Happy Halloween!

Some of my host siblings: Margarita, Atu, Cassia and Sophia (with a basket of [pounded] mahangu on her head - and some on her hands, too!)

I’m dedicating this blog post to my Namibian colleagues…cuz they are AWESOME! After talking with other volunteers and stopping to reflect on the situation, I realized that I have amazing colleagues. I am so lucky to be where I am. I look forward to going to school each day and my weeks seem to fly by. My colleagues have been so helpful – letting me sit in on their classes; answering my questions about the school, about the Namibian education system and about the Namibian culture in general; introducing me to people in the community and other volunteers; showing me around town; helping me find hikes (rides) back home; introducing me to Namibian food (Oshiwambo chicken most recently); and coaxing me out my sometimes-reserved American shell.

With my brother Frans (and I'm wearing a shitenge btw)

And now, just a few comments on the weather. Lordy, it is hot! Although I must say, I think I’m adjusting. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will sweat every day (and not from exercising, either). I have a near-constant glow from the heat radiating off my face, and I have more freckles than I ever knew I had! Oh, and I have a farmer’s tan. Yikes, time to break out the sun screen!

My Meme [pron: may-may] Rosa (and she's also the village headwoman!)

My most interesting Namibian experience recently…a parents’ meeting. The meeting was scheduled for 2:00 on a Thursday afternoon but it didn’t actually begin until 3:15 (a perfect example of the flexibility I like to call “Namtime”). The meeting venue: underneath the shade of a big tree just outside the school fence, on chairs borrowed from the grade 1 classroom. Total parent attendance: 22. Quick quiz, how many students are at the school? That’s right: 350. Now, Namibian families are much bigger than American families so let’s say that the average household size is 5 school-aged kids. That would mean that there are (at a minimum) 70 households that send kids to school. Some quick math shows us that only 31% of the households sent a representative to the meeting. I think this may be indicative of the parental involvement in education in Namibia generally. Many colleagues have told me that getting parents involved is one of the biggest challenges they face. And to make things worse, several factors compound the problem of parental involvement in rural areas. First, Namibia is no exception to the worldwide trend: educated people tend to move to the cities, therefore those who are left in the villages are those that may not be able to help their children with schoolwork even if they wanted to. Secondly, because of the strong tradition of extended families and also because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, many children from rural areas are raised by grandparents who may not understand the value of education. So, in company with teachers worldwide, in urban and rural settings, I face the age old problem of trying to get people (both old and young) to understand the value of education. Wish me luck. . .

And talk about dedication, I’m at school on a SUNDAY. That’s right, a Sunday. I have several very selfish reasons for being here, however, so don’t go thinking I’m an overachiever. Foremost, I needed to charge my cell phone. I’m also enjoying some well-earned all-American solitude. It’s quite nice to have a little TRUE alone time sitting in the “office” (a storage closet lined with shelves and three teachers’ tables) and listening to music and, if I get motivated, working on a year plan for grade 6 English. I have a key for my “office” but not for the school fence, so I simply hiked up my shitenge (a beautifully patterned 2m piece of cloth that I use as a wrap skirt) and hopped the fence. Don’t worry, I’m not completely alone…there are half a dozen goats grazing in the school yard!

And before I forget…Happy Halloween! BOO! (Send me pics of all your sweet costumes, please!)