Jerry's story

As with anybody’s story, you need to understand the context in which a person is growing up. For most of these kids, they are born into the Damara tribe. In northern Namibia there are the traditional village styles and norms of this cultures living. In Windhoek, this was the case until the whites moved in. After a while of living in relative proximity to the Damara and other black tribes in the area, the whites relocated the various tribes into one large squatter-camp called Katatura. So to see it the way that these kids from Community Hope see it, when you look at the sea of tin shacks in these pictures, consider this living style less like urban poverty and more like an upgrade from the wood huts that their extended family might have up north along the Angola boarder. Damara culture is matriarchal. Not in the sense that the woman is the head of the house, rather, when a woman becomes pregnant it is most typical that the father does not stick around. So when this happens, it’s more like the woman IS the house. That being said, most kids at community hope don’t really have a father figure. Most kids in Katatura don’t really have a father figure.

Alright, so with that in mind, here’s the snapshot of the life of one of the students: Jerry (Jerry wasn’t at school every day while we were there, at least not on either day that we took the camera to Community Hope). Jerry is one of the oldest kids at Community Hope, and has been at the school since day 1. He is 15 and in the sixth grade. It’s not that he was ever held back or mentally delayed in any way, it’s just that when Community Hope began and offered him the opportunity of an education, he was a little older than the other 1st graders. Like I said, he doesn’t come to school every day and that’s because he doesn’t exactly have a supportive home life.

Jerry’s mom died of AIDS a while back, at least before Jerry started school at Community Hope. Because Jerry is like most kids in the area, and had no father to look to after Mom died, Jerry was now in the care of his older sister (we never met her). Like most kids in Katatura, Jerry’s older sister had not gotten an education nor had any means of learning any job skills but now had to car for Jerry and herself. Most girls in this situation turn to prostitution. Because of this, sence Jerry was a very young boy, he grew up in a brothel. Once Jerry was offered a place at Community Hope, there was a new possibility for this micro-family to get a grasp on day-to-day needs (if Jerry can get an education enough to get a job, maybe Sister doesn’t have to belong to a brothel… maybe there are options… maybe there are even options for Sister… you get the idea of an upward spiral of Hope). Jerry’s sister eventually asked if there were any classes she could take to work her way out of the situation she was in. It wouldn’t make sense to enroll her in elementary classes, but she was able to join with a group of women who currently work with another Y.W.A.M. organization (called Beautiful Kids) making some articles of clothing. It’s not enough to take care of all of their needs, but it does earn her enough so that she and Jerry could move out of the brothel.
Currently Jerry is in 6th grade, which is the oldest class of kids at Community Hope. Next year, the school will rent the last room available at the school’s current location. After that, they will need a new location for the school to spill into. Jerry’s a smart kid and is one of the more outspoken people at the school, which would only be expected of a person his age. He towers above the rest of the students at Community Hope (and even a few of the teachers) and really is a leader that the rest of the kids look to.