CrEaTiVe ArT #2

Metaha,

Due to time constraints, many of our classes take two or even three sessions to finish. Creative Arts was one of them. It is great to see the children working on their own and expanding their creativity. This week we reached a new milestone in the Omapitiro Weyuva After School Class: our first-ever class with over 40 children! This just goes to show that the word is spreading and the children are learning and having fun. Below are a few pictures of the class, along with a video of the children who arrived early playing games while waiting for the other children to show up.

Fun and games before the work starts.

Children hard at work.

Making some sketches in their journals.

Spotlight on Angula

Q1. What is your full name and age?

A1. Angula Titus I am 9 years old.

Q2. When and where were you born?

A2. In Ruacana on the 27th of 2000.

Q3. What are the names and ages of your brothers and sisters?

A3. Fite is 14, Tuaku is 18.

Q4. What is your favorite color?

A4. Green.

Q5. What grade are you in?

A5. I am in 3b.

Q6. What is your favorite subject in school?

A6. Otjiherero (language class)

Q7. What do you do for fun?

A7. I like to play.

Q8. What is your favorite food?

A8. Macaroni.

Q9. If you could have one wish what would it be?

A9. I wish to be happy.

Q10. What is your favorite part of the Omapitiro Weyuva After School Class?

A10. I like that we can play and learn.

Thanks Angula!

For now, Uhara Nawa

CrEaTiVe ArT! (so i am not)

Metaha,

This is week one of a two week session on creative art. The entire idea behind this class is to help the children get out of the rigorous step by step, "write everything the teacher writes", learning style they are used to and open their minds. We have given the children some paper, pens, markers, crayons, colored pencils, and a few ideas, then gave them the go ahead to draw, write, color, or do anything they want on the paper. It is amazing what they have come up with so far. Can't wait for you to see it for yourself :-) Below are a few pictures of the children at work.

Some girls working on their creative side.

Hard at work!

Everyone heads down doing their best.

Spotlight on Toni

Q1. What is your full name?

A1. Toni Muhuka

Q2. When and where were you born?

A2. Ehomba Village, by Swartbooi Drift in 2002.

Q3. What are the names and ages of your brothers and sisters?

A3. Ukembaani 11, Mbapewa 9, Mbatata 8.

Q4. What is your favorite color?

A4. Yellow

Q5. What grade are you in?

A5. 2

Q6. What is your favorite subject in school?

A6. Math

Q7. What do you do for fun?

A7. I like to play tag. (okarombo)

Q8. What is your favorite food?

A8. Banana

Q9. If you could have one wish what would it be?

A9. I wish I can do math well.

Q10. What is your favorite part of the Omapitiro Weyuva After School Class?

A10. I like when we can write in English.

Thanks Toni!

For now, Uhara Nawa

Evaluations and Spotlight Week 2!

Metaha,

This is the second week of evaluations and after correcting the children's work we have some good news to announce. If you recall, the children scored an average of 38 points out of 94 with the high score being 52 on their preliminary assessment. This time around the children did very well. The average score was 46.3 with the high score being 80 out of 94! I am very proud of the children for all their hard work and look forward to the next evaluation time so they can show off their skills.

Below are a few pictures of the children taking the evaluations and the soccer match that took place once they were finished.

The children hard at work!

Doing the math section of the eval.

Fun after the eval.

Spotlight on Faninya!

Q1. What is your full name?

A1. Faninya Tjipito

Q2. When and where were you born?

A2. 10-26-1996 in Okakarara

Q3. What are the names and ages of your brothers and sisters?

A3. Lina is 15 years old and Nouee is 13 years old.

Q4. What is your favorite color?

A4. My favorite colour is green.

Q5. What grade are you in?

A5. Grade 6.

Q6. What is your favorite subject in school?

A6. Science and English.

Q7. What do you do for fun?

A7. I like play for fun.

Q8. What is your favorite food?

A8. Chicken meat.

Q9. If you could have one wish what would it be?

A9. I wish to be educated.

Q10. What is your favorite part of the Omapitiro Weyuva After School Class?

A10. I like to read and write in my journal.

Thanks Faninya!!!

Until next time, Uhara Nawa

The Namibian SMS

Metaha,

This is the SMS I sent to The Namibian newspaper in response to the article and other sms's. Maybe it will help open the eyes of others.

SMSES OF THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER 2009

THANK you to The Namibian and to Christof Maletsky for the story on the Opuwo volunteers and OVC in Monday’s paper. Everyone loves the article and the children love seeing their pictures in the paper. If anyone would like to learn more about the OVC class or would like to offer any support feel free to look at our blog at www.omapitiroweyuva.blogspot.com or email me at ewyni119@gmail.com. Thanks again!
– Edward Wynimko, Opuwo

Uhara Nawa

Response From Article

Metaha,

This is one response the article received via a sms from a kind person in Windhoek. So great to get the word out about the program! Thank you to The Namibian for the great article.

Volanteers making a difference

* THANK you to Christof Maletsky of The Namibian newspaper for your story on ‘Volunteers bring new hope at Opuwo’. I hope he and others in his profession will continue the focus on remote areas of our country and constantly remind us of those less fortunate in our society. In particular, I salute the young volunteers at the OVC project. Your compassion, patriotism and kindness shall forever be applauded.

– Dr Elijah Ngurare, The Secretary for the Swapo party Youth Leauge, Windhoek

Uhara Nawa

Article in The Namibian

Metaha,

Here is an article that was written in The Namibian newspaper on Monday October 5th. The article and pictures are from Christof Maletsky of The Namibian. Hope you enjoy!

NATIONAL NEWS

05.10.09

Volunteers bring new hope at Opuwo

BY: CHRISTOF MALETSKY AT OPUWO

Rauna Shilongo and Blaundina Petrus, two of the Volunteers at the Opuwo

Red Cross Centre taking care of the orphans and vulnerable children.

Polytechnic graduate Florence Nunes is one of the volunteers taking orphans and

vulnerable children from Opuwo through afternoon classes at the Centre.

One of the children concentrates on his task of

coloring at the Opuwo Red Cross Centre.

THIRD-GRADER Makina Gabriel Armando is all smiles.

Even though he lost his sister a week ago and his mom is ailing,

he is glad to hold a biscuit and a cup of cooldrink in his hands.

Every Friday afternoon Armando (11) joins a group of up to 40 other children at the Red Cross Centre at Opuwo where they are taught life skills, are helped with homework and also get school uniforms and toiletries.

They are a group of children that Red Cross regional co-ordinator Kakarandua Mutambo got into the local school hostels after they used to walk around 20 kilometres to school and back home every day.

They have since joined the OVC project set up by US peace corps volunteer Edward Wynimko, who has helped the locals to plant a big garden on the outskirts of Opuwo for sustainable food production.

He has also been involved in the distribution of condoms as health workers and others try to stem the spread of HIV – the disease that causes AIDS and leaves children as orphans.

Although Opuwo and surrounding areas do not have a high HIV prevalence rate because the Himba people have over the years jealously guarded their customs and traditions, those same values now threaten to wipe them out.

That is because of customs such as polygamy, where rich older men marry several young girls to bear children who help herd his cattle.

Mutambo said they started the project with 17 children who used to sit around idle.Now all of them are in school and the project workers keep a register to monitor their progress and attendance.

“Initially most dropped out of hostels because they did not have blankets, clothes and toiletries but we managed to get donations for them. They have now stabilised and enjoy school,” Mutambo said.

Most of them are children of people who are taken care of under the Red Cross home-based care programme.

“That is why we also set up the big garden to plant vegetables which our clients can eat and also sell,” she said.

A local chief gave the Red Cross a 10-hectare piece of prime land some eight kilometres outside Opuwo and they have already had their first harvest but still need funds to build a proper irrigation system.

In the meantime, fewer than half a dozen local young women volunteer their Friday afternoons to teach Armando and the other children how to care for others.

“We hope that one day one of them will reach some heights in life. You never know who you prepare for tomorrow,” said Mutambo.

Evaluations and Spotlight!

Metaha,

This was the first week of a two week evaluation. The children are taking a test to see if the class is helping and to find out what we need to focus on more. The evaluation results will then be compared to the results from the first one that the children took in March.

This week is also the first week for the spotlight child. Every week we will pick one child and they will be interviewed by one of our volunteers. We will then post their picture and the interview for your reading pleasure. I will try to leave the responses to the questions in their original form but as the children have varying levels of English, I may occasionally need to interpret their responses which I will include with the edited response in parenthesis. Hope you enjoy reading as much as they enjoyed the interview!

Spotlight on Anna!

Q1. What is your full name?

A1. Anna Jonas

Q2. When and where were you born?

A2. Here in Opuwo in 1995

Q3. What are the names and ages of your brothers and sisters?

A3. Tageni 21, Rainhold 7, and I have no sisters.

Q4. What is your favorite color?

A4. I have 2. Yellow and orange.

Q5. What grade are you in?

A5. Grade 6D.

Q6. What is your favorite subject in school?

A6. English.

Q7. What do you do for fun?

A7. I like to tell stories.

Q8. What is your favorite food?

A8. Oranges.

Q9. If you could have one wish what would it be?

A9. To be educated.

Q10. What is your favorite part of the Omapitiro Weyuva After School Class?

A10. I like that it helps my studies.

Thanks Anna!!!

Uhara Nawa.