National Identity

As we have spent more time here and talked with more people, we realize this second Independence Day more than our first just how weak a sense of national identity exists here. Especially in comparison with America. Maybe by now we shouldn't have been, but we somehow found it surprising to realize that only certain Namibians will celebrate this public holiday and what it means.

Namibians tend to find their identity in their tribe, mother tongue, or even shade of skin color. And America is largely the opposite in that most people have a greater sense of their national identity rather than their ethnic one. As an example, I may not even know if my friends' families come from England, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Poland, etc... unless they are particularly proud! Even then, it seems that the majority of Americans identify as Americans first and foremost.

And if identifying mostly with our greater nationality means highlighting our similarities with most of those with whom we live and work, whereas identifying more specifically with our ethnic background means highlighting our differences (which I would argue is usually the case), then I have to say that the benefits of the former seem to outweigh those of the latter. For one thing, we can certainly attest that racism and tribalism is very high in this country, which seems to be not just a matter of correlation but one of cause and effect. 

So while a part of me still somewhat envies Americans who have a strong connection with the countries where their families came from (and not just because they like the food!) since being of Polish, German, and British descent never made much of a difference to me, our experience here has made me prouder to be an American at least!  (Now don't get me started on "stateism" in America!)

Photos from Athletics

Here are some photos taken at and after the Athletics Regional competition, which was last Thursday, on the 8^th.

In some of those you can see how the kids like to really get into the plants when they “catch photos!”  Just a random, cultural-sort of observation.

Meat

A normal occurence is walking into your staff room to a giant slab of "whole" meat just lying there on the table.  Patches had visited Kevin that day and was just a little bit tempted!

Athletics meets have been the focus of everyone's attention lately, so the meat was going to be prepared to sell at these events.

Cooking worms with boys

We unexpectedly spent a recent evening with some boys cooking worms "meat" (aka: worms or something?) in cans on the fire where we were burning our trash.  Guess you could say they are opportunists!  And it was really their lucky day because we even 'donated' some spices to the cause.

We didn't partake in the delicacy this time... if for no other reason, because it was the most unsanitary culinary process ever...  Fetching worms from dung-invested areas.  Not washing them.  Using the lids of cans to cut the worms open and squeezing the guts and poop out with one's hands.  Not washing any of that.  And lastly, well, putting worms into our bodies.

They really got those cans boiling!  Also you can see the green leafy stuff the boys found and put in there for some extra flavor.

Patches also wanted to get in on the fun and continues to love licking the faces off of anyone who will let him...  Which wasn't exactly this particular boy, per say!

They were having a ball and making jokes and teasing each other the whole time, so a fun and funny time was had by all!

Beauty Pageant

The high school held a beauty pageant the other week and somehow we ended up judging!  (Haha.)  Here are some photos of the contestants and the action.

Summer wear:

 Own style:

 Evening wear:

The final girls:

The girl in the pink dress won (a younger "freshman"), who in the next photo appears to be about to receive her award in the form of a plastic yellow chair... but fear not, even amidst the chaos, no one got hurt.  The kids just got so excited and couldn't help but onto the stage at the end to congratulate "Miss Unique 2012!"  To be expected of course...  Beauty pageants are kind of a big deal here.

Important to so many youthful Namibian events are a few musical interludes to break things up.  Hopefully this video works so you can finally see the loved and adored (.. understatement) Qwaito-style dancing.  There's a part of me that beams with pride a little bit to see "my" younger Grade 5-7 boys tearing it up in the front row of these mixed-age dance groups. 

And here you can see how close the dancers got to the audience... as well as vice versa!

Here are some more of my Grade 5 to 7 boys in the audience (which you can see is like an ocean), and there are a couple of them I'm coming to really want to bring home to the States (what would be a dream-come-true for almost all of these kids).  They're pretty adorable and a lot of fun:

 

*PS- Mom, the learner you talked to briefly on the phone the other day was Manfred, the darker boy on the right.  Just to put a face to the voice!  :-)

For more on Namibian school Beauty Pageants, you can check out my friend and fellow PCV, Sarah's, recent and very interesting/entertaining blog post on the subject!

A new Namtastic school year

We have just come to the end of Term 1- Week 3, and it again feels like time is flying! The start of a new term, let alone a new school year, is quite hectic for the whole country... In these first few weeks, timetables (schedules) tend to change several times, new teachers are still arriving to replace those who have left, and learners are slowly coming back to school from a long holiday at the farm or village. For teachers, it is an important time in terms of making first impressions and setting the tone for the classroom (in other words: laying down the law!).

Athletics (Track & Field) is perhaps the one thing that is off to a quick start, taking precedent over many academic and other things! At our schools at least, ALL of the learners train for Athletics after Afternoon Study. And all of the teachers coach, including all the older (and heavier) ladies at my school!

But without the expertise of real coaches and focus on the training of only the motivated learners (as a result of this exercise being compulsory for all), Athletics feels quite half-hearted to Kevin and me... Each day practice starts late and ends early, teachers and learners "dodge" if they can get away with it, out-of-shape and unmotivated ("lazy," as they are called here) learners complain about their every discomfort, ache, pain, thirst, etc so they can quit practicing and rest. Ironically though, in theory Athletics training is supposed to be intense because learners only have a few short weeks  to get into shape for competitions after a long holiday of very little physical activity. We hope that the atmosphere of Athletics for the remainder of the term will improve after the Interhouse, the meet of our own learners only competing against each other to determine who will go on to represent our schools in competitions against others.  We figure that at that time, the least interested of the learners will be weeded out so those remaining can handle more intense practice.

Weather can be an obstacle as Athletics falls in the middle of summer and rainy season.  Regardless, overcast days with some rain are a welcomed relief from the strong sun and heat. Here at our site, we are actually quite happy with the summer weather as we realize many other volunteers in the country experience much more extreme weather conditions (eg: heat, humidity, flooding). Plus, we find the summer nighttime temperatures to be quite pleasant. But hey, even without AC, maybe we are just getting used to it!

Names

In no particular order, some boys and girls names we come across with varying frequency:

Boys                                                                      Girls

MacDonald                                                         Moederkie

Innocent                                                              Innocentia

Precious                                                               Patience (sometimes for a boy)

Venantius                                                           Gaobotse

Brendan                                                               Charmaine

Sonyboy                                                              Sara

Gift (sometimes for a girl)                            Melody

Zenedane                                                            Christofine

Ueripurua                                                           Marina

Brencious                                                            Magrietha

Sylvanus                                                              Anitha

Herman                                                                 Emma

Kanime                                                                 Fatima

Mathias                                                                Emerensia

Kennedy                                                              Katrina

Ismael                                                                   Annastasia

Hendrik                                                                Martha

It is certainly a mix of names which are common (or at least heard of) in the States as well as those which are not.  (Some of the former have a slightly different pronunciation, however.)

Now these are the names we call some of our learners.  However, this may not be the name the child is called by their parents, friends, or others.  We know them by their “school names,” which are oftentimes preferred to some of their birth names which are difficult for teachers to pronounce who are from a different tribe and who speak a different “home language.”

In general, it seems like Namibians are used to being called by several formal names and nicknames.  (Common nicknames include “Beckham,” “Beyonce,” etc.)  And spelling also does not seem to be stressed as a learner’s name may be spelled one way on one class list and a different way on another.

School files

As we wrap up Term 3, I thought I would introduce to you the "files" that we are supposed to keep.

The Ministry of Education strictly requires that all teachers keep a preparation file and administration file.  They are very particular about exactly what is kept in these files and in which order.  They are also very particular that teachers specifically use the lesson preparation forms which they provide (and which I happen to find extremely unhelpful).

And it goes without saying that teachers are expected to cover their files in wrapping paper so they are pretty.  This culture puts high value on image with an assumption that if something looks good then its contents, etc are good.  Interestingly though, many teachers put so much time into making their files and other things look presentable, that they sacrifice the time in which they are supposed to be teaching in order to do this.

The Ministry is also supposed to come and check all these things, and I guess teachers get in pretty big trouble for not abiding by the red tape.

It may seem insignificant, but to be honest, the high level of bureaucracy in this culture can be one of the most frustrating parts of our service!

Fortunately, some colleagues see this and are also frustrated by it, so that somehow makes coping with this fact of life here more bearable.

Another new "toy" for Patches

Is a donkey tail better or worse than the doll/ action figure?

Trash isn't the only thing disposed of in the bush!  Less palatable anatomy is too.

"It's not a doll... it's an action figure!"

No... no, it's definitely a doll.

Unless this type of activity constitutes as action then it might be an action figure, but we're thinking this looks more like abuse!  But surely Patches has good intentions!

We find some pretty interesting things around here!  But hey as they say, one small child's trash is another dog's treasure.

Burn stuff

Just like everyone else in our community, what choice do we have but to burn our trash?  It's not like there is garbage disposal or recycling at our site.  Perhaps you could haul it to town if you have a vehicle, but generally speaking, we don't think people mind simply burning or dumping their trash where ever seems a bit out of the way.

At least Smokey the dog is standing by.  (One hole is our trash pit, and the other is Patches'!  Maybe he was trying to help.)

It is also common to burn the tall wild grass in areas where people live or walk through as a precaution against snakes.  Sometimes it seems like it can get a little out of control, but we guess it's acceptable since no one else seems to be as concerned as we are at times.  This is what's left behind.

What can we say?  Such is life.

More on farms

I can't understate how much there is to say about farms in Namibia.  It is a HUGE part of the culture here.

Farms here are pretty special.  They are the livelihood of so many people (owners, and also workers and their families who are quite poor) because farming is a major industry in Namibia and an even more major industry in our region.  Namibians love their meat, and South Africans and Europeans love their Namibian meat so a large portion is exported there.

So many people we meet have their own farms.  And if they don't, then many times they work on them.  And with all the wide open space here, farms are ENORMOUS.  About 5-6000 hectares a piece enormous.

The farmers we meet are the happiest people, very successful, and express really high satisfaction with their work (especially after the record-breaking rainy season recently experienced!).  They often describe a peaceful connectedness that comes with spending a day or weekend checking on things at the farm.  It's the dream of many Namibians, even full-time teachers or principals / part-time farm-owners, to quit their teaching jobs so they can farm exclusively.  They just love it.

And again, it cannot be understated, Namibians LOVE their meat.  Beef, goat, and donkey especially.  If you ask a Namibian what their favorite food is, 99 out of 100 will say "meat."  Just "meat."

Namibian Schools 101

Daily routine:
   ~7-7:20/ however long it takes: Daily staff meeting
   ~7:30-1:10: 7-8 ~45-minute periods plus 1 30-minute break
   ~~~2:30-4:30 (except Fridays): Afternoon Study (Learners maybe do their homework and pretend to study.. unless they aren't there because they "dodged.")
   ?:?? - ?:??: Evening Study for the secondary school

So at a glance you would think the learners study quite a lot. But.  Really they don't... They are studying a lot on paper and in theory, but the quality of learning taking place is very low. Also, critical thinking skills are extremely low, and the learners don't know how to study effectively. But anyway...

   Grades 1-4: Lower Primary
   Grades 5-7: Upper Primary
   Grades 8-10: Junior Secondary
   Grades 11-12: Senior Secondary

Learners are taught in their home language up through grade 4, and they also have English as a Second Language classes. Then English becomes the medium of instruction for all classes in grade 5, and English is a class in which you study grammar, read stories and poems, write essays, etc. Remember that English is Namibia's official language. Oftentimes it may not be very good English, but anyway...!

Dropping out at any time is common so few learners even make it to Secondary School and even fewer graduate. To pass grade 10 and receive a Secondary Certificate, the learners must pass a national exam.  Then in grade 12 they must pass a similar national exam in order to "graduate" from school. For those who can afford it (fewer still), graduates can go on to study at a technical school or the University of Namibia (U Nam) in Windhoek (capital).

The grading scale varies a bit, at least between primary school and secondary school, but it basically goes like this:
   A: 80-100
   B: 70-79
   C: 60-69
   D: 50-59
   E, F, G, U: Various degrees of failing or almost failing, but this continues to confuse us!

A's are extremely rare, B's are pretty darn exciting, and C's are still marks to celebrate. Expectations are pretty low.  Also many learners have been passed through (or "transferred") to the next grade, so a given class will contain many kids who are now a grade or 2 or 3 ahead of where they should be based on their knowledge of the subject. For example, the syllabus for grade 6 English assumes the learners know so much and expects that teachers cover certain material which is impossible to effectively cover because 10-20% of the kids are illiterate or practically illiterate but have been transferred anyway. Talk about mixed-level classes (and a challenge and a half for teachers)!

Speaking of teachers, out of the 7-8 periods of classes per school day times 5 days, teachers are scheduled to teach for almost every one of them. There are no periods alotted for lesson planning, etc. So they're burned out. And partially because of that, they often dodge school themselves and learners will probably just have an unsupervised free period.

But that is probably enough info for now. More on Namibian schools in future posts...

Best friends

Patches and this young boy next door are incredibly adorable together.  They are just best friends.  Always so happy to see each other.

Patches will joyfully run after him down the "street," jumping up as high as he can with his mega tongue sticking out to get a taste of that face!  (Patches is a jumper.)  And the boy just runs along and giggles so sweetly.

Patches' relationship with all the kids here has improved greatly as he's built rapport with them.  Before when they saw Patches charging at them they feared he was coming to attack them.  People just generally fear dogs here.  But now they are one-by-one resisting the temptation to run (which is only asking him to chase them.. just what they didn't want to happen!) and realizing his intentions are only to say hello and play.

Similarly, Patches will also notice our colleagues walking to and from school and run alongside them to greet them playfully.  Patches' approach to adults is not all that different from that to the kids.  So they also know better than to fear them.  Several have recently told us how sweet they think Patches is, especially with the kids around the neighborhood.  And with Lady (featured in the post: Lady and the tramp).

They also think he must be incredibly intelligent (which, of course, he is ;-)  ) because he somehow understands what we are saying (which is really just the commands we've taught him).  Example: Patches, get it! (*throws stick*)  

He's quite the anomaly compared to most Namibian dogs (and in general ;-) ).

School dance-off

This may be our best video from the dance-off held at the school last weekend.  They weren't the winners, but the video from the winning team is pretty bad since the audience of school kids was just going nuts!  This team is mostly high school learners (maybe grades 8 and 9), but some upper primary learners also entered.  

And it may be cheesy to say, but really the video doesn't do the kids justice.

They can definitely move!  And the choreography is theirs too which I find to be quite impressive.  Plus, it's not like they've ever taken dance lessons before.  They just teach each other.  It's pretty fun to see them practicing around the school grounds while they're waiting for lunch or something!

The style reminds me a bit of tap and a bit of Irish step, so I'd say Gianna could probably add this genre to her repertoire!  ;-)

Lady and the tramp

Patches and his best gal pal at our new site.  And her name actually is "Lady"!  Patches and Lady enjoy long walks and chasing chickens.

Most Namibian dogs live a very different life than an American dog would.  While many Namibians, usually the ones who are more modern, enjoy their dog's companionship and affection, a pet dog's primary purpose is often protection.  Fun fact is many Afrikaaners (a white ethnic group) will often have at least one big dog and one little dog.  The little dog starts yapping when unwanted guests are around, and the big dog is attracted to come and be scary.  The arrangement seems to be quite effective!

Dogs are commonly beaten (which encourages aggression, which makes for a more intimidating guard dog), and village dogs are often left to fend for themselves for food.  Generally speaking, health problems from ticks and fleas to rabies are a relatively large problem here.

Lucky for us, Lady really is a lady.  She lives in the Catholic mission here and was more or less rescued (so I've heard) and is very loyal to her primary caretaker, one of the nuns who is a bit older.  Sometimes Patches gets just as excited to see Sister as he does Lady, and we've had a close call or two in which he has almost affectionately knocked her down!  (As you all in America don't really know, but many a Peace Corps volunteer can attest to, is that Patches is an affectionate and energetic jumper and licker.  But we're working on it!)

A touch on marriage and family

Kevin and I were chatting with a colleague of mine yesterday, an older lady teaching lower primary school. In the middle of our conversation she made reference to Kevin as my boyfriend. I was sure she knew we were married, so I laughed and reminded her of this. She said something to the extent that we aren't married until we have kids!  Despite the wedding ceremony and reception, vows, rings, marriage certificate, living together, having a dog(!), to some here, we are still not considered a married couple!  And all this time, I thought we'd been married for almost 4 years!

We probably should have expected this response because having children with your partner and then getting married is far more common than the vice versa here, even among the younger, more modern generation. This is in part because a woman's ability to birth children is of great importance to the man and so it is in his interest to do a (or more than one) test run.  It is also helpful to have more time so the couple can save money and prepare for having a large wedding.  Aside from that, it's just the norm.

To bring up another point, one that is possibly politically incorrect, we're honestly not sure how this fits in with Namibians' Christian beliefs and practice. (Remember, Namibia is 90% Christian, and from we can tell, is largely church-attending.)

Nice being appreciated

Nice when somebody comes out and tells you they appreciate you...

From a Grade 6 girl.  Cute.

Note what she says about having a loving and respectful teacher (implying that it's not the norm...).

We also got two letters already from Grade 11 learners at the secondary school!  A lot of the kids here are super sweet.  And Kevin told his learners that if they get an A or higher for the term (very difficult to do here) then we would have them over for dinner... Quite the incentive!