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So I volunteered at the school in Katutura twice this week. I thought that they would be mostly very young kids, but in fact it was almost all primary school kids. They come after their school is done for the day to either get help with their homework or do the activities planned for the day. They alternate activities so they are doing something different every day, like reading, art or sports. When I arrived, all the kids looked at me curiously, but they were quick to smile and be friendly to me. They are all so cute! The classroom is old, with paint peeling off the walls and uncomfortable wooden desks and chairs that make the most awful screeching noise when moved. When you combine the screeching chairs with the noise of 30 children running around screaming, laughing, and just generally bouncing off the walls, it's pretty deafening. Not to mention the head teacher who yells constantly in an attempt to maintain some kind of order. The volunteers are supposed to help the children who have homework to do while the rest of them focus on the activities. The head teacher oversees all the rest of the children who don't have homework. I was sitting with a young girl and helping her memorize the information she had written down from class, mostly definitions of words. I don't think I have ever appreciated the education I have gotten more than when I was sitting with her realizing that she is in 4th grade and doesn't know how to spell Africa; she doesn't know the meaning of the word history (one of the words she was supposed to memorize), maybe because, as she told me, she doesn't have a history book. I can't even imagine what a huge disadvantage getting little/no/poor education is. Although there was some information I didn't know either, about the histories of the different ethnic groups in Namibia; she just laughed at my uncertainty and said, it's ok teacher. The next time I went there I was supposed to help this boy with his math homework, but quickly realized he did not speak much English at all. I sat there trying desperately to figure out how to teach someone in a language they do not understand. It broke my heart seeing him just slumped in his chair, eyes down, dejected look on his face, knowing he has no idea what I'm talking about but unsure what to do about it. The children are so sweet though; they all even gave me hugs when they left for the day.
This weekend I am going to Swakopmund, a coastal town where everyone goes for their holidays. I'm excited to finally be getting out of Windhoek and seeing another part of Namibia. I am also really excited because I am going to visit my best friend in Pretoria next weekend!
By the way I started uploading photos into an album but stopped because it was going to take an hour to get a few pictures up. I will put them up soon though!
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