Oranjemund Kids

[Ebben]

Hi all,

My name is Ebben Kalondo and this site has brought back so many memories that I am still staggering.  Good on you Michael!  I want to share another piece of Oranjemund history that is well known and that was about us, the black kids.  It all started in the 70's.  De Beers at the time already had the foresight that Namibia would eventually become independant and a Black governement would come to power.  They then did a very interesting and far-reaching experiment.  They took a few migrant workers and allowed these few workers to bring their wives and children to join them in Omund.  I recall that trip as it were yesterday.  I think my twin sister (Ebba) and I were four or five years old, my older sister Johanna, my brother Kalondo (he was a tot) and my then baby sister, Monica was a little baby.  The year was 1976 or 78. 
We arrived in this huge DC9 and remember the smell of the interior and that I was violently ill during that trip.
We arrived to this dusty little town and there was like a holding area, if I can call it that for our families in the West.  We were ushered into these houses which were furnished right down to the linen, crockery - everything.  Remember, we were village folk it was a complete new world.  I remember we used to have dinners at the old Soccer Club which was basically our Rec club. I remember the old Cinema Gym was where we held our church services and come togethers.  It was a wonderfultme for the migrant workers who used to flock to our houses on weekends to have a home cooked meal and conversations about home.  And I recall these uncles used to dish out money to us kids like sweets!  It was fun and then we would run to the West cafe to gorge ourselves on sweets!  I cannot remember much of the West 'period' becasue then we moved to third avenue.  We came to town. 
All the black children could not speak English but remember my pre-school days with Barbara Griffith-Richards clearly.  She was the large, wonderful lady that had a hug always available and I think Lynn De Jager.  We learnt to speak English and went to Sub A.  The integration of the Black kids into Oranjemund was the most pecular thing because this was the time of Apartheid and here we had only one school! The kids at school were divided along language lines, meaning you were either English or Afrikaans.  The black kids automatically were English.  I think Mrs Coffin still taught us in Sub A - her husband was the projectionist at the local (only!) bioscope.  Mrs Coffin and other British ladies taught us in Sub A and to this day, lots of people think I have studied or lived in England because of my rather posh accent!  i remember Miss Carretoni who did most of the bridging classes for the black youngsters.  She was a sweetheart! My Sub B teacher, Miss Head who later became Mrs Barth was my idol.  She was the tall, hippy-ish lady with long hair and I thought she was the most beautiful and amazing woman ever.  She had a beautiful laugh and spirit.  In Sub B we went on a school tour to Cape Town.  I never forget this trip.  I cannot remember much but I remember how we were shielded from the obvious manifestations of Apartheid during this tour liek segregated toilets and eating in open areas. i also remember wetting my pants on the bus!  I remember the lights of CT as we drove into the city and how dumbstruck I was.  All that I know is that we went to see a ballet at the Nico - Sleeping Beauty and how this production dazzzled me.  To this day, i love the ballet and the pomp that comes with old theatre houses.  I also remember Anita Head with her cocker spaniel.  Strange what one, keeps in your head. 
I remember the language laboratory and how my love for reading was kindled here and at the library, my sister and I read foraciously and stood early outside the library waiting to get the latest Beano comics and other annuals! 
To cut a very long story short, the black kids that grew up very white actually started sufferign from identity crises.  I remember mine well but I guess I was too stubborn and headstrong to let it get to me.  The stage was set for a very interesting journey.  Looking back on my life as an 'Oranjemund Kid' - that is what we are called because you can tell us apart from crowd instantly. The accent, the demeanour, the vocabulary and a tad of arrogance that comes from a life of privledge. 
I think of all us had a hard time adjusting to real life as black young adult and teenager, some coped better than others and some are still searching.  My twin sister made a movie about our lives as Oranjemund Kids with her French film-maker husband - try and get a copy.
Oranjemund is my home, were I believed in pixies, goblins and elves and searched for them at Sheperd's Neck!  My life was completly Enid Blytonesque.
BEing from Omund has made me the person that I am today and that I never forget.  Can you remember OT during the holidays?  The Christmas trees was amazing - our Christmasses today still revolve around that feeling.  Do remember Mr Hodge the principal?  I could go on and on.  I never forget the Fields' sisters with their streetwise ways, plucky Sheffield accents and cool dance moves to Howard Jones.  I think Shelley was the first 'it' girl in Omund.

[Shaun]

Awesome post Ebben! Nice to be able to get a different perspective on things. I think all of us can agree though that it was something special growing up in our little 'sheltered' desert town in the middle of nowhere!!

So where can we get a copy of your sisters movie? Any chance she can post a preview on youtube?

[mike]

Wow, Ebben, I just got goosebumps from reading your post. Memories indeed, People I had forgotten, I remember  Mrs Coffin, Mr Hodge's, Mr Cloete with the White Doctor, Brrrr! The time of integration was a strange time, Do you remember who the first black teacher was? Starts with an A!

We had the Mbeeli Clan immanuel or Iman's as we called him back then. Now known as Bobby. I remember our English teacher , Mr Joseph, ( Not Jackie Joseph) Locking him in a cupboard for some reason or other. Juffie , the afrikaans teacher , with those pincher fingers of her's digging deep into your neck.

Mr Bergh, with the flathand across the back. I remember as a 11 year old coming home after the matinee on a saturday to find Mr Bergh sitting in my fathers lounge knocking back whisky with my dad.... I felt horrified that my dad could bring the man into our house, however as I grew older I got to know him in the pubs... was a great guy...

It's funny when you look at the demographs of the school now, mostly black class with one or two whites ... hehehehe! who would have ever thought?

Anyhow , the purpose of this site is doing what it was created for and there will be more to come.... Anyone think it will be a good idea if we could get the schoolkids to sing the school anthem and record it, convert it to mp3 and put it up here for downloads? Anybody? Anybody?

Does anyone know where any of the 3 Fields girls are ?

[ebba]

I didnt know that this thing existed, my ahem niece alerted me to it's presence...Read Ebben's post and yes, I made the Oranjemund Kids movie. Brad Pelton and I kinda narrated it. I was the first person to get permission to film in Oranjemund town. Getting permission had to come straight from the old Harry O himself...I'll redigitise and give you a headsup when it's on youtube.

I filched a schoolhymnbook when I was filming. 'Oranjemund our desert school..' has been known to be sung at all manner of in vino collapsis sessions all over the world, i'm told...In contact with Kim Krynouw via Facebook and Candice de Clerck has always been in touch, last sighting when we travelled from Kenya to Knysna 4 her nuptials...Jacques de Jager, Anthony Lattimer, the Stuurmans trekked out from Australia...it was fabby!

Amalia Hatutale who is about to leave for South Africa after 8 years of living the life of the truly diasvantaged ladies that lunch on the French Riviera (cow!), remade contact with Magali Soum, remember her? the daughter of the french chef who workd at Hexxen Kessel.

The Rugby World Cup coming up in Paris...and if any ex Oranjemunder is thinking of coming, you have a bed in the 15eme arrondissment!!! Priority to those with the sense to pack a bottle or two of Mrs Balls Chutney and a coupla Peppermint Crisps...

, ebba kalondo

[mike]

Don't the Soums live in The Free State somewhere?

I thought Rene' opened a restaurant there?

[Bev (Coates) walker]

To everyone looking for the Fields girls...can i ask are these Steven Fields sisters?....if so i maybe able to help, i am and have been looking for steven fields for years, I have just found my very dearest old friends from O/M during the 60's Nicolene Barratt and Verona. Sandy Buchannon, John Van der Hooven, Dyan Young Bobby Smith to name but a few. A life long dream as now come true as my time in O/M just seemed like a long forgotten place that has held such special memories for me for so very long, now having re met all these very special people again last year in cape town as we all approached 50 we all still felt the bond.
Back to the fields girls.......While i was in C/T i went to see Mavis Fields who i had found through another friend, I asked about steven but she had not heard from him in a long time. However i know her girls were scattered all over the world, so if these are the ones your looking for please email me at bevwalker@talktalk.net and ill pass on what i can to you....Steven was last heard of in a place called Worksop in england which is just a few miles from me but ive had no look in tracing him, so any info would be great.
ive got lots of old pic and will get them on this site soon.
Ps my dream is to try and get back to O/M this year for a reunion......drawn a blank on this....due to passes and lack of places to stay.....any ideas on that please.
Sure ill be looking on here every night now..........isnt this wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sandy Buchanan]

Good Afternoon Ebben ... 10 out of  10 for  your  comments  .  I  was  born 1956  and I  left  O'mund   in Nov 1980 when  the  "experiment"   was  in  its  early days ...  I  had  friends  who  stayed  in O'mund  West  .. also  part  of the  experiment  vis social  integration ...    You  have  grown  up  into  what  I  read   from  your  writings   as a balanced  ,  self aware  and understanding  being ( under  correction  but  thats my  feeling ) ... Yes our little   Town  gave  us a  lot .. it  was up  to the individual  to  appreciate  it  . the  good    points with  the  bad points   and  to  use  what  privelege  we  had  to  be  better  beings .. I am  so  aware  of  how  " different "  that  town  made  so  many of  us   and  I would  want  for   no  better place  to have  grown  up  ..  My  memories  are  only  good   and I  left when my  time  to  do  so  was  right  and  then tackled  the " real  world "   where  there  was very  little  privelege  which was  also  a  great life   adventure ....
Most important  for  us ...  Keep  on remembering  and  yes  keep  on  sharing !!

          Regards .. Sandy

[Shola Schreuder]

Hey there

You have definitely caused many memories to pop into my head and put a huge smile on my face!   :)

I was just remembering the times when I was a Brownie or Girl Guide (not sure), how we used to walk - at midnight and full moon - from town to Sheperd's Neck, via the desert!  That was a reeeaaalllyyy long walk!  We walked along the path (now practically a dirt road) that went past the only lost tree standing in the middle of the desert on the left of the tar road, as you drive out of town.  By the time you had reached the stables, most of us were crying from "pain and suffering" and most of the parents/teacher volunteers were carrying our backpacks!  After arriving at Sheperds Neck, we would then talk about the trip as if it was a wonderful experience and we conquered the world! ;D

Any Brownie or Girl Guides out there?  Or even Cubs or Boy Scouts?  Hey, what the heck, any Voortrekkers?

? Forshaws, Gerards, Bells, Milsoms, McKay, anyone? :-\

[bobbysmith]

hi to all ex o;MUNDERS,WHAT A GREAT SITE,the warmest of greetings to all.i was born in orangemund in 1958.my twin brothers were the first twins to be born in the town ,by all accounts,there were quite a few sets of twins,but not born in o'mund.my parents,harry and gladys smith lived and worked in the town for 25 years,until my dad passed away in 1972,he is buried in o,mund and one day i will return to pay my respects.my three sisters and us three boys are all now residing in the uk,their names are lillian,mavis ,kay,bernard and graeme.if any of you want to contact us please email bobbysmith7777@yahoo.co.uk     god ,i have so many good memories of my childhood in o,mund.ive managed to make contact with a few,bev coats,sandy buchanon,john van der hooven,dyan young,and my best mate,brian eyre who 2 years ago came over to visit me in the uk.i am also in contact with alan eyre and his mom dot.there is so much i would like to say but alas i dont want to be here all nite.many thanks for such a great site bud,take good care all of you,hope to hear from you all who share the same memories.x

[Michael Alexander]

It's funny how we all span 5 decades, never met, never knew most of each other.... but we all live(d) here, we always were all family.... we all stood together outside Oranjemund.... especially at boarding school.... but that's another story.. I guess

;)

[Michele Alexander (Voden)]

It is true what you say about the Oranjemunders sticking together at boarding school. I can remember my first day at Rhenish High School and being taken under the wing of Hazel and Wendy Masterton and Donnali Holl. They were able to help me adjust to my new surroundings and I can remember sleeping in Hazel's dorm over the week-ends when I stayed in. I was Std 6 and she was Std 9 at the time so I was really lucky! Bianca Oliver was a standard older and part of the really cool group and I could boast that we came from the same town and she knew me!
My std 6/7 afrikaans teacher also never referred to me as Michele, she called me Suidwester, a name I wore with great pride!
Another great thing was being able to fly home for the holidays, a number of my classmates had never flown before and here was I being able to fly home every holiday. We always hoped for the early flight as then we could miss school, the awful part was having to drag your suitcase down the stairs and then to the front of the school where the bus collected us.
I specifically remember when Namibia had its Independance Day celebrations and we missed about 3 days of school - that was a lot of fun. Anybody else remember dancing to Mango Groove on the hockey club field?
Better end off now - work to do!

[Claire Mc Cullagh]

Michele

Did you used to like in 5th or 6th Ave - next door to Belinda , you have an older brother- can't remeber his name.
I use to live in 72- 2nd ave.  Johnny and Johannay Amutenna lived in 3rd ave.

[Michele Alexander (Voden)]

Hi Claire, yes that's me - 72-4th ave!

Brothers name was Kevin, he was unfortunately killed in a motor accident in 2003.
I am married to Mike and we've got two girls - Shannon will be 9 on Thursday and Cameron is 6!

I can remember the Amutenya's - Johnny was also in trouble. There was another girl our age who lived in 2nd ave, her dad was a chef - I can't remember her name, she had a younger brother and they went off to Kimberley - they lived close to the  Mastertons.

[Claire Mc Cullagh]

hi Michele

My Mom has an old phone book from them days - I will have to get it and look through it , i'm not very good at remembering names.  It's all starting to came back to me.
Sorry to hear about your Brother.
I've been in cantact with Rhenish to try and get in contact with everyone, but no luck.

[Johanna]

Hi claire and to all who remember me!!!
Johanna Amutenya here!!

My pops was a teacher at OPS ....I remember how he had the kids in laughter with his monday morning assembly sessions!!! Sadly he passed away in 1997.

Anyway at the moment, my eyes are brimming with tears at all the memories that are flooding back from reading all the O'mund stories. Loved Ebban's piece. She could not have put it better!!!! I am one of those kids she so aptly described!!! Claire how is how is your mom? Laurence and Kathleen? Remember how my father and your mother would alternate by taking us to school, depending on which ever parent found the other walking with kids in tow on the 3rd avenue street!!!  Say hi to them. John and Juliana are both living in the UK. John married an English girl. I remember how john wld always make fun of Kathleens Irish accent and how Kathleen wld get so annoyed ..sometimes strutting off home in anger from the Park.. am certainly going to be a regular visitor on this site...Am now living and working in Nairobi Kenya..have a young daughter of seven!!!

Michelle sorry to hear about you brother