Finally, an update. Placement and more...

A lot has happened since the last post about my departure.  First, I cannot thank those who have donated enough.  My fundraising efforts generated a response I could not have ever imagined.  Thank you all again for your support.

Second, I have moved back to Kansas City for the remainder of my time in the states.  It has been nice to eat well, see my family and friends, and rest up for the journey ahead.  I finished most of the paperwork preparations in Philly but have tied up the loose ends while being in Kansas City and am so glad to have wrapped all that up.  It wasn't difficult, just time-consuming, requiring a lot of emails, phone calls, and footwork to get all the forms completed, vaccinations done, and other preparations complete.  One positive aspect was having time fly by as I was working hard. Now that it's all done and I'm just waiting to leave time seems to stand still.

Anyway, time for the real news.  I have learned I will be teaching 8-10th grade English and basic computing in Omungwleume, a large village/small town in the north near the Angolan border and about 30km north of Oshakati, the largest town in the central north (28,000 people).  I will be living with a fellow volunteer in a two bedroom house that sounds really nice.  Running water, electricity, cooking facilities, etc.  No hot water will be something to get used to, but I'm sure it won't be that bad considering it's nice and warm there.  I think I will be looking into some DIY projects and a solar hot water heater might be in order.

Again, I will be leaving December 28th from Washington D.C.  Upon arriving in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, I will begin my training.  We will have about four days of orientation sessions before traveling to Tsumeb on January 3rd where we will doing our four day teaching practicum.  After that we will head back to Windhoek where we will wrap up orientation before departing for our specific placements.  I'm ready to start and can't wait to arrive.

Here is a map where I have placed markers on the different cities I have talked about so far.  I will keep updating it as I continue to travel and get to know more areas.


View Namibia in a larger map

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more updates.

Departure Date

Departure date is set!  I will be leaving Washington D.C. December 28th and arriving in Windhoek, the capital, December 29th.  This is really happening but I still can't believe it.

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog detailing my upcoming volunteer experience teaching in Namibia.  Thanks for visiting.  I appreciate your support.  My hope for this blog is to offer those interested the opportunity to follow what is happening in my school and community.  At the same time, I hope to create a dialogue between myself and you, the reader.  Feel free to comment below or email me any thoughts or questions you may have.

At this moment I am currently working on all the pre-departure steps which include obtaining my visa, getting checked out medically, and fund raising.  As you may guess, there are some serious costs in placing a volunteer in Namibia.  During my stay I will receive a small living allowance from my school, approximately $400/month, allowing me to live modestly in Namibia.  Other costs of the program include the cost of my placement, training, air travel, insurance, and field support for the year. If you would like to contribute financially please visit worldteach.org/donate or send a check to WorldTeach (Their mailing address can be found at the bottom of their website).  Please be sure to include my name in the "Purpose" heading on the donation page or the memo line of your check to ensure your support goes toward my program. Remember, all donations are tax deductible. 

Again, thanks for visiting and becoming a part of my journey.  Share it with others and check back soon for updates.