Tracking Changes in Photoperiod Around the Globe

Introducing Mystery Class #10

We are members of the computer club at the Headstart Centre in Walvis Bay - Namibia (that's in Africa!). Our computer teacher is Mrs van den Berg who is the principal of the Headstart Centre.

I am Maurice, a boy and I am 10 years old I am in grade 4 at school.
I am Jamie-lea, a girl and I am 9 years old and I am in grade 3.
We live next to the sea in the shade of some of the highest and oldest sand dunes in the world.

Our town - Walvis Bay is the second biggest town in Namibia after our capital which is Windhoek. Most of Namibia is covered in desert and the population is not very large, about 1.4 million in total! Walvis Bay is a fishing town although originally whales were caught off the coast, now just ordinary eating fish are caught. Besides living in such a strange place, our weather is different too. We rarely ever get any rain but most nights a heavy mist sweeps over the town and waters everything!

The official language of Namibia is English but we all learn a second language at school - we are both learning Afrikaans. We are a very new republic after gaining our independence from South Africa.

The sea, the Atlantic ocean which is cold, has a very high salt content and just outside the town are huge piles of salt which have been scooped up from the salt pans. Almost every metal rusts very quickly so we use more wood than metal in constructions.

We hope that you find us on the map, on the left side of Africa between Angola and South Africa.

Mrs van den Berg
Headstart Centre in Walvis Bay -
Namibia (that's in Africa!).