Hello!
I have just returned from a weeks training on the Isle of Coll where I found out so much information about my project, met my partner and found out my leaving date! I go on the.....
31ST OF AUGUST
Before I boarded the ferry to the Isle of Coll I met my partner Chelcie Harry (after a small misunderstanding when I misheard her name as Josie and didn't realise for a couple of hours....great first impression!). Having haunted my nightmares for weeks if not months Chelcie turned out to very like me and in a couple of hours managed to pick up on most of my traits/habits - fiddling with my ring constantly, being very deaf, being even more blonde, and having trouble understanding peoples accents! Chelcie has already become my translator, stops me from making too many blond comments or at least she tries! I am now much more confident about this part of my project mainly because Chelcie doesn't have two heads and did Art for A level which was my main wish considering my art skills are less than non existent.
I am working in an incredibly rural Primary Boarding school for 240 children between the ages of 6 and 14 in Northern Namibia. Working seven days a week we will be responsible for the teaching of Art, Music, Sport and Drama . We will also be teaching Maths and English as well as being in charge of the running of the Library. I am incredibly excited about the prospect of being able to put on a Nativity and a Musical, however, Chelcie and I are more daunted by the task of "choreographing a dance to an emotive song for the Grade 7's who will be leaving the school in December". Hopefully the Grade 7's will have more dance skill than we do! The phrase "January is athletics month so prepare to get fit" was also a little scary but I went for my first run yesterday (and nearly died!).
I will be living in a flat on the site of the school. I have my own bedroom and bathroom which is amazing and not at all what I was expecting or even hoping to be honest. I even have RUNNING WATER AND ELECTRICITY!! When we enquired about the food in Namibia our Desk Officer John told me that I would eat a lot of steak and that for them a side salad consisted of chicken! To cook with I have a 2 ring electric hob, a toaster and a leaky microwave as well as bbq! Chelcie and I have already done a deal that I will cook if she deals with snakes, spiders and so on! I am having my first try tonight on the barbecue, hopefully it will be successful!
There are six of us going to Namibia - all of us girls however we might be joined by two boys in January. We are all pretty far apart, however, we all plan to go to Cape Town together for Christmas which sounds fantastic!
When I am out there I won't have Internet at my project but I will update this in my holidays and I might even send blogs to my parents/computer savvy sister to post to keep everyone updated. As there is no Internet I am relying on all my friends to write to me to keep me updated....so here is my address
Miss Ottilie Macpherson
Otjikondo School Village Foundation
PO Box 363
Outjo
Namibia
We are too rural for the postman to visit us so someone from the school will travel to Outjo about once a week (our nearest town - 80km away). Letters take about 3 weeks to arrive and the same to return so please be patient. BUT I promise that if you write to me I will reply!
That's probably another information for now, but I will keep you up to date as I get ready to go. The count down has started: 39 days until I go.
Finally, I have to say thank you to everyone who helped me to raise not only the £5,000 that I needed but actually the £6130.86 that I managed to send to Project Trust. People have been incredibly generous whether through giving me a donation, a grant or even buying one of the hundreds of Chocolate Biscuit Cakes that Mummy and I have made. The biggest thanks has to go to my family who have been so supportive of me doing this, encouraging me when I have wavered and helping me in every way I needed.
Thank you for reading and please stay in touch!
Love from Ottilie
