The time has come!

This is going to be short and sweet because it is 10:30 PM and my flight leaves at 6 AM tomorrow morning. Yes - my journey to Namibia has officially begun! Tomorrow I will fly from Chicago to Washington DC. In DC I will meet the other 40 volunteers and from there we will take a 14 hour flight to Johannesburg. I will be bringing in the new year in South Africa. We then fly to Windhoek, Namibia on the 1st of January. I will be in orientation for a little over 2 weeks and then I finally arrive in the village of Ogongo, where I will be teaching, on January 17th.

I am not sure how often I will have access to the internet, but I will try and update my blog as much as possible. I would love to hear from all of you via email - my email is rachel.s.manley@gmail.com. I will also have a cell phone once I get there that can be called from a calling cord or a phone with international calling.

I had an amazing last few weeks in Iowa/Wisconsin. Thank you to all of my family and friends for the great times, good lucks, generous contributions and fond farwells! I will miss everyone dearly and keep you in my mind and heart while away.

Ogongo Combined School

December 30th marks the beginning of my journey to Namibia, Africa. For a year, I will be living in the village of Ogongo of northern Namibia (about 30 miles from Oshakati - see map below). I will be teaching math and art to 5th-7th grade "learners" at the Ogongo Combined School. The school has 1st-10th classes with 300-400 Namibian students. I will also be assisting with computer training, the school library and other extra curricular activities. My classroom will possibly contain desks and a chalkboard with little to no materials or supplies. Creativity and ingenuity is going to be key (especially when teaching an art class)!

I will be living in housing right across from the school. They are actually building it for me right now! I will feel like a queen - with electricity and running water! The village is very small with few buildings and shops, but it is only about 30 miles from Oshakati, which is one of the largest towns in northern Namibia. In Oshakati, I will be able to get groceries and other necessities, use the internet, and connect with other World Teach volunteers.

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It will cost approximately $6000 for me to participate in the program (who would have thought that volunteering would be so costly!). I will be financing this experience with my personal savings and donations. World Teach will match funds obtained through fundraising, up to $1,000. I currently need about $550 more to reach my goal! Your contribution will go towards paying for my plane ticket, health insurance, and supplies for my classroom. I appreciate all of your donations!



For a donation of $25 or more,
you will receive a beautiful hand sewn tote bag








For a donation of $10,
you will receive a set of 8 handmade greeting cards (Thank You, Holiday, and Blank)

All items handmade with love!

Great for Christmas/Holiday gifts!

Email me at rachel.s.manley@gmail.com if you are interested in donating, or you can send checks (with my name in the memo line) directly to WorldTeach c/o Center for International Development, Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge MA, 02138

All donations (of any amount) will make you a recipient of a personal letter from one of my Namibian students once I have established my classroom. Please fill out an envelope with your name and address

Your support is greatly appreciated.

PERSONAL CHECKS ONLY payable to: WorldTeach, No Cash Please

Thank you for your interest and support.

To learn more about WorldTeach, go to www.worldteach.com