We asked Namibia Summer volunteers to describe the towns in which they live and schools where they teach.  We hope these samples will give you a picture of life as a WorldTeach volunteer in Namibia, but please keep in mind as you read these that every site is unique.  Your experience will be what you make of it!

Brendan Simbwaye Primary School in Katima Mulilo (urban), by Chelsea Gordon
Oanob Primary School in Rehoboth (urban), by Olga Tymejczyk
Andimba Toivo ya Toivo Secondary School in Ondangwa (urban), by Deborah Miller
Eengedjo Senior Secondary School in Ohwangwena Region (rural), by Lisa Kuhfuss
Onayena Primary School in Oshitango Region (rural), by Ariadne Prior-Grosch

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Community

For eight weeks I lived and worked in the town of Katima Mulilo located at the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip near the border between Namibia and Zambia. The town is quite rural, but among the more populated areas in the country with approximately 15,000 inhabitants. There are a few paved roads leading to the center of town where one can find a grocery store, the market, a number of stores and places to eat, banks, and the sports complex (a soccer field with some bleachers and a netball court). On the outskirts of the town are the residential areas which generally consist of small cement houses with zinc roofs. Most people travel throughout Katima Mulilo by foot but there are many taxis available in the town center and rates are very reasonable.

Katima is located right on the beautiful Zambezi River which means water is more plentiful than it is in the typical Namibian town. However, the water brings mosquitoes, and malaria is definitely a large problem. Luckily, local hospitals are well equipped to treat this disease and many who are infected are successfully treated.

As Katima is a border town, its culture is quite different from that of other Namibian cities. Many locals have their roots in neighboring countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana.

Locals speak a mix of tribal languages including Sifwe and Subiya, and most children are taught Silozi as their first language. It is only around age five that official instruction in English begins, and fluency in English is generally very good but varies.

Katima is about a fourteen hour drive from the capital city Windhoek and the closest town of comparable size is Sesheke in Zambia. Nearby tourist attractions include Victoria Falls (a four to five hour bus trip away) and the Chobe National Park in Botswana.

Host School

I volunteered at the Brendan Simbwaye Primary School located about a fifteen minute walk from the center of town within the residential area of Katima Mulilo. The school was established in the year 2000 and the facilities are in excellent condition. Eight pastel green and yellow cement buildings line the campus – one serving as an administrative office, the rest containing three classrooms each. The grounds are swept every morning by the students and classrooms are spotless at the close of each school day. A netball court and soccer field are located off to the side of the school grounds and learners spend their afternoons playing sports.

Learners range from age five through age fourteen (grades 1-7). Since there are not enough classrooms to accommodate all of the learners, the school day is broken into two parts. Mornings (7:00AM – 12:30PM) are reserved for grades 5-7. Afternoons from 2:00-5:00PM are reserved for the younger students.

There are approximately forty teachers employed by the school and all are highly overworked. Each teacher is responsible for teaching a specific subject to four classes of forty each, grading all homework and exams and generally keeping track of scores by hand.

The school has many ICT resources including a computer lab complete with ten functioning computers each connected to the internet. Two other computers are used by secretaries in the administrative office and the network server is located in the library. Teachers have access to two printers, two copy machines, a television and a VCR.

Teaching Assignment

My main goal as a volunteer was to help teachers become comfortable using the computers available in the school computer lab as both an administrative tool and an educational tool. My first day was a bit intimidating in that I was put to the task of meeting all of the teachers, learning their names convincing, them to enroll in computer trainings, and breaking them into groups according to skill level. The tasks of my first day actually extended into the rest of the week. Organizing such a large group, I soon learned, was not as simple as I had originally assumed. Eventually I devised a schedule that created meeting times for three groups of teachers. I held trainings each day at different times depending on the group.

All volunteers were assigned with the task of preparing ten teachers to take the International Computer Driving License Exams. With this specific group of ten teachers II based lessons off of a curriculum set by the ICDL program and used a textbook provided by the Ministry of Education to supplement lessons. For the other teachers I held trainings to teach skills I felt would be most useful – Microsoft Word, basic internet searches, etc.

I also taught a grade seven natural sciences class. We began with HIV/AIDS education then moved on to topics including shelter, transportation, and energy. During free periods I stayed in the computer lab assisting any teacher who requested help. I also trained the secretary (who was already very familiar with Microsoft Word) in more sophisticated elements of office programs.

Generally my days at the school began at around 7AM and ended at 4 or 5PM though these times varied. During the weeks before the ICDL exams I held extra night and weekend trainings.

Living Arrangements

I was lucky to be placed with the most amazing host family in all of Namibia! My two host parents were both young math teachers at the school and they had two daughters named Mary (age 4) and Pumi (age 2). Since their home was located on the school grounds and transportation was not an issue I was able to be very flexible with my teaching hours.

I was provided with my own room, a large bed, pillows, a mosquito net, a desk, and a large closet (complete with a giant spider that I soon grew accustomed to seeing every morning). The house had running cold water, electricity, satellite TV, and a computer.

My host mom was a phenomenal cook and she made breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Since the school was so close to the house, I was able to return for all of my meals and visit with Mary and Pumi during lunchtime.

I was lucky to be placed with a family of such good people. I felt that my host parents had a genuine interest in my well being during the entirety of my stay and I am grateful that they so openly welcomed me into their home. After only a day in Katima I felt completely at home.

On weekends I was able to explore the town and often went with my host mom (the coach of the netball team) to the sports complex to watch the girls play. I had time to walk to town and go to the local stores or the bank. I also had time to travel. One weekend my host mom and one of the other teachers at the school took me to Botswana to go shopping.

I was also able to visit the village of Chinchimane where my family had a traditional homestead that they liked to visit during the weekends or holidays.

Language Issues

I did not run into many language issues. At times it was difficult for some of the teachers to understand my accent so I made an effort to speak more clearly. Overall, however, communication and language was not an issue.

Greatest Challenges

My biggest challenge was probably adapting to such a different culture and way of life. I did feel at times that I lacked privacy and though I could understand the words everyone spoke I sometimes felt that I didn’t quite grasp certain subtle nuances that only a deep cultural understanding can unveil.

Greatest Rewards

During the first few weeks of my stay at the Brendan Simbwaye Primary School the computer lab was used as a meeting place (because it contained along with many computers, many chairs) as well as a quite area for teachers to grade homework by hand. The computers were left ignored and unused except by a select few teachers who were familiar with their functioning. By the end of my stay, the lab was full almost every day with teachers learning to use Microsoft Office Programs or students learning to email. This was certainly the most rewarding aspect of my experience as a volunteer. I hope I was able to convey to the teachers and students the importance of ICTs as well as a sense of how computers can be used to improve education.

WorldTeach History at Site

I was the fifth volunteer at the Brendan Simbwaye Primary School. The previous volunteers did an immense job training many of the other teachers. This was apparent from the onset. My host dad, for example, was well versed with computers and has done an excellent job of maintaining the network.

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Community

A.     Approx population: not sure

B.     Geography: Ondangwa is a large town by Northern Namibia standards but a small “town” by Western standards. It pops up from amid the muhango fields in a very rural region.  It is semi-arid so I haven’t seen rain and don’t expect to.  The “rivers” are all dried up, so while you have to conserve water, at least you reduce your risk of malaria.  Sand is everywhere and you will get used to it. The vegetation is limited to dry bush and Lion King trees, but the residents plant trees and bushes inside old tires lining their fences which I think is so cool. The landscape is very flat, not a hill in sight, and the sunsets are postcard-perfect. Ondangwa is inland and the ocean is inaccessible due to the Skeleton Coast.

C.     What’s in the town: B1 main “highway” goes through town.  It is a two lane road in each direction where combi (vans used as a form of public transportation) crashes and cattle crossings are frequent. Transportation around town and into surrounding villages is easy since taxis have flooded the road. Branching off from B1 is one tar road running north towards Oshikango and Angola. There are many sandy roads branching off into neighborhoods and stretching farther off into farms.

      The closest college is about 30 km west down B1 in Ongwediva. The nearest university is a UNAM satellite campus 36 km west in Oshakati. In our experience, most university students get out of the North ASAP and go to UNAM in Windhoek.  But they all come home for the university holidays to stay with family.

      There are several clothing stores, china shops, auto garages, shebeens (small shops that sell beer and soda), and open markets in Ondangwa.  Shoprite is the main grocery store, although rumor has it that a Pick’n Pay is hidden in the outskirts of town. There is a KFC in Ondangwa, but requires a taxi from the school. ATMs are available at the petrol stations and at the FNB and Standard Bank. 

Travel farther away is super easy.  The combi field across the street from Shell is larger than Oshakati’s and has combis to Windhoek, Ruacana, Rundu, Katima, and Walvis running daily throughout the day.  Don’t bother getting there before 9 or you’ll be waiting in the sun for hours. All the combis wait to fill up and then drive to the Shell station to fuel up. I recommend checking out the combis at the Shell station first so that you don’t have to wait at all. 

I hear there is internet at a couple book shops on the other side of town, but I haven’t found them.  I use the Northern IT Institute high-speed internet in Oshakati for 36 Namibian dollars an hour.  Also, Andimba doesn’t have internet but if you are friendly with teachers from Na Ngolo, the neighboring secondary school, you can use one of their 10 SchoolNet computers during their free periods. Just introduce yourself to the principal and maybe donate some books to their “library.”

    Andimba volunteers live in the hostel, so when I needed a break from the 500 15-year-old girls, I had the other Northern volunteers visit and we all stayed at the ABC lodge and restaurant in Ondangwa. A room with two twin beds costs N$180. I recommend the liter of Tafel and the chicken curry sandwich for 7 bucks each before shaking it at their disco.

D.   What’s nearby: Oshakati (a nearby city) is home to the SOS Club, which serves excellent brick-oven pizzas Western style.  I recommend the Caribbean and Tex Mex varieties.  They have excellent music that will make you nostalgic for home!  The bartender was very excited to have us come, as it is known as the volunteer hangout and you’ll be sure to run in to the Peace Corps.  The bartender also called all around town to find a bargain lodge for us all to have a WorldTeach sleepover.

      Many of the lodges are also restaurants and bars running around N$350 a night for two twin beds and coffee and tea in the morning. Oshakati is also home to King Pie, KFC, and a small coffee shop/butcher’s/florist that makes killer chocolate milkshakes.  The fruit smoothies at Fruit and Veg City are also quite popular.      

     Game is the place to go for anything electronic or computer-oriented. The stationary store next to Fruit and Veg offers a great selection of paper for certificate-making.

      Ongwediva is in between Ondangwa and Oshakati is apparently the place to shebeen it (a shebeen is a small shop that sells beer and soda), although I never tried. The Ongwediva trade fair is a hot tourist spot in late August.  This year over 400 artisans signed up for booths and 50 of them are foreigners. 
      
If you rent a car you can easily drive into Etosha via the King Nehale gate for the day.  Or book a campsite in Namutoni and your game drive will conveniently end at its doorstep.  A museum in Olukonda features weapons used in the war against the South African soldiers, animal skins, traditional crafts, and a traditional house. An old traditional church with surrounding graveyard and a traditional horse cart used in the old days are also in Olukonda.

E.   Occupations that people hold: Everyone is a taxi driver.  Some people drive combis (small vans used for transport). Others mysteriously work for these taxi and combi drivers and help them get customers, but I haven’t figured out the salary system yet. Lots of people sell Tango airtime cards as well as belts, pumis stones, sandals, and various junk on the street.  The memes (older women) sell fried fish, chips, fatty cakes, nuts, muhangu (a staple crop used to make porridge), apples, and oranges at the makeshift open markets. Others work at the clothing stores, Shoprite, and china-shop-like shops.  I don’t know how long it will be until the anti-shebeen movement makes its way to the North, but it certainly hasn’t happened yet, and I assume many people work there.  There are lots of hairdressers too.  The better paying jobs seem to be teachers and government workers who mostly work in education or development. The Rossing Foundation for educational development is just down the street. Most people are not farmers but grew up on farms and claim farming as their culture.  You aren’t Ovambo if you don’t know how to farm muhangu.

Host School

A.  Number of teachers overall, number of English teachers: There are about 36 teachers plus or minus two, two of which are Japanese volunteer teachers working for two years.

B.  Number and grade/ability level of students: There are about 1000 learners ranging from grade 8 to grade 12.  The learners here are relatively young compared to many other schools.  The learners’ ages are usually 13 in grade 8 and 18 in grade 12.  Many other schools have kids older than their grade level would suggest because they either fail many grade levels or become pregnant and return to school after giving birth and nursing. The school in not internationally accredited so many foreign universities will not accept their secondary diploma. I’ve encouraged our top students to apply for a “foundation year” program at UK universities to bypass this problem.  Otherwise, most grade 12 learners apply to UNAM and the brightest apply to South African universities.

C.    Number of classrooms: There are 29 classes of learners and 34 classrooms.  There are 29 home-room classrooms, a home economics classroom equipped with ovens, stoves, and fridges, the computer lab, a biology lab, a science lab, and a tailoring classroom. The library is closed.

D.   Amenities: The classrooms are equipped with blackboards, but expect to buy your own chalk.  The learners sit in traditional desks. Most of the technology is in the computer lab where we have 28 computers, one server, 5 typewriters, and one printer. Many teachers have expressed a desire for computers and projectors in the classrooms, especially since Power Point is so cool. There are two overhead projectors. The English department has tape recorders, c.d. players, and a big-screen t.v.

E.    Number of Computers: 28 computers for learners, one server, 4 computers in staff offices

F.  Computer Teacher: Yes, Juanita Tjongarero-Hammond just started teaching computers to all grade levels.  She is very excited because Shell just donated textbooks for all the learners. She is very outgoing and friendly so there won’t be a dull moment in her classroom. She also has the world’s two most darling and gorgeous children.

Teaching Assignment

A.  Your daily schedule: I spent from 12 to 2 planning my lessons, typing up exercises and study sheets, and helping Juanita with random problems. Teachers started filing in around 2 and we formally started class at 2:30.  I had a full classroom until 5:30 and usually helped one or two teachers individually until 6.  Classes were everyday Monday thru Thursday and everyone of different skill levels was welcome everyday. In the last couple weeks before the exam, I taught from 2 to 7 with a full classroom everyday including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. When I wasn’t teaching I often kept the computer lab open so that learners could finish their assignments or practice typing.

B. Your semester schedule: I am not really sure what this means, maybe because I am not even here for an entire semester. But, we did have a long weekend in the middle of our term so that the kids could visit their families.

C. The level of your classes: Every level.  Most teachers had never touched a computer before while the younger teachers had a little experience with Microsoft Word.  The beginners started with mouse control, keyboarding and basic Microsoft Office skills.  We crammed some computer theory and folder maintenance into the last couple weeks. The younger teachers began with more advanced Microsoft Word skills such as Word Art, inserting pictures, and inserting table. They also learned Microsoft Excel basics, functions, equations, and graphs. The younger teachers had no computer theory background so joined the beginners in these lessons.

D.  Supervision: No one supervises me.  The computer teacher and the principal were in my class. I determined the schedule by asking teachers what time was good for them.  No one showed up at 2, so I made class start at 2:30.  I had no ending time, but people left on their own accord around 5:30.  I asked them if they wanted class on Fridays and it was expectedly unpopular so I said OK.  The schedule made itself.

Living Arrangements

A.     House/room: I live in the hostel with mostly grade 12 girls.  There are about 140 girls in the hostel, but I have my own bedroom.  My bedroom is attached to a spacious yet empty common room which adjoins my bedroom with that of the hostel matrons’ and our shared kitchen and bathroom. I have a cot, a light, a closet with shelves, two windows, and curtains in my room. I also borrowed a learner’s desk and bench for my things. The bathroom has a tub which I would never actually take a bath in, a flushing toilet, and a sink. The kitchen has a rusty burner and a sink.  I bought an electric kettle and left it there, so it should have that too. The school does not have hot water so all bathing must be done in cold water or in a small tub after heating water in the kettle or pot. I had to buy my own dishes and utensils, but left them there. Electricity is frequently reliable.

B.     Proximity to school and town: I can walk to the computer lab in 10 seconds. It is great living on campus, yet living in the hostel makes you subject to the locking of the gate. Despite frequent promises, I never got a key to the hostel gate which is locked during school hours and evening study hours. Either plan to be inside or outside for the duration of time, find a matron to let you in, or order learners to find a matron to let you out. This was the most frustrating part of my stay.

      We are luckily very close to the supermarket and center of town.  It’s only about a 1 km walk and is very fun as little kids playing in their yards always call out hello!

Language Issues

Honestly, there is not a language barrier.  All the teachers speak great English with exception of the Japanese volunteer teachers, who obviously will not be in your computer class. The hostel matrons do not speak English but communication with them is usually cordial and not necessary.  Plus, learners are always around to translate.  Just speak slowly and remember that you are the one with the strange accent.

Greatest Challenges

The biggest challenges are simply being away from family and friends. My whole extended family had a family reunion in San Diego and I was the only one absent!  I just graduated from university, so all my friends and I are beginning our separate lives, yet it is expensive for me to get to the internet and share stories with them.

      This challenge was eased because I am blessed with great WorldTeach friends and outgoing fun Andimba teachers who speak English well. Still, on a Thursday night when your week’s teaching is finished but all your friends are villages away or at home with family, it can be pretty challenging.  I tried to learn some French, read some international politics textbook lessons, African history novels, and master the art of journaling.  But it can still be pretty lonely.

Greatest Rewards

The most enjoyable part of each day is watching the teachers learn something new.  I never thought that cut and paste was a magical operation, but to someone who has never seen it before, it is quite exciting.  In my country, we take computers for granted, but here computers are Christmas. The teachers are of all ages and they are a living example that learning never ends.

      I don’t want this to be the end of my Namibian experience.  I don’t want to look back on my days here as a “good experience” because that is a cliché way to say, “I did it when I was 20, but am not doing it again.” I want to continue my life in education and development and the Andimba family has been so encouraging, welcoming, and inspirational.

WorldTeach History at Site

I am the first volunteer from WorldTeach at least since 2000.  There have been VSO and Peace Corps volunteers in the past. Andimba really wants more volunteer teachers and they are prepared to welcome them with excited open arms. They are determined to learn the ICDL material so another ICDL facilitator is greatly wanted! (And I would recommend them as a mutually beneficial partner.)

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A) Approximate Population: about 30,000 (but this must include all the homesteads around the village because the actual “village” itself definitely doesn't have 30,000 people!!)

B) Geography: Rural village in the northern region.

C) What's in the town? Not much! There are 3 schools (primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary), a lot of shebeens (where beer and soda are sold), and a church.

D) What's nearby? Oshakati is the largest town nearby. Oshakati has some shopping centers and a few restaurants. It's about 20-25 miles away.

E) Occupations of residents: a lot of teachers, farmers

Host School

A) Number of teachers overall/number of English teachers: 20-25 teachers/4 English teachers

B) Number and grade/ability level of students: approximately 700 students/grades 8-12

C) Number of classrooms: 20 plus a library, computer lab, science lab

D) Amenities: only when brought in by teachers/satellite TV in dining hall

E) Number of Computers: 14

F) Computer Teacher? Peace Corps Volunteer

Teaching Assignment

A) Your daily schedule: I mainly teach only computer skills to teachers. I have occasionally taught grade 9 English classes.

B) Your semester or cycle schedule: 7 day cycle

C) The level of your classes: Computer classes are beginning/basic skill level

D) Supervision: No one

Living Arrangements

A) I live in a house on school property with another WorldTeach volunteer.

B) I have a private room. Our house has running water (no hot water) and electricity – most of the time!

C) I am very close to the school (on the school grounds) and walking distance to everything in the village.

Language Issues

A) Have you experienced particular difficulties with the language barrier? Yes. Many of the teachers in the computer class are older and, therefore, don't speak English as well as others. It has been extremely difficult, in some instances, to communicate computer terminology. Computers are very foreign to many of the teachers and the language barrier is an added challenge.

B) How are you doing partway through your stay – with the language barrier? I have been here about 5 weeks and I am having the same difficulties with language as when I arrived. The older teachers are hard to understand and they have trouble understanding me, as well.

Greatest Challenges

Teaching computer skills to teachers who don't have much prior knowledge in such a short amount of time. The teachers are only willing to commit to 1 hour per day for 4 days each week. This isn't enough time to grasp the skills needed to use a computer effectively OR to pass the test.

Greatest Rewards

Seeing the teachers make progress and be able to do something they couldn't do before. It's very important to celebrate small successes!

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