By Annie Ohana (she/her), teacher, Surrey
There I was, a newbie to the Namibia project, eager to work alongside Namibian colleagues on a BCTF International Solidarity trip. The Namibia National Teachers Union (NANTU) began working with the BCTF over 30 years ago as they formed their union. Since then, they have engaged in professional development with the BCTF, and are working with us once again to develop a retired teachers’ organization in Namibia, alongside preservice opportunities and constitutional changes.
Our time together was an exchange of knowledge between NANTU, the BCTF, and the BC Retired Teachers’ Association (BCRTA). NANTU Secretary General Loide Shaanika, her colleague and NANTU National Secretary for Culture, Jackson Kavari, and a retired teacher and university professor, Clanet Nomsa, shared about their work in defense of public education and the union’s dedication to social justice. NANTU is inspiring in its scope of services for members in all stages of their careers.
Our hosts, including Acting President Daniel Humbim, generously arranged beautiful experiences for our trip. We visited multiple schools, the Namibian Independence Memorial Museum, and witnessed the opening of a decades-long project of BCRTA member Don Reader to open an Early Childhood Development Centre. The trip exemplified the depth of our relationship over three decades.
Our visit to the Namibian Independence Memorial Museum provided us with a scope of history and how Namibia has overcome European colonization, including the terror of genocide, and apartheid.
“Liberation” is not just a slogan to Namibian teachers: it is their nation’s story, it is their people’s glorious rise to sovereignty. Education plays a fundamental role in Namibia’s freedom, something that was clearly visible in the school visits. The BCTF’s ongoing international solidarity work allows us to learn from the incredible work of Namibian teachers in leveraging education as a tool for liberation.
Our visit to Ella Du Plessis High School, a sprawling compound filled with students taking year-end exams, allowed us to meet some of the educators doing amazing work for students coming from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. A sad reality was the burning down of the girls’ dormitory, something the BCTF has promised to help repair. For students who need a dormitory to access education, this was a tough reality. Yet, you could see the dedication of the staff to rebuilding and moving forward.
Our next school visit was to the Dr. Abraham Iyambo Public School, with 3,000 students attending from within the Havana informal settlement, a shanty town, the largest in Namibia. The resourcefulness, dedication to education, and uplifting of heritage was simply beautiful in this school surrounded by challenges. As Namibia rises from decades of oppression, the school is a beacon of hope and pride, empowering students and families. An inspiring moment of Indigenous pride we witnessed was hearing the seven Indigenous languages spoken in the surrounding homes being centred in the elementary school students’ education. Indigenous languages come first, then English, German, and Afrikaans later.
This international solidarity work replenished our souls, expanded our knowledge, and strengthened our dedication to teachers at every stage of their career, from here in BC to various projects around the world.
The work we did in that one week was only a chapter. The BCTF and NANTU are moving forward with plans, sharing resources and knowledge, and new supports that will continue our 30-year relationship, together in education, in the name of liberation.
