The Final Pieces

Where should I even begin?  I have been on information overload since Wednesday, and everyone in my family has been googling and researching as much as they can about where I will be living next year.  So let me start with the general information I was given by WorldTeach....

Next year, I will be living in the Kunene Region of Namibia, Africa, where the native tongue is Otjiherero.  I will have the opportunity to teach English to 6th - 8th graders at Otjerunda Combined School.  According to my Field Director, my school is about 15 minutes South (by taxi) from Opuwo, the capital of Kunene.  In Opuwo, I will be able to find a variety of shops, take care of my needs, and do some additional exploring.  In this town, they also have a hotel, so my parents and Amanda and Mark, will try to stay there when they visit.  As for my living arrangements, I will live in shared teacher housing on school property.  We are guaranteed  water (cold) and electricity, but I'm also given a shared kitchen and bathroom.  Here's the big WOAH factor... the toilet is outside of the accommodation!  I'm not 100% sure what that means yet, but I will find out sooner than later.

Otjerunda- Where my school will be located

Now for the information I have found through some of my travel books and the ever so helpful Internet...

The Kunene Region, also known as the Kaokoland or Kaokoveld, is "a stunning and rugged region of gravel plains and rocky, terracotta-coloured semidesert."  This region can experience heavy rains, which lead to extreme flooding, but they are also well-known for their droughts.  Kunene is also known for great Safaris and the rare desert elephants, which I am beyond excited for!  As far as other amazing things to do in Kunene, there is the Skeleton Coast, Epupa Falls, and Etosha National Park.  All of which are beautiful and breathtaking, even in pictures.

A road in Kunene

The Kunene region is made up of two tribes, the Ovahimba and the Herero tribes.  The Ovahimba are a semi-nomadic group that primarily breed cattle and goats.  The women wear little clothing and cover themselves with otjize, a creamy red-brown mixture that protects their skin from the sun and keeps them fresh.  They also accessorize with ankle bracelets, that tell outsiders the number of children they have.  The men and women both wear braids, which symbolize their availability.  On the other spectrum is the Herero tribe.  They dress in elegant Victorian attire and are primarily subsistence farmers that tend to livestock.

A woman in the Ovahimba Tribe

With all of that being said, I leave for New York in about 12 days.  Packing has already started.  I've taken stuff out, I've put stuff in, I've done laundry, I've been overwhelmed with how much it seems I have. I figure whatever makes it, makes it.

If you have any additional questions regarding Kunene or my year of teaching, please contact me via this blog, Facebook, or email :)

-Taylor

P.S. Here's a quote that I saw at Ruggles Green.  It seems so fitting for my upcoming adventure:

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

-Native American Proverb-