What is the Fascination Between the Road and the Donkey!!

First, I would like to introduce you to the Northern Namibia traffic officer, the donkey.

They are all over the road (along with goats and cows) but as Ruben said it best “ I don’t understand what the fascination is between the donkey and the road?”

Sarah and Ruben

Ruben is one of four community project coordinators for Skillz Namibia, a program that Grassroot Soccer provides technical assistance (consulting) to in Northern Namibia. For the next four weeks I will be traveling around the different parts of the three regions completing evaluations and gathering information on how the program is working. It is very challenging because everything is so spread out. Someone once told me that “your team is only as strong as its weakest player” and that is the outlook I take when doing this work. I am really enjoying this type of work.

Ruben is a teacher at one of the rural schools. He and one of his cousins are the only people in his family to graduate from grade 12 and go on to college. I really enjoyed spending a week with him. You learn so much about a person that way. He told me today, that for him, this was definitely a week to remember. I don't think he realizes, that it is the same for me!

One thing that made me laugh was his desire to go to Hollywood and meet Michael Jackson (before he died), Brittany Spears and Eminem. American Pop Culture is everywhere.

Rubens Brother, Cousin, Nephew and Niece

I stayed at a hotel in Tsandi, Namibia a very small town. The shower in my room was so gross that I choose not to shower for 4 days over using the one provided. Last nights shower was AWESOME. Also, I am so thankful that I brought my own sheets and blanket to Africa, it has been a life saver a few times.

Anyway, accommodation aside, it was an amazing week. One of my highlights from this week was driving through the BUSH in a small car and Ruben telling me just go straight; when the road split. Every night I had to drive him to his family’s village about 15 minutes into the Bush and pick him up in the morning. The first night he had his cousin come with me and stay in Tsandi so that he could help me drive back in the morning. However, after that I had to figure it out for myself, turn right at the second school sign and just go straight. It was such an adventure every time.

Heading into the Bush, see the road on the left, take it and drive straight

Lucas, Rubens Cousin

Over the course of 4 days, I probably drove 1000 Kilometers, on normal, dirt, and gravel roads. We completed 4 coach support visits (evaluating a coach while they are implementing with kids), 6 Thermometer Checks (interview guide that is used when coach is not implementing) and a development course for 6 coaches.

During the Coach Support Visit, I just sit back and observe how the coach facilitates the activity and give feedback. I try really hard to not just say good job or this needs work but give specific examples. GRS uses behaviour based coaching, where I have to show the coach how to improve facilitation, this can be tough. It really makes me pay attention. These visits are more valuable and enjoyable when when the coach takes the time to know the material and takes the program seriously. It is so easy to tell who puts in a lot of effort and those who don’t. Therefore, my job is too continue to encourage the one’s that do great work and to find a way to change the attitudes of the ones who don’t take it as seriously. This has made me think back to all of those times that sports coaches and teachers were trying to push me to do better and I thought I was good enough or just didn’t listen. I think I learn more and more about myself each day.

Coach Support Visit, Outapi Namibia

Coach Support Visit: Ruccana Namibia

The thermometer checks are interview guides that help me get information on the interventions without observing an intervention. We had a few of these that were really challenging and sometimes its hard not to show frustration with the coach. The good thing about gathering this kind of information, is that I know get to create a plan to simplify the process and support the coaches. I love this kind of programmatic development.

The development course was such a highlight of the week. I feel blessed that Grassroot Soccer trusts my judgment to plan out what will best develop these coaches and act upon it. We took 6 coaches that were either new or that could use a lot more support and guidance on how facilitate an activity or how to best use their coaches guide. I split them up into three teams of two and had them facilitate a whole intervention (practice) with local community kids. We started with about 15 kids and by the end there were about 30.

It is fun to be able to give help and encouragement on this platform because you can see how just a little advice and support can help to futher develop the coach. For me, this was a really encouraging day. It is so special to watch people get excited about what they are doing.

While driving the 1000k’s, I got to see a lot of the Namibia country side, including: women fishing, different tribes and the Rucana Falls, which are on the Angola border.

Fishing in Omwifi, Namibia

Women of the Himba Tribe - very close to Angola

The Angola Border- haven't gone there yet.. no real plans too

Ruccana Water Falls - Namibia/Angola Border

Stay tuned for next week as I will be staying with a CPC in their village. No electricity etc. Every week is going to be new and exciting.

My Week Long Holiday

A couple weeks ago my boss told me that I needed to go on vacation because I worked too much. I don’t have a lot of extra money for vacations so I did it the cheapest way possible. I got a 60 US dollar flight to Johannesburg, got a ride to Lesotho, rode a minibus for 1 hour to Kimberly (70 Rand, 10 US dollars) and a 12 hour long bus ride Kimberly to Cape Town (40 US dollars). If you look at a map,I covered a lot of ground for very little money.

I flew to Johannesburg and spent a night with some of my friends there. This was a pretty exciting way to start the journey, as I had no expectations for this leg of the trip.I think that is why it was so much fun.I went to a movie in the mall, saw a store that sold Gap clothes (they were way too expensive 2 times the US price) and then went to Soccer City (the stadium where they are going to play the world cup finals). I got to meet a ton of South African professional soccer players, actors, rappers and wealthy members of the community. However, I still don’t know who many of them are. It was such a blast.

After my one night in Joburg, I went to Lesotho to visit my friend Lindy. She had 3 friends coming from Botswana to visit her and they picked me up a long the way. All of the girls I was traveling with were doctors who graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School (Nashville, TN). They work at the Baylor clinics in Botswana and Lesotho.What they do is amazing, it made me wish I had followed that early life dream to be a doctor. However, body fluids don’t sit well with my stomach; so it never would have worked.

I was so excited to be surrounded by people that lived in Tennessee. (if you have ever heard the Rodney Atkins song “These Are My People” that is what I felt like)

One of the nights we drove up to Semonkong, Lesotho. It is an amazing drive on the world’s worst road; pot holes everywhere. But it was completely worth it. This place was so peaceful, the lodge had amazing food and was right next to a creek. While we were there we did an abseil down the 217 meter waterfall.

Part of what is so neat about this abseil is you have to hike out, and it is one of the greatest hikes I have ever been on. Absolutely Amazing.

We also went on a donkey pub crawl, which was hilarious. Five American Girls riding donkeys through Semonkong, the whole town was laughing at us. We actually only stopped at one place had a traditional meal and then headed back to the lodge, but that was one of the funniest things I have ever done. I can honestly say that I was so thankful for the time I spent with Whitney, Bree, Leigh and Lindy, they are good people and it was so nice to hang out with them.

Next I went to Kimberly South Africa. GRS has 3 interns there and I just went to spend a couple of days with them. Here is where I really relaxed, read a book, watched a movie and just hung out. It was so nice. It really was the perfect vacation.

Girlz Got Skillz

And finally, the biggest project I have ever completed, Girlz got Skillz. I put everything I had into this event and it was worth it. IT ROCKED!!Photographs courtesy of Caroline Kaminju and Girlz Got SKillz funder and partners Johnson & Johnson, Grassroot Soccer and the Academy of Educational Development.

For more photos and information check out Girlz Got Skillz on Facebook.

The participants completed a Resiliency Race, photo/video scavenger hunt around downtown Cape Town and with the help of other GRS interns created power point presentations to share with the group.

The ladies of GGS had a lunch with influential women from South Africa.

Juggling My Life, one of Grassroot Soccer's SKILLZ activities

Welcome to My Community, a tour of Khayelitsha through the eyes of a Grassroot Soccer Skillz Coach- one of my favorite activities

Skillz Coach Tesh getting her team ready for a Skilla Practice

All participants of Girlz Got Skillz at Signal Hill in Cape Town

Grassroot Soccer Skillz coach getting her team ready for a SKILLZ activity

Girls playing soccer during the final day of soccer at the Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha South Africa.

The Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille join Girlz Got Skillz on Saturday during the Community Sport and Health Fair.She is AWESOME!!

Here are some links to articles that have been written about Girlz got Skillz, if you are interested in reading more about it.

http://www.growsouthafrica.org/News/TempNew/AllnbspNews/ArticleDetails/tabid/420/ItemID/1156/View/Details/Default.aspx

http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2010/april/article/girls-get-skills-in-cape-town/

It is interesting to see how people write about an event like this, especially since the program for the entire week and some of the activities were things I created or adapted. I would love to do something like this again

With Love,

Sarah

P.S. I wish that my Grandma Mary and Uncle Greg could hear and see what I am doing, I think they would be so proud and excited. I miss them both dearly.