MST revisited

Mid-service training (MST) was so much fun. The first 2 days we were bussed to Windhoek for medical and dental check-ups. I was never so happy to go to the dentist and to get my teeth cleaned. I got a clean bill of health and I am all set, physically and mentally, to complete my final year of service.

NOTE: As I write this, I am eating a bowl of vegetable soup with zucchini and greens from my garden and lots of grated parmesan cheese. It is a variation of an Italian vegetable soup that my first husband’s grandmother used to make. My garden is still not very productive, but I love getting a handful of produce to use.

Wednesday to Friday at MST was spent in morning and afternoon sessions where we shared best practices and things that worked for us in the classroom or in our community. I have a list of things I want to try or try again, now that I have a bit more classroom experience. We learned some practical ideas for increasing critical thinking skills among our learners and how to monitor/evaluate improvements in this area. This is major goal from the Ministry of Education. We spent time setting goals for the next year of service.

We also had a guest speaker, Dr. Ndumba, an historian and one of the original freedom fighters, to talk about the upcoming national election on Nov 27. He gave a very interesting talk about the history of Namibia, its successful fight for independence, and the not so successful reconciliation plan to unify the country after gaining independence. This plan called for political reconciliation, racial reconciliation, and economic reconciliation. The current election, with over 10 parties mostly representing individual tribes and ethnicities, reflects the continued lack of unity. The prediction is that the current party, SWAPO (South West Africa Political Organization) will maintains its power because the other parties don’t have enough power unless they join forces. All Peace Corps volunteers are on high alert status until the election is over. We cannot travel from Nov 22-30 since there are many rallies, protests, and meetings throughout the country. I am not aware of any violence, but Peace Corps is being very cautious. I can accept that.

Unlike our other trainings, Pre-Service and Reconnect, our sessions were more relaxed, and we had more free time. We filled our time going for long walks or runs, playing cards, walking to Spar for Magnum ice cream bars, milkshakes, or other treats, and just enjoying each other’s company. Friday night we had an impromptu dance party. I was hanging out with a group listening to music when I mentioned I was surprised we had never had a dance party. Before I knew it, someone said, “Ellen wants a dance party” and it happened. We had so much fun, at least I know I did!

All for now with all my love,
Ellen