We asked several Namibia Year 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!
Oukongo Primary School in Ovinyange By Ayoola Kellar
Community I am teaching at a primary school 15km from Opuwo in the Kunene Region. Opuwo is a small town where basic necessities (a small-but-modern grocery store, ATM and internet access, home furnishings) and a bit more (a luxurious lodge and a disco equipped with a mirror ball and dug-out dance floor) are available.OukongoPrimary School is in the village of Ovinyange. It is one of a handful of schools facilitating the education of the Herero, Himba and Thimba traditional groups concentrated in the region. The Himba are also one of the few remaining semi-nomadic groups in Africa. It is the home of meat, milk (or omaere as it is called here), mountains, and echoing voices of Himba women singing and clapping in the night.
HostSchool OukongoPrimary School started under a tree in 1995 with ten learners and one teacher. In 1999 the government constructed formal classrooms, informal hostels for learners and teacher housing. Today, the school has 280 learners, ten teachers, and one principal (the one-time teacher under the tree). The school has become an informal bridge in the gap between tradition and modernization. Many of the learners are the first in their families to be formally educated.
Teaching Assignment I teach fifth through seventh grade English, Home Ecology, (Namibia’s version of Home Economics), and Religious and Moral Education. When the principal first approached me about teaching Home Ecology, I was extremely hesitant for numerous reasons but she said, “Don’t worry, you can teach them and they will also teach you.” This was comforting and I accepted the challenge. Now I’m still learning to crochet, while the girls are busy crocheting hats and tablecloths for the community as part of a micro-finance project I helped them begin. Working in an environment with limited resources allows me to be all that I can be for the community of learners and teachers. It’s an incredible environment that tests my abilities, nurtures my skills and encourages me to go beyond my limits. Some days are stressful, frustrating, and challenging, but seeing the sheer excitement to learn painted on these children’s faces and teeming in their eyes is all the motivation I need to keep me going.
Living Arrangement
Teacher housing is located on the school grounds and has most of the basic amenities: a kitchen, indoor toilet, shower, and bedroom area. There is no running water, but I specifically requested a school or region with water issues and came prepared with a 30-litre solar heated “shower in a bag.” There are two water tanks located on the school premises that are usually, but not always, filled when they run out. There’s also a borehole well nearby that put my biceps and triceps to the test until I saw a fourteen-year-old girl hammer down on the lever and show me the technique. Living without running water has given me the opportunity to bond with the learners and the community, and to learn some of the local language at the ‘watering hole.’ It is quite an enjoyable experience
Language Issues Each traditional group speaks its own language, but the languages are similar enough that communication among groups is not too difficult. The introductory language classes at orientation were extremely helpful, and knowing the basic greetings goes a long way. I learnt that showing an interest in learning the native language increased the desire of the people to learn my language.
Greatest Challenges Living in a developing country can be extremely challenging. The greatest challenge has probably been diverging from some of the normalities of Western city life like the efficient use of time, set administrative procedures, and reliable and frequent transportation−all a work-in-progress in Namibia. Yet when the sun sets and I am serenaded by the voices of these truly beautiful children giving thanks for their day, the issues of time, administration, and transportation become minor, especially when I think of the lengths these children and their parents go for the sake of education and learning. Living in a village with a stellar view of the Milky Way and Southern Cross, unhampered by city lights and smog, also helps to put the experience into perspective.
Greatest Rewards Nothing compares to the joy of watching my learners grow, learn and excel! It is one of the most incredible feelings.
Community Onesi is a small but growing village in the western side of north-central Namibia, in the heart of the land of the Ovambo people. Although situated in the middle of a dirt road, it is hardly isolated; people from smaller villages nearby come to Onesi to pick up goods, and there is traffic enough to get to Oshakati, the biggest town in north-central Namibia, to shop when needed. OnesiSecondarySchool is located in the heart of the village, next to a clinic, a post office, and a computer-training center which are always bustling.
HostSchool
Onesi Senior Secondary School is an average secondary school in northern Namibia, with around 600 learners and 25 teachers. Being a secondary school, it is also a hostel school: the majority of learners live on campus. This is great for learners, as they are full time students and have the opportunity to study in the afternoon and evening during study sessions. Because Onesi is a secondary school – Namibia has far fewer secondary schools than schools that do not offer grades 11 and 12 –, Onesi is equipped with continual electricity, copiers, textbooks, and a decent stock of other supplies. Thus, there is a nice school community at Onesi, and plenty of opportunity to interact with and enrich the learners.
Teaching Assignment For the past 2 years, I have taught grades 8, 9, 11, and 12 English. The learners who attend Onesi are mostly from rural areas and have not had a great education up until their enrollment at Onesi. Thus, the challenge of the volunteer is to determine what level the students' understanding is, and what the expectations are of those learners, and attempt to bridge that gap. Learners are eager to meet this challenge when inspired by their teachers to achieve, and so teaching and engaging learners at Onesi has been both a great and difficult experience. This sentiment is also felt by other volunteers who teach at more rural secondary schools like Onesi.
Living Arrangement
Like the majority of learners, all teachers at Onesi live in teacher house on campus. These are small but nice houses with 2 or 3 bedrooms, a living room area, and a kitchen area. While most are located together in one corner of campus, a few are located closer to the hostels. I live in one of the houses closer to the hostels, in a 2 bedroom house with another teacher as a roommate. While roommate situations differ on a case by case basis, I have had a good experience so far, a nice mix of having a shared space to cook and plan and a separate space for myself when I need to unwind. The other teachers and the principal at the school are understanding and are supportive of all teachers having comfortable living situations.
Language Issues
When going out in the community or traveling, languages issues are encountered. Many people have a good grasp of English and conversations in English can be had; the other teachers at Onesi all know English very well, and all meetings are conversations are conducted in English. It is helpful to know greetings and courtesies, and employ them as much as possible! Namibians are big with greetings: all conversations begin with a nice, long greeting. While it is not necessary to know the local language, it is helpful to be open to learning it, as you will come across people who really do not know English.
Greatest ChallengesA great challenge while being here is getting used to the flow and routine of the school. There is generally less organization than schools at home, the way things are done may seem non-sensical (such as having a long exam period without holding classes), and the system may seem resistant to change. What must be remembered is that the current system was put in place by the government as what is seen as the optimal way for school to be conducted; while sometimes it is good to challenge the way schools are operated, volunteers are ultimately here to try to understand and work within the system to better the education of the learners who are part of that system.
Greatest Rewards The greatest reward is working with the learners, and especially to see them engaged, interested, and learning all at the same time! It is possible to positively effect the lives of these learners, and in doing so, hopefully providing them with a step that will help them live the life they wish for.
Dr. Kleopas Dumeni Combined School in Onawa Village By Adam J. Martin
Community
I live and teach in a remote village in Ombalantu, seven kilometers south of the Angolan border. The vast majority of people in Onawa live on traditional homesteads and are subsistence farmers. Life in the village is quiet, but a 15 kilometer taxi ride (or walk, during rainy season) brings me to OutapiTown, the capital of the Omusati Region, where some more modern amenities can be found. People in my village are reserved and, sometimes, suspicious of foreigners; however, upon extending the hand of friendship I have found myself surrounded by many kind and informative locals.
HostSchool
Dr. Kleopas Dumeni Combined School has 600 learners in grades 1 through 10 and is a "school of concern." This presents a special challenge to someone who does not speak Oshiwambo, as most learners do not understand English very well. I have found that speaking slowly and simply and having more advanced learners translate for the class has been a good way to engage the learners. Despite (for some) two-hour walks to school and not having much food in their stomachs, the learners are eager to learn and rely on school as a social outlet. Over the weeks they have become more and more comfortable with me, and let me know daily how happy they are to learn new things. Likewise, they have eagerly taught me much about Owambo culture, their favorite Kwaito artists, and their hopes for the future.
Teaching Assignment
I am teaching grade 8 English, Arts-In-Culture, and Life Skills; Grade 9 Life Skills and Physical Education; and Grade 10 Basic Information Sciences. I teach Grade 8 six periods a week, and after two months of teaching, have seen great improvement in my learners' speaking, listening, and writing abilities!
Living Arrangement
I live alone in one half of a government duplex directly next to the school that is shared by two colleagues. I have running water, electricity, and basic amenities.
Language Issues
Very few people in the village speak English beyond a basic level, but people are eager to communicate with me when I greet them in Oshiwambo. Spelling English and Oshiwambo words in the sand quickly became a daily occurrence. Perhaps just as big as the language barrier is an "accent barrier". Americans' voices are "deep" and it is not uncommon for me to repeat a word several times before it is understood.
Greatest Challenges
The greatest challenge has been the wariness of locals towards me, as a foreigner. Understandably, my neighbors are resentful of colonization in the past. Unfortunately, white people are seen by some as being the children of colonizers or spies for the American government. With a smile and a question or a good joke, it is not difficult to set a positive example of foreigners.
Greatest Rewards
The learners are really trying to improve their English and are turning in their homework at record highs. They are excited to learn new things, and express to me daily how thankful they are to have a teacher who believes in them. I'm in turn thankful to have learners who believe in me.
Mweshipandeka High School in Ongwediva By David Ferguson
Community
I live in Oshakati and teach in Ongwediva. These are two of the three biggest towns in the North of Namibia where over half of Namibia's population lives. Sprouting from former apartheid settlements they now are frontiers of 'development', with its accompanying virtues and vices. For those interested in such issues it is a fascinating place. Traditional homestead meets modern consumer culture.
HostSchool
"Mweshy" as it is referred to in short is one of only two schools (and the only public school) that offers the advanced HIGCSE syllabus (Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education) in northern Namibia. In recent years the school's standards have slipped, but there is a new administration working hard to turn things around.
Teaching Assignment
I'm teaching 11th and 12th grade HIGCSE and IGCSE math, topics in HIGCSE are equivalent to American high school calculus. The learners are very talented and eager to learn (except on Friday afternoons or after break!) though I have to review many of the basics.
Living Arrangement
I live in a government house in an Oshakati neighborhood. I hear that the crime can be bad here, but as long as you don't have much valuable stuff and don't walk around with a camera around your neck you won't be a target (wearing ratty old tennis shoes has helped me so far). On the brighter side the neighbors are very nice and friendly, and because of the huge amount of unemployed young people I had to fight not to acquire a housekeeper and a gardener (a fight I eventually lost -- on both fronts. The cost: $60 a month for both).
Language Issues
Most everyone you come across here speaks English though the more they have been to school the better they speak it. If you can learn the language you can have a conversation with everyone (I deeply wish I could have a conversation with some of the elders in the nearby villages). Plus the more you can speak in the native language the more acceptance you will have.
Greatest Challenges
I tried not to have any expectations coming in but the level of organization at the school was a bit surprising. I arrived 2 weeks into the school year and it was another 4 before we had a permanent timetable.
Greatest Rewards
The learners simply are performing wonderfully. They are bright and motivated. You need to be armed with good explanations and be prepared to answer remedial questions without condescension, but seeing learning in process is truly rewarding.
St. Michael's Roman Catholic Mission in Outjo By Molly Moran
HostSchool
The school is situated on a rural working farm 80km outside the closest town, Outjo, in central Namibia.
Teaching Assignment
I'm the English teacher for grades 6 and 7 and the Arts teacher for grades 5, 6 and 7 and that was just the beginning - now I teach the nuns English and the other teachers computers, plus I have started a scholarship program for children attending Secondary Schools.
Living Arrangement
I have my own spacious flat with a hot bath and three wonderful meals a day, plus my laundry done. It's the closest thing to the "Ritz" in Namibia!
Language Issues
Languages spoken are mostly Afrikaans - also Otjiherero, Oshiwambo, Damara. I'm in the process of learning Afrikaans and Otjiherero in my spare time, which isn't a lot of time. I knew nothing of these languages before I arrived.
Greatest Challenges
The "strict" atmosphere of a Mission.
Greatest Rewards
The absolutely adorable children I spend everyday with. The smiles that we exchange numerous times a day mean more to them than a brand new pair of Nikes! I have made wonderful friends here, whom I will never forget, and hope to continue to learn from them and carry on our friendships wherever we may be. As long as you have an open mind and an open heart, everything else falls into place.
WorldTeach History at Site
We have had volunteers there since 1990 and have had a very good relationship with the school and the Headmaster.
Mokaleng Roman Catholic Combined in Omaheke By Elizabeth Robinson
Community
In the Omaheke region (eastern central Namibia), a small community spread over a large territory. There isn't much other than natural beauty to surround you. The nearest town is Aminus.
HostSchool
Mokaleng Roman Catholic Combined School. A rural church-affiliated school for grades 1-10.
Teaching Assignment
I am teaching grade 6 English and grade 7 computers. I also run the library and help teach/ field questions about computers to Namibian teachers. I co-lead the HIV/AIDS club.
Living Arrangement
I have one half of a small house with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and common room. I eat with the Sisters so I don't cook much for myself. There is no hot water and the shower basically spits, but it's a very nice little house.
Language Issues
I knew about 5 words of Setswana coming to Aminus and I definitely don't read it. Almost everyone speaks English well, but people are really excited and pleased that I am trying to learn.
Greatest Challenges
Lack of imagination from learners. Trying not to feel left out when other teachers hold conversations/meetings in Afrikaans or Tswana.
Greatest Rewards
The learners wanting to teach me or help me; they come and just sit with me or help me wash my clothes, sweep the house. . . .
WorldTeach History at Site
WorldTeach has had a volunteer here on and off for a long time. There is positive support surrounding the position.
