years worth of belongs. After some creative reorganization, managed to get everything on board the combi and we were on the road by 7AM. Unfortunately we left earlier than everybody else so didn't get in all the goodbyes I wanted, but I'll be seeing everybody again in six weeks at our reconnect.

The drive wasn't bad. I dozed in and out for most of the 14 hours. Didn't see any elephants this time around. Since Stephanie's site was along the main highway we dropped her off, but as for Lorna and me, whose sites are a bit off the beaten path and with it being dark, we were going to have to wait in Katima till the next morning to get to site. Thankfully the UK Volunteer Marika, who we stayed with last time, was kind enough to let us crash with her again. We were even treated to a vegetarian dinner by Marika's neighbors an Australian Volunteer couple named Manna and Rani. Two of the nicest people I have ever met. Never had I been so happy to see so many vegetables as the Namibian diet is as far from vegetarian as it gets.

The next day Lorna and I spent shopping for a weeks worth of groceries and enjoyed the fish, spinach, and porridge lunch from a delicious market vendor we had been craving ever since we left Katima. The plan was to catch a ride out at 3PM to site with my principal who had to travel through Katima to get to Sangwali anyways. So we waited... and we waited... and we waited, but he never showed up or responded to any phone calls or texts. Marika was understanding though and told us we could remain as long as we need, and her roommate Vivian who does school inspections promised to give us a lift out to site the next day. It turned out it was movie night in the UK's house, so we all sat around a laptop eating popcorn.

Which now brings us to today. Just as Lorna and I were getting ready at 8AM to leave to site with Vivian, my principal calls telling me he lined up a ride for me at 11. Gah!!! So here I am waiting for a ride that may or may not show up, but I'm on Africa time now. Waiting is just something I'll have to get used to doing. I'll get to my site eventually. At least for now I can enjoy my tea and one last hot shower.

The Namibian Classroom

New to training this year, is a week long visit to a Namibian school near Windhoek. During this visit we are to shadow a teacher in the subject we are most likely to teach, observing a few class periods, and then even stepping in and teaching a few. I welcomed this opportunity to escape the grueling powerpoint presentations and being that I have had never taught to a classroom, a chance to experience the real thing.

With 44 people being to many to send to just one school we broke up into groups and with my group being assigned to a secondary school. The five us went bright and early into the teachers meeting not knowing quite what to expect. We had been given horror stories of corporal punishment, teachers who just don't show up to class, and learners misbehaving. The first thing we did notice was about a quarter of the teacher's were missing.  The next day was a holiday, so we figured many had just decided to take the long weekend. Being that grade 10 and 12 exams are starting, which are like a month long standardized test across all of Namibia, and requiring a teacher to invigilate (weird Namibian word for proctoring) in each class room, it was already clear that not much teaching was going to get done. Time was passed with each learner group staying in one classroom doing nothing and the remaining teachers required to just babysit. Teaching just could not be done. If anything like this had happened in The States, the teachers would have been in an uproar. So with nothing really to do, we just passed the time in the teachers lounge practicing our language.

We didn't make it back to the school till Wednesday with Tuesday being a holiday. This time the teacher attendance was much improved and we hoped for a more typical school day. I was assigned to shadow grade 8 & 9 mathematics teacher. I sat in on the first couple of math classes and just observed. The Namibian class wasn't too different from something I'd see back home. Some textbooks, pens, pencils and rulers had to be shared and would be lobbed across the room from learner to learner. The teacher wasn't big on handing out complements and at times a bit cruel but she covered the material well. After her lessons she approached asking if I would teach numberlines to the next class after the break. This was it! My big moment! I'd be in front of a class teaching for the first time ever! So I went up there, gave it all I got, and I taught numberlines. It felt great. I could feel all the great teachers I admired growing up channel through me and into the lesson. The learners participated, asked questions, and showed a willingness to learn. Not at all the menaces they had been hyped up to be. I taught one more class that day, and left the school feeling accomplished, hoping for more of the same tomorrow.

Unfortunately it was back to day one. Because of the exams, the principal didn't want to ring the bells. This meant that classes would not be rotating and the teacher's would again be left to babysit. And the funny thing is the bells rang anyways. On the plus side, being that more teacher's were present, some traded classrooms, so some teaching could still be done. With the limited teaching, I managed to only teach one class, and spent the rest of the day wishing for time to pass in the teachers lounge.

The final day was again a no bells day and only a half day for us at the schools. Not to let that get me down, decided that since I'm here, I might as well find some learners who want to learn. So I asked one of the math teachers to show me the way to one of her classes and to see if I could just teach a  marathon lesson.  It worked out great. The learners were happy because they had something to do, and I was happy because I had something to contribute. Really was enjoying myself and before I knew it was time for us to leave. I didn't want to go, and the learners didn't want me to go. But we said our goodbyes and I got back on the combi to language training. All in all I came away feeling like I had gotten the true Namibian teaching experience filled with ups and downs. Definitely can't wait till the new year, when I'll get a classroom of my own.

The Makuwa Comes to Village

It has been monumental past couple of weeks in PC training so lots to update on. Kicking it off was a visit to my site. My site is a Sangwali Secondary School (grades 8 – 12)  in a small village called Sangwali about 130km SW of Katima. It is rather remote and can be troublesome to travel to, but the village sits along a river and is right up against the a Mamili Nature Park. Getting a little stir crazy from spending the past 6 weeks in training, so I was couldn't wait to get out and explore more of Namibia.  The Thursday before leaving, my school principal Mr. Siloka made the journey down, giving the two of us a chance to get acquainted and exchange some questions. 8AM the next morning, I piled in with my supervisor and my other two Caprivi PC counterparts Lorna and Stephanie and the 1400km journey began. We were fortunate enough to be traveling by Ford Focus as opposed to the much slower and much crowded alternative, combi (16 passenger vans most commonly used as transport across Namibia). Several pit stops were made along the way including the half Wild Foods half Target store known as Super SPAR and acts as the Mecca for all PCVs in Namibia.

As we crept further north  things began to looking like Africa. Soon all the big commercial farms were gone and replaced with clusters of mud hut communities called homesteads. Goats and cattle became ever present road hazards and women carrying buckets and baskets on their heads lined the roads.

We neared the Caprivi Strip just as evening began and two things began to enter my mind. A bit of panic for we had been strongly warned of traveling at night due to the dangers of wildlife crossing the road. Secondly a bit of excitement... well because of the wildlife too. This was elephant country and sitings are common.  Fortunately we did get my wish and came across two elephants on the side of the road. But unfortunately being almost dark and speeding to get through the Strip didn't get the greatest of viewings, but they were impressive and way more intense in the wild.

We got into Katima just after dark, and since none of our principals live in the villages in which they work, the plan was to spend the weekend here. We met up a couple PCVs Kaitlin and Emily living there, who were kind enough to house us three PCTs and act as our tour guide for the weekend. On Saturday, Emily took us around to most of Katima's highlights. First off the crafts market where we dined on the local dish of spinach, fish, and porridge (a white tasteless paste made from corn) and in true Namibia fashion using our hands. For dessert I spoiled myself with some soft served ice cream the first I've spotted in Namibia.

On Sunday I got a ride into Sangwali with my principal. The 130km was a long one with only half the road in being tar and the other half being gravel road. We got into the village just before sunset  and it was just the site I had pictured when I first signed up for the Peace Corps.  Grass huts with stick fences and papaya trees, herds of cattle roaming freely, and children everywhere yelling “Makuwa!” which is Silozi for “white person”. My first evening had just enough time to drop all my stuff at the homestead I’d be staying at, meet my host dad Cebens, and walk down to the river to see the most beautiful sunset I'd seen to date in Africa.

The next morning I got to work observing Namibian classrooms and meeting my future learners and coworkers. I was put on the spot at the morning assembly, and asked to give a speech introducing myself and give some words of encouragement. I slowly and loudly announced who I was, and where I come from (let me tell you it's quite difficult explaining that, yes, there is a “New” Mexico and it is in America to a Namibian), and give the best pep talk I could, but at the end of it all the 300+ just laughed! It wasn't because they were being rude, it was because they had no idea what I just said. Unlike in the city where I was coming from, village learners rarely use English outside of school. So I gave it another go. This time almost painfully slow, and I think I got the message across.

After school went across the yard to take a look at the permanent house I will be moving into beginning in December. At let me say it is the pimpest hut I have ever seen! Grass roof, 2 room – L shaped layout, windows, grass carport, and reed shower out back with a flushing toilet! Something I definitely won't mind calling home for the next 2 years.


Back at the homestead, got my first taste of what it is like to live without electricity or running water. Even had a startling late night encounter with a bat which managed to fly into my hut and cause a ruckus. Induced a bit of culture shock, but I'd be a but disappointed if I had it any other way.

The next day it was time to say bye for now and return to Okahandja with a newly found appreciation of just how good I had it there.

Just Some Photos

Posting a few photos from over the past month. Have a great deal to tell with my site visit being last week, so I'll get a full blog post out soon!

Group 32 summiting Pride Rock.

Culture clash! Traditional Herrera dress w/ lady bug umbrella.

Emerica!  Dorm room life with mosquito netting included.

Family cat outside my homestay.

Sangwali Secondary School.  That's my school!

Wooden bridge into the Sangwali village.