Visiting Vonny and Ethan's Home...

Vonny and Ethan

For one of my assignments while on this trip, we are required to go on a home visit to one of our learners' home to visit their family and learn more about them. I chose the home of tow of my learners actually and it was quite the experience...

On Wednesday, Jessica Edwards and I met after school with my learners and followed them home. It actually ended up being a short walk... only about 3-5 minutes. As we walked up this is what we saw...

We entered their home and I was able to meet Vonny's two uncles. We found out quickly that those were the only two adults home and their were about 7 or 8 kids home as well. After asking some questions about the family and who all lived with them, I found out that their were around 10-15 people living in this small house. On the way to the house Vonny had told me that she lived with her mother, grandmother, grandfather, uncles and aunts. She informed me that her father lived in town, but never told me why.

The Family

As my visit at Vonny and Ethan's continued, one of her uncles, Elwin, started to get very awkward. He kept lying to us and telling us answers and things that were not even close to being true, but consisted of talk about violence and how he was really happy we came to visit there home... the way he said it though was actually a little scary. It was almost like he was trying to scare us by telling us lies about how the area was a very violent place. I tried to just ignore the things he was saying, that is what the kids were all telling me to do, as well as what Vonny's other uncle was telling me. He also told me that Elwin had mental issues and that he was messed up in the head. I don't know if this was true of if he was just drunk. Anyways...As we continued to talk and take pictures, Elwin asked to take a picture with me. This seemed very normal to me seeing that everyone in Namibia, whether child or adult, loved getting their picture taken. Well it didn't end very normal...right as I started to take the picture I saw out of the corner of my eye Elwin coming in for a kiss, I immediately withdrew and said NO! I then stepped away from him as, once again, the kids and other uncle told me he has mental issues. One of the kids even told me I could go stand in a different place. Once this happened it was very hard to ignore him and I was growing very uncomfortable. A few minutes later the other uncle asked our opinion about Obama and as we tried to answer, but change the subject (not wanting to get into politics) Elwin began to cuss and insult Obama, calling him a very bad word. We finally got the subject changed quickly and began taking pictures again. As I took photos of the kids, Elwin once again came over to me and asked if he could take a picture. I said no, turned off my camera and said I was done taking pictures. Just as I was doing this, one of the kids instructed me not to give my camera to him or let him touch it. Elwin then began to cuss us out and get very angry. This is when I decided we should probably leave and head home, so we did.

Me with the kiddos

As I walked back to A.I. to be picked up, Jess and I talked about what happened, trying to process through it all. It was definitely a very uncomfortable situation, but I cant help but think... all those kids live with him and have to hear all the cussing and whatever else happens in the house. Maybe he does have a mental illness, but I will probably never know... I don't know... I don't know what the right thing to do in that situation would have been, but I can only hope that I did what I should have done. I tried to protect myself at the same time as extend grace, hope and love in anyway I could. I tried to respond in polite and open ways, but I still have no clue how exactly I feel about the whole situation...

...

It was definitely an experience I will never forget...