Final Weeks of PST

The end of PST is a lot harder than the start. Even though we get a lot thrown at us in the first few weeks of training (homestay, language, etc.), the last couple weeks have been much harder to bear. After getting a small taste of what service would be like from shadowing we had to go back into training mode. I know that I personally never fully came back. I was just ready to go and start my service, and I am sure many others felt the same way.

Unfortunately, we still had to endure 3 weeks of training with lots of language, medical/safety, and Peace Corps policy sessions. Even though much of the information was important it was difficult to stay focused. Each day seemed a little be longer than the last. I think the only thing that kept us going and kept us positive was the light at the end of the tunnel. We all knew that September 25 was just around the corner.

It wasn’t all bad however. We had a couple of fun days during our last weeks of PST. We went to the Von Bach Dam, just outside of Okahandja, for a braai (bbq). We swam, jumped off the dam into the water, and ate some good food. It was a much needed fun and relaxing day. Also, on our last Friday we got to return to Windhoek. Myself and others went to a Chinese restaurant for some pretty tasty food. A lot of people bought supplies for their sites. I did not since I knew I’d be able to get everything in my town, so instead I just hung around and enjoyed the day. The next day, our last Saturday, we held American Culture Day. We cooked our favorite American foods for our Namibian host family and trainers. We split up into different regions and cooked different dishes. I obviously was in the Northeast Region. We prepared pizza and chili dogs. Unfortunately, lobster and clam chowda was not in our budget (nor really available). Other groups made brats w/sauerkraut, chips and guac, gumbo, apple crumble, etc. There was even iced coffee which reminded me of Dunkin Donuts. It was nice to show our appreciations for our host country nations by showing them a little of our culture.

Finally, the last week rolled around. On Monday we prepared to meet our Supervisors/Counterparts from our host organizations. Then on Tuesday we met them. I was lucky enough to have two representatives come to Okahandja. There was Ivan the center manager and Katrina the SME coordinator. We had the chance to talk and get to know each other a little, but there were also sessions to attend. The purposes of the sessions were to reiterate the roles of each person and organization and to make clear the purpose of the Peace Corps’ being. This continued through Wednesday, then September 25, 2014 finally happened.

Looking back to our first day of training, it had seemed like this day might never come. It came…and then it went. First, since I was leaving after our Swearing –In Ceremony I had to have all my stuff packed and ready to go. For those of us leaving we kept our things at the training center so that we could leave immediately. We all gathered at Kukuri where we had stayed our first week in Namibia. Everyone was dressed to impress. Some of us wore suits and dresses, while others wore traditional clothing depending on what language they had been learning. The hall was packed with PST Trainers, Peace Corps Staff, Host families, and other community members who had helped us. The ceremony included performances by the Okahandja Youth Choir, speeches, our swearing-in, awards, and presentations from each language group. The Youth Choir was great. They sang two songs and each was amazing. Speeches were given by our PST Training Manager Benna, Peace Corps Country Director Danielle, Charge d’Affaires Mr. John Kowalski, and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry Mr. Tarah Shaanika. We were sworn in by the Country Director and Charge d’Affaires. Then each language group had a presentation. One of the Afrikaans speakers made a nice speech. Other groups did speeches, dances, songs, and poems. Overall the ceremony was short and sweet.

Following the ceremony was some finger foods and a lot of goodbyes. It was bittersweet. While I couldn’t wait to get to Swakop, I also had to say goodbye to a lot of great people. Fortunately, we will all see each other again in December.

And so concluded 10 weeks of training. Now the real fun and work begins.

Host Family (during PST)

I first met my host mother (Mama Louda) at our training center for a brief meet in greet. She was very nice (and her English was pretty good!). We talked briefly and I made sure to tell here that I did in fact eat meat. Meat is a staple in Namibians diet, so having to host a vegetarian can be a bit of a hassle for them. It seemed that this would be a good fit, and she spoke Afrikaans which would certainly help me learn the language. Also, just as it was my first homestay, it was her first time hosting as well, so we were both in for a totally new experience. I was also excited to hear that I would have little brothers and sisters.

The next day, after training, I threw my bags in a truck and got taken to my new home for the next 9 weeks. When I got to my house I was introduced to my host family. I met my two brothers Junior (grade 9) and Jason (grade 2). I also met my sisters Kayla and Charnay (grade 5). My sisters are actually my mother’s nieces, but nieces and nephews are considered sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters here. Kalya stays at the house sometimes while Charnay lives at home. I also have two older brothers, Hilton (24) and Roger (25). Hilton lives and works in the next town over, and Roger lives and works in Windhoek. They come home on the weekends every now and then.

Mama Louda works for the Ministry of Agriculture here in Okahandja and is gone during the day during the week as am I. The boys and girls are at school during the days except during a 2 week holiday. In the evenings everybody is around. Dinner is served anytime between 6 and 8. Eating usually takes place in the family room watching TV, but people can eat wherever they want. On the weekends the family stays home for the most part. We don’t have a car, so going into town or to the shopping mall is usually out of the question.

My host mom is amazing. She manages the family by herself (I don’t know anything about the father). She gets the kids ready for school every morning, goes to work, and then comes home and cooks dinner. She is very accommodating. I feel bad saying this, but I don’t have any responsibilities at home. The women of the household pretty much are responsible for the household duties. It’s just the way it is here. It is pretty impressive how well my host mom balances all of her duties.

Junior is your typical high school freshman. He likes sports, video games, and hanging with his friends. He is a nice kid, but he does spend most of his time out with friends. He comes home for dinner then leaves afterwards. With Jason, I have my hands full. He spends most of his free time at home. Having him around gives me the true younger brother experience. He likes soccer, movies, and playing with my tablet (he once played Temple Run for 8 hours nonstop). He is hard to say not to, but sometimes I have to; otherwise I would have absolutely no time to myself. Hilton and Roger are sometimes around on the weekends. When Hilton is home, he likes to hang with his friends. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging with them, and it’s been nice to hang with Namibians of my own age (though their use of Afrikaans slang makes it nearly impossible to pick up anything they say). It is also nice when Roger is home. He has a job in the capital, but is also an aspiring rapper. We talk about music, movies, and America a lot. My mother’s nieces who also stay with us a lot are also very pleasant. They help with the household duties, but are your typical young girls.

My homestay experience is coming to a bitter sweet end. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but it will be very nice to have my own place and more freedom. I absolutely will visit my host family whenever I am back in Okahandja, and I fully expect to stay in touch with them after service as well. My time spent with my host family has been amazing, and they have helped make this transition both smooth and pleasing. I will miss them dearly.