A day in my Namibian life

My day starts at 6am when, just like at home, my alarm goes. It is dark but I can hear birdsong and the clucking and crowing of chickens. I take my malaria pill (I had 27 mosquito bites on my legs last weekend!), get ready for work, make my sandwiches and pack my school bag. I then walk to where the car is kept overnight and set off for work.

The security guard opens the gate of the college where my house is to let me pass. Some of the guards are very smiley though they are trying to look very serious in this photo; one always gives me a big salute!

My first task is to drive to the inspector’s house to collect her and then we proceed to Ompundja together. I usually drop her off at the circuit office where she works. Her name is Hileni.

Sometimes I pop into the Lower Primary School which is just behind the office. The children always wave to me and like to practise saying ‘Good Morning, how are you?’ They all giggle when I reply! They love to sing, dance and play football.

Kapolo School is my next stop. On Friday mornings there is a school assembly at which the Namibian flag is raised and the national anthem sung. I took this photo just for Mrs Shellard. Every Monday, John, one of the English teachers, updates me on the English football results and who is at the top of the league. He hasn't mentioned Blackburn yet.....

I meet with the Principal, help teachers to plan their lessons and teach with them. You can see that they are now using some of the things which help you in your learning such as the counting stick and chalk boards (you use white boards). The learners find it very difficult to talk to each other about their learning especially as English is their second language. Can you imagine discussing your thinking about fractions in French? Sometimes we travel to other schools. Last Thursday we drove for 2 hours along sandy tracks and through water to reach one of the most remote schools in Oshana. The countryside is very flat savannah but very peaceful and beautiful.

The school which is called Uupeke has no electricity and some of the classrooms have dirt floors – but you can see that they are learning about food chains just as you do.
At this school, Omuhama, the learners are being given porridge just as at Mary Aikenhead. They too have a garden and they keep chickens. One boy spilt his and started to cry. I thought that he had burned himself but he was crying because he thought that he would have nothing to eat. Don’t worry, his container was refilled!

After the school day ends, the inspector and I travel to the Regional Office where we collect the mail for the all the schools in her circuit. The people who sort it are very friendly and try to help me when I try to greet them in Oshindonga, though they sometimes add extra greetings which I don’t understand!
When I return home the first thing I do – after chasing the goats out of the garden - is have a shower as I am so hot and dusty. One day the tap broke; six people came to fix it. I then have chores to do such as my washing which I have to do by hand as we have no washing machine. We do not have a dishwasher, microwave, TV, radio etc either! After we have eaten, I read and answer my emails and maybe work on my blog or on school tasks. I’m in bed by 10pm; it is so hot that I do not have even a sheet over me. I read until my eyes are heavy and I soon fall asleep!