Last Days in Namibia

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

This is will be by last entry into this blog that has followed this extraordinary experience in Namibia. I write it with mixed emotions and a real sense of perspective on what I have gained from this opportunity. It has not only challenged my views on Africa and it’s people, but also the way we deal with issues in the UK.

I hear so much. about how tough it is in the western world with the financial crisis and I cannot help but think back on some of the people I met in Namibia. There was the Grandmother who, because of the death of her children, was bringing up eleven grandchildren on her own by weaving baskets. She never once complained or moaned, but asked that we consider buying her goods. There was the woman who was made homeless by the floods and her worldly goods fitted into the boot of a car. She worked as cleaner and in the following week she lost her job, because of financial cutbacks. Although I knew her quite well, she never asked for anything. There were the children at school who lived in the Hostels, where the conditions were so poor that just walking through them was an emotional roller coaster. Whenever I met them around the school, they always had a smile on their faces and were always dressed immaculately. How they managed it, I will never know, as I would have thought it was impossible to stay clean in such a place.

Has this changed me as a person? Most certainly, how could it fail not to!

Has it changed me as a Head Teacher? Only time will tell, but I am sure that this experience can only be an advantage to me in the future.

Monday was a time to say goodbye to both schools and ensure that contacts would be maintained in the future. I was at Nuuyoma School at 7.00 a.m. to address the children at their assembly. I received a great reception and I felt really sad as I stood up on the step and spoke to the whole school. At mid-day I was invited to Mupewa School where I had a great send-off, with singing and speeches from the children. In the afternoon I attended a Braai (Bar-B-Q) in my honour, where I was presented with traditional Ovambo shirt, which I am told is a great honour. The pictures below are a selection from this special day.

On Tuesday it was final meetings at Elim and Outapi offices, where I said goodbye to the Director of Omusati. I also gave a verbal feedback on my time in Oshikuku, and the impact of the work.

Wednesday was travelling down to Windhoek to be there to collect Ann at the airport the next day. I found a nice place to stop, but struggled to sleep well on a soft, bump free bed.

On Thursday I picked Ann up at the airport and was driving north by ten o’clock. We headed straight for Etosha and stopped in a lovely Lodge in the southern part of the Park. We took a little drive out before sunset and saw lots of animals including two Lions and a very big Lizard, which must have been one and a half metres long. After a very nice meal we sat by the illuminated waterhole and saw Zebra, Jackals and a Rhino all coming for a drink.

Friday was a long, slow drive through Etosha, spotting all sorts of animals. We then headed to Ongwediva and booked into a small hotel. After a quick stop at Penny’s house we had an evening meal with the other Head Teacher Volunteers and Penny.

Saturday was the trip to Oshikuku to pick up my remaining things for the last time. We also met up with Amber who is an American volunteer working with a basket-making group of women. She is an extraordinary person, and has done amazing things to support a group of women and children in Oshikuku. Needless to say we bought a considerable number of baskets from her, with Ann getting into her best shopping mode.

I also showed Ann around one of the schools I had been working in and the home for special needs children. It was an emotional day all round, but more was to follow. In the evening a very special event took place where Doris, a very special Zulu lady, had organised for her dance group to entertain us to say goodbye. It was an amazing evening and made the more special as it was Ann and my twenty-eighth wedding anniversary. It will be something I will never forget.

On Sunday Ann and I said our final goodbyes and drove to Ruacanna falls (picture above) and then on to Khorixas. This involved driving through the Namibian desert for hundreds of miles and not seeing anyone. I attach a picture of Ann on one of the many gravel roads we travelled on.

Monday was travelling back to Windhoek, with some sightseeing along the way and more, very long gravel roads. In the evening we went to the famous ‘Joe’s Beer House’ for a meal.

Tuesday was last minute shopping in Windhoek, and then, all too soon it was time to part again. However, this time it would be only for a few days.

As I close this blog, I would like to thank all of the people who have followed it and read my ramblings. I hope you have enjoyed the stories and pictures from my experiences in Namibia. I consider myself very lucky to have had this opportunity and it was great sharing it with you all.

Lots of love and best wishes for the last time.

Barry X

Last Full Week at Work

Hello Everyone,

I cannot believe that, as I write this blog, I am talking about my last full week of work. The time has gone so quickly, and I really feel that I am just starting to make significant changes in each of the schools I am working in. On refection a three-month placement seemed very long initially, but it actually takes you that long to settle and understand the cultural differences. However, any longer would mean that I could not go back to my original job, so it is a compromise.

Monday started in Ongwediva this week as Penny and I were doing some joint working. When I got up I also found a Praying Mantise on the ‘Bird of Paradise’ Flower, which I attach a picture of. As Penny’s leg is still not healed, I drove, and firstly dropped some papers to Nuuyoma School. I then went to Mupewa School and spent some time with the Head and some of the staff. Mupewa had taken on the task of using the training I had delivered to them on Cumulative Record Cards, and delivering it themselves to all the schools in the Omusati region. This was ambitious, but we had gained the approval of the Director of Education for Omusati, and today was their first workshop. There were four staff involved on the first workshop and I went through each section with them. In the afternoon we met them at the area office where the training was to be done. I sat at the side of the room with the type of nerves you get when one of your children are performing in an event at school. Penny was there to report back to the Director on the quality of the training, and whether it should continue. We needn’t have worried, and I sat there like the proud Father as they delivered an excellent workshop. I kept hearing my words come out of their mouths, and the thirty schools there, all seemed pleased with their training. The picture is the mupewa staff during their training.

Tuesday was working from home in the morning and then picking up five Mupewa staff in the afternoon to deliver another workshop at a different circuit office. Once briefed, I let the staff do the training again, on their own. It was another great success, and I could see the staff grow in stature as I fed back my evaluation to them.

However, feeling really good about the work I had done with Mupewa was short lived that night, as I felt terrible with a fever, sickness, stomach cramps and various other unmentionable symptoms.

The next morning was no better and I just about managed to get myself dressed. and meet up with Penny. We went directly to the Health centre and tried to get an appointment with the Doctor. I arrived at 9.00 and as seen at 11.30; it makes the NHS look really fast. The good news was that it wasn’t Malaria, but it was probably another bite, which I would have to live with for a while. The rest of the day was spent between work and the toilet, but I did have a little sleep in the afternoon, as I had not slept the night before.

On Thursday, I woke up still feeling ‘grim’, but I had managed to get some sleep. This was just as well as I had a meeting in Outapi, 100 Kilometres away, at 9.00 am. We managed to get there on time and I met with the special Needs Team. Another volunteer also showed me around Outapi Hospital, which was quite an eye-opener. I have seen cleaner farms, and the infection rate must be very high. In the afternoon I presented the new development plan to the Nuuyoma Staff. I felt shattered at he end of the day, but did get myself back to Ongwediva to sleep at Penny’s house.

Friday was a general workday, but I did go back to Oshikuku, in the evening, to show a film to the children in Nuuyoma School. Harry Potter and the chamber of Secrets’ went down extremely well, but I would hate to have Health and Safety check the electrics that were set up.

The weekend was highlighted by another trip to Etosha on the Sunday. Penny wanted to go again and we took an American volunteer called Gretchen. It was great as usual, but we didn’t see any Elephants or Lions this time. However, I did have a troop of Mongoose try to bite me. It doesn’t sound good, does it; in an area of wild and vicious creatures a Mongoose attacks me. It was quite big though, and I attach a picture to show how ferocious it was.

I expect next week will be my last blog, but before that, Ann will be joining me. I am hoping to be able to show you some of the pictures and tell you some of the tales.

Take care.

Barry

Thinking of going home.

Hi everyone,

Well this has been a much quieter week, with work happening in three main places. This was the two main schools and the circuit office where I was working with eighteen Principals from the Elim and Etayi cicrcits.

On Monday, Penny O’brien and I had put a training session together for Cluster Centre Principals. This was trying to explain how a Cluster Centre could improve Teaching and Learning and Management Development, both in the school and the Cluster. This training went extremely well with eighteen Principals, and I was very pleased with the quality of the discussions and the positive way that the Principals approached the training.

Tuesday found me back in Oshikuku and opening the door in the morning I found a number of Donkeys standing outside my door (Picture below). It is always interesting to find out what is in my garden when I wake up each morning, as I have had, Goats, Cows, A Bull, Dogs, Chickens, Donkeys and a Chipmunk type Mouse. I worked from home for the whole of the day preparing for some forthcoming training and meetings.

On Wednesday, I was at one of my schools at 6.30 in the morning, ready to issue the whole of the School Staff with their Certificates of Attendance from the previous Workshops. I did drop into Mupewa Junior School, where I was presented with a young girl who was obviously very sad. She had a school bag, which was stuffed full of rubbish and I spent an hour talking to her and asking her why she collected the rubbish. I include her picture below, and I am sure colleagues in Parkside will recognise a child who needs a lot of time from someone to be spent with her. I gave the school some advice on how to build this girls confidence and self-esteem and promised I would visit her again. The rest of the day was spent preparing for another training session with the Cluster Principals on the forthcoming Friday.

On Thursday I had a development meeting with Nuuyoma Secondary School’s Senior Management Team. We agreed a very simple Development Plan to improve the Professional standards of Teachers, the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, Improvement of Lesson Planning and the Development of Subject Policies.

On Friday I woke up to find another one of those big flat spiders in my room. This time I took a picture of it, which I include below. It is about 4 to 5 cm across and can move extremely very quickly. I am told that they are harmless, but I think that depends on you point of view! The day was mostly training the Cluster Centre Principals, which was very successful again and the evaluation returns were very pleasing.

The weekend was also quite quiet, but Penny was pleased to see one of her plants come out in flower for the first time. It is called a ‘Bird of Paradise’ flower and it has taken three years to produce its first flower. I know that Vicky will be particularly interested in this, so I took a picture of it and included it in this Blog.

As I complete this Blog I realise that I have just one more to write before I head for home. Again I have mixed feelings about this part of my life coming to an end, but I do know that I will never forget this experience. I feel that, as so often with Africa, it puts your own life into perspective, and makes you appreciate what you have back in the UK. However, it may make me a little less tolerant of those people who are always moaning about their lot!!

Take care until next week.

Love to all.

Barry