Merry Christmas Everyone!

Yesterday I heard some jazzy Christmas song about snow on the radio and I nearly started to cry. I thought of my parents' cozy living room with the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I thought of snow and cold outside and warmth of the wood stove inside. Here it is really hot and each day is filled with lots of blazing sun, not the Christmas weather that I am used to. However, this is Christmastime in Namibia. I'm spending Christmas here instead of going home to Wisconsin. I just want to wish all of my family and friends who read this a very merry Christmas and a happy new year! Enjoy the holidays and the winter weather!

so much to be thankful for...

*real turkey
*cranberries, not the ones in a can
*a kitchen that smelled like my mom's
*a Namibian family to share the American Thanksgiving with

It's all true.

A real, American style Thanksgiving was celebrated
with turkey and all of the fixings here in Namibia. We (myself and
fellow PCVs) prepared the whole feast for Jaco's family. Everything
turned out great, many thanks to our families in the U.S. who emailed
recipes and suggestions...a dad's special mashed potatoes, a mom's
special rolls, etc, etc until the whole table was full of delicious
food! We (PCVs and Namibians) all enjoyed it immensely!

reflecting on the year

You never know exactly what is going to happen in your life from year
to year. Particularly, if you move someplace new. For me that move
was to a whole new country! My first year as a Peace Corps volunteer
has been so much more that I ever could have expected or imagined!
On November 7, 2005, I said my final goodbye to my parents at the
security gate of CWA (Central Wisconsin Airport). All of us in
tears, but I think that all of us knew this was exactly what I was
supposed to be doing. After eight weeks of pre-service training I
was sworn in as a true PCV. I even gave a speech in Afrikaans
thanking the trainers and staff for all that they shared with us over
those eight weeks. I never thought that I would speak in front of a
room full of peers, Namibians, and diplomats in a language that I
only began learning two months before!

Since moving to Mariental and beginning work at the TRC in January I've:

*found two homes away from home here where I know I can go if I need
anything at all or just to hang out
*explored a rare lily pan that only forms if there is enough annual
rainfall
*survived a flood here in desert and helped clean up the aftermath
*met a incredible guy, Jaco, and started dating a couple months later
*experienced life on a farm in the Kalahari Desert
*spent Easter on the coast in Luderitz
*travelled throughout central Namibia on a ten day camping adventure
(Oanob Dam, Gross Barmen Hot Springs, Omaruru, Swakopmund, and the
Namib Desert)
*had a visit from my mom and sister and got to share parts of Namibia
with them (Etosha, Swakopmund, Okahandja, and Anib Lodge in the
Kalahari Desert)
*hitch-hiked to the far northwest corner of Namibia with Dani to
paint a world map mural in a library at a village school
*visited Epupa Falls and then spent one night on an Oshiwambo
homestead outside of Ondangwa
*worked with Megan and Dani to paint 3 world map murals (2 schools
and 1 library)
*attended numerous school functions such as performances, athletics,
a funwalk, and an awards ceremony
*assisted with training teachers to facilitate holistic HIV and AIDS
clubs
*visited 27 primary schools with my counterpart, Heidie, to observe
classes, offer support & feedback to teachers, promoting reading
development, promote the TRC & available resources, and help the
teachers to understand learner-centered education better
*started a Girls Club at a local school with Dani
*collaborated with other volunteers to put on a leadership/women's
empowerment conference for Girls Clubs in the south of Namibia
*helped plan & prepare the training for the next group of volunteers

I had no idea what my life and my work would actually be like here,
but now that it has been a year I can honestly say that I have no
complaints! Yes, there are plenty of challenges along the way, but
it is all worth it and the good far outweighs the bad. Even though I
am a foreigner here, I feel much less like one than I did a year
ago. If I have experienced so much in this year, what will 2007 bring?

Girls Club End-of-Year Celebration

This was the first year that a grade 8 Girls Club was available at Danie Joubert in Mariental.  The aim of the Girls Club, facilitated by Dani and I, was to build self-esteem and self-awareness, strengthen and empower girls to make educated decisions, and to address issues of concern identified by the girls.  Session topics included, but were not limited to, self-esteem, respect, friendship, team building, relationships, women’s health, HIV and AIDS, future, goal setting, careers, role models, stress, trust, nutrition, exercise, parents/families, self-defence, drama/acting, t-shirt making, and women’s art.  Six girls attended the Southern Girls Conference in June to promote the development and networking of girls clubs throughout southern Namibia.  Two sleepover parties were held this year with themes of self-esteem and friendship/overcoming differences as well as many other fun activities.  Girls Club has been a rewarding and growing experience for all involved this year!

At the End-of-the-Year Party the girls participated in activities that reflected what Girls Club meant to them through out the year.  “Most Moments” gave each girl an opportunity to share one moment from girls club that was most...educational, creative, funny, ridiculous, etc.  One participant said, “The most educational moment for me was the HIV and AIDS session.”  Another girl said, “The most growing experience for me in Girls Club was sharing with others and learning from each other.”  As reported from the girls, the “most wonderful” part was the sleepover and the “most funny” session was self defence.  The girls then had time to write in their journals about what the most meaningful aspect of Girls Club was to each of them.  This activity was followed by “Strengthening Our Sisterhood” in which each girl selected a wrapped gift as a representation of what Girls Club meant to her.  All of the girls shared what their gift meant placing the gift back in the middle of the circle.  Then each girl selected one of the gifts from the centre based on what they would take away from Girls Club for the year.  Everyone received a surprise to unwrap as a token.  

Girls Club officially closed for 2006 with a certificate ceremony.  Following a reading of Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman”, the girls were presented with certificates that read, “This certifies that ______ is a phenomenal woman for participating in the Danie Joubert Grade 8 Girls Club.”  Each girl also received a copy of the poem “Phenomenal Woman”.  After many photos, hugs, thank-yous, and a few tears the Girls Club came to a close for 2006.

miss, my takkies are asking some porridge

WHAT?!?!?! One of the girls really did say this to me yesterday at
Girls Club. I was so confused. I know that takkies are sneakers or
running shoes and porridge is this thick cream-of-wheat staple food
here. Why were her takkies "asking some porridge"? At first I
wanted to say, "What are your takkies asking of the porridge?" The
sole was starting to come off of her shoe. I still don't know if she
wanted some porridge to stick her takkies back together, as porridge
can be quite sticky, or if the separation or the sole and shoe looked
like an open mouth that was hungry for porridge.

"Miss, this one, she just swore my mother." WHAT?!?!?! I had to
turn to Dani for translation on this one. Basically she was speaking
poorly of the other girl's mother or dishing out some "yo mama..." talk!

Needless to say, the girls were quite full of energy at Girls Club
and ready for our topic, exercise. We discussed muscles, why you
need them, and the heart as a muscle. We showed all of the girls how
to take their own pulse. Then we headed outside for a little
practical exercise. There was much laughing and talking on our
fitness walk, but after a fast paced game of frisbee they were sweaty
and exhausted. We had the girls check their pulse after the walk and
then after the frisbee game. Girls Club wrapped up with a
calculating beats per minute, analyzing the difference in our pulse
as activity increased, and then answering their further question
about exercise.

The takkies that were asking some porridge made it through this
session of Girls Club.

just an update

What?!?! It's been over a month since I have posted anything here.
For those of you who check this from time to time, I apologize. Life
has been quite busy.

As far as supporting teachers goes, I've been to ten primary schools
with Heidie in the past month. It's been rewarding and refreshing
for me to be in classrooms with teachers and learners. We do
classroom observations, offer feedback and support to teachers, and
answer any further questions they have regarding the new lower
primary curriculum, continuous assessment, learner-centred education,
etc. At each school we have a meeting after school with all the
lower primary teachers where I explain some more about learner-
centred education and give them some resources/ideas for promoting
reading development and Heidie explains the expectations for their
files, etc. At each school the teachers are so appreciative of our
visit and welcome the feedback, support, and ideas that we bring.
The plan for next week is to visit five more schools in rural areas
outside of Rehoboth.

Girls Club has also been going quite well. In the past month we
tackled the following: teamwork, parents, families, nutrition,
women's health, making pinatas, making t-shirts, another sleepover
party, and the movie "Remember the Titans" followed by some
interesting discussion about the parallels between the movie and
their lives here in Namibia. Today we have another PVC coming to do
a session on the basics of self-defense. All of the topics addressed
have come from the girls telling us what they want to learn more
about or discuss at Girls Club. They really have gained a lot this
year!

Security update: Peace Corps had another burglar bar door/gate put
on the back section of our house so that one can even access our
windows. Megan and I sometimes feel like we live in a fortress, but
it is for the best. It just feels strange to live in a flat with
bars on all of the windows and huge metal gates on the doors, but
that's normal here.

Upcoming events for me include: assisting with the training for the
next group of volunteers, helping plan a World AIDS Day celebration,
and the mid-service conference for Peace Corps (can't believe I've
already been here for nearly a year).

Thanks for reading this and checking up on me! :-)

no more photos for a while

Shortly after returning from the trip north, my flat was broken into
and my camera stolen along with a few other valuable things. I don't
feel unsafe, just bummed that someone would bend the burglar bars on
my window, come into my flat, dig through my stuff, and take things
that could be easily sold for fast cash! BUMMER! The biggest bummer
is that I can't take photos anymore.

I filed a police report (don't really know what they can or will do
about it) and also spoke with my neighbors about what happened.
There is a plan to put a security gate/door thing on that would close
off the outside, back section so that no one would even have access
to the windows. I just don't like having all of these bars and
gates, it seems so unwelcoming!

On the positive side, my mom has been super efficient in finding out
about my insurance and getting the proper forms scanned and emailed
to me. I did have personal article insurance through for PCVs and
just sent everything in today. Hopefully the process won't take too
long and I will be able to get a new camera by Christmas time.

Adventure to the North

In mid-August I traveled to the far northwest corner of Namibia with a fellow volunteer to paint another world map at a village school out in the bush. For those of you with maps of Namibia, dig them out and see if you can find Opuwo and Epupa Falls. The village that I was in is between those two places and is called Okanguati, don't know if you'll find it on a map.

There is a PCV teaching at Okanguati Combined School who runs the school library/computer lab that the previous volunteer established. We were there to paint a world map on one whole wall. It was the end of the school term, so there were many learners free from classes and available to help. Even teachers came to paint and contribute to the project. Working in this village school for a week gave me another view of life in Namibia, much different from my own, and also allowed me to see a part of the country that I had never been to before.

After the map was finished we traveled to Epupa Falls on the Angolan border. It was beautiful and well worth the bumpy, make-you-carsick drive on a gravel road. The pictures don't even do it justice, but I thought I would at least try.

The trip back to Windhoek took two days. The first day we traveled from Epupa Falls to Ondangwa across the north of Namibia. We spent the night with another PCV who lives on an Oshiwambo homestead (see photo of the "bath house" with the rusty truck for one of the walls) and then traveled to Windhoek the next day.

Interesting meats eaten in Namibia...

There has definitely not been a lack of protein or variety in my diet in Namibia...

Biltong is dried meat kind of like beef jerky, but spiced differently and this kind is made from kudu meat.

Next, there is a sheep head. In Wisconsin sheep head is a card game, here it is dinner, but only on a special occasion! I tried the brains, cheek, and tongue, but not the eyeballs!

My favorite of the meat varieties in Namibia is braai vleis (grilled meat). Here are some chops and sausages on the braai. They are among the most common types of braai vleis.

The last photo is not lobster, but crayfish. It's very similar to lobster and this one came fresh from Luderitz!

In addition to these meats pictured I've also tried the following in Namibia: sheep intestines, bone marrow, springbok steak, oryx steak, beef steak, delicious kebabs, pork belly, tuna steak, fresh oysters, fresh sole (in Swakopmund), and prawns.

Agh, and to think that before leaving for Peace Corps friends and family were worried that I would not be eating anything but green mush or red mush depending on the day as my great uncle did when he served in Peace Corps in Kenya in the 1960s...honestly, the consumption of meat in this country really did surprise me when I arrived. I guess I just really didn't know what to think!

Phenomenal Women

The Southern Girls Conference 2006 was a smashing success! Just over 50 girls from the communities of Rehoboth, Aranos, Mariental, Gibeon, Keetmanshoop, Karasburg, and Bethanie gathered in Mariental to grow in leadership, female empowerment, and the creation and capacity building for current Girls Clubs in their communities.

The theme for the weekend was Phenomenal Woman based on the poem by Maya Angelou. This message was woven throughout all of the sessions such as HIV/AIDS impacts on our communities, esteem building, gender and risk reducation, goal setting, and appropriate relationships. The girls also participated in cultural presentations (prepared ahead of time), role plays exploring some of the issues Namibia's school-aged youth face, an extensive women's health session, and a time of reflection and planning for Girls Clubs in their communities.

On Friday evening we invited a panel of some phenomenal women from Mariental to come and share from their life experiences with the girls. The underlying theme of this panel was "Don't look back" and each panelist shared words of wisdom and inspiration for the girls. The girls asked lots of questions in order to better understand how these new role models got to where they are now in life.

The girls took part in a closing ceremony on Sunday morning. They debriefed what they had left behind and what they will take with them from the conference. Each girl received a certificate and a t-shirt. The following comment from on of the evaluations pretty much sums up the whole Southern Girls Conference,
"I am now a phenomenal woman."

Dixon Chix Adventures in NAM

On Thursday June 15, Jaco and I left for Windhoek at 4:30am to fetch
Mom and Ellen from the airport. I was so excited to see them that I
could barely drink my coffee at the airport cafe. I cried when I
heard the announcement that their plane had landed. I cried as I
watched them walk into the airport and go through passport control.
Jaco was surely nervous about meeting my mom and sister and I was
beside myself with anticipation! Mom hugged me and then turned to
Jaco saying, "I feel like I already know you!" and hugged him.
Finally my two worlds are coming together!

It was so fun to have my mom and sister visit and see my life here in
Namibia. I can write and send pictures and tell stories, but until
someone comes here to see it for themselves it's just not the same.
They got to experience a little bit of my work-life by visiting the
Southern Girls Conference and the TRC, meeting many other PCVs and my
Namibian supervisor and counterparts. I have found Namibians to be
very welcoming and hospitable, so it is no surprise that they were
treated to two braais the first weekend they were here, giving them a
picture of my social-life.

After the Girls Conference we left for a 2,700+ kilometer adventure
that took us to Etosha National Park, Swakopmund, Okahandja, and a
game lodge in the Kalahari desert. In Etosha we saw tons of animals
and deeply regretted not having binoculars, especially when a pride
of lions was hanging out near a water-hole that attracted giraffe,
ostrich, oryx, springbok, and zebras! In Swakopmund we ate out at
delicious restaurants, pampered ourselves with pedicures, and shopped
for gifts for friends and family back in the US. The last stop
before returning to Mariental was a huge craft market in Okahandja
where you have to barter for a good prices on the handmade crafts.
Aside from a 7 foot-tall wooden giraffe, they found all of the gifts
that they wanted to buy. After a day to rest and do some laundry we
headed to a game lodge in the Kalahari desert not far from
Mariental. We were treated to a game drive, a sundowner, an amazing
four-course meal, wonderful hospitality, and a delicious breakfast
the next morning!

Before going to the airport, we stopped at the Namibia Craft Centre
in WIndhoek. This is very different from the open market and
bartering. This is all in one building with an amazing gourmet cafe
upstairs and many kiosks of craft throughout the building. After
lunch in the cafe, Mom & Ellen spent some time getting last minute
gifts. What I particularly enjoy about this place, besides the
coffee, is that a portion of the proceeds go to people living with
AIDS. Time in Windhoek always seems to go by quickly because there
is so much to do. Before I knew it, we were hugging, crying, and
saying our final goodbyes at the airport! The time seemed so short!
As I walked out of the airport, tears still in my eyes, I was
grateful for the time I was able to spend with part of my family and
also grateful for the supports that I have from Jaco and his family!

Diversity Committee Educational Tour

The Peace Corps Diversity Committee Needs Your Help!!

Namibia is truly one of the most unique places you could ever hope to visit. As a guest in this country, the number of indigenous tribes along with the shear variation of languages spoken here is overwhelming. The goals of the Peace Corps Diversity Committee are to share Namibian culture with Americans as well as American culture with Namibians. Along with this, the Diversity Committee works to educate Namibians about various cultures that exist in their own country.
One of the biggest and most rewarding projects that the Peace Corps Diversity Committee is responsible for is the Annual National Educational Tour. This tour is open to Namibian Students in grades 8-12. Each year the students are presented with a theme and encouraged to enter the Cultural Expression contest. This is an opportunity for the students to reflect on their own cultural practices and to share their creativity and cultural with both Namibians and Americans.
The Diversity Committee is also dedicated to addressing the concern in regards to the spread of HIV and AIDS. Namibia is one of the leading nations with the highest percentage of HIV infection worldwide. Currently one in five people are infected with the disease. Since 2002, more than 125,000 children have become orphans as a result of the virus; leading to confusion about what is meant to belong to a family. With this in mind, the Diversity Committee has decided that the theme for this year’s Educational Tour will be “Celebrating the Diversity of Family.” The idea behind this theme is to have Namibian youth consider there own definition of what forms a “family,” expectantly realizing that it goes much deeper than just the standard nuclear family that so many youth here are deprived of. This all ties together with the idea that if you have something positive and stable in your life to live for than you will be more apt to make constructive and healthy choices about your own future.
The Peace Corps Diversity Committee is requesting your help in making this years tour a possibility. We are currently seeking funds to allow us to proceed with the project. The committee hopes to invite 30 students to attend the Educational Tour that will include topics focusing on Namibian cultural diversity, environmental education, and HIV and AIDS. If you are interested in sponsoring a child to attend the tour, we are requesting a $30 donation. Checks can be made to the following:

Karen Bowers
122b Cornelia St.
Plattsburgh, New York
12901
Attn: Diversity Committee

Donations will be accepted until August 1st. Every person that donates the suggested $30 will receive a card from one of the Namibian students that attends the tour along with a copy of one of the winning contest entries. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Kristin Bowers; chair person for the committee at the following email address: Specialkay83@yahoo.com. Thank you for your time and understanding in helping to make this year’s National Educational Tour a success!

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Check out my Peace Corps site -- http://www.geocities.com/perkykoalapc -- filled with pictures, links, updates, and tons more!

Thursday is a BIG day!

If all goes smoothly in the next 45.5 hours, my mom and sister will land in Windhoek!!! For those of you who are reading this and praying people, please pray for a safe, smooth, peaceful journey for them!

While Mom and Ellen are adjusting to being on another side of the planet and in a different hemisphere, I will be helping facilitate the Southern Girls Conference which starts on Thursday evening!!!

All Volunteer Conference 2006

Because HIV/AIDS is such a humungous problem in Namibia, Peace Corps brought all of us together to focus specifically on making it part of everything that we do. This means that Health volunteers are not the only ones working on HIV/AIDS issues, but all of us whether we are Education, Teacher Resource Centre, or Information Technology. I was happy to see that I am already doing that through my work with Window of Hope and that there are several other volunteers working with the same program at their schools through out Namibia. The benefit of having all the volunteers together is that there is an incredible amount of ideas shared and gained! I have many new ideas to bring back to my work at the Mariental TRC relating to HIV/AIDS and teacher training!

This is most of Peace Corps Namibia and two volunteers from Swaziland who joined us to present at the conference.

Girls Club at Danie Joubert

Last term my fellow PCV, Dani, and I started up a girls club at Danie Joubert. There have been 35 girls impacted by this club, but about 15 who participate regularly. These are some fabulous ladies who are committed to this girls club and have come up with the following topics to discuss: future/goals, role models, HIV/AIDS, preventing STIs, peer pressure, self-esteem, nutrition, sports, fashion, relationships, boyfriends, etc.

These photos are from the Danie Joubert 10K Pretloop (Fun Walk) that we did with them and Dani teaching them to "go bananas" on a Friday afternoon at girls club.

Six of these girls will represent the group at the Southern Girls Conference that will be held in Mariental 15-18 June. The conference aims to build leadership, self-esteem, empowerment, goal-setting skills, and knowledge of women's health. The representatives who attend will them bring what they have learned back to share with the others. Dani and I are also working on planning and facilitating this workshop with other PCVs and Namibian counterparts. Look for an update and photos from the conference in the future!

Shout Outs

There are several people that I would like to give SHOUT OUTs to:

* Pastor Chris & friends at Blackhawk Church for prayer support
* Jane & Rod Hempel & Jr. High Youth Group for Easter letters
* Auntie Brenda & Mckays for the Easter care package
* Karen Moberg for the books & letter
* Linda Israel & gr. 7-8 Sunday School for Easter basket & candy
* Miss Jones and the JASA ladies for their prayers & encouragement

My Peace Corps experience has truly been blessed thus far and I know
that is not by any coincidence or luck. I feel the power of prayers
from caring people paving my way for a smooth first six months of
service in Namibia. THANK YOU all whole are reading my blog and
praying for my experience. I've never felt unsafe or gotten
dangerously sick. I have hot, running water in my house. I've met
people who invite me over to use their washing machines to do
laundry. My supervisor at work is very flexible and open to new
ideas that I bring to the TRC. Life really is good and I honestly
have extremely little that I can complain about! I know this is
right where I need to be. Thank you for joining me in this journey.
Just remember that I am here for another year and a half :-)

back from holiday & back to work

My holiday tour of Namibia was absolutely fabulous!  Check your map of Namibia to follow the path that I took.  I left Mariental and headed north to Rehoboth's Oanob Dam.  From there I went to Gross Barmen hot springs near Okahandja and then up to Omaruru to visit my host family.  These photos are just a small sample of the 500+ that I took on the adventure. The next stop was Swakopmund which reminded me a lot of Florida.  I did not see Brangelina even though they are staying near there.  From there I went into the desert on a gravel road which felt like I was driving to the ends of the Earth!  I stayed on a gorgeous private farm called Oase about 30k from Solitaire.  If I had known how welcoming and fabulous this place was, then I would have planned to stay longer.  The last stop on my tour was Sesriem which is near Sossusvlei, an area of the desert with beautiful red dunes that Namibia is famous for.  I did climb Elim Dune while I was there.  I was quite pleasantly surprised by the amount of light green grasses covering the dunes. The longest stretch of the drive was from Sesriem back through Maltahoe and on to Mariental.  This trip allowed me to rest, relax, soak in some of the beauty of Namibia, and get rejuvenated for Term 2 of school/work to begin!

Two days after returning from holiday, Heidie and I began another Window of Hope facilitators training workshop.  We had 18 teachers from in and around Mariental who came to receive training on the Senior Windows of Hope program for grades 6-7.  Some teachers barely knew each other or knew what WOH was and others have been leading the Junior WOH clubs at their schools.  By the end of the week we had a team of 18 equipped, empowered, and bonded teachers who were ready to go back to their schools, start their Senior WOH clubs and share what they gained with their colleagues!  I also ended the week feeling much more equipped to lead future WOH workshops AND feeling that I had broadened my network of teachers and schools to support/work with in the future.  The Window of Hope training was an excellent way to kick off the week!

By Friday I was quite tired, but not yet finished with the week.  I had girls club at Danie Joubert (local school)!  From the first day of school on Tuesday the girls where asking Dani about when we would have girls club that week!  Dani met with them on Wednesday and then I was able to join them Friday afternoon after closing the WOH workshop.  We did many team building activities with the girls and allowed some time at the end for reflection/journaling.  I was refreshed by their energy, enthusiasm, and excitement to be there on a Friday afternoon!  These are some committed and exceptional ladies!  Seven of them have applied to attend the Southern Girls Conference and we will be able to take all seven!!!  

Saturday afternoon was the Pretloop (Fun Walk) at Danie Joubert, so I bundled up and did the 10k walk with some of the girls from girls club.  Ah, if only it was a 10k run!  However, it was fun to walk and talk with the girls.  We did jog the last few kilometers back to school at the end :-)  

Now, after being away for nearly a month, I am back at the TRC!  This week will hopefully allow me to go through all of my notes & materials from the Peace Corps Reconnect conference and flesh out a game plan for this second term. 

Beth's Namlish Top Ten List

Alright, so the "official" national language of Namibia is English, but some things come out a bit differently than the English that you all are familiar with in the U.S. resulting in what Peace Corps volunteers affectionately call Namlish.  For those of you who are planning to come and visit, study up because these will sound sooooo weird to you when you hear them for the first time without any previous exposure!  Speaking of visits, Mom and Ellen are landing in Windhoek on June 15!!!  Perhaps we will have to ride in a bakkie to a braai where we will have toasties, braai vleis (meat), and kooldrink!  Enjoy the Namlish!  I enjoy it daily!

1."I am coming now."/"I will see you just now." This actually means I am leaving and will be back sometime later.  It can also be used to let someone know that you are coming later.  If a Namibian tells you that he/she is coming to visit you now, it could mean anytime in the next few hours. 

2. "now now" is faster than "now".  If you are the training manager for a group of 60 new volunteers who have just arrived in Namibia and the bus breaks down on the way to the training post, you call the bus company and have them send another bus or a mechanic NOW NOW!  

3. "Make a turn" means to stop by someplace.  You can "make a turn" at a friend's house, the school, a store, etc.  Also, when sitting at a large dinner table with several other volunteers someone may ask if the salt & pepper would "make a turn" at their side of the table.

4. "Go with the stream" really means the same as "go with the flow" and was a phrase frequently used by our training manager during our pre-service training when he wanted to encourage us to be flexible with the changes in the schedule/times of meetings.

5. "Where do you stay?" means the same as "Where do you live?"  It is totally fine to wave your hand in an arbitrary direction and respond, "I stay just there" which means somewhere in this community.  

6. "braai" is essentially the same as bbq in the U.S.  You can braai meat, toasties, etc. which means to cook them on a grill.  You can also host a braai which is when friends come over and you cook delicious food on the grill.  The grill is also called a braai, so you can braai steaks on the braai at a braai!  

7. "toasties" are these amazing sandwiches that you toast on a braai!  I may never go back to grilled cheese again.  The butter is inside along with tomato, onion, spices, and cheese.  They are quite possibly my favorite thing to eat at a braai.

8. "bakkie" sounds like bah-key and is the word used for pickup trucks.  Bakkies are one of the most common vehicles on the road here.

9. "kombi" This is a Volkswagon-looking van.  They are commonly used to travel between towns however one needs to be careful to find a combination of a sober, safe driver and a sound, roadworthy kombi before climbing on board!  

10. "kooldrink" is pronounced cool-drink and refers to any kind of soda.  The favorites here are Coke, Fanta Orange, and sometimes Lemon Twist (like Squirt). 

Holiday is here!

Yes, my first real holiday (vacation) in Namibia is right around the
corner! NAM 25 has completed term 1 of the school year, settled into
their individual sites, and participated in a 10 day reconnect
conference to conclude the third phase of training! AH! It feels
good to be totally finished with all phases of training and have one
school term completed. Now, I have one day of work (Tuesday, May 2)
before my holiday leave begins for 8 days!!! For the rest of this
break I am going on a camping tour of central and southern Namibia.
Some of the stops include: Gross Barmen hot springs, Namibia's only
winery in Omaruru, a visit with my host family in Omaruru, the coast
at Swakopmund, and a couple days to explore the Namib Desert at
Sossusvlei (where Brangelina spent Easter)! This is my first real
vacation since I went to my family's cottage in Michigan last August!

Donation Opportunity for Girls Conference

Below is a description of the Southern Girls Conference that I am working on with several other volunteers in the South of Namibia.  It's an amazing conference that has proven to be incredibly impacting in the past!  Some of you have indicated an interest in sponsoring kids or programs that I am working on.  Well, here is your chance!  Thank you for your interest in the work that I am doing here in Namibia!

Blessings!

Dear Friends:

As volunteers from the U.S. Peace Corps Southern Girls Conference Committee (SGC), we are writing to request your support.  We are currently planning to hold our annual two-day leadership and empowerment conference for 2006.  The conference will focus on empowering secondary school girls throughout the south of Namibia to become agents of change in Namibia.  We will invite sixty girls from nine communities.  Our goal is to encourage the girls’ leadership skills through self-esteem building, the development of good decision-making skills, and promotion of goal-setting and career aspirations.  As Namibia becomes a developed country, the aspects of the old ways are still extremely visible, especially in the form of a male dominant society.  It is our goal to develop the empowerment of these girls through the SGC 2006.

Peace Corps volunteers, along with Namibian teachers and community workers, will facilitate activities that develop the learners' leadership and communication skills.  As most of the learners have never left their communities, the conference provides them with a unique opportunity to interact with people from diverse communities and develop a support network through the Girls Clubs they will be developing and leading as a result of the conference.  Through the activities, information sessions, and interactions with other learners and guest speakers, the workshop provides a real opportunity for learners to begin to realize their fullest potentials.  

While the conference is developed and staffed by volunteers, there remain some unmet needs. Running this workshop requires approximately US $ 7,000.00 and any funding that you could add to our fundraising efforts would be much needed and appreciated.  In exchange for your support, your involvement with these youth and community members will serve to heighten the public visibility of your organization.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.  If you would be so generous as to assist us in this endeavor, donations can be sent to Joan Treacy at 4109 Alfalfa Terrace, Olney, MD 20832.  Please make your check payable to PCV Megan Treacy.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call or e-mail Dani Abrams.

Sincerely,

Dani M. Abrams

Southern Girls Conference Coordinator

DaniMariasha@yahoo.com

+264 81 2363420

Mariental Floods

The day after I posted about polka dot umbrellas and pink galoshes we had a tremendous flood! The Hardap Dam was too full and the sluice gates had to be opened quite far to let out the water. It was way more water than the Fish River could handle at once, so it took over the town. This has happened before in Mariental, but not like this!

Our Peace Corps Medical Officer was ready to send a helicopter to evacuate us, but it was not necessary. Our flat is on the side of town opposite all of the flooding. The hospital and one of the grocery stores is also on that side of that, so we were totally fine. However, for the first time since I've been in Mariental I did see air traffic. Small planes and helicopters were flying around checking the flood status and maybe some media as well.

The week after the flood was chaos! Megan, my roommate, and I spent the week helping friends clean out their homes and businesses. We also had three Namibian friends who's homes were flooded staying in our sitkamer (living room). Most people in Mariental who were not flooded were then hosting/helping out people who were flooded. I had never experienced anything like this before! One friend's parents took a boat to their house on Sunday and their photos look like they are on a cruise on the river, but it is really the main highway that goes through Mariental! Another family spent Saturday night on the roof of their house because the water level started to cover their beds! One photo shows the water line left on a wall in town.

Visit to Rehoboth

Last week I was helped facilitate a training for Window of Hope teachers in Rehoboth. Window of Hope is the HIV/AIDS education initiative for primary schools in Namibian. It's a phenomenal program that is impacting kids all over Namibia! The workshop was a facilitators' training for teachers interested in running the program at their schools. What an amazing, caring group of teacher! It was a privilege to work with such deeply caring and motivated people.

While in Rehoboth for the week I had the opportunity to experience my first Namibian "sundowner". It's essentially just going somewhere to watch the sunset with friends. The TRC manager in Rehoboth and an advisory teacher from Mariental took us, two other PCVs and myself, to the Oanob Dam for this sundowner! MAGICAL! The photo doesn't even do it justice, but it was incredibly beautiful!!!!!

How to survive an encounter with a computer...

One of the projects that I have worked on this term has been improvements to the computer lab/teaching basic computer skills. My supervisor was thrilled about the computer mural on the wall of the lab. It also serve as a great teaching aid! These are my first two classes, one was at the TRC and consisted of two women from the community. There other was held at a local school and the whole class was teachers...two of them had never even touched a computer before. It was fun to see all of the participants grow in their confidence and ability to use a computer. All did survive "Computers 101: How to survive an encounter with a computer"! There was so much interest in the course that I am offering another for teachers and just finished one at the TRC for community members.