So...you might want to know what my job is exactly...it took eight weeks of training to really come to a clear answer on that myself! I am in a small group of 6 out of 58 volunteers who are TRC volunteers. TRC stands for Teacher Resource Centre and all 6 of us are teachers by trade who are working at these TRCs through out Namibia.
Our job as TRC PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) is three fold.
The first priority is teacher training/improved teaching in Namibia. Yes, a big objective, but the challenge is finding where to invest your skills and time so that this is actually productive.
Second, improvements at the TRC such as upgrading the libraries, teaching computer classes, transferring skills to the staff,helping to market the TRC so that teachers know what is available and will come to use it.
Third, is community-based projects which is something all volunteers in every country are required to do. This is pretty open-ended, but involves working with people in the community on some project/initiative to improve some aspect of the community...pretty broad huh.
What does all of this look like for me personally in Mariental? Well, today I visited a local primary school for the second time to observe Reading classes and continue to develop relationships with the teachers. I would like to visit this school a few times each week to observe, assist teachers, maybe even co-teach English/Reading classes, and from there create training workshops for these teachers based on the needs that I find. I'd like to first present the workshops and ideas to these teachers and get their feed back. Then I can work out the kinks and take the workshops to the rural schools in the region where they are starved for outside assistance! When all is up and running I'd like to introduce a small aspect, method, or idea for improving literacy in schools each term through a workshop and take that workshop to the rural schools. This means some travel and not always staying in the TRC.
The TRC improvements part of my job is something that I have already been working on for now three weeks! I ran a meeting with my supervisor and the receptionist where we planned out goals and dreams for projects for the year at the TRC. We began reshuffling the offices and library to make the centre more user friendly. I created new signage so visitors can find the different offices, computer lab, and library. This week I began painting a mural on the wall of the computer lab that will serve as a decoration and a teaching aide for computer classes.
As far as community projects go, I've been painting world maps at local schools with two other volunteers. I would love to help get a girls' club up and running either with the girls at the hostel where I live or with the girls at another local high school. There is an tremendous need in Namibia for building self-esteem and empowerment in young women. I'm also helping to plan a regional girls' conference that will happen in June and will serve to help start girls' clubs in schools that do not yet have them.
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