Yesterday I had my first refresher French lesson. I met my teacher, who is not really a teacher but a hairdresser from the DRC, at a hotel bar near my home base in Kiliminjaro. I walked to the place early and had the great joy of drinking a Kiliminjaro beer. Our home base is a dry zone, so that Kiliminjaro was heavenly, especially because I walked for thirty minutes in the boiling sun to reach the restaurant. Patrick Bologna is a very nice man so he didn't mind that I directed the French lesson myself. I don't expect to learn a lot of new things, but it's good practice just to sit and talk to him in French for and hour and a half. We will meet two times a week and unfortunately for me, he wants us to meet at his shop rather than the hotel restaurant because it is far for him to travel and it is a bit noisy there. I guess I could bring a Kiliminjaro to the shop.
Originally we agreed to meet from 5 - 6:30, but the sun sets at 6:30 here and it is about a ten minute walk down a dirt road with no lights to get home, so we have been told by many people actually, not to walk that road after dark. Patrick agreed that I should get home before the bandits come out, so we'll meet earlier in town with enough time for me to take the daladala back.
I am looking forward to talking to Patrick more about his life here and in Congo and smoothing out my basic French in the process. I am paying him $10 and hour which is quite a good wage for someone who is not really a teacher.
This weekend I am going on safari! We'll be away for two nights in a crater called Ngorogoro where you can see the big five on a good safari weekend. More on all that later.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Getting around in Kiliminjaro
Well, I did it. I took the Daladala home yesterday from Moshi. It was quite an interesting and even fun experience. The Daladala refers to the van/bus that Tanzanians use for inter and intra-city travel. It is basically a minivan which comfortably seats about 13 people. It's really cheap (20 cents)and goes everywhere all the time, except maybe late at night.
So yesterday I climbed in and got myself a comfy seat near the door. It looked to me as though there were three empty spots were a person could sit, so I didn't expected much of a wait. The daladalas won't leave until the van is stuffed. Three poeople got on a minute or so later, and I thought to myself, "Oh, good. It's full. We'll be leaving now." But we cotinued to wait. Then three more people got on and I thought, "Now it's really is full. Off we go!" Well I went through this process about five times as more and more people entered the van and moved to the back black hole that was the back of the bus. When we finally left, we had about thirty passengers, a number of whom had to stand hunched over filling up every inch of space in the van.
The good thing about the daladala's is that they are so weighed down with humanity and therefore have to drive slowly, so I wasn't so worried about traffic accidents (as I usually am) The ride took about 20 minutes through town and then on the highway. You inform the condutor who stands near the door with his body hanging out through the window when you want to stop and he pounds on the van so the driver knows to stop. It was a great adventure and now that I know how to ride the daladala, I will take it more often.
Daladala, I am told comes from "dollar dollar" which is what the conductors used to yell out the windows to attract passengers, although a dollar is way too much for a doladola these days.
So yesterday I climbed in and got myself a comfy seat near the door. It looked to me as though there were three empty spots were a person could sit, so I didn't expected much of a wait. The daladalas won't leave until the van is stuffed. Three poeople got on a minute or so later, and I thought to myself, "Oh, good. It's full. We'll be leaving now." But we cotinued to wait. Then three more people got on and I thought, "Now it's really is full. Off we go!" Well I went through this process about five times as more and more people entered the van and moved to the back black hole that was the back of the bus. When we finally left, we had about thirty passengers, a number of whom had to stand hunched over filling up every inch of space in the van.
The good thing about the daladala's is that they are so weighed down with humanity and therefore have to drive slowly, so I wasn't so worried about traffic accidents (as I usually am) The ride took about 20 minutes through town and then on the highway. You inform the condutor who stands near the door with his body hanging out through the window when you want to stop and he pounds on the van so the driver knows to stop. It was a great adventure and now that I know how to ride the daladala, I will take it more often.
Daladala, I am told comes from "dollar dollar" which is what the conductors used to yell out the windows to attract passengers, although a dollar is way too much for a doladola these days.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Graduation Tanzania Style
Yesterday Nick and I attended the Form Four graduation ceremony at St. Teresia's. We were told that it would start at 9:30 and that we should come at 8:30 to help with the final preparations. The graduation started at 12:30 and we left at 6:30. It was a wonderful event. Each class performed dances and songs that were lively and touching and there was a drama skit and, of course, there were the usual boring speeches. Nick and I each prepared some remarks in Swahili and we were quite the sensation. We also gave each student a geometry set. Everyone was impressed with our Swahili even though we read most of it; in fact, a while later, one of the speakers mentioned our names (the whole event was conducted in Swahili) and we later learned that he had warned the crowd to be careful of what they said around us because we probably spoke Chagga too. The Chagga is the main tribe in this region and, of course, has its own language.
There were some rituals that were new to us, such as children feeding bits of cake to their parents to thank them for their support (and we did that too with the other faculty later on) and there was a DJ and MC for the event, so it had a party feeling most of the time. The DJ played music at even the slightest lull in activities, filling up all the dead seconds and minutes with popular music. It was an excellent way to keep the spirit alive and flowing.
When students received their certificates (with a music back ground of course) parents and other family members met them after they ran the shaking-hands gauntlet with the dignitaries and gave their children decorative wreaths, gifts and flowers and lots of hugs. It was very moving to see the joy and pride that everyone felt. Completing secondary school here is no small task for the students or families, making this graduation very special to everyone involved.
Following the ceremonies came the food. Great pots of rice, beef, chicken, bananas, and lots more that we didn't eat arrived. There were about 300 guests attending, and we were fortunate to get our meals from a side kitchen which we really appreciated because lunch wasn't served until 5:00! After eating we proceeded to take photos of the graduates and to top off the day, as we left the school at 6:30, Mount Kiliminjaro was out it all its majestic glory and we got lots of pictures of it. The mountain is mostly hidden from view by clouds; I have only seen it three times since I have been here.
So it was a wonderful way to spend ten hours here in Tanzania. Nick and I are developing very close relationships with our students now and it's going to be real hard to leave them in a month. I may have to come back next year.
This afternoon I am off to interview my prospective French instructor, and if all goes well, I'll start class on Tuesday afternoon.
Kwaheri (Bye) for now.
There were some rituals that were new to us, such as children feeding bits of cake to their parents to thank them for their support (and we did that too with the other faculty later on) and there was a DJ and MC for the event, so it had a party feeling most of the time. The DJ played music at even the slightest lull in activities, filling up all the dead seconds and minutes with popular music. It was an excellent way to keep the spirit alive and flowing.
When students received their certificates (with a music back ground of course) parents and other family members met them after they ran the shaking-hands gauntlet with the dignitaries and gave their children decorative wreaths, gifts and flowers and lots of hugs. It was very moving to see the joy and pride that everyone felt. Completing secondary school here is no small task for the students or families, making this graduation very special to everyone involved.
Following the ceremonies came the food. Great pots of rice, beef, chicken, bananas, and lots more that we didn't eat arrived. There were about 300 guests attending, and we were fortunate to get our meals from a side kitchen which we really appreciated because lunch wasn't served until 5:00! After eating we proceeded to take photos of the graduates and to top off the day, as we left the school at 6:30, Mount Kiliminjaro was out it all its majestic glory and we got lots of pictures of it. The mountain is mostly hidden from view by clouds; I have only seen it three times since I have been here.
So it was a wonderful way to spend ten hours here in Tanzania. Nick and I are developing very close relationships with our students now and it's going to be real hard to leave them in a month. I may have to come back next year.
This afternoon I am off to interview my prospective French instructor, and if all goes well, I'll start class on Tuesday afternoon.
Kwaheri (Bye) for now.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Celebrating 100 years in Tanzania
On Wednesday I and a fellow volunteers attended a birthday celebration of a Tanzanian woman who has recently completed 100 years. It was quite a celebration. We started with a mass attended by 21 priests, 20 or so nuns, a large choir and about 200 guests. Fortunately the mass was held outside so we didn't have to kneel a lot,but there considerable bouts of standing and sitting. The choir was wonderful, very gay and rhythmic and the women's trilling added a special flavor to the service. We were lucky to have been invited by and insider so after the ceremony we were joined the family inside to sit and celebrate with Mama Yetu Maria (the centenarian) and her family and all the priests and nuns. There was incredible amounts of incredible food and lots of beer and hard liquor that everyone enjoyed. It was great fun to see nuns drinking St. Martin and beer and Mama Maria had two large Kilimanjaro's(a local beer) herself. There was singing inside and lots of rituals (sharing of meat and drinks, gift giving, grandchildren presenting dances). We were there for seven hours and it seemed like a few minutes.
The party was in a district near ours, a few kilometers up the mountain so it was lush and cool. A very lovely day. Tomorrow is the grand graduation ceremony at St,. Theresia's. Nick and I will be giving short speeches in Swahili and we have bought geometry sets for all the graduates (most hope to continue to their A level studies after they take entrance exams in October.) It will be, we are told, and all day affair with more than 300 family and friends attending. We watched students rehearsing songs and dances this afternoon, and it looks like it is going to be a fabulous affair. More on that to come.
Hope you all are doing well.
The party was in a district near ours, a few kilometers up the mountain so it was lush and cool. A very lovely day. Tomorrow is the grand graduation ceremony at St,. Theresia's. Nick and I will be giving short speeches in Swahili and we have bought geometry sets for all the graduates (most hope to continue to their A level studies after they take entrance exams in October.) It will be, we are told, and all day affair with more than 300 family and friends attending. We watched students rehearsing songs and dances this afternoon, and it looks like it is going to be a fabulous affair. More on that to come.
Hope you all are doing well.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Volunteering in Tanzania
CCS brings in new groups of volunteers each month and volunteers stay for varying lengths of time. A large group left on Saturday, and, saddly, I lost some of my favorite people. Now we are a group of about ten and life has quieted down a bit. We all fit in one van to go to our placements each day and it is a lot easier planning trips to town with a smaller group.
I and one other person (a teacher from Canada) are working at the secondary school. Others work at preschools and primary schools, orphanages, health clinics and hospitals. One placement is in a nursery at a nearby prison. The prison guards and other staff and their families live on the prison property, and there is a day care center for the children of prison workers. This is considered a minimum security prison (petty crimes include defaulting on debts or taxes) and the prisoners are seen working the numerous gardens on the property in their bright orange jumpsuits. Sometimes they even help out at the nursery.
We work in the morning, come home for lunch and then organize afternoon activities. I have been walking into town in the afternoons. It takes about an hour, is good exercise, and provides me an opportunity to see what is around in my area and meet people in the community. Tomorrow we are going to an NGO that works with HI/AIDS to learn more about the epidemic here. And we also are planning a visit to Arusha to visit an ex-Black Panther who operates art program for youth. Next week I will stay at school in the afternoons one day a week and I have arranged to have a French tutor two afternoons a week to brush up on my French. One of the women from my school will join me in the class, and possibly a fellow-volunteer (Monica).
The struggles that people face here to overcome obstacles brought on by poverty are the most difficult aspect of my work here. Only 12% of the population has electricity and less than that own phones, and access to clean water or water in general is a major problem here. The need is great here and we are often asked to help out monetarily. I have been asked by three students this week to sponsor them by paying their school fees so that they can continue their educations. Their stories are heartbreaking to hear. At the same time there are many good people doing inspirational work to alleviate poverty and illness here, and that sustains everyone I think. We focus on the good work rather than the difficulties. That's the best way to manage.
Tomorrow I will go on a field visit with a woman’s organization here to meet women who have started micro-businesses. We will also attend a birthday celebration of a woman who is 102!
I and one other person (a teacher from Canada) are working at the secondary school. Others work at preschools and primary schools, orphanages, health clinics and hospitals. One placement is in a nursery at a nearby prison. The prison guards and other staff and their families live on the prison property, and there is a day care center for the children of prison workers. This is considered a minimum security prison (petty crimes include defaulting on debts or taxes) and the prisoners are seen working the numerous gardens on the property in their bright orange jumpsuits. Sometimes they even help out at the nursery.
We work in the morning, come home for lunch and then organize afternoon activities. I have been walking into town in the afternoons. It takes about an hour, is good exercise, and provides me an opportunity to see what is around in my area and meet people in the community. Tomorrow we are going to an NGO that works with HI/AIDS to learn more about the epidemic here. And we also are planning a visit to Arusha to visit an ex-Black Panther who operates art program for youth. Next week I will stay at school in the afternoons one day a week and I have arranged to have a French tutor two afternoons a week to brush up on my French. One of the women from my school will join me in the class, and possibly a fellow-volunteer (Monica).
The struggles that people face here to overcome obstacles brought on by poverty are the most difficult aspect of my work here. Only 12% of the population has electricity and less than that own phones, and access to clean water or water in general is a major problem here. The need is great here and we are often asked to help out monetarily. I have been asked by three students this week to sponsor them by paying their school fees so that they can continue their educations. Their stories are heartbreaking to hear. At the same time there are many good people doing inspirational work to alleviate poverty and illness here, and that sustains everyone I think. We focus on the good work rather than the difficulties. That's the best way to manage.
Tomorrow I will go on a field visit with a woman’s organization here to meet women who have started micro-businesses. We will also attend a birthday celebration of a woman who is 102!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
HIV/AIDS in Tanzania
The president of Tanzania and his wife, a few weeks ago, publicly announced that there were gong to be tested for HIV which is major considering that there is still a lot of stigma around having HIV/AIDS here. I think the infection rate has been reduced to 7 or so percent in the last years although the official figure is probably modest according the a health minister I sat next to on the plane to Zanzibar. Still, the infection rate is much lower than other countries in the region, particularly those in southern Africa. There is a major push here now to have people tested and there are reports every day in the newspaper about the numbers of people showing up at the voluntary testing clinics. One article, however, stated that people in one district stopped going to the testing centers after it was revealed that the health care personnel where spreading rumours in villages and towns about the people who tested positive. Hopefully, they will get folks from out of the area to continue the testing there.
There is a lot of talk about HIV/AIDS in schools too. My Form 4 students were required to write a message on the topic for their Monday test, and most talked about the importance of using condoms and staying with one partner. They still have a lot of misconceptions though, such as the virus in spread only by prostitutes, that once you have it it is a death sentence (antiretroviral drugs are available here at fairly low costs), that it came originally from America, etc. I found a great article in the newspaper that discusses the gender politics of the disease....women are most vulnerable to getting HIV/AIDS for a wide variety of reasons...and my students have been assigned to read and summarize it for class on Monday. They have a lot of questions about the disease so I think this will be a really enlightening discussion for us all. More on that later.
I'm off to take a walk to town. We are about 7 kilometers from town and some of us have taken to walking in rather than getting a cab. It only takes an hour and you notice so much more when walking.
There is a lot of talk about HIV/AIDS in schools too. My Form 4 students were required to write a message on the topic for their Monday test, and most talked about the importance of using condoms and staying with one partner. They still have a lot of misconceptions though, such as the virus in spread only by prostitutes, that once you have it it is a death sentence (antiretroviral drugs are available here at fairly low costs), that it came originally from America, etc. I found a great article in the newspaper that discusses the gender politics of the disease....women are most vulnerable to getting HIV/AIDS for a wide variety of reasons...and my students have been assigned to read and summarize it for class on Monday. They have a lot of questions about the disease so I think this will be a really enlightening discussion for us all. More on that later.
I'm off to take a walk to town. We are about 7 kilometers from town and some of us have taken to walking in rather than getting a cab. It only takes an hour and you notice so much more when walking.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Corn Shucking
We have come up with a new tongue twister for our students: How much corn can a Muzungu shuck if a Muzungu could shuck corn. Muzungo refers to white person here. The kids really do run along side the car or van, yelling "Good morning, Muzungu!" We are not sure if it is an endearing title or not. It seems it is to the kids anyway.
Well I am happy to say that I have shucked my last ear of corn. Three hours
in the hot sun shucking corn was all I could take today, and the kids
with great sympathy suggested I rest. And I did. Happily they finished
today so tomorrow we go back to class. I have never looked so forward
to teaching than I did today when it was announced the shucking was
done. I am bringing them all tasty treats and the boom box and a Stevie Wonder CD and we will celebrate tomorrow.
I just received an email from Camila who oddly enough is also shucking corn in Colombia. She has moved from Bogota to live with the Peace Community that she has been supporting. This is a community of farmers and corn I suppose is a major crop there. Please send positive thoughts her way as this is not an easy or particularly safe environment to be working in.
Jaali is back in the Bay Area living in Oakland with his dad, Jon, and attending
fourth grade at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley. I Thanks
to Natasha for her generous help in getting him settled in school. Camila says that Natasha and Jon have made plans to get together to speak Mandarin! Great news.
hope you all are well.
Well I am happy to say that I have shucked my last ear of corn. Three hours
in the hot sun shucking corn was all I could take today, and the kids
with great sympathy suggested I rest. And I did. Happily they finished
today so tomorrow we go back to class. I have never looked so forward
to teaching than I did today when it was announced the shucking was
done. I am bringing them all tasty treats and the boom box and a Stevie Wonder CD and we will celebrate tomorrow.
I just received an email from Camila who oddly enough is also shucking corn in Colombia. She has moved from Bogota to live with the Peace Community that she has been supporting. This is a community of farmers and corn I suppose is a major crop there. Please send positive thoughts her way as this is not an easy or particularly safe environment to be working in.
Jaali is back in the Bay Area living in Oakland with his dad, Jon, and attending
fourth grade at Thousand Oaks Elementary School in Berkeley. I Thanks
to Natasha for her generous help in getting him settled in school. Camila says that Natasha and Jon have made plans to get together to speak Mandarin! Great news.
hope you all are well.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
The Harvest
Well, harvesting corn is no small task, let me assure you. I spent four hours with a group of girls on a corn stack, ripping the corn of the stalks and then stripping them of their husk. Our stack barley looked different after four hours! It is grueling work, but the girls sang a lot and taught me songs, which made the time pass a wee bit faster. The headmaster came and yelled at our group for working too slow and gave us to two additional corn stacks to do. I left at noon and it looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for my workmates. We probably will have to work in the fields tomorrow as well as there were still a whole lot of corn stacks to do when I left.
Some students stayed at the school to clean the classrooms and yard. They sweep and mop the classrooms each day, wash the chalkboards, and sweep the courtyard as well...all on a rotational basis. Imagine students in the states having to do that.
A particular low point was when the girls starting shouting "madam, Madam, look at your pants!" I yelped when I saw the giant black spider cheerfully crawling up my pants and we all beat it off and murdered it on the spot. I am glad that we will finish up this nasty business soon.
I think this is a good learning opportunity for students. At the very least it will inspire them to stay in school and study hard for their exams so they can escape the drudgery of farm life.
Must go as a line is forming behind me to get on this computer.
Some students stayed at the school to clean the classrooms and yard. They sweep and mop the classrooms each day, wash the chalkboards, and sweep the courtyard as well...all on a rotational basis. Imagine students in the states having to do that.
A particular low point was when the girls starting shouting "madam, Madam, look at your pants!" I yelped when I saw the giant black spider cheerfully crawling up my pants and we all beat it off and murdered it on the spot. I am glad that we will finish up this nasty business soon.
I think this is a good learning opportunity for students. At the very least it will inspire them to stay in school and study hard for their exams so they can escape the drudgery of farm life.
Must go as a line is forming behind me to get on this computer.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
a Weekend in Zanzibar
Last weekend a bunch of us flew to Zanzibar. It is culturally very different from the mainland as the population there is primarily Muslim. On the whole Zanzibar seems more wealthy than many places on the mainland. Someone said there are more than 250 mosques there with a population of less than one million. The mosques there are nondescript buildings; the only way one recognizes them is by a small and narrow seating area in front. It was nice to hear the call to prayer and watch the little boys in their white bou bou's and skull caps playing soccer in the streets.
We stayed in a beach hotel outside of Stonetown, the medieval city which was comfortable and lovely. A highlight of the trip was a sunset cruise we took. We sailed around the Indian Ocean for two and a half hours, serenaded by a good singer/guitar player and with tasty "bites" and wine. Then three of us took one of our colleagues to dinner in Stonetown. We visited museums and the old slave market and wandered the medieval streets of Stonetown for a few hour on Sunday before we flew back to Kilimanjaro. It was a quick tour, but a great break.
Week three at St. Theresia's and I am really feeling at home there. Wonderful.
We stayed in a beach hotel outside of Stonetown, the medieval city which was comfortable and lovely. A highlight of the trip was a sunset cruise we took. We sailed around the Indian Ocean for two and a half hours, serenaded by a good singer/guitar player and with tasty "bites" and wine. Then three of us took one of our colleagues to dinner in Stonetown. We visited museums and the old slave market and wandered the medieval streets of Stonetown for a few hour on Sunday before we flew back to Kilimanjaro. It was a quick tour, but a great break.
Week three at St. Theresia's and I am really feeling at home there. Wonderful.
Monday, September 10, 2007
More on Teaching in Tanzania
Today I experienced that delicious feeling we all know of having an unexpected day off of work. My CCS teaching colleague, Nick, and I arrived at the school today to an assembly in the courtyard. The first clue that something unusual was going on were the girls dressed in slacks with a kanga (wrap skirt). Neither girls nor women wear pants in public here. It turned out that the entire school was going corn harvesting today! Since I had a skirt on and a bushel of essays to grade, I bowed out and returned to home base. It's wonderfully cool and quiet right now so I making major progress on those papers. The students and staff will continuing harvesting tomorrow, so I'll dress appropriately and join them then. The school has some acres of corn which is what the staple food Ugali is made of, and everyone pitches in to grow and harvest it. On the way to school today we, in fact, passed many fields with young people harvesting.
Yesterday all the students had exams. Since there are no copying facilities, the testing procedure involved the students filing out of their classrooms and waiting in the courtyard while the teachers wrote the tests on the board. This is done three times as all students taking a battery of tests all morning every Monday - three periods worth. Testing is a major activity in schools here. Form 4 students (seniors) will soon begin to prepare for their national exams which they must pass to enter the next level of studies -- Form 5 and 6, which is basically junior college. There is a major examination at the end of primary school which screens students for high school. If you don't pass, you don't go to high school. Many don't' pass and must either go to work, or if they are lucky attend a vocational school. We visited a youth center yesterday where students who didn't pass the high school entrance exams are studying to work in the hotel and restaurant industry. They cooked us a mighty good meal and were most hospitable. And there should be a lot of jobs since this is the launching point for Mt. Kiliminjaro.
One thing that shocks us all here is the widespread use of corporal punishment in the schools. I have seen teachers yank students ears, swap them upside the head and deliver blows with a switch to the hands. Many teachers take a switch and chalk to the classrooms each day. Teachers at my school insist that this is the only way to control the students. Maybe that is why the students are so excited to have us Muzungus (foreigners) at the school.
The walls of my classrooms are beginning to brighten up. I have brought in maps and have flip chart sheets all over with our brainstorming activities and problem solving tasks. I was very excited to bring in my boom box, but it turned out that only one classroom has an electrical outlet and that one is pretty shoddy. It works if a student holds the plug about half way in the socket and gives it a slight twist to the right... and remains in this position. Thankfully I have batteries and it is pretty easy to buy more in town. As soon as we are done harvesting the corn, we will start working on a song.
My Form 4 Students are going to start writing a small book about their lives here in Tanzania as well as letters of introduction. I will use these along with photos and a ten minute movie about St. Teresia I plan to make to recruit pen pals for them at Berkeley High and maybe some high schools in SF, including the remedial high school we share the building with at the Mission Campus. We are all psyched about this project.
well, back to those essays.
Yesterday all the students had exams. Since there are no copying facilities, the testing procedure involved the students filing out of their classrooms and waiting in the courtyard while the teachers wrote the tests on the board. This is done three times as all students taking a battery of tests all morning every Monday - three periods worth. Testing is a major activity in schools here. Form 4 students (seniors) will soon begin to prepare for their national exams which they must pass to enter the next level of studies -- Form 5 and 6, which is basically junior college. There is a major examination at the end of primary school which screens students for high school. If you don't pass, you don't go to high school. Many don't' pass and must either go to work, or if they are lucky attend a vocational school. We visited a youth center yesterday where students who didn't pass the high school entrance exams are studying to work in the hotel and restaurant industry. They cooked us a mighty good meal and were most hospitable. And there should be a lot of jobs since this is the launching point for Mt. Kiliminjaro.
One thing that shocks us all here is the widespread use of corporal punishment in the schools. I have seen teachers yank students ears, swap them upside the head and deliver blows with a switch to the hands. Many teachers take a switch and chalk to the classrooms each day. Teachers at my school insist that this is the only way to control the students. Maybe that is why the students are so excited to have us Muzungus (foreigners) at the school.
The walls of my classrooms are beginning to brighten up. I have brought in maps and have flip chart sheets all over with our brainstorming activities and problem solving tasks. I was very excited to bring in my boom box, but it turned out that only one classroom has an electrical outlet and that one is pretty shoddy. It works if a student holds the plug about half way in the socket and gives it a slight twist to the right... and remains in this position. Thankfully I have batteries and it is pretty easy to buy more in town. As soon as we are done harvesting the corn, we will start working on a song.
My Form 4 Students are going to start writing a small book about their lives here in Tanzania as well as letters of introduction. I will use these along with photos and a ten minute movie about St. Teresia I plan to make to recruit pen pals for them at Berkeley High and maybe some high schools in SF, including the remedial high school we share the building with at the Mission Campus. We are all psyched about this project.
well, back to those essays.
Monday, September 3, 2007
A weekend with the Maasai...lengthened version
A few of us spent and incredibly interesting weekend with a Maasai family, a man and his four wives in their family compound. We spent most of the first day singing and dancing with them and playing with the children. Then we camped in their courtyard and got up the next morning, hiked down a large hill to the well, and hauled water...yes on the top of our heads...up the hill. Thankfully we didn't have to go fetch the firewood...that would have taken the whole day.
We had our meals in the main hut which is the first wife's home. Women build the ho uses here out of wood and dung plaster. The houses are small with a small general area space which is adjacent to the cow section and goat quarters. We had out meals on a makeshift dinning table in the cow's area. Some people had to sit in the main area (which could accomodate three chairs total) to sit at the other side of the table. The food was great and it was amazing that it was all cooked in a tiny cooking hut.
We camped in their courtyard which was the common outdoor area for the other houses. All in all there were about ten children it seemed. After hauling water and eating breakfast we too a long, long walk with a Maasai man and then we made it to the Maasai market which sold everything a person or animal could need. We still had out Maasai capes on and caused quite a stir in the market. People were falling off their stools laughing...we assume with us rather than at us. Some women were kind enough to get up and straighten out our cape dresses.
The Maasai, as you have by now surmised, continue to practice a traditional culture and life style... although they do use cell phones. Tiny children wander the great Maasai steppe with their goats and tiny girls have babies strapped to their backs as they do household chores. The group that led the tour have been major donors to a school project in the area and the young people see the value of education and are excited about studying and speaking English. One of the young women in the family just completed high school and plans to go to a teaching college in January. So the modern world encroaches bringing advancements and complications. Female circumcision is reportedly still practiced by the Maasai, but many people told us that the practice is, fortunately, being curtailed.
We had our meals in the main hut which is the first wife's home. Women build the ho uses here out of wood and dung plaster. The houses are small with a small general area space which is adjacent to the cow section and goat quarters. We had out meals on a makeshift dinning table in the cow's area. Some people had to sit in the main area (which could accomodate three chairs total) to sit at the other side of the table. The food was great and it was amazing that it was all cooked in a tiny cooking hut.
We camped in their courtyard which was the common outdoor area for the other houses. All in all there were about ten children it seemed. After hauling water and eating breakfast we too a long, long walk with a Maasai man and then we made it to the Maasai market which sold everything a person or animal could need. We still had out Maasai capes on and caused quite a stir in the market. People were falling off their stools laughing...we assume with us rather than at us. Some women were kind enough to get up and straighten out our cape dresses.
The Maasai, as you have by now surmised, continue to practice a traditional culture and life style... although they do use cell phones. Tiny children wander the great Maasai steppe with their goats and tiny girls have babies strapped to their backs as they do household chores. The group that led the tour have been major donors to a school project in the area and the young people see the value of education and are excited about studying and speaking English. One of the young women in the family just completed high school and plans to go to a teaching college in January. So the modern world encroaches bringing advancements and complications. Female circumcision is reportedly still practiced by the Maasai, but many people told us that the practice is, fortunately, being curtailed.
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