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)
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