Love Is In the Air!

School was definitely interesting this week! Valentine’s Day was CRAZY. I got so many amazing notes from my students, telling me how much they love me and how they are going to cry when I leave. Just reading the letters made tears well up in my eyes. I cannot imagine leaving these kids unfortunately my trip comes to an end in only two short weeks. It seems impossible that I have already been living in Windhoek for 6weeks, but that is the reality.

I really wasn’t sure what to do for Valentine’s Day considering I have approximately 320 students through my classroom each day. The only thing I had enough of to give to them were golf pencils. I wasn’t sure what to expect as a reaction from them, but as soon as I told them I had a gift for them and passed the pencils out, smiles filled my classroom. The pencils were like gold to my learners. At the end of the class, a number of the kids tried to give them back to me and I said, “I gave those to you as a gift to keep forever!” Again their faces just lit up! I heard lots of “Thank you Miss,” and got lots of hugs. These kids just have so much love to give it is amazing! Watching the kids give Valentine’s cards to their Valentine’s partners was precious. The brought imitation flowers, homemade cards, and sweets for one another. It wasn’t so cute the next day though after they had all crashed from their sugar highs.

On Wednesday, I had to have a group of my grade 7 students to put their heads down for part of the period, which was definitely a first for that particular group. We had quite the discussion about what it meant to be respectful to one another and by Thursday they pulled themselves together. They had all of their homework done and were extremely engaged with the HIV/AIDS lesson I taught. It really was like night and day. I brought my camera to class and took pictures of lots of my kiddos during my art lessons and also at break time. It is amazing how they all want me to “catch a photo” of them. They are so adorable and as soon as the camera comes out they are posing for as many pictures as I am willing to take. Kids run from all the way on the opposite side of the courtyard just to jump into the picture. It is really funny. It will definitely be nice to have the photos to remember all of my beautiful Namibian kiddos.

Hanging with some of my grade 5, 6, and 7 learners at break time.

Hard at work on a self-portrait in Art :-)

Some of my grade 7 learners posing for a photo.

Me and some of my grade 7B girls.

After school on Thursday Kristin and I went on a home visit with one of our lovely 5E learners that we also teach at the BNC (after school program). Our school counselor from Steenkamp, Mr. Boyce, drove us to her home in the Steenkamp school bus, which seemed a little excessive with their only being three of us in the back, but it was a very nice gesture. When we got to Odette’s home, her mother welcomed us with open arms. The homes of families here are much different than those that we are used to in the United States. Some would enter into these homes and see how little the people have and automatically think that they must be unhappy and poor. On the contrary, this house was more full of love than many I have seen back home.

The entire home was the size of Joel and my dining room back home. There was one queen size bed, an armoire, a refrigerator/freezer and a small stand that held two hotplates for cooking. Odette, her sister, her two brothers, and her mother live together in this space. The house was mad of cinder blocks and the floor was cement. We sat and talked with Odette and her mother for about twenty minutes about how great of a student Odette is and answered questions for one another about our cultures and lifestyles. Kristin and I gave them a box of Almond Roca that we had brought from Tacoma. They graciously accepted the box and Odette’s mother said, “When this box is empty, I will put it up in the window so we can always remember the nice American women that came to visit us in our home.” Again, my eyes welled up with tears and I got goose bumps.

While Kristin and I were talking to Odette’s mother she went outside and came back in with a small potted plant. She and her mother spoke to one another in Damara for a moment and then she handed the plant to us and said, “We would like to give this to you, it is our only green one.” Part of me didn’t want to take it, because it was their only green plant outside, but then I realized how much it meant for this family to be able to give something to us. We took the plant and said thank you and commented on how beautiful it was. Odette’s mother began talking about ho important plants are. She told us that you can tell a lot about a person from their home. She pointed to a hanging basket in the center of the room that was made from strips of cotton. It had a plant sitting inside it. She told us that if a person doesn’t have plants inside their home it reflects in their heart and means that they don’t have anything to live for. If they have plants in their home it means that their heart is beautiful and full of love and life. It was so interesting to hear how much a simple thing like a plant plays such a role in her life. After having this conversation, Odette took us next door to meet some more of their family.

Her Grandmother, two aunts and about ten of her cousins stay in the house next door. This home was a little bit larger and even had a small kitchen. It was great to get to talk with her aunt and hold one of her beautiful baby cousins who was just a few months old. I have never been in a home that is more filled with love than this one. I am so thankful to have gotten this experience.