Teaching in Namibia and other tales by an Irish woman

Road Trip South Africa

Our 11 day road trip across South Africa took us through the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Mpumalanga and Gauteng. South Africa is a beautiful, diverse country. Highlights of the trip included hiking up to the highest waterfall in Africa, mountain biking beside zebra and wildebeest and eating a meal with a Xhosa family in a remote mountain village.

Swaziland

Execution Rock - people were pushed off this rock on the king's/queen's orders

The Greater St. Lucia Wetlands Park, KwaZulu-Natal

Cycling with zebra, wildebeest and impala in St. Lucia Wetlands Park, a World Heritage Site

Our guide with a dwarf chameleon

Hippos

Drakensberg Mountains, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal

Drakensberg Mountains, on our way to the highest waterfalls in Africa - Tugela Falls

Drakensberg Mountains, looking at the Devil's toothpick

Sicambeni Village, near Port St. John, Eastern Cape

Children looking after each other

A young girl I made friends with

Brothers in their home, where we ate lunch

A woman with clay on her face. The clay is used as sunscreen and for skin care.

A boy walking in the village

A woman fetching water

Kids playing

Port St. John, Eastern Cape

A Last Supper
Saying goodbye to my students was difficult. In the end I decided to have a few over to enjoy a fusion meal. We made tortillas and guacamole as well as traditional mahangu porridge and spinach. The girls had never eaten guacamole before and they absolutely loved it! It was also a special meal because we exchanged gifts. I gave the girls some of my clothes, magazines and school supplies and they gave me handmade baskets, clay pots, baobab fruit and a traditional necklace.

Herbertha carrying a gift of baskets from her mother.

Emilie enjoying guacamole.

Severine

The spread.

On the last day of school Elizabeth and Evelina brought in a traditional Owambo dress for me to wear. I felt like the belle of the ball.

Evelina helping me to get dressed.

Elizabeth helping me with the head wrap.

A traditional Owambo dress.

Cape Town

We have arrived safely in Cape Town after a 20 hour bus ride from Windhoek. Actually, we arrived on Monday. Since then we have settled into holiday mode with little difficulty. Thoughts of Namibia cross my mind all the time, but I am not dwelling too much on these yet. I am happy to be in holiday mode. We have been spending time with other WorldTeach volunteers as well as taking lots of long walks around the peninsula. We have also been eating lots of great food. The variety of different food is pretty staggering after having been eating a diet based predominantly on pasta and rice all year.

Cape Town, looking towards False Bay

Cape Town, looking towards Constantia

Glencairn Beach

Elephant's Eye

Cape of Good Hope

Cape Point

A last weekend with some friends in Namibia

Pete and Kate chilling by the braai

Me and Rashmi

Ant braaing all sorts of different meat

Namerican Thanksgiving

The weekend before last we celebrated a Namerican Thanksgiving at our friends' house in Oshikango, a town that is on the border with Angola. At last count there were 11 different nationalities present - Namibian, American, Irish, English, French, Japanese, Canadian, Australian, Zimbabwean, Israeli and South African. One of the Namibians was from Caprivi and he thought that this should be counted as a separate nationality, so perhaps I should say there were 12 different nationalities present!

The spread

Mmm, a plate of good food!

A Zimbabwean teacher with her daughter Babes.

Farewell Canisianum!

Last Friday my school held a farewell bash in honour of the departure of myself and two other teachers. It was held at the site of a famous baobab tree in town. This tree is so large, and hollow, that it was once the site of a post office. The party food consisted primarily of meat to the delight of everyone but the single vegetarian among us.

Sister Daisy straight out of a commercial.

Sister Annie

The Sisters having a good time.

Pete and my principal, Mr. Kalipi

Mr. John and another tate enjoying their food.

Pete and my new roommate, among others, chatting in the shade of the enormous baobab tree.

Mrs. Aukongo enjoying some sausage.

Tate Ngoto

Tate Efraim and Mr. Vasco hanging out.

Saying Goodbye

It is officially my last week in Namibia. I am looking forward to the holidays after a busy term, but I get sad when I realise I won't be coming back. These are some of the class photos I took on the last day of teaching. I have also included some of the last music classes I taught.