Greetings good friends!
I’m writing to you from the courtyard of the ELCIN Guest
House – having just enjoyed a “fat cake” (a super greasy donut) from the
kitchen! The sun is shining, the temperature is warming up pleasantly, and I
just ate fried dough. It’s safe to say that all is well. J
Yesterday was an absolute whirlwind of a day! We visited
four schools in just over four hours. The stories from yesterday seem to be
endless in my mind, as I was hit with wave after wave of emotions. We saw GREAT
teaching and beautiful learners. We heard stories of impressive academic
achievement, and unimaginable financial hardships. There were sounds of joyous
music, and impressive language skills. All in all, it was a banner day for
Empowering Learners.
In time, we’ll share all the highlights from yesterday, but
today I’ll start with our visit to the Reverend Philippus Henok Kindergarten. I
think the words transformation and enlightened fit nicely in how I was feeling
during our time with the learners there. For those that remember, the Henok
Kindergarten is the school we visited exactly one year ago, and is named in
honor of Pastor Henok (current pastor of the Oniipa Parish, and former ELCIN
Education Secretary). It was Pastor Henok who initially linked Empowering Learners to the ELCIN schools in the North of
Namibia through an email relationship. After our visit last year we joined with the Oshigambo community and
Pastor Henok to build a permanent building for their learners. As we’ve
reported earlier, the school was built in record time, and learners have been
residing there for nearly five months! The following pictures tell a great
transformation story, and I couldn’t be more blown away.
As you can see from the pictures not only does the school
look great, but also the learners have some really sharp uniforms! Upon our
arrival the learners, teachers, and community members had a wonderful program
all prepared for us. Not only were their language skills, singing, and dancing
superb, they showed us such hospitality. I was speechless. Being in that
beautiful building we built together, we shared so much joy! The love and
kindness I felt was so genuine and humble. Our time together was so much more
than just a moment of thankfulness - it was an acknowledgement to our common
endeavors in education and development. Together, we’ve insured that those
precious learners have a comfortable place to attend school. For all of you
that had a part in making that particular project happen, I send thanks. Not
just from me, but from all of us who benefit.
His smile said it all.
Empowering Learners
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