Mr. Leitz in Namibia: Revisiting the Ondao Mobile Schools

It took us most all of Tuesday to drive up to Opuwo. On Wednesday we met with the Ondao Mobile Schools principal, Mr. Kapi (a cousin of Uanee's :-) and three Head of Departments (or cluster heads responsible for administering a dozen schools or so). Mr. Kapi talked with the students about the Ondao project and we talked with him about presenting at the conference. Their computers have been down so we have been unable to communicate with him via e-mail in the last few months.

One of the HoDs, Ben, was a former teacher we worked with 6+ years ago and he took us out to two schools.

Stopping along the way to talk with three boys watching their goats. Unaee asking them about their school and if their teacher was there for them. The boys came up to ask for "sweets" (which tourists often hand out - not a particularly good thing). Unaee answered, "These people only eat salt. They have no sweets." To which the boys sadly walked away.

At the first school, Orotjitombo Combined School, was were thrilled to meet two of our Ondao teacher friends, Festus and Ella. Their school has now met all the requirements to become a government school, water point, permanent structures, hostel rooms for boys and girls who walk a long way, etc. Thus the uniforms.

They held an impromptu assembly for us. Some songs, some dances. Great fun. I have some videos so you can hear the singing, but it takes way too long to upload them here (the photos alone take 5-10 minutes apiece to upload!)

The assembly ended with the oldest boys doing a traditional warrior song and dance which everyone enjoyed immensely.

Too soon, we had to leave and headed to a new village, Ohungumure.

This is where we had first met Festus, but now another teacher who we had worked with, Rudolphine, was there. This is a one tent school site. Dr. Weiss brought school materials that her book club had donated and the learners were much interested in trying the materials out.