Village Chillage

While my original holiday plans fell through, I managed to have a pretty great tome the past week and a half! 

My friend Sachi, who is a volunteer down in southern Namibia was able to come up and hang out in Kavango for the week. It was really great to introduce her to the culture, language and villages of the north! We spent some time here in Rundu, my shopping town and then headed out to my village, along with fellow Kavango volunteer, Andre. 

It's amazing how life in the village (especially during holiday) can seem so slow, but at the same time the days just fly by! We shared meals with my host family, sat around the fire and played an impromptu game of sand pictionary with my siblings. Loads of fun! 

We happened to be in my village just in time for my youngest brother's first birthday. So, of course we baked cookies and brought him a teddy bear stuffed animal. There is, however no word for "bear" in Rukwangali (not surprisingly) so he's learning to love his new stuffed "mbwa" (dog!). Not long after the birthday festivities, we were all able to witness his first steps! Not to brag, but they were towards one very proud big sister :D

We also managed to watch a lot of Friends, make friendship bracelets, and cook delicious lentil tacos. Overall, successful village chillage time. 

Now I'm wrapping up holiday by making use of the internet, getting lessons together and planned for term 3, and getting ready for my trip to Senegal. I also will have the pleasure of hosting 2 trainees in my village next weeks. They've been in Namibia for a little over a month, and will be shadowing me to learn more about a volunteers role at school! 

That's all for now! Enjoy these photos, compliments of Sachi! :)

Here's my dog, Tjida with his Uncle Dre! 

Showing off my neck muscles... 

My little brother, Junior with his mom
(just moments before he took his first steps!)

"Adversity, we get around it"

Perhaps one of the most important lessons I’m learning as a PCV is how to deal with failure. This has been especially true over the past few days, as both of the projects I had planned to do this school holiday unraveled. And while I’m disappointed that things didn’t go according to plan, I can only hope that through these failures I’ll learn some things that will make it more successful next time, and rejoice that I still have the time in my service to make multiple attempts.

Until then, I’m planning to use my spare time to get super organized for term 3, and allow myself some time to organize my new hut. Also, my PCV friend Sachi is up coming to visit, so I’m excited to share my village with her!

Also, the big news I hinted at a few posts ago has come true, so I’m free to share it! I’ve been selected to attend a conference in Senegal hosted by an organization called Stomp Out Malaria! It’s an intense nine day training event focused on malaria, prevention techniques, and behavior change methods to help my community eradicate the disease. Obviously, I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to not only gain so much useful knowledge but also see another piece of Africa!

This also means I’ll be missing a lot of school, so the other thing I’ll be working on this holiday is planning lessons and assignments to leave behind for my learners. I’m working with my school to find someone willing to take over my classes while I’m gone so they don’t fall behind. I’m happy to report that my term 2 exam scores were reasonably high, and by the final exam I hope we’ll make even more progress.

So… I’m off to practice some useful French phrases! :) Hope you’re having a great day!

To the days that make it worth it.

Note: I wrote this a few weeks back and never got around to posting it. But, it's still very true! :)

One of my favorite things about living abroad is the way that good things, no matter how small, always seem to be amplified. Good days, classes, or moments are really good. By the same token… when things are bad, they’re pretty bad…

I spent all day in bed yesterday, really sick. Running stomach, fever, headache, and sore throat. And it was awful. To make matters worse, the electricity was out. As a girl with a dead laptop whose primary coping mechanism when sick is to watch too much TV (in college, when I was confined to my dorm room with swine flu for a week I once watched 10 NCIS episodes in one day…) this was hard to take. Also, it meant I couldn’t heat up water in my kettle, and therefore couldn’t enjoy hot tea (coping mechanism #2). So… I slept. A lot. I read a little. I lay there feeling miserable.

And today, I’m feeling better. By tomorrow, I’m sure I’ll be back to normal. My host family has been awesome. Maxima made me gargle salt water, and Omama made me soft porridge (a lot like cream of wheat – essentially Kavango baby food!). They chastised me for not wearing a sweatshirt and shoes once the sun went down, and fussed at me for looking thinner.

For all the crazy ups and downs, I’m so glad the good outweighs the bad. When I get to the end of every day, week, and month, I can look back and say: there was a lot of good, and a lot of bad… but when I add it all together, it comes out positive. Always. Little things, like Chicken City’s ice cream machine working when I go to Rundu, or my learners asking me “what’s up?” outside of class. When my dog cuddles with me at night, or when my little host brothers smile at me. When I learn a new word in Rukwangali, or teach a new word in English. When I look up at the stars, or watch the sunrise. Good always comes out on top, if you look for it.

So, to sum that all up, I’ll say this. Some days, you will poop your pants on your way to the latrine. But most days you won’t. And those days make it worth it. :)

updates (huts, pups, and more)

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since I left the US. What a year… In keeping with the roller coaster analogy, I can tell this ride will be over far too soon! From what I hear, year 2 goes by even quicker! I’m so not ready for that!

Things are going well here in my village. Term 2 is winding down; exams are just around the corner! I haven’t completely settled in on my new homestead, mainly because I’m still waiting to move into my permanent hut.

My hut is coming along though! We’ve moved the roof of my original hut over to my new homestead, and re-mudded the walls. That was a ton of fun! It’s like making productive mud pies! All the dry mud is collected from termite hills or my village’s mud pit, and placed inside the hut. Then, we collected tons of water and poured that onto the mud mound. The task of mixing up the mud fell to a few of my bigger boy learners. Then, the girls and I began shaping mud balls! Each ball is then eased between two of the poles (that are holding up he roof) and smoother into place. You have to be careful to get just the right consistency of mud (not too wet, not too dry) otherwise it wont stay in place. I put on some Namibian music on my iPod and we had a dance party while we worked. :)

For my kitchen hut, I’ll need to start from scratch – new roof, new poles, more mud. Part of the Peace Corps’ contract with my village is that the community members provide housing. As my community is made up mostly of people with little to no income, that’s a lot to ask. We had a parent meeting at my school last week, and the school board presented my case. I was very blessed when two of my colleagues stood up to speak for me. They told the parents that I’m working without pay, and even brought up some of the projects I’ve been doing! It was like a Hallmark movie moment… but it really did make me feel appreciated. The parents all agreed to help, and divided up who was bringing what materials. The grass for my roof started arriving on Monday, so I’m on my way there!

I recently spent a week in Windhoek (the capital city), getting ready for the new group of volunteers. They arrive in country TODAY, and I will be spending a week at their pre-service training in August. I’m so excited to meet them all! It’s a large group (44ish) of English teachers and business volunteers.

My dog, Tjida, is growing fast. He follows me everywhere! Right now, he’s napping under my desk… He comes to school with me every day, sometimes all the way into the classroom. Giving him a Rukwangali name has worked out great - I think everyone in my whole village knows his name! I’m also training him in Rukwangali, and the kids love it! He’s starting to grow into his maternal collie bloodlines. His new favorite game is to round up any passing herds of goats… he doesn’t know what to do with them once he has them together, but he’s getting there. He’s still afraid of cows though, and prefers to bark at them from a distance… maybe he’ll grow out of that?

Things continue to go well with the library! I’m hoping to plan some reading events next term to keep interest up! I’ve also started a small library for the lower primary learners (pre-primary – grade 3) that rotates weekly It’s mainly simple books in Rukwangali and a few very easy English books. I’m meeting with those teachers soon to check the progress, and see how they’re using the books.

My language learning is plodding along... it’s hard to find the time to concentrate on it, but I still try to pick up new words every day. How about a quick lesson?

Morokeni (more-oh-ken-ee) : Good morning/hello

Metaha (may-tah-hah) : Good afternoon

Ngurova (nn-guh-roh-vah) : Good evening

Mpandu (mm-pahn-doo) : Thank you

…I’m not so great at phonetic spellings, but that should get you pretty close! I’ll have to make a video! :)

Well, that’s all for now! I have some exciting projects planned for August holiday, but I’m not going to jinx them by telling you about them now! Hopefully I’ll also have some unrelated good news to share soon… so stay tuned! :)

As a few of you know, I had difficulty relating to my original host family here in Mayenzere. It wasn’t so much that we didn’t like one another, or that we clashed… it just wasn’t what I was expecting. It wasn’t the typical Kavango family experience, either. My mother was a teacher at my school, living on the homestead with one of her 4 daughters. From time to time there were various other children, and for a time another single woman… but it never really felt homey.

Through a series of event, I ended up living alone on my homestead. My mother had requested a transfer (being both tired of village life, and not wanting to live apart from her other 2 young daughters who are schooling in Rundu). She now lives in town. The Peace Corps and my supervisor felt uncomfortable about my living alone (although I never felt unsafe, my village is fairly quiet) and starting looking for an alternative. The options were limited, with Peace Corps’ housing requirements, and the location of my school. But, it was decided that I should move in with my principal. By American standards, that sounds strange… perhaps I should clarify and say, on my principal’s homestead. At first, I was quite apprehensive about the move. Firstly, I hate moving. One of my least favorite parts of college was moving in and out of dorms each and every year. Blech. Secondly, I originally felt slightly concerned about living with my principal.

But, things have turned out pretty well, so far. I really like the location of my new homestead, and the people who live here. My current homestead family includes Mr. Semethe (my principal), Omama (“Grandmother”, Mr. Semethe’s mother), Maxima (my language tutor/the school cleaner/my best friend on the village), Junior – age 10 months (Maxima’s son), Sendi – age 2 (another one of Omama’s grandchildren) and Maria – age 8 (an orphan who was taken in by my family).

I began moving here on Friday, although I still have a lot of things to move over here. I have way too much stuff. It’s amazing how fast I accumulate things here. I sometimes can’t believe I started out with two bags that I could carry easily by myself. Between Peace Corps materials, the lending library at the PC office, zealous package senders, and my refusal to throw away anything that might be remotely useful… I’ve acquired a mountain of possessions.

This weekend has been… uneventful, I suppose, in some ways. But it’s been wonderful at the same time. It’s exactly what I was expecting when I first moved to my village. It’s been just Omama, Maria, Sendi and I…which has put my Rukwangali skills to the test. Also, since my stove and food are still at my old house, I’ve been taking my meals with them (lots and lots of porridge!). I had the opportunity to help Omama pound mahangu yesterday, after doing some much needed laundry. My arms and hands are sore today, but I was actually getting the hang of it after a while. It’s all in the form… although rhythm and breathing factor in a lot. I’d often wondered why most Namibian women and girls make a little hissing or whistling noise with each stroke of their pounding stick, bu I found it helped keep my tempo strong and helped me remember to breathe – both very important things when you’re pounding!

This afternoon, I decided to try carrying water to my new and slightly further homestead. Since it’s a longer trek, I finally asked some of the women at the tap to help me wind a shitenge into a round, flat pad to put between my head and my jerry can. To use one of these, you need someone to help you place the water on your head, because if you lift it yourself, you’ll knock of the shitenge in the process. So, one of my new friends volunteered to help, and lifted my jug… but she overestimated my water carrying abilities and placed the can on my head standing up straight. (I usually carry it sideways so I have more surface area and can hold the handle as I walk). I gave it a try and tried to straighten up, which resulted in 3 ladies rushing at me to catch the 25 liter container so it didn’t crash to the ground. After that, we did it again…sideways. :) I think I’ll stick with that for now!

 Tjida is also enjoying his new home, which comes complete with a playmate, Pretti, a playful dog who is old enough to subdue my pup, but young enough not mind his constant energy and need of attention. We are both currently staying in a hut that serves as a kitchen during the rainy season (cooking is done outside in the winter). My principal plans to build a new hut for us soon. I’m hoping I can even get him to build me some hammock posts while he has wet cement! And tonight, my new family will I finish watching Tarzan (which we started last night, around the fire). I’m looking forward to it immensely.

I keep thinking I’m going to get better at keeping up with this blog… but then life happens. Haha… Sorry everyone!

I’ll try to summarize:

            - I successfully completed my first term of teaching. It was crazy and frustrating and wonderful. Teaching is really hard work! But, even on the “bad days” when nothing goes as planned… I’m learning to just go with the flow and do whatever I can. I’m slowly getting better at finding those teachable moments, when to bring out the inflatable beach ball to keep things interesting, or how playing Frisbee can become an English lesson.

            - Last term one of my main focuses was getting the library up and running. It went pretty well! I’m in the process of making a few changes in the system to help check out times go more smoothly. The learners love it though! It makes me so happy to see kids so excited about books. I’ve never had fewer than 50 learners come any time the library has been open!

            - Camp Glow! Camp Glow is a youth development camp that I had the pleasure of being a part of this year! It was an amazing week! We had 80 learners there from all over Namibia, some of whom had never before left their village. The week was jam-packed with activities about leadership, health, gender awareness, and planning for the future. We had a blast! I already can’t wait for next year! One of the best things about it was our Namibian counselors. We had 12 of them, some still in high school, all of them amazing! Spending time with them gave me so much hope for the future of Namibia. They are so passionate and smart and wonderful, and I’m so happy I’m to be friends with them.

            - After camp, I spent a week with my amazing host family in Okahandja. I know I brag on them all the time, but I seriously can’t convey just how lucky I am to be a Bezuidenhout. It’s like having a small piece of home here in Namibia. I know I’m always welcome there, that there will be hugs, jokes, quality conversations, a comfy bed and good food. And to cement their place as best host family ever, during this visit, they gave me the most adorable puppy on the planet! 

            - The rest of my holiday was spent at a Peace Corps conference and then hanging out with a few other PCVs back in Kavango. It was an awesome, relaxing and refreshing break.

            - And now, term 2 is underway! So far, we’re off to a great start! :) I can tell that my learners are becoming more comfortable with me, and that they’re making progress. I’m back to diligently studying Rukwangali, and hoping to get together some beginner English classes for adults. God willing, Maxima and I will launch our girls’ club next Wednesday! So hopefully I’ll soon have an update on that.

Thanks for reading!

Packing time!

In order to pay homage to all of the diligent bloggers whose writings I scoured endlessly from the time I was nominated until I left America, and hopefully to help out some future volunteers, it is now time for… the packing list.

To all of you American friends, this probably won’t be very applicable. I apologize, and promise to get a new blog up soon for your reading pleasure…but group 38 needs packing advice first!

I distinctly remember, while going through my obsessive list making before I left for Peace Corps, worrying that I wouldn’t be able to find baking soda (which I used to wash my dreadlocks). Baking soda! Now that seems hilarious… but then it seemed like a very real concern.

Fact – Namibia has grocery stores. Clothing stores. Electronics stores. Camping/outdoor stores. ATMs. Internet cafes. Baking soda AND baking powder.

I guess what I’m trying to say is… if you need it, it’s probably here. Granted, maybe not in your region, but at least in Windhoek, you’ll be able to find most everything you need. If not, enlist someone in the US to ship it to you.

The most important piece of advice I was given about packing for the Peace Corps was this: Pack as if you’re moving, not going on a trip. Seems simple, but it’s a great philosophy to think about when you’re making cuts from your packing list.

So here's my advice... 

Clothing

Nice clothes for teaching – Namibian teachers are snazzy dressers! Don’t be afraid to bring some nice things. I get away with my own, more comfortable version of teaching clothing but if you like to dress up, you’ll fit in here.

Casual clothes – I didn’t bring enough of these. In the village, after school (especially in the summer) all you’re gonna want to be wearing is some shorts and a tank top.

Warm clothes – You’re going to hear this a million times…. but Namibia gets COLD. I know you’re sitting there right now in early summer, thinking “Psh… it’s Africa. How cold could it be? I’m from (insert northern state). I can handle it!”

You can’t. Especially after you’ve been through a Nam summer and your body is used to constantly sweating. Do yourself a favor… bring a warm jacket, a scarf, a hat, socks and gloves.  You won’t regret it.

Special note for those with visible tattoos: Peace Corps informed me about 2 weeks before departure that all tattoos were to be kept covered for the first 8 months in country. I assure you this is completely unnecessary. Save yourself a lot of packing frustrations and just bring clothes that are appropriate for the weather. My tattoos attract attention, but they also start conversations, and allow me explain different aspects of American culture.

Electronics

What I would bring:

Laptop – netbooks are good for traveling, but wither way you’re going to want to have something!

Kindle – optional, but great if you like to go through books quickly. There are some pretty great volunteer libraries floating around (especially in Kavango…which is also the coolest region, overall!) so it’s not a must, but if you have one, bring it!

iPod – Music keeps me sane, so this was non-negotiable for me.

Camera - you’re obviously going to see amazing things here!

External hard drive – filled with new media. As in the new Dexter season that starts next month, Game of Thrones, and all the summer blockbusters. You will make lots of friends! :)

Note: Most of the things you bring with you will probably be broken or stolen while you’re here. Be prepared.

Random other things I’m glad I brought…

ENO hammock

A good kitchen knife – 2 years is a long time to go without a good knife. Bring one!

Pictures and things to decorate

Gerber multitool

Thermarest sleeping pad

Hair cutting scissors

Diva cup

In conclusion... bring what you absolutely need. You need less than you think. If you're unsure about whether or not you can get something here ask me or another current volunteer. 

And...welcome to Namibia! Can't wait to meet you all!