A greeting from Namibia to Switzerland

Namibia Fact: Namibia is the first country in the
world to incorporate the protection of the
environment into it's constitution; some 14%
of the land is protected, including virtually the
entire Namib Desert coastline.

The Omega Combined School is a rural school
that could be best described as, a school lacking
resources.
There is one Atlas for the school of about 225 learners.
These are some of the challenges we have and
are trying to resolve.
So, if what appears to be interesting statements or
questions please bear in mind the limitations these learners
are faced with and have patience.
But as an observer, I can say that the learners here are
just so excited every time they receive your communications.

Here are the learner's entries:

Hi everybody in Switzerland, welcome.
How is Switzerland?
Thanks for posting this letter to us, we were very much
happy when we saw your school faces.
I would like to ask questions about your country ...
* Where exactly can your find Switzerland?
* What do you usually do in your country?
* And I would like to know something about your culture.

Here in Namibia we do a lot of cultural dancing.

Thanks grade 9 English

Hello everybody in Montana.

Thanks for posting.
It is good to hear some of the things you do in your
tradition. We do not have Thanksgiving here, we never
heard of it before. In our tradition we do not have that.
Every January when it is time for harvest, elders are the
first people to eat what we have harvested, then after is
when the children eat.

Questions:

How is Montana?
Where exactly can we find Montana?

We are looking forward to hear your response.

Grade 9 English

Hello everybody!

Hello from Zurich Switzerland! The picture on the left is a photograph of our school. It houses over 30 different nationalities, with over 400 attending students. This blog account is shared by a small group of students, working on a project to raise global awareness.

We look forward to your next post, best regards

ZIS advisory.

Here is our advisory, from left to right.

(Jake, Beni, Hannah, Mhairi, Matt, Bruce, Kate, Anina, Vladimir, , Oliver, Ziv, and Kristina{photographer})

Not here: Younes

Thanksgiving

Every year around this time we gather around a nice warm meal with friends and family. Originally started by our nation's pilgrims and Native Americans, Thanksgiving delivers some of the finer values Americans have. Traditionally a large turkey is cooked and eaten alongside stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, rolls, and many other classic dishes. After we are done gorging ourselves on the finest of foods we usually sit down in front of a television to see the game. The game would be football (not soccer, or futbol) and is the perfect compliment to the meal. Outside the weather is crisp and the sky dotted with beautiful fall foliage. Thanksgivings real purpose however is a time of reflection. Its a time to stop and look back in our busy lives and be thankful for what we have.

Ngepi Montana

Ngepi is a Thimbukushu word used to greet.
It actually means ... how are you. The answer
usually is ... thiwana (good)

Namibia fact: It is the second least populated
country on earth, Mongolia is the first.
Omega Combined School is one of the communities
located in the Bwabwata National Park,
formerly called the Caprivi Game Park.
Netball is similar to basketball except that there
is no dribbling. The ball must be passed and once
caught, the player cannot step. The hoop (in the
picture) is at about the same height (3.02 meters)
as a basketball hoop but as you can see there is
no back board. There are seven players per team.

Introducing a new learner:

Hi Guys;
My name is Mathews Incha. I am also a grade 9
learner just giving a big thanks to you for the letter
you posted to us. I would also like to see a
photograph of your school. Our photograph of our
school is coming. We would like to see your school
one day when we will be on a tour by 2012. The
weather here is hot because of summer. How is
the weather at your school? Do you used to go
out on a tour anywhere?

Here are the replies to your prior posting.

Hello Danielle;
This is Michael. Very soon we will start our final
exams on the 18^th November. They will finish on
3 December and then we will go on vacation until
the middle of January. We will miss one another
until next year and then we can proceed to chat again.
As for me I will spend my holiday in my home town,
Rundu. It is 270km away from school.
I enjoy singing gospel songs.

Thank you for receiving my passage and I'm happy to
chat or communicate with America. By next year we'll
start drawing with my friend and will send you some.
We'll start with examinations next week.
Which things do you draw?
And what is the weather condition in America? I mean
your place where you live.

Felistas

This is Johanna. I would also like to see photos of your
school or your town. It is hot here now and I like that
netball game. I was very happy when I received your letter.
Soon we will be receiving electricity as of right now
we get electricity from a generator that works about
9 hours a day.

Hello Cody Orr;
I am so glad to receive your letter. I am 16 years
old. Here it is summer but we haven't received
much rain. I like hunting immediately after rain
and I use a bow and arrow just like my ancestors
did. I don't do much hunting because in our country
Game Guides conserve the wild animals. Netball is
a sport played with 7 players per team and it is
more specially for the ladies. I like playing football,
I think you call it soccer.

From Simijon

Hello Cody Orr;
I am very much happy when I receive your letter.
I'm 16 years old. My hobbies are reading stories,
watching TV and listening to cool music. I don't
like hunting because I don't know how to shoot
animals with guns. Also, in our country the
Game Guides conserve wild animals because of
in the past there was a lot of poaching.
For my career I want to be a nurse.

From Filomine

Hi Sarah;
It is nice to meet you. I am so excited that
you posted. How is the life there? I'm 15 year
old too and play netball but what I enjoy most
is reading books and listening to music. I dislike
hunting, probably for the fact that I don't even
know anything about hunting. In our country
hunting is not allowed but some people hunt
illegally.
It is very hot here, the rain is taking some time
to come. I love the hot weather though.
My favorite music is Gospel. Netball is a
little bit difficult to explain but it is usually .
played by girls or women throwing a ball to
each other.
I am curious to know about life in your country.

Yours in education
Rosemary Shamwati

Hi Elizabeth Williams;
This is Anitha, I am 18 years old and I like to
listen to music from the 70's and 80's. I am a
gal who always likes to be free and likes to joke
with my friends. I like to tell stories too. Here
at my place it is very hot and we wait for the
rain to come. I dislike fighting because that makes
you get into trouble and also if the police see
you fighting with someone they will arrest
you and put you in a cell.

Anitha

A big hello, I'm glad to hear that you are the type
of person who don't know talking so it's good to
keep on like that because I don't like people that
talk too much.
I also like some types of sports but except basketball
because I don't know it, I never played it since I
was born and I'm so surprised to hear that you
also play it, so that's good.
For football, I know that one because we used to
play women's soccer.
I also like watching movies and listening to music,
but not so much. I am learning for example about
toxic waste, business ethics...etc.
Yes, I like to read books, library books, textbooks.
I dislike fighting because I am not good at
fighting.

I have questions for you.
How many teachers do you have?
How many learners in your school?
Also, I want to ask you what is the cause of
you stating that you don't know talking?
Lastly, how do learners perform at your school?

Your friend Elina

Hi Akin;
It's nice to meet you. Here it is very hot and
it rained a very little last month, but nothing
since. We don't hunt because it is not allowed
but people used to hunt just illegally. If they
find you, you will be arrested.
We like different types of music but love cool
music like story of my life by Beyonce.
Some questions for you:
Do you like school and why?
What is your favourite subject?
What is your favourite sport?

Bye from Zitha, Susana and Reginah

Hi Sarah Weiser;
I am Tsupa Nduva Ester. So you can call me
Ester because that would probably be easier for you.
I like my town and school because I was born in
Omega town and grew up and started schooling
in this school, so, I like my town and school.
I like gangster music and sometimes I listen to
Gospel music.
Can you tell me more about the music you mentioned,
country western music? Because I don't know.
I like reading newspapers and books from the library.
And why do you hate or don't like writing poems?
You know I like our culture and it's all about Khwe
(San) culture. There is a dancing group that we are
having here. Let me write for you my favorite song
from our culture songs ...

//uvi ||uve ||uéé (sing this 2 times)
ashi ||uwo de kwana ||uve
||uéé ashi ||uwo de kwana
||uve ||uéé.

The || and // stand for click sounds. There are
four click sounds in my Khwe (Khwedam)
language.
This song is saying that ||uve means thumb and
thumb was killed because of food and I like it
very much. I usually dance it up to hell.
So do you like this Sarah?
I am a Khwe (San) speaking girl.
How is the weather conditions that side?

Ester

Thank you Montana for writing. The English
teacher has mentioned that it is the only English
homework/work/project that the learners turn
in ahead of time.

Questions to new friends

Today I wanted several students to respond to you. We are missing half of the class because of volleyball games and field trips, so only half of the students were present and able to respond. But we hope to get the students involved when they return. Each student below responded to your greetings below. Thank you for taking the time to do introductions. Here are some answers and more questions:

Hi Elina Manuta and Anitha Rione Lainda! My name is Elizabeth Williams. I am 16 ears old and a 10th grader. I like to listen to music, sing, read and be around my friends. I am the type of person who speaks her mind which means I am not why when it comes to talking to people I don't know. Or it means if I have a problem I will tell you, but I am a down to earth girl. I like some types of sports like basketball and football. I like to watch movies and listen to music from the 60s and 70s. I would like to know specific examples of what you are learning in school? And what is netball? What kind of game is it? Do you listen to music? Do you like to read books? Tell me what kinds. Also I want to ask you what is the cause of you all stating that you dislike fighting?

Hey Rosemary! My name is Sarah Anne and I am 15 years old. I am very into sports; I play basketball, volleyball and run track. I also enjoy hunting, it is hunting season right now. Do you hunt? So how hot does it get there? In summertime here it can get up to 100 but it can be below -10 or -20 in the winter. I love hot weather. It rains here a lot! Pretty much every month it rains or snows and it is green here too, all the time. I love to swim with my friends. Do you have a favorite book or music? Also, what is netball? It is going to be so educational and cool to see a response from you. Thank you. Sarah Anne

Hello Simijon and Filomine! My name is Cody Orr and I am 15 years old. My favorite sport is basketball and it takes place in winter which is right about now. I am the long haired kid with a Looney Toons shirt on. I dislike school but overall it is good for me. I am a better athlete then student. My favorite subject is math and I would like to be an engineer someday. A couple of questions for both of you: Do you hunt? What is netball? What sports do you play?

Hi Nduna Tsapa. My name is Sarah Weiser. I am 17 years old and and I am wondering if you like your town and school? Also what type of music groups do you listen to? I like country western music but I don't have a favorite group. Do you know this type of music? What types of books do you like? Do you like writing poems, personally I do not like writing poetry. Also you wrote about cultural dancing, can you tell me more about this? I don't know what this is and more about your tribe. Can't wait to see a reply.

My home boys Frans Eke Jackson and Joeseph Petrus, Sup Mista Jackson and Mista Petrus. How you doin: I bet it is really hot here you live. My name is Steven Erickson and I have black hair and I think that I am the most awesome kid in my class. I am 15 years old and we live in a area that gets very cold in the winter. I mean at the worst point in the winter it gets down to 30 below zero. I absolutely positively love music and all types are fine with me. What do you listen to and tell me more about the weather and your culture.

Hi Zitha, Susana and Reginah. I'm Jeremy Akin, 16 years old. Thanks for your response and filling us in about your coutnry. It is cold and rainy here in Montana. Every fall we have a hunting season for deer and elk. Hunting is super fun. Do people hunt where you live? I like different types of music but love crunk-core such as Hollywood Undead. How bout you? Life in Troy is slow but great. Hope you blog back.

Hello Michael, Johanna Hdjamba and Felistas Kutero. My name is Danielle Milles but just call me Dannie. I just turned 16 on October 23 and I got to travel to Jamaica. It was beautiful. I would love to see photos of your home town. It must be pretty. Right now it is getting cold and nearing the snowy season. I miss summer but my favorite season is fall when all the leaves on the trees change color. I love to play soccer. In school , I enjoy drawing, music, and math. I love to take photos though. I live differently than my friends. They live in houses with electricity. I live in a garage with a dirt floor but just last week we got electricity. My dad and I are working towards a real house by next year. I am looking forward to hearing from all of you. Your friend, Dannie


Thank you all for reading. We will post pictures of our town and school. I have been waiting for a day when it is not raining to take pictures but it has not happened as of yet.