Email journal: June 24, 2005, Windhoek, Namibia Well I've nearly reached the end of June which means I have a month left. I do not think that I have ever done an activity where time has gone as quickly as it has here. I am constantly working as there is constantly a need for work to be done. It has really been eye-opening to see what is required at the grassroots level. Although my main goal was to help support and strengthen the school-readiness program, I have also found myself doing a lot of work to support the overall organization. I have been working on funding proposals, letters, meeting with donors and partners and supervising other outreach activities. I am doing all of my activities with the goal of empowering the local community and working to transfer skills to them. It has been very difficult for me to be here for such a short time and realize what is needed. If I could be here for a year, I think I would still feel like I was leaving with unfinished business. But nonetheless, things are really moving for the organization. After splitting from our partner organization because of different needs of the two communities we were working with, Child Hope Initiative Project has really been working to establish itself on its own. The organization even went through a name change from Child Hope Initiative Project to Family Hope Sanctuary. This was in effort to recognize the support we give to parents, caregivers and adults. In addition, this will hopefully help volunteers, donors and community members recognize the independence of the organization from other activities within Katutura. We have been having a lot of visits by possible donors and meeting with organizations to network with them and determine how we can benefit from one another. The other week, we were able to go to Kabila, an informal settlement community on the outskirts of Katutura to conduct a small needs assessment. Many of our volunteers and beneficiaries walk the 2-3 kilometer distance from Kabila to come to the center. Kabila Community Leaders are also asking the organization to come and assist the people in Kabila. So we spent an afternoon and spoke with over 50 families to gain basic demographics and identify their most pressing needs. With the school readiness program, I had my first big meeting with the parents of children in the program. Starting next week, school registrations for grade 1 children begin and many of the children in our program are eligible to register. I called a meeting to discuss with the parents and caregivers the process of registrations, the need for them to take the initiative in registering their child and what type of assistance the organization can give individuals. Afterwards, I met with parents individually to discuss their situations. School fees are a very big problem here as many families are unable to afford the fees to send their children to school. Children who are orphans should be able to have their school fees exempted by the school boards. But many times, children are chased away for not paying school fees or they are not given exempt status. It felt great to give these parents and caregivers support, as well as advocate for the children by speaking with schools and writing letters. Next week, I am working to line up some training sessions to give to the teacher volunteers so they have a better idea on what to teach and how to teach it. With one month left, I am really forcing myself to set aside time so that I can prepare myself to leave and so that I do not create a vacuum effect when I leave. I am hoping soon to do some interviews as part of field research with parents of the school readiness children and other volunteers. All in all, life is great here in Windhoek. It has been inspiring to see how much people struggle, yet how much they have to offer at the same time. I do not have pity for these people, only pity for their lack of opportunities. I have learned a great deal from the people I have been working with and will certainly take these life lessons along with me. Evan