A Day in the Life of a Swakopmund Community

11.3.17 A Day in the Life of a Swakopmund Community

This morning we had the pleasure of visiting Festus Hanganeni Primary School, a government school located in Swakopmund since 1964.

Hanganeni Primary School in a nutshell...

1079 students (grades 0-7)
45 staff members (36 of them teachers)
school day lasts from 7:30 AM - 1:20 PM

Jennifer and Josephine, grade 6 prefects, were our tour guides for the visit.

Appointed prefects represent the best and brightest in their class.

My little 2nd grade cuties, Rose, Bertha and Getty shared their sketchbooks with me

and were ecstatic that I drew a picture for each of them in their individual books.

(They give GREAT hugs)!

The absolutely beautiful and enjoyable 2nd grade class.

The links below, featuring their welcome songs are so much fun!

https://youtu.be/sAX8RXUwd3g

https://youtu.be/MahTetLrDi8

Josephine gives a younger student a much needed hug.

Two older students enjoy their snacks.

The Danlago community resettlement camp.

Neighborhood children who have made their way to Danlago.

Some are dropped off by their parents, but others - despite their young age - somehow make in on their own.

Before we went to the primary school, we made a quick, somewhat organized grocery trip to the Pick n Pay for fresh vegetables for the Danlago community resettlement camp. We also assisted with the prep work of making the soup to be shared with anyone in the community that needed help.

Despite the lack of water and the harsh climate, the community manages a small plot

of vegetables like spinach, dill and tomatoes.

(The empty soda liter bottles interlaced within the wire fencing,

were added to block the view of the garden

in the hopes that theft of food would be deterred).

I absolutely loved these 2 quotes they had posted within the camp:

"If you educate a man you educate an individual. If you educate a woman you educate a nation."

"The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that can rule the world."

Our last stop was a visit with Naftaline Mauha, the founder of the Tears of Hope Orphanage. Over the years she worked very closely as an HIV/AIDS counselor for women with HIV and and as a home-based caregiver - renovating her Mondesa home to expand to 6 bedrooms that are now occupied by 17 children.