Floods

Northern Namibia has been affected recently by flooding coming from Angola. Unfortunately my village has been hit pretty hard. There are natural lakes here called Oshanas that are formed from rain water and flooding from the north. It is typical this time of year for Oshanas to form, but this year they have risen extremely high and are flooding other areas of the village. The main road to enter Ogongo is washed out in numerous places and many people have had to evacuate theirhomes. The school facilities have not been affected directly, but we had to cancel school for 10 days because many of our learners have to cross the Oshanas to get to school. At the beginning of last week, learners were literally swimming to school in water that was up to their chest and shoulders. They would come to school late, soaking wet, and freezing! As you can assume, very little learning took place during those few days.

It is unclear as to when the flooding will recede. It could take over a month! We are brainstorming ways to get the learners to school, since it is very hard to compensate for a month of missed classes. One option is to have learners camp near school. The government will hopefully provide tents and possibly food while they camp. The other option is to use the facilities of a nearby college, but it may cost the school quite a bit of money.

With that said, I currently have two projects that I would like to raise money for. Read below to see if there is a way that you could help out!

1)FLOOD RELIEF: You can donate money that will go towards either buying food and supplies for camping or paying to use the college facilities. Any amount of contribution is greatly appreciated. A small amount of U.S. money can go a long way in Namibia!

2)NEW LIBRARY: Due to lack of facilities and resources our school does not have a functioning library. For a school that has students in 1st -11th grade, all learning English, having access to many kinds of literature is a necessity. This is why I have made building a new library one of my priorities. Here is how you can help:
1.Make a financial contribution. This money will go towards the construction of the facility and the furniture within (shelves, desks, chairs, etc.).
2.Donate books and other resources. It is difficult to buy/find novels and picture books in Namibia. I would gladly accept the following (used or new): picture books, teen novels, non-fiction, periodicals, magazines, old textbooks, posters, supplies for checking out books (checkout cards, card sleeves, date stamp, etc). Have a book drive at your local school or church!

Please email me at rachel.s.manley@gmail.com if you are interested in making a contribution. If you are going to donate money,please send checks to my mom, make them out to her and she will deposit them in my account. Here is her address:
Heidi Tumerman
13077 Katydid Ave.
Sparta, WI54656

Despite the flood and school cancellation, I have had quite an enjoyable week. From dance parties in my kitchen to soccer games on the small amount of dry land, these Namibians have really shown me how to keep their spirits high! This last weekend I traveled to Raucana Falls with 8 other volunteers. We camped at a beautiful campground right on the river. On Saturday we went to the falls, which are right on the border of Namibia and Angola. We hiked down to the bottom of the falls and saw a crocodile and many small monkeys! I will try and post some pictures of the falls in this post. It was worth walking 5 km in/out of my village through flood waters to see Raucana Falls and all the other volunteers!

It has been quite easy filling this time off of school. Monday was a surprisingly sunny and dry day. I spent the day washing clothes and hanging out with my grade 11 learners. We had a mini Oshiwambo language lesson. I learned all the animals and how to say “I don't know Oshiwambo” and “I am learning Oshiwambo.” Then I taught them how to make jewelry. We sat out in the sun making earrings,bracelets and necklaces. The girls were in heaven! Tuesday I learned how to make Oshithima, which is a traditional porridge. It is a staple food here, eaten at least once a day. We had an impromptu beauty pageant and modeling sessions (see pictures). I ended the day with a movie party in my flat – 10 girls, 4 bowls of popcorn and Little Miss Sunshine!