Journals and Smiles

Metaha,

The children were early as usual, which got the day off to a great start. We gave out some footballs and allowed them to play while the HBC volunteers planned the day’s activities. Since this was our first full class period of the term (without having to distribute any items) it was time to get the children started on making their journals.

The journal concept is very important in the Omapitiro Weyuva after school class because it will allow the children to express their creativity by writing their own personal entries. Written memorization is the norm in Namibia; many of the regular school classes are taught by copying word-for-word what the teacher writes on the board. This system leaves very little opportunity for the children to be creative.

The volunteers putting together the starter kits.

From the money donated by many folks in Luxembourg we were able to buy colored paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, glitter glue, and many other items that allowed the children to make their journal their own. We simply made the materials available. It was up to the children to decorate the covers in any manner they saw fit and all we asked of them was that they put their names somewhere on cover.

The children busy working!

Watching the children make their journals was a beautiful sight. You could practically see the creative wheels turning. To start, the volunteers punched holes in the paper and cut the string to assemble the journals. Then the children went to work. They were given 30 pages of brightly colored paper, 2 pieces of cardboard for the covers, and 2 pieces of twine to bind them all together. Many of the children took the time to arrange the colors so that they could make theirs special and unique. Some of the younger children required the aide of the volunteers to thread the twine through their journals, and they were more than happy to help. After the assembly was finished the children took to decorating. Some made collages with magazine cut outs, while others drew brightly colored pictures with the markers and used glitter glue to accent their artwork.

A volunteer helping a younger child lace up his journal.

All and all it was a great time for the children and the volunteers. Of course we finished the day up with some cool drink and a group picture.

Smiles all around!

That's all for now, Uhara Nawa.

5th June OVC Class

Metaha,

Day after day I am reminded that things in Namibia just don't need to be rushed. If something can wait for another day...it will. For example last week we distributed many pairs of shoes to the children. One would have thought, why don't we kill two birds with one stone and distribute the children's school items at the same time? Well, that's just not the way it goes.

This week we had one of our biggest turn-outs ever. 27 Children were waiting on the door step at 15h00 all with huge smiles on their faces. I guess the word got out before hand that we were distributing pens, notebooks, file folders, scissors, and pencil cases that were donated by the Namibia Red Cross Society headquarters in Windhoek. The children started writing their names on the items the moment they received them to make sure everyone knew who they belonged to.

Older children helping the younger ones write their names.

Taking ownership in the new notebook.

Cool drink makes the world go round.

After distributing the items the children decided they wanted to sing you all a few songs of praise and thanks. The songs continued for long after our allotted time but no one had the heart to tell them to stop. It was a mixture of singing and dancing that couldn't be beat. Below are two clips taken from the hour of goodness.

Sorry for the poor video-manship...I will do better next time.

That's all for now, Uhara Nawa

Metaha,

After a month-long break from school, the children are back in classes and ready to learn. Friday May 29th was our first OVC class in six weeks and the children were very excitied to be starting the second term. 

The new term started off on a great note. The Home-Based Care volunteers decided that it would be nice to have the guardians attend the first meeting with the children so that they could see first-hand how the program operates. Thanks to the generous donations from Saguaro Christian Church in America, we were able to purchase new tennis-shoes for all of the children and they were distributed during this meeting as well. The children were very excited about their new shoes, and showed them off proudly.

The children washing there feet before putting on their new shoes.

36 new pairs!

Showing off the new kicks and a huge smile!

Thanks!

During the school break, we recieved the funding for the Omapitiro Weyuva class and we were able to buy most of the items which the children needed including books, journals, and some audio-visual equipment. These materials will help to guide the volunteers while they are teaching, while simultaneously engaging the learners. Some of the topics we will be covering in the coming weeks include english, math, computers, journaling, gardening, and health and sanitation to name a few. Now that all of the parts of the class are in place, we are excited to see it reach its full potential!

I would like to take this time to personally thank all of the people who donated to this project. You are the reason that these orphans and vulnerable children have this opportunity. On that note, a huge thank you goes out to Florence for organizing everything. I know you put your heart and soul into this project and the children appreciate it greatly. Last, but not least, I would like to thank Jenny, her father, and his church for the donations which we used for the shoes. The childrens' smiling faces say it all!

Well for now, Uhara Nawa