WorldTeach Namibia Changed My Life!

I went to Namibia in 1993, thinking I would have an adventure and help a few people. It turned out that I did all that, plus learned an amazing amount about myself, about a fascinating community, about the world. It completely changed my life goals and set me off on a new career in international development, which I have pursued and stuck with since that time almost 20 years ago. I have had many amazing adventures and experiences, in Africa as well as other parts of the world, and I trace it all back to my experience as a WT volunteer at a rural school in Namibia.

My official role was to be an English teacher for 7th and 8th graders, but I ended up doing much more. I taught an evening class for teachers (the language of instruction had just changed to English, but many of the teachers had very little English skills); taught a literacy class for the dairy workers who were laborers across the street; established the schools first library; started a hiking club with a Namibian teacher so we could get kids out into the surrounding hills and visit and appreciate the ancient rock paintings; and much more. I learned a completely different way of looking at life, of living in the moment, of thinking how to use existing resources creatively.

Plus, I made life-long friends with other volunteers, fellow teachers and students.

I could not recommend WT Namibia more strongly!