OVC Watchman Training

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned the time I am spending with the Watchman employed by OVC to guard OVC and the house here during the night... Well if not I must! On Thursday afternoon on the banks of the Zambezi (which is my front yard!) the 5 watchman eagerly attend my `training’ sessions. As `security officers’ for the project they have never undertaken any training what-so-ever. I started my first session by asking what they do if they catch someone on the premises with a reply of, “We don’t know”. Yet they each carry a .22 calibre rifle and a carry bag with baseball bats and batons – Right?! It’s ok though, I have clarified with them that the rifle is for crocodile’s if they trespass on the premises – Fair enough! Again, these blokes are incredibly polite and my time with them has been really fun... and SO entertaining! IMOST (operational safety) training with SAPol does tend to bore me each year, but am grateful for it now because being able to share my training with the OVC Watchman has been priceless... I hope the pictures help to explain why! Next week is going to be my last week with them and as a laugh I’ve taught them some marching too (Oh square-gating hilarious!) to conclude their training with a `graduation’. I will present them with a Police Badge (as we do) which I know will make their day... hard to explain but for people that have never seen anything but Mwandi, this stuff is REALLY exciting!!
Today I have the Police visiting OVC which is great – I am really looking forward to it as it was building this relationship between Police and OVC that I was hoping to achieve while here... so stay tuned!