Time to Award

Yeah, it's time yet again for the prize giving ceremony at school. That means it's also time for me to spend two days in front of a computer printing 700+ certificates. Hey, it's a living. Oh wait, it's not. Almost forgot...

The prize giving ceremony is quiet a big deal for learners. To fully appreciate just what a big deal this is, you have to first understand what it means to get a certificate here in Namibia. For most Namibians, especially the young and yearning to be rich type, certificates are the only things that set them apart in job interviews. Think of how you would set yourself apart if everyone you knew also graduated from high school and spoke three languages. It's the certificates that show active participation in programs and vocational training.

Thus, the prize giving ceremony is more about stockpiling things that may potentially land you a few extra bucks in the future. That's why in addition to the typical academic awards (best in subject, best in class), everyone who simply passes a course gets a certificate. On top of that, add the sports teams, choir, girls Club, various computer clubs and random "cultural awards" that I still don't quite understand, and you've got 700 certificates to give out in a school of roughly 750 students. If I went here, I'd like those odds...