Almost two years ago I had a small posting about ‘SchoolLink and the land of the workshops’: for the sake of the Namibian state of education – which many people say is going down every year despite the more money put in (Education receives with 23.6% (US$ 1,15 bn) the biggest share of this year’s budget) – I wish my pessimistic appreciation had been proven wrong and the project had been at least a partial success. But fairy-tales are scare here. The project had been a complete disaster in all the 4-O regions. Now the Ministry makes a second attempt to get things going together with Edupac, the South African supplier of the solution. Last week most of the Directors, numerous seniors education officers, IT staff members and the principals of the schools which are part of the initial roll-out had been in Windhoek for a SchoolLink Project ‘Workshop’. I rather refer to it as an information event: planing done at Head Office, execution in the Regions – as usual. Compared to the first roll out a fundamental (and hopefully match winning) change has been made: the web based software is now centrally hosted in Windhoek. No more vulnerable local (database and web server) installations at school PC’s scattered around the country. Only thing needed is Internet access, a running web browser on the PC and trained staff. Only? Despite the impressive progress the Namibian Telecom has done half of our project schools in the North have Internet coverage up to now. Biggest headache however is the training: the system is quite complicated having the IT (il-)literacy of some of our staff members in mind. With the current roll-out the biggest issues for all IT projects within the Namibian Government, and at the end the training issue, has not been addressed yet: lack of (technical) personnel involved in IT projects. To overcome this problem for the prestigious SchoolLink project it was decided at top-level in Windhoek that education and IT staff members who have been selected to train schools need to devote more than half of their working time for it till February 2013. Failure ahead: either SchoolLink or other duties will be neglected as most of the members of our regional SchoolLink team already cannot deal with their increasing workload. I really hope that my pessimism will be proven wrong this time.
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SchoolLink 2.0
lunch break stories: sometimes even the stamp does not help
It is not a secret that traveling on African roads is more dangerous than in the Western world. Tough very well developed Namibia does not make an exception when it comes to this. And sometimes you see something dreadful coming, try to do something about it – and fail.
When coming back from a meeting in Windhoek Friday night, 20th April, we were passing Oshikuku: in a slight turn, at dark – and only a tiny sign next to it – we saw the newly installed two speed bumps a second before I hit it with more than the allowed 60km/h. Luckily we were driving our rugged Nissan GRN buggy and not one of our fragile Renault sedans. It was everything but enjoyable. The following Monday morning (23th April) I sent an official letter of complain to the Oshikuku Town Council about how grossly negligent the missing signalization is. On top of it I gave a copy of the letter to traffic control officers at our police station. Even some of their officers drove over the speed bump and complaint by that time.
The following Friday evening (27th April) a family drove over the speed bump. Their vehicle lost control, turned over and an eleven year old girl was thrown out of it and died at the scene. Helplessness. I would be surprised if anything has changed when I am heading back to the North tomorrow.
alternative tourism in the North – part II
I probably drove the road from Outapi to Ruacana hundred times, two dozen times the gravel branching off to Onesi so far and thought I knew the surrounding area pretty well. Not really. Otherwise I would have bought a kayak during my first week in the country: only half an hour North-West from Outapi is a lake with a length of almost 30km. First time I heard from it was when a Portuguese friend mentioned that his farm is situated up there. Thanks again to Patrick’s good relationship with Rural Water Supply we’ve been two times on the lake so far – and many more trips to come: as you have the lake virtually on your own it is the perfect place to watch birds undisturbed – and to relax.
Namibia, Land of the long Meetings
What have economizing, management, PQA, price giving, RPIS and many other meetings or gatherings all in common? They usually take quite a while. In the western business world we are – of course not everywhere – used to quick and efficient meetings: in and out within an hour or so. As with many other things it is a bit different in the Namibian Government regardless if you are in the North or in Windhoek. You go in at 09:00 and you come out at 17:00. Sometimes without a single break except a walk to the toilet room. After two years I still have trouble to deal with it. Main causes for such ‘meeting marathons’ are the group and the agenda – both are usually way to big. Take 17 people, 23 new topics, another twenty resolutions to go through from the last meeting and you and your day is done. 
I admire some of my colleagues as they really stay focused at all times whilst I often space out after a couple of hours and a few ‘generic’ red-bulls. However recently some of them also criticized long meetings and the amount of them which keeps them away from their offices. Change takes time. Also in meeting culture. Until then unhealthy consumption of caffeine and lobbying it is: no matter how important your items are, if they are on the second half of the agenda you’re better off taking them of the list completely. People might not be as exhausted as you are. But at the end things always become rushed as everyone is keen for the knocking-off time.
lunch break stories: dad with the big needle
Since his mother Lorie died at the age of ten (most likely a record for the North!) I’ve become the main parent for two and a half year old Ellie. Not an easy job. It is not a secret that pet animals outside the Western world are treated differently. Most people at Anamulenge love the hairy guy with his friendly character. Trouble is that he sometimes leaves the premises. Most villagers consider him as he threat for their goats. Two weeks ago he came back with an leg injury and stopped eating. The first anti-inflammatory shots were difficult to give: chasing, talking, petting and poking Ellie. The last two we had to do it the hard way by forcing the poor guy down as he developed a good flair for the shot hidden in the jacket.
lunch break stories: reminder that you’re in Southern Africa
At cozy home in Anamulenge with (almost) all goodies (stove, fridge, AC, Internet) I sometimes miss the fact that the Omusati region is quite rural. Besides an army of ants doing regular night marches through the house (almost forgot the tough cockroaches at the old NHE place) I’ve been lucky so far. Three weeks ago I discovered a colony of termites behind the back of the kitchen cupboard – or what was left from it.
MCA deployment Omusati/Oshana region die Zweite…
The first two weeks of this month the two installations teams from the contractor given the tender by MCA, two technicians from the head office in Windhoek and I had been moving between the 13 school sites to do the installation and to start with the training. Weather God had been gracious: except for one site we were able to reach all locations within the planned schedule. However reaching some of the bush schools had been quite adventurous – once the water came up to the side window. Of course not everything during the deployment, let alone the situation now, is rosy in the garden. If this will be the case one day it is definitely time to go home for all foreign development/aid organizations.
lunch break stories: Muckibude
I’ve mentioned it several times: the YAP Gym in Ongwediva. The place to be every Saturday afternoon and also often during the week on the way back to Outapi from duties in the Oshakati area. Although there is a nice fitness section most customers go for the weight training. In case I have to move again I know exactly who to ask for help by now.
alternative tourism in the North
Rain? I’ve complained a lot about it. Last weekend we’ve discovered the other side of the coin with an activity of which I would have never thought about it before: canoeing on the Oshanas next to Oshakati. Patrick let his connections in the water purification business play and managed to borrow two two-seater canoes from a friend. Our original idea was to have a small ‘test drive’ in the morning to see how we would manage before we would do the real thing on one of the bigger Oshanas in the North-West fed from the Angolan creeks. At the end we did 10km (bee-line). Despite the low water depth (20-70cm) it worked out quite well. Only the stretches with grass and ‘sand banks’ had been a tough one for boat Nr. 2 with Lindsey and myself as we didn’t want to get out of the canoe to pull it (bilharziosis?).
MCA site inspections in Omusati and Oshana
Almost the whole of last week I had been out of the office doing site inspections at 13 schools in the Omusati and Oshana region which will receive new computer laboratories funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) soon. Two technicians from the head office, a technical administrator from the company who will supply the equipment and I had a look at the conditions at every school site which buildings had been recently constructed or renovated. Due to the high water level getting to the school sites had been everything but easy and a lot of bush driving was needed which took its price. The deployment of the equipment will start next month – if the water situation allows it.
