Coming All Together

The fact that I will be in Africa in a little less than 3 months is really starting to sink in. It makes me more and more excited each passing day. Excitement, nervousness, anticipation are just a few words to describe what is going on in my head! Looking back a year ago I never thought that I would be here, getting ready to work abroad. It is crazy how everything just fell into place and has worked out. Maybe crazy isn't the right word; God's plan and perfect timing seems more fit; but that is for a different post. Things have definitely started falling into place. I haven't reached my financial goal yet but I am more than halfway there which is a huge relief. Jobs and opportunities have been coming my way and I am taking every one that I can :D. It seems that when I start to worry about raising money or gathering enough things that another opportunity pops up. So as far as updates go....

I am halfway to my financial goal and still have 3 months to gather the rest of the money! That wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful donations I have received thus far.

I am patiently waiting on the approval for me to observe ESL classes in Patchogue-Medford HS. While in Africa I will be receiving my TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and in order to do so I need to complete a few steps before. The paper work is in for me to observe; I am just waiting on the response. When I went to the HS to talk to a couple of my previous teachers they were more than enthused about the opportunity that I have and are giving me the chance to help teach some of their classes! This will give me hands on experience and so many ideas as to how to conduct my own classes.

I am very determined to raise enough money and gather enough supplies to start and maintain a library in the school that I will be teaching at. So in my efforts to start to gather supplies and necessities of a library I went down to my town's library and asked if there was a way they could help. I spoke to the Assistant Administrator and she said that any books that were donated that I was able to use! I told her what types of books I was looking for and she has already started looking for books for me as well as setting aside many that I can use. Savers near me has also said that I could take 40+ books if they have them available for free!! These books are more than an amazing start to the library. Now all that is left to do is figure out how to take all of them down with me. If anyone has any ideas as to a company or an organization that could help with the cost of shipping the books to Africa please let me know! I am open to any ideas or suggestions!! Trust me, no idea is silly!

All my paperwork for a visa is being processed and completed. Once my background check is sent I will be ready to start the long journey to receiving my visa to live and work in Namibia.

Shots: a terrible invention that will help in the long run. Thank God all of my necessary shots are up to date. There actually aren't any required shots to get in to Namibia but definitely precautionary ones. Thankfully I only have yellow fever to get and that is because I want to travel to Angola while down there.

Those are all the updates for now. Each day is a step closer to having everything together and a day closer to being there!! 

FLYER FOR FUNDRAISER

This is the flyer I made for the fundraiser. I scanned it in so that it would be easier for those attending the fundraiser to print out. You can save and print it and bring it with you when you come dine on some delicious food. Gallo has a variety of food from Chicken dishes and sandwiches to typical Colombian food and seafood dishes. You can't go wrong with anything you order and can make modifications if desired!! Here is the website you can go to to check out the menu: http://www.gallotropical.com/diningmenu.htm.

NOM NOM for NAMIBIA Fundraiser

BENEFITING:

WorldTeach and Ashley Willoughby’s

Year in Namibia

WHAT’S THE DEAL?

Gallo Restaurant has agreed to donate 15% of every check towards WorldTeach and the efforts of Ashley Willoughby in Africa.

WHAT TO DO:

Present this flyer the 2^nd week in October (7^th-13^th) when you dine at Gallo Restaurant. Enjoy an amazing meal while you help out a great cause!

WHERE TO DO IT:

Gallo Restaurant located at:

3 East Main Street

Patchogue, NY 11772

                                                                                     

Thinking, thinking, thinking

So as the countdown reaches to almost 3 months before I leave things are starting to become extremely real and all I can think about is everything I want to do with these children down in Namibia. We are encouraged to write up grants and receive money in order to fund a project while we are down there. I have been starting to brainstorm ideas and contact some places to see if they would sponsor something. So far, I haven't heard back but it is hard to ask for a grant when I don't really know what the need of my individual school is going to be. I am hoping to receive enough money to begin a library that is fitted with tape players so they can listen to books on tape. I found an organization that will send calculators to universities in need! Once I get down there and see which subjects I am teaching this organization will be very helpful. School supplies in Africa are very scarce. Many students don't even have a pen to use so for me to be able to give them a calculator would be such an amazing thing.
 If anyone has children's books or books on tape they are looking to get rid of let me know. I will be more than willing to take those off your hands :). Another source of reading that I am thinking about bringing with me are magazines. I am told that Namibians love the pop culture in America. They listen to our songs and know many of our famous actors and actresses. I am asking if you guys could help me collect magazines. If you work at a Dr. office or subscribe to a magazine that you throw out each month I would love to take them when you are done! Not only will the be awesome reading material but I can do different lessons and crafts with them. Such as cutting out pictures and letters for the students to make an "about me" poster.
I will be posting and sending out a flyer by this weekend that will have the details about a fundraiser the first week in October. The restaurant that I work at is helping as much as they can to receive the funds I need. There will be dates and information on the flyer. I hope you all have appetites the first week in October :)
Things have been coming together quickly. I really only have my visa paper work to finish and a physical to get done and I am physically prepared for Africa. This takes a lot of pressure off and allows me to focus on what I need to do. I have been blessed with many words of encouragement and support and I thank you all! Sorry if my posts seem scattered, my thoughts and ideas are going in a million different directions as there is so much to do before I leave. Namibia is on the brain :)

But for now all I can do is pray and trust that everything I need for my year in Namibia will come through.

Proverbs 3:5-6
      "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on thine own understandings. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

Letters, Letters, Letters

Here is a copy of the letter I sent out to a few people. It is a little better of a description and a background to the Organization I am going with:

Dear family and friends,

Starting in December I will have the wonderful opportunity of working and living in Namibia, Africa. Where in the World is Namibia, you might ask. It is a country of about 2.1 million people located on the west coast of Africa, just north of South Africa (See map below). It recently gained its independence from South Africa in 1990 after a constitution was drawn up and Sam Nujoma was sworn in as the first President. Namibia is a Christian country that is rattled by HIV/AIDs, poverty, unemployment and death. Due to the years of Apartheid and its ties to South Africa, the peaceful country has had to slowly rebuild its education system; that is where I come in. I have been accepted as a volunteer to teach through a non- profit, non-governmental organization known as WorldTeach.

WorldTeach was founded in 1986 with its primary mission being to recruit and support volunteers to serve as teachers alongside the Ministries of Education in developing countries. Their primary targets are underserved populations that are in desperate need, such as Namibia. Over 4,000 volunteers have served with WorldTeach since its start as a group of Harvard students.  Although some Ministries of Education pay all the expenses needed by a volunteer, Namibia is not one of them. Due to its unstable economy and lack of funds volunteers are asked to put forth money in order to pay for flights, housing, visas, and shots.

I will be embarking on my journey to Namibia between Christmas and New Years of this year. In Namibia I will undergo a month long orientation where I will learn to adjust to life, the food, and teaching in a foreign country. It will also involve TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and language classes to learn the local dialect of where we will be living. After that month I will then be sent to my “home”. This could range from the bush (middle of nowhere) to a city on the coast. We put in our preferences but are not told until 2 months out. Most placements, however, are in rural areas where resources are minimal. I am praying that I will be placed in a school affiliated with a church. There are a few and I have spoke to the program and submitted a request to be placed in the Christian School. If this is to occur I will be responsible for devotions every morning before classes start J. As a teacher in Namibia I will be expected to be very versatile. I will be teaching subjects ranging from Math to Science to Computers to Arts and Music. Extracurricular activities are built into their daily schedules so as a result I can also be a coach, a construction worker, an advisor for student government and many other roles. Needless to say I will be stretching my skills and learning things as I go. I will be living in government housing with other volunteers and local teachers; which is covered by the money we have to contribute.

This opportunity to give as well as help shape the lives of many of the less fortunate children and families means a lot to me. It will give me an unforgettable experience and opportunity to show God’s love. Volunteering, however, comes with a price and that is about $6,000 for the year. This money will cover my placement, training, air travel, insurance and field support for the duration of my stay. I have been working to raise money through jobs and hopefully a fundraiser in the fall. I also need you to join me on my journey to Namibia, Africa. A donation from you would contribute greatly to the goal I need to reach. I will be using a Blog to track my time there and will hopefully update it as much as I can; who knows how internet is going to be. I also have your address so I will be sending out letters and postcards of my adventures so you can really come with me on my journey. Please don’t feel obligated to donate but do keep me in your prayers as I prepare to undergo this next chapter in my life.

DANKIE, (thank you in Afrikaans)

And We're Off....

Ever since my summer job ended I have had more time to begin planning and really thinking through what I need to do before I leave. I have been shopping and getting together things to bring with me to decorate my classroom. I feel like a kid in a candy store as I pick out stickers and lesson planners as well as birthday badges :) (If anyone has school supplies they need to get rid of or would love to donate you can send them this way :) ). I have bought games, like jenga, to use in my classroom for learning games. I have a puzzle of the U.S. and a World Map that my students will put together and decorate in order to hang in our classroom. I have submitted my request form as to where I would like to be placed. I will be living in either a Large town, small town or large village. I will not know for a couple weeks before I leave to head over there. I think that is the worst part; waiting. I have personally called and requested to be placed in a school affiliated with a Church. There are a couple that I know of down there. With the request form I have put in for certain subjects to teach. They are as followed: English, Math (different levels), applied science, art/music, computers, geography, Grammar and other Liberal Arts type classes. I have a binder full of lesson plan ideas that they sent to us. I am sure I will have stories as I struggle to teach science haha. I am open to any suggestions on teaching science. I'll be more specific as I learn which science and classes exactly.
Volunteering isn't free and as much as I wish I could pack up and leave without having to worry about the finances, that isn't an option. For the year I need about $6,000 minimum. I have been working all summer to earn the money but haven't reached my goal yet so that has been my main focus recently. I am currently juggling three jobs and taking any opportunity thrown my way. Between lifeguarding, waitressing, and planning events at a community my schedule is pretty full but I'm loving it. I have written letters and sent them out as well. Fundraisers are coming up in October to help alleviate some of the cost as well. The restaurant I work at, Gallo, has agreed to help. I will be making up flyers to hand out to people. If you receive a flyer and go eat at Gallo, 10% of your total check will be given back to me to help with projects over in Namibia. SO! Everyone come hungry to Gallo the first week in October! There will be more information and a pic of the flyer to come :). I have a lot more to update but will get to that later! Six Flags tomorrow morning, so I have to head to bed!