Katutura Home Visit

So we had to write a paper to our professors after a home visit with one of our students.  We were asked to go spend some time with these families in their homes.  This is the paper I wrote so you can get an idea of how that went for me :)

When we had a conversation about home visits during one of our group meetings, I was instantly filled with anxiety.  I had become very comfortable with the learners and teachers at my school, but the idea of walking into one of these learners’ homes made me so nervous because I’m still learning the etiquette and cultural norms for the community in which I have been teaching. 

I see so many students every day I didn’t know who I should ask to come visit.  To try and make things easier I thought that I should look for a student who goes to both Steenkamp and the BNC and thought of Lydia.  Lydia is a grade 3 learner at Steenkamp who also attends the BNC and she is one of the sweetest little girls I have met thus far.  There has not been a day where Cleo, Mallory and I all receive at least one hug from this bright little eight-year old.  We all asked Lydia if she would ask her parents permission for us to come visit her at home and then go to the BNC, to which she quickly agreed.

We asked Lydia to talk to her parents on a Thursday after school so when school ended on Monday we were all anxious to know if Lydia had remembered to ask her family and whether or not we would be welcomed into her home.  When we saw her after school she took us by the hands and started to lead us to her home.  All the while, we were asking her to confirm our visit was okay with her family, and that they were expecting our arrival, obviously nervous but excited as well.  We only walked one block before we arrived at the gate to her home and we saw her family sitting inside with the door open. 

I had been so nervous about this home visit, but all of the anxiety went away when I saw the kind smiles sitting inside the home.  We came to the door and asked for permission to enter, which was graciously granted.  Lydia and her family lived in a small, but fairly nice home.  Where I have seen many tin shanty shacks lining the roads of Katutura, this was a brick built home.  They had a lot of furniture crowded into a small space, but the home didn’t seem cluttered, but cozy. 

I hadn’t known before the visit, but Lydia’s home consisted of her mother, father, brother, herself, and two other girls that were staying with the family and also attend the BNC.  All for children in this home attend the BNC, which shows how much this family values their children’s educations.  We asked the family to elaborate on how they felt about their children’s education at Steenkamp, as well as the extra help they all receive from the BNC just a few blocks from their home.  Lydia’s father told us about how he also went to Steenkamp growing up, and that he has seen great improvement in the curriculum being provided to the students there.  He gloated about Lydia’s abilities in mathematics as well as environmental sciences, and I made sure to add to his comments about her positive academic career.  The only complaint I heard was that he wished Lydia would receive help on homework at the BNC, because there is no one at home to help since he is often out working to earn money for the family.  I agreed that I would help Lydia if she would bring her homework to the BNC and we worked on it before classes began, which I believed made her father very happy.

Me with my home visit learners <3

Cleo, Mallory and I with our home visit learners!

When I thought we had finished our discussion I was getting ready to say our goodbyes when Lydia’s mother brought out her wedding album!  We looked at family photos and just chatted about life for the remainder of time, and all the awkwardness I felt before we met this amazing family seemed miles away.  I have never been in a home of a stranger when I felt so genuinely welcomed and appreciated and it warmed my heart to see such generosity and love from a family I had only known for under an hour!  Before we left for the BNC I got a hug from both the mother and the father and a genuine invitation to come back whenever we wanted.  The kindness of the people here in Namibia continues to astound me, as I have never seen such welcoming behavior in The States.  This assignment really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I am so happy that I was able to have such an experience and hope for more just as profound in the near future.