In March 2004 twenty students from the American Community School in Cobham received a Peace Prize of £1,000, winning the group section of an international award, sponsored by ACS, for their community work in Namibia in 2003. The group, led by a teacher, spent thirty days in Namibia, part of the time at Onangubu Primary School near Oshakati, in the north of the country, where they were involved in painting the school and teaching the children. During their visit to the country, the students had to complete a personal challenge, walking the 50 miles of the Fish River Canyon, and plan a tour that enabled them to visit the Himba tribe and the Etosha game reserve, as well as undertake the community project at the school.
Aged between 14 and 18, the students spent 18 months collecting money for the trip through their own fundraising endeavours and the Team Challenge Project was carefully planned around the needs of the school. To prepare for the trip, the group was asked to think of songs and rhymes to teach maths and ideas for teaching English and to pass these on to the pupils at the school.
The teacher leading the group remarked 'We all felt quite shocked at the state of the school, its lack of basic materials, and electricity.' Students painted a world map and a school mission statement on the walls of the school and provided help and money with building a library. The £1,000 prize money won by the students for their project was sent back to Onangubu School to help to pay for school fees and food for AIDS orphans.
One of the students who took part in this venture, Edward LoPinto, then 17 years old, wrote a personal statement of his impressions of the visit. This was part of his US university admission process and the college to which he was applying was so impressed and moved by this article that they offered him a place and wanted to make a donation to the Namibian school. Below we reproduce his statement.
Imagine you are still at school. It's just a regular day until out of nowhere aliens land in your school yard. They set up a camp site where they live for five days. They are not scary aliens; on the contrary, they take a sincere interest in your life, and want to do all they can in those five days to improve it. So they give your teachers some alien equipment, teach some classes with the knowledge they have from their planet, and then, before they leave, they tell you that they have another ship on the way full of stuff they think will make your life a bit better.
Last summer, I was one of those aliens. I was part of a World Challenge expedition to Namibia. The team consisted of twenty high school students, two teacher links, and a group leader. We spent about eighteen months preparing for our expedition. All decisions were made by the team. It was our responsibility to raise the money to go on the trip, plan our itinerary, and keep the team together once we got there. One aspect of the expedition was a service project of our choice. We decided to spend five days at Onangubu Primary school.
Onangubu Primary school is located several hours outside of Oshakati, one of the few cities in Namibia. Its location redefined the term isolated for me. Students, or learners as the Namibians call them, often had to walk five or six kilometres in extreme heat to reach the school. The school consisted of five dilapidated buildings – four for the classrooms, and one teachers' office. There was no electricity or running water. The only water was in a tank which could only be refilled every three months.
We set up camp in the school yard, with dozens of curious little eyes watching us. Our camp site was off limits to the children in order to provide us with a slight refuge from the constant scrutiny of those curious little eyes. I suppose that distance made us seem even more like aliens to them. At night we would retreat to our little camp site to eat and rest, but during the day, we painted, taught, and gave all that we could to make a difference in their lives. We gave the teachers teaching supplies, painted a world map on the wall of one of their buildings, repainted another building, and taught nursery rhymes in classes. We also had a container shipped over full of children's books, toys, and clothes which people from our school community had donated.
Of those five days, one afternoon stands out in my mind. We randomly selected a few of the children the headmistress of the school told us were having difficulties, and brought their families gifts of cornmeal, seed, and flour. We split into groups of four, and the headmistress led my group to the homestead of a particular girl's family. We walked the same path that the little girl would walk each day to go to school. When we reached the homestead, we found things worse than we had expected. The homestead consisted of three mud huts surrounded by a stick fence. The small plot of land in front of the homestead was obviously an attempt at farming, but the ground was dust and whatever plants once grew there were dead and dry. The child's father greeted us, and we presented him with the gifts, but he did not say anything for a very long time. At first I was offended that he did not say anything, but as he stood there I realised that for him this was probably an experience so surreal that he did not know what to think. When he eventually said something he thanked us. But he also told us something I will never forget. I do not know the exact words he used because the headmistress had to interpret them for us. He said, 'Do not forget about what you have done, and keep doing it for other people.'
As our spacecraft departed, I reflected on what the man had told us. No matter how much I would like to give, I cannot make such visits on a regular basis. It would be physically impossible for my group and me to give gifts like that to all those who need it. But I think the man realised that when he told us what he did. I think he just wanted us to remember that by doing something so easy by our standards, we could make such a difference to him and people like him. Since our return, we have been trying to set up a system for people to sponsor a child to pay for school fees. Just twenty-four pounds can pay for a child's education right through high school. So even from light years away, I realised, it is possible to make a difference.
At the AGM in 2003, Carole Milner from VSO talked about a very productive correspondence which had developed between boys in conflict with the law in safehouse accommodation in Namibia with youngsters at a centre for juvenile offenders in the UK. Below is an account of that project given by Linda Parton, who was a volunteer with VSO in Namibia for over three and a half years. As the VSO website says, 'This is the story of some of the most disadvantaged in Namibia helping young people in the UK. It is a story of coincidences, enthusiasms and making the most of opportunities. Hopefully the story has a long way to run but these are the happenings so far.' Linda relates the story.
I have been working at COLS (Change of Lifestyles Homes Project) for the past 17 months as a VSO volunteer. The core function of COLS is to provide Safehouse accommodation for boys in conflict with the law. Up to ten boys can be accommodated at any time. Many of the boys have been arrested for petty crime. The alternative to COLS, for them, would be incarceration in the Wanaheda Police cells for as long as six months, whilst they are awaiting trial. Other boys are placed in the care of COLS by social workers. None of the boys have suitable family placements. COLS is their home.
The purpose of my VSO placement has been to develop an education programme for the boys. This has proved quite a challenge given the range of ability (moderate learning difficulties to exceptionally bright); the range of school experience (none to grade 10); and the language abilities of myself and the boys (even those with limited English are better than I am in Afrikaans). However this is a story of one success amongst many.
The first coincidence was that my daughter, Kirsten, who had visited Namibia and been enthralled by COLS, was offered supply teaching work at Vinney Green secure unit for juvenile offenders in South Gloucestershire. Largely because of her interest in COLS my daughter took the supply work at the unit.
Vinney Green, as a unit for juvenile offenders, is very different from COLS but the aims are much the same. It is government funded and has exceptional facilities with a high level of professional staffing. Twenty-two youngsters can be accommodated at any time. They have a full education timetable. Class size is four, based on cooperation groups rather than ability groups. The teachers experience the same challenges as we do in terms of ability range. However they have far greater difficulties in terms of learner motivation than we do. The boys at COLS are eager to learn. The boys and girls at Vinney Green are far less motivated. They have had the benefit of a compulsory education system whereas the COLS boys have not always had the opportunity to go to school.
The second coincidence was that my husband and I made an unexpected visit to the UK over Christmas because one of our grandchildren was sick. Kirsten was desperate for me to visit Vinney Green and meet the new Head of Education, Alison Salway. Alison and I had an immediate rapport, both being equally enthusiastic about our work in Education in Juvenile Justice. We agreed that we would try to arrange an exchange of letters, by e-mail, between the young people at the two institutions but were not sure of how successful we would be.
Inevitably, there were many delays. Technical problems, staff shortages, flu epidemics and lethargy all played their part. However, in the middle of February the first letters were sent from Namibia to Vinney Green. The effect on the youngsters at Vinney Green was immediate. Alison sent a reply by return.
Hi there! Here are some letters for your boys! Our kids are really eager to pursue this and ask me hourly if there are any more!! It has had an incredible effect on their work output - they are producing original writing - something which is really hard to do! And they are writing with reference to the target audience so that your boys aren't made to feel bad cos the conditions here are so much better than theirs are!
All our boys then wanted to write - and everyone did. Some of the boys wrote independently using word processing packages. Others wrote in English with help. One or two dictated their letters in English and then copied them themselves as handwriting practice. One boy dictated his letter in Afrikaans and had it translated into English. He then copied the Afrikaans version carefully into his folder. This is no mean feat for someone who has never been to school and who is just learning to write.
Many of the revelations made in the letters were new to the careworkers - perhaps because the audience was young people, at a great distance, who would not judge them? It did not seem to matter that COLS staff were intermediaries in the process. All of the boys concentrated for well over two hours on this task and were very excited to know that their letters had been sent by e-mail. These are some of the letters.
Dear Pen Pal,
My name is Esegiel. Im 12 years old. I was born in Okahandja. Ive never been in school in my life. My parents are separate and they never treated me special. All of my life I have been looking for love and attention and care but couldnt find any. Only when I came to COLS they satisfy my special needs. They learn me how to read and write and also how to use a computer. And I also learn about God. I love to play soccer. I like to learn more about you Europeans.
Greetings to all your friends - Esegiel
Dear Friend,
My name is Godfried and Im 13 years old. I was born in Keetmans and stayed there with my mum, grandparents, uncle, aunt, cousins, bothers and sisters. We were altogether 13 people in a one bedroom house with a kitchen, dining room and an outside toilet. For food most of the time we ate porridge with soup and at times I had to go to bed with just praying.
My mum passed away when I was eight years old and my small brother was run over by a truck last year and he also passed away. My grandmother got ill and passed away. One of my cousins took me and we stayed on the streets in Keetmans. I later on hitchhiked to Windhoek without food or clothes, only the clothes I had on. When I arrived in Windhoek I met a friend of mine and stayed at their house for a while. I later on went back to the streets and slept under a bridge in town and for food I would beg people for money. It is hard to get things around here.
I was arrested for shoplifting and send to COLS for Lifeskills programmes. Im helped by one of my teachers, Mr Simon, to write this letter because I cant read and my spelling isnt so good.
I hope you will write to me soon - Godfried
Hi penpal,
My name is Melvin. I am 12 years old and the place where I stayed is called Okahandja Park. I did school at Bethel last year - Grade 5. The reason I am here at COLS is because of theft, assault and robbery. I did smoke but not anymore. Here at COLS I have learn how to play computer, soccer, read, how to behave and to change my attitude. The people here at COLS are very nice and good in working with children. I only thank God for bringing me to this place. He is very powerful and he is there for everyone of us.
Please look after yourself - Melvin
My name is Oscar.
I am coming from Otjiwarongo. I am fifteen years old. I have not been to school since 1998. I stuck a boy with a knife and the principal told me I must leave the school. This place is nice. I have been at COLS for a few days. I have been sent to COLS because the police caught me with ganja (cannabis). I have come to Windhoek to find my people. My mother sent me. I did not find them. I have been sleeping in a garage at a school. I have been asking people for food and money. I had enough to eat.
Please write to me - Oscar
Again Alison wrote an immediate reply from Vinney Green.
The impact this is having is enormous. It has really raised the stakes in terms of achievement, excitement etc. More and more children are asking if they can write - like yours. We're hoping to make a bit of a song and dance about it this end too and let the Home Office and Youth Justice Board know what's blossoming.
When we talked about this initiative, Alison and I did not envisage such an immediate enormous impact. We thought there might be long-term developments including wider staff involvement but we never thought in terms of boys at COLS offering such support to the youngsters at Vinney Green. All those at COLS including the boys, who are involved, are delighted and proud that they are helping young people in the UK. In only a few days it has raised their self-esteem and they are aware that they are achieving something which not many other Namibians are doing - they are sending aid in the opposite direction.
Details of other VSO programmes in Namibia can be found on the VSO website: www.vso.org.uk
Arlete Leandro, a member of Friends of Namibia, has been in touch about an African Textile project she is working on in London. The project would like donations of textiles from Namibia to add to the collection. The plan is to mount an exhibition of samples from all African countries in 2005. If anyone is willing to make a donation, please contact Arlete on arlete@hotmail.com
Randolph Vigne, former Chair of the Namibia Support Committee and Friends of Namibia Society, recently attended a conference in Durban, South Africa, on the international anti-apartheid movement's part in South Africa's freedom struggle. Below is his report.
It was an honour to represent the Society at the conference on 'International Anti-Apartheid Movement in South Africa's Freedom Struggle: Lessons for Today', held in Durban on 10-13 October 2004. There was a good attendance from anti-apartheid groups in Europe, north America, Asia and Australasia, but a regrettable absence of the once mighty British Anti-Apartheid (AAM) movement. This was somewhat made up for by the preview of one part of Connie Field's brilliant TV documentary series (still in production), Have you heard from Johannesburg? (1946-90), on the successful disinvestment campaign in which British AAM played such a large part. Other outside events were the launching of Denis Herbstein's account of the International Defence and Aid Fund, White Lies, Canon Collins and the Secret War against Apartheid (Oxford, James Currey) and Dr Francis Njubi Nesbit's Race for Sanctions: African-Americans against Apartheid, 1946-94 (Indiana University Press).
The Namibian contribution also helped compensate for the British non-attendance. Dr Peter Katjavivi, Namibian ambassador to the EU and Belgium, spoke on inter-government solidarity, Jade McClune on the Archives of the Anti-Colonial Resistance and Liberation Project, Windhoek, followed by my own paper entitled 'Standing by SWAPO: British Campaigning on Namibia, 1969-90'. All three papers will soon be available, with the remaining 45, on the conference website: www.ukzn.ac.za/aam2004
The conference did not only look back at the campaigning which bore fruit ten years ago and study the lessons to be learned but heard papers on the future from Kader Asmal, South African MP, Sten Rylander, Swedish Ambassador-at-large, and Mushirul Hassan, vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, India. The closing address was by Aziz Pahad, deputy-minister for foreign affairs, who was seconded to the AAM by the ANC from the 1970s and known to many of us.
Discussion was lively throughout the conference and there was a welcome emphasis on preserving the records of the struggle, with archives well represented.
Randolph Vigne