Reconnect

This week I was back at our training center in Okahandja with the rest of Group48. We arrived in Namibia with 55 and are now down to 50. It is not unusual for 10-20% of a group to not complete the two years of service for a variety of reasons. It is always sad for our Peace Corps Namily to see them go but they remain in our hearts and minds. Reconnect is a time for groups to get back together after being at site for a couple months. Besides hanging out and catching up with each other, we shared our challenges and successes, we got more training on how Peace Corps can support us and how we can support each other, and we also learned how to create and submit required reports. While not necessarily fun, these reports are critical in monitoring and evaluating Peace Corps’ work to ensure continued funding. The training was necessary and informative while the after-hours were entertaining. We had a volleyball tournament including players of all skill levels, spike ball, an impromptu slip and slide after a rainstorm, yoga, running, walking, hiking, and an assortment of games such as Gin Rummy, Phase 10, Hearts, Magic, and more. There was also time to just chill and hang out under a lapa, talking and listening to music. Our group has its sub-groups, but I hung out with different folks every day and observed many others doing the same. We seem to be a pretty open, inclusive, and caring group of PCVs. As I have expressed before, sometimes I feel good about the progress I am making as a teacher, connecting with my learners and integrating into my community. Other times, I just think teaching is hard, I feel inadequate, and I want to do better for my learners. Apparently, this is a common theme for many PCVs (and probably most teachers) and a good bit of training time was learning strategies to cope with this ambiguity and practical ways to support each other.

All for now with all my love