Camp Kapolo (10-16)

It’s grade 10 national exam time. They started their exams last Friday and continue until the 26^th. They have exams in English, Oshindonga, agriculture, physical science, life science, mathematics, entrepreneurship, and history. English and Oshindonga have three exams and a couple other subjects have two. These exams were set in Windhoek and will be marked there. Their final marks are also calculated in Windhoek. These include their continuous assessment in class as well as the final exam. However, because we are in the North and learners are perceived to be not very good, we had to reduce our CA marks by 10; if we didn’t do that, the people in Windhoek would look at the higher class marks and the lower exam marks and reduce the former.

So that the learners have ample time to study well, they camp at the school for the month. Two large tents were set up—one for boys and one for girls. 

Inside the large tents, they have small tents for individuals. 

The learners wake up at about 5:00 AM to study before washing and breakfast. Exams start at 8:00 following a time to pray together. On days with no exams, they can study. They study all day, with breaks for sleeping and hanging out. They study at night until 10:00 or later. The evening session begins with hymn singing and a prayer. 

I hadn’t realized until last week that this is their only national exam; they are not allowed to repeat grade 10 and try again. So, this is really serious. If they don’t pass, which a few won’t, their education is stopped. They can enroll in distance learning and take classes for the subjects they failed. They study on their own and then take an exam in those subjects. When they increase their total points to passing, they can enroll in grade 11.

While they study, learners dress casually. One day they had fun having photos taken. I especially enjoyed the boys who wanted to pose with the truck. They wear their uniforms for exams.

The teachers have a private shelter for bathing. The learners use the toilets, placing a tub of water on top of the stool and standing to wash in the stall. 

They wash their clothes and hang them on the fence to dry.

Mothers come to prepare meals for the learners. One entertained herself between meals by weaving a basket. Four teachers stay here overnight. We all take turns according to a schedule, all of us having a total of six nights. 

A large tent was set up in the staff room for two women. One teacher brought her own small tent and set it up for a few days. My turn to be on duty was Friday to Wednesday nights. Since I live across the way, I could go home to sleep, which was nice. Four teachers are too many, as we just sit around in the office most of the time. If a teachers’ subject test is the next one, s/he is available for questions. Prior to the English exam, I had a few learners come for special grammar review and a few who took reading worksheets to do for practice. Only one brought them back for me to go over with her.

We also take turns invigilating the exams. There are two clocks on the chalkboard ledge to display the time during exams; however, neither has working batteries. Some teachers set the clock at the beginning and there the time stays; others change it at 9:00. Very few learners have watches to monitor the time themselves. Since the clocks didn’t work, I wrote the time on the board every half hour and then every twenty minutes. I guess other teachers don’t do that, as I waited for the person in charge to do something prior to writing the time, but nothing happened. 

Last Saturday we went to a wedding reception nearby. One of the people who got married is Angel’s cousin. We missed the arrival of the bride and groom, who came from another village where the service took place. So it wasn’t very interesting to be there. We sat down and were served drinks. After about fifteen minutes, a woman served our food—boiled beef, potato salad, coleslaw, and macaroni on a paper plate. Wilhelmina ordered one without beef for me; so I had a huge pile of coleslaw and potato salad. After eating, we sat for a short time and then left, having been there for less than an hour. I think we were there mostly for Angel, as Wilhelmina and Bertha spoke to only a few people. Wilhelmina’s husband went with us, and it was nice to finally meet him. It was interesting to compare this wedding with the other one I went to. The other was at the home of a wealthy family while this one was a modest homestead. It has about seven huts and no concrete buildings. The food at this one was much simpler, and there were fewer people attending. It was good to get away from the school for a while and do something else, and it was an opportunity to wear my Owambo dress again.

Weather is hotter. Temperatures hit 100^o daily.  Not conducive to afternoon studying. Learners usually take a nap in the mid-afternoon. Nights are also warmer—in the 70s; so I’m glad I have my fan, as my room is hot. It rained for about ten minutes one morning—a good rain but not enough. This was the first rain since February. Sunsets are lovely.

The national teachers’ strike finally started on Thursday. This was talked about for a few weeks. The union and the government laid out the rules for the strike in case they didn’t reach an agreement, which they didn’t. On Tuesday, a man came to discuss the strike plan. The government is giving all employees a 5% increase, but teachers wanted 8%. They have not had an increase for four years. For a few days it looked like there might be a compromise, but that didn’t happen. So the national strike began Thursday and continued on Friday. Saturday an agreement was reached: teachers will get the 5% increase this year and 9% next year for all government employees. They are happy. This was the first legal strike in Namibia. The president made a point of stating that the union followed all the rules and did everything correctly. Wilhelmina was quite proud of that.

Since teachers were on strike, the national grade 10 and 12 exams for Thursday and Friday have been postponed. Striking teachers met in town where there was a large gathering. Non-striking teachers were to be at school. The only other teacher here was a contract teacher who is not a union member. The secretary and cleaning woman are members of a different union; so they were also here. Learners were sent home; some had stayed home anyway. Grade 10 learners were also sent home to return Friday evening.

At home, there are two new groups of chicks. One hen had fourteen, now down to twelve but still an unusually large group. 

It’s really fun to watch them run around.

One morning as I was getting ready to leave Kowmongwa came with another man. The man wanted to spray inside my house for mosquitoes. I didn’t have time to put things away and I wasn’t sure I wanted my house sprayed; so I turned it down. As I was leaving, I saw him spraying the various fences in the homestead. When I asked at school about what the purpose of the spraying was, I learned that it was DDT they spray each year to prevent mosquitoes. This is offered by the government once a year.

Farewell Grade 10 (10-3)

Friday was the farewell party for grade 10. For the event, we each—teachers and learners—paid N$80/$5 to pay for the food. Grade 10 learners were allowed to wear their casual clothes (not uniforms) and have cell phones (which are prohibited in schools).

For the occasion I bought my Owambo traditional dress. Wilhelmina had been saying I need to have one before I leave, and I’d been looking at them. So this seemed to be the right time to make the purchase. Last Friday we went to the open market to do that. She insisted that she go with me, which I was happy about, to make sure that I buy a good one and get a good price, since the price would be higher for me than for her. She was correct about that. When we were there with Kate, I’d asked the price of a dress and was told N$300. Wilhelmina was told N$250 and arranged for it to be N$200/$14, and that included taking it in a bit so it wouldn’t be quite so huge on me. They are meant to be large and are one size fits all, but I’m not as large as many local women; so having it taken in a couple inches was perfect.

I wore my new dress for the first time on party day, and it was a big hit. Teachers shook my hand and had me stand up so they could see it all. Learners told me I looked smart and looked like an African woman. They were clearly pleased that I have a traditional dress. Wilhelmina and Bertha also wore their traditional dresses; so, of course, we had a photo session. It was fun.

Learners except grade 10 had classes Friday morning and then were sent home so preparations could begin. The girls cooked while the boys hung out in my classroom, the party venue. Wilhelmina designated me as salad maker, since I don’t eat beef. I’m not sure how that connects, but I was happy go do it. I found myself missing communal music, even if it’s not my favorite, while preparing food, since people had their personal music on their cell phones.

At 4:00 we gathered in my rearranged classroom for a brief program that included several learners and teachers speaking briefly, ala graduation speeches. 

Then it was time to eat. The meal: boiled beef (chicken for me), potato salad (almost mashed with lots of mayonnaise), rice with a few mixed vegetables, macaroni, and green salad. I was a little surprised—but not greatly— to see that beer was served to the learners. Different culture. 

Several of the learners had told me that they wanted me to be there with my camera to take photos. So I walked around and took photos of those who wanted them while they ate. It was fun to see them as teenagers, not just as learners in the classroom.

After eating, teachers left so the learners could listen to music and dance for a while. At about 6:00 I was told I could go lock my classroom. I had told the teachers in charge that the desks needed to be put back in order. They weren’t, but the room was clean. Fortunately, there were still some learners who hadn’t left the school; so I yelled at them to come back. Mrs. Reinhold heard me and told them to return to arrange the desks. It took the four boys three minutes to do that. I really don’t understand why the teacher didn’t make sure that happened or why learners don’t think that it is part of cleaning up. That’s a cultural frustration for me.

So, they have had their farewell party. Now only the national exams are left. These will take place throughout October.

The other interesting occurrence this month was that my living stipend deposit was N$1800/$120 more than usual. When I mentioned this to Mrs. Reinhold and asked her to check with the ministry, she said she would not ask about it; if they made a mistake, they made a mistake. On Thursday we got the printout about our pay, and the extra amount was listed as a service bonus. When I told Mrs. Reinhold about this, she asked if I had had a birthday this month. In your birth month, the government gives a bonus—usually equivalent to the salary, but mine was only a 70% increase. No complaints there.

The other event of note is that, as of Saturday, I now have 100% control over lights in my rooms. Kowmongwa’s son installed more switches so they can turn off more lights and the one in my rooms and their room is now separate. I noticed that half of the lights outside are no longer on all the time as well as the one in the room with the controls. In the long run, this will save electricity—and money for them. The next day I turned the lights on in the afternoon just for fun. Having control over the lights is still a thrill.

Other than that, it’s been a pretty uneventful month. I continue to enjoy the red sun at sunset most evenings. As the spring solstice has passed, I enjoy having longer daylight. It’s now light until about 7:15, which means I can shower with some natural light to supplement the flashlight. Since it’s hotter, I can sometimes wash without heating the water, as solar heat is adequate. Hot temperatures also mean the afternoons are hot—mid-to high-90s. Nights are now in the high 60s; so I no longer need a blanket. The times are a-changing.

                                              

Some of the grade 10 girls have taken to hanging out with me after classes, which has been fun.

The school is ordering new textbooks for next year. When I noticed that the number being ordered is the same as the number of learners in classes this year, I suggested ordering several more in case next year’s classes are larger. Wilhelmina explained that, if that’s the case, they will order more books for the following year, as the government’s policy is to order books based on the current class numbers. So, if the classes next year are larger than this year’s classes, some learners won’t have books.

A potential national teachers’ strike has been the news at school for a couple weeks. The government offered a 5% increase; the union wanted 8%. So the teachers union voted to strike. 75% of those eligible voted; of those, 95% voted to strike. This resulted in further negotiations between the union and the government. They were setting out the conditions of the strike—pay or no pay for strikers, what happens to classes during the strike among other things. As of Friday, the government has one more week to settle before there’s a strike. A couple of the teachers told me that they really don’t want a strike even though they voted for it; they want to government to agree to the higher salary increase without a strike. A neighbor girl who is in grade 11 at another school told me that teachers at her school are on strike. They are in school, but they go to classes only to greet the learners. Then they leave. The learners have been told to study on their own.

Most of the older chicks have been sold. There are new little ones, but they stay outside the wall. I miss seeing them running around.

My ballot for the election arrived by email this week. Saturday I went to the post office in town to mail it to Nebraska. There’s a website I can check to see when it arrives.

Home Again (9-4)

The trip home was long. Sunday I flew from Bulawayo to Johannesburg and then, after four hours at the airport, on to Windhoek. Leokadia had invited me to stay in her house again, which was nice, especially since I didn’t arrive until 7:30 and left at 7:00 Monday morning. Although we aren’t good friends, it was nice to see friendly faces.

Monday morning I took a taxi to the place for getting a combi, a shared van, to Oshakati. I arrived at 7:20, and we didn’t leave until 11:00 because it took that long for the van to fill. Since I knew I wouldn’t arrive back in time to hike, I contacted Wilhelmina to pick me up. She did, and, since she was staying in the village, she brought me home. I was really tired after sitting in the van for twelve hours; so it was really nice to be home. Kowmongwa and Helena came to greet me and welcome me back.

Tuesday was teachers’ work day. I washed some of my clothes before going to school since I know these days are pretty casual. By noon, I was the only one left. I did some work in my room and went home at 3:15. It was good to have time to relax and read in the yard in my chair, which makes me feel that I’m home. 

I enjoyed watching the chickens, as always. The little ones are starting to look like their mothers. There are a couple new groups of chicks as well.

I gave Kowmongwa and Helena some sweets from Zimbabwe and the usual shampoo from the guesthouse. Tuesday morning they came to give me a Sprite and a Coke from a wedding they had attended. I also gave them the dried beef patties I’d been given during our practicum back in January and had forgotten about. That evening they came to give me a big chunk of raw beef for me to cook for myself. Since I hadn’t cooked beef for over 30 years, I looked up a recipe online. Wednesday I cooked it like a pot roast with sweet potatoes and onions. I tasted a bit, but I don’t like beef and could eat only a few bites. But the gravy was good with the potatoes and porridge. I took the cooked beef to school to share with the teachers.

Wednesday was the first day for learners. Basically, nothing happened that day. We had an assembly in the morning because it was the first day. Then I went to class, but the learners didn’t come. I learned that they were cleaning their homeroom classrooms. My next class didn’t come, either. During the next two classes we had a staff meeting. Afterwards, my last class for the day didn’t show up, which was not a surprise. 

But the 8A girls who really like me ran in to hug and high five. When I asked, they moved the desks back in place (The cleaning woman had moved them to wash the floor.) so it looked like a classroom again. Since this wasn’t their class time, we ended out having a photo session, which was fun. 

I enjoy watching them pose and enjoy looking at their photos. Unlike the Thais and Chinese, they like serious poses. 

Several of the boys came in to join us and to just hang out in the back of the room. We all went home at 2:00, which was nice.

Thursday it was back to classes as usual. I’m aware that this is my last semester teaching as well as teaching in Namibia. Although I’m ready for this, it feels strange. There are many things I will miss about teaching and Namibia.

  

Saturday I hiked to town and was lucky to get a ride within ten minutes. Wilhelmina had mentioned the annual Ongwediva Trade Fair that she had wanted to take me to but couldn’t because she had a workshop. So, after purchasing my food, I went across the street to the Trade Fair. There is a large, permanent building that had information displays from various organizations and companies. 

Two large tents were full of items for sale—trinkets and clothes. 

A smaller tent had the cultural items for sale

—mostly things that can be purchased at the open market. There were also stalls selling trinkets outside the tents. I enjoyed walking around for an hour.

I’d been wanting to return to Spur for a quesadilla for a couple months, but the tiiming didn’t work out. So Saturday was a good opportunity since there was no rush to get back to the road to hike home. I invited Wilhelmina to join me and was glad that she was able to do so. We shared the quesadilla and buffalo wings. I was lucky she could join me because she thought she had a workshop but no one was there; perhaps she didn’t pay close attention to the dates and it is next month. At any rate, it was nice to have the time to relax and share the meal.

Sunday the time changed to daylight savings time; so in the future I can stay out later, as it isn’t dark till 7:00 instead of 6:00. It also means I can enjoy relaxing in my yard after school before dinner. Spring is here. Day temperatures are in the 90s; night temps are in the 60s. I’ve used the fan briefly a few times to cool off in the evening and have packed the heavy blankets, using only the light one now.

Sunday Helena’s nephew came to fix the light switch. He replaced all the wiring so that it’s along the wall instead of hanging from the window to the light bulb and put the switch on the wall. After two weeks with no light, it’s nice but a little strange to have light all evening again. I’m not sure how much control I’ll have even with the switch, as they still turned the lights off Sunday night.

The grade10 girls have asked about not having to have the very short haircuts. I think they want to look like girls. This was discussed at the staff meeting, and it was decided that the policy has to remain for this year but that they will discuss it with parents. I learned from Wilhelmina that the policy was made by parents many years ago because they wanted their daughters to be serious about studying and not about spending lots of time fixing their hair.

Some of the learners were not happy with their exam results, especially some who had worked hard but failed the exam. The exams are like the one they will have in October for grade 10 and November for grades 8 and 9. Maybe more of the learners will be more serious this term, since the next exams are the ones that determine whether or not they pass to the next grade.

Sunsets are featuring a big, red sun every night.