Entry via Letter
As November wound to a close, I found myself looking forward to the world AIDS Day celebration in Newala, which took place the Saturday before the actual day. We had decided to take our Peer educators up to Newala for the event, to see what type of event we could hold for AIDs awareness here. Six of us traveled up the Newala mountain with teacher Amos in tow at 5:30 am Saturday morning. We arrived hot and covered in sweat, but excited at the prospect of seeing the day’s events. At the AIDs - day celebration, - Newalympics – there were many games for children to play, including basketball, soccer, track (which we were in charge of) netball, volleyball and finally, dodge ball. We started the day (before continuing on to track) by playing basketball with fellow PC volunteer Atif. After a game that was filled with double dribbles and cheap foul shots we left to continue on with track – though all day I had to listen to my Students ask me were “Jordan” (Atif being an African American Volunteer whose basketball ability they found identical to Michael Jordon’s) learned to play basketball like that, and when he was going to come teach them to play. We ran the children races around the track, and had more than 40 kids come to compete, and at the end of the day we had 2 MVPs to present gifts to at the ending ceremony – a huge event that attracted many children.
Overall, the even resulted in a little over 140 being tested for HIV AIDs, a very sucessful number for the event, and over the 120 estimated turn out! The drama and songs throughout the day were done before a huge audience, and many people enjoyed the variety of entertainment.After the event, all of the kids and I went to find food and then to find Jerusha’s house, where she allowed us to spend the night. The day was long and they all soon crashed into the beds, cushions, and whatever they could find in her home to sleep on – Jerusha, who was exhausted from the planning of the huge event, was so great to all of the kids despite being tired, and as we left two of them whispered to me that they wanted to come again!
The way home from the event may have been the most rewarding. All of the kids, including shy Jennifer, began plotting ideas for what they could do for World AIDs Day next year in our village, asking me how many volunteers could come help, if Michael Jordon (aka Atif) could come teach basketball, how many people we could test for AIDs, and all of the drama, singing we could do to spread the word about AIDs. The excitement they had to get started was enough to inspire me on the walk back down the hill, excited to get started and accomplish great things in Makong’onda. I have a slight feeling of pride in the fact that I helped, inspire these students to get started!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monkey Business
Entry via Letter:
By Friday I had finished most of my exam grading and had started to work on other big looming projects, like closing my house in order to leave for Thanksgiving. I was just leaving to take a bucket bath when there was a knock at my door. I ran out the back way (after putting on more than just my towel) to find my friend Chili sitting there with 2 of my students – and a baby monkey. I immediately started gushing about how cute the monkey was and how much I’ve seen them in Tanzania, snapping pictures all the while as 50 small children (who had followed the monkey) ran about the yard. As I wrapped up my pictures I began to thank everyone, and then the first shocking statement was made – “Mwalimu Mirinda, for 3000 shlling we will sell you this monkey”. A look of shock crossed my face and I immediately replied – “you want me to buy this monkey”? Chili immediately shook his head and replied “you are right, 3000 is too much – for 2000 we will sell you the monkey”. I immediately launched into a series of explanations of why I couldn’t possibly allow a monkey to stay in my house.
“What would I feed him Chili?”
“Fruit” He then fed the monkey, whose cute little paws curled around the fruit.
“He will bite Pepsi”, I countered.
“No, he will be Pepsi’s friend and bring her fruit” He replied.
“What if he bites me, Chili” I pleaded, “I could get very sick.”
“Silly Mwalimu, he won’t bite you, he is a nice monkey” he said as he patted the monkey on the head.
Exasperated, I finally had to pull out the big guns.
“Chili, if Peace Corps found out a monkey lived here they would make me leave; we aren’t allowed to have monkeys.”
I felt bad when I saw Chili’s crestfallen expression, but he took that monkey and those 50 squealing children right off my porch and waved as he led the monkey parade down the street and in to the dusk.
This is how I did not come to own a 2 dollar baby monkey.
By Friday I had finished most of my exam grading and had started to work on other big looming projects, like closing my house in order to leave for Thanksgiving. I was just leaving to take a bucket bath when there was a knock at my door. I ran out the back way (after putting on more than just my towel) to find my friend Chili sitting there with 2 of my students – and a baby monkey. I immediately started gushing about how cute the monkey was and how much I’ve seen them in Tanzania, snapping pictures all the while as 50 small children (who had followed the monkey) ran about the yard. As I wrapped up my pictures I began to thank everyone, and then the first shocking statement was made – “Mwalimu Mirinda, for 3000 shlling we will sell you this monkey”. A look of shock crossed my face and I immediately replied – “you want me to buy this monkey”? Chili immediately shook his head and replied “you are right, 3000 is too much – for 2000 we will sell you the monkey”. I immediately launched into a series of explanations of why I couldn’t possibly allow a monkey to stay in my house.
“What would I feed him Chili?”
“Fruit” He then fed the monkey, whose cute little paws curled around the fruit.
“He will bite Pepsi”, I countered.
“No, he will be Pepsi’s friend and bring her fruit” He replied.
“What if he bites me, Chili” I pleaded, “I could get very sick.”
“Silly Mwalimu, he won’t bite you, he is a nice monkey” he said as he patted the monkey on the head.
Exasperated, I finally had to pull out the big guns.
“Chili, if Peace Corps found out a monkey lived here they would make me leave; we aren’t allowed to have monkeys.”
I felt bad when I saw Chili’s crestfallen expression, but he took that monkey and those 50 squealing children right off my porch and waved as he led the monkey parade down the street and in to the dusk.
This is how I did not come to own a 2 dollar baby monkey.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Life' Little Lessons
Entry via Letter
Its funny when you reach that point in life where you finally realize you are looking through the other side of the mirror, when we had those huge pop-bottle glasses (in my case bright pink) that were cool-until we hit, high school and ransacked the house trying to hide the evidence of this fashion disaster, and none of us realize how truly annoying we are as college freshmen until we hit that senior year. My life lesson came to me in flashbacks throughout the balmy day as I graded the huge stack of papers that litter my table underneath rocks, saucers, and anything else that can serve as a paper weight in my windowless and thus wind-tunnelesque home.
I flashed back to high school when my lit teacher pleaded with us not to just make stuff up and write it down, as it was more work for her but less points for us. I also flashed to my Spanish teacher, who used to chide us for making up words that looked like they were Spanish and then use them on our tests. As I corrected over 240 essay tests this week, crossing out made up English words and writing lines through the same thing said 4 different ways, I can now totally sympathize with every teacher who ever had me as a student. I’m glad for one great difference though - a difference I believe would help the children of America in their education should they be privileged enough to partake, and that is the close relationship I have with all of my students.
Originally I thought students would not want to be anywhere near me after school, but here it is a sign of respect to always help the teachers, and as such I’m constantly surrounded by students, asking questions, borrowing books, carrying my water, or even taking naps on my porch with my cat. It’s not just the “mzungu” factor either; the other teachers are also constantly surrounded by students, always looking for ways to help around our homes, on the school grounds, or simply wanting to hang out. These relationships benefit everyone, I’ve learned more about Tanzanian culture as my students teach me to balance a water bucket on my head, build a nest for chicken eggs, and braid my hair so that it looks more African, and in return the students ask more questions in class, participate and pay attention (They all learned the hard way that once I learn their names I call on them all the time).
In Closing – to all teachers who ever had me in a class – who thought I wasn’t paying good enough attention, or who had to read an essay where I repeated the same thing over and over again – and then read everyone else’s tests of a similar nature: Thank-you. When I think of the fact that I’ve only been doing this for 3 months while some teachers carriers can exceed 30 years, it only deepens my respect for every teacher I’ve had the privilege to learn from.
Its funny when you reach that point in life where you finally realize you are looking through the other side of the mirror, when we had those huge pop-bottle glasses (in my case bright pink) that were cool-until we hit, high school and ransacked the house trying to hide the evidence of this fashion disaster, and none of us realize how truly annoying we are as college freshmen until we hit that senior year. My life lesson came to me in flashbacks throughout the balmy day as I graded the huge stack of papers that litter my table underneath rocks, saucers, and anything else that can serve as a paper weight in my windowless and thus wind-tunnelesque home.
I flashed back to high school when my lit teacher pleaded with us not to just make stuff up and write it down, as it was more work for her but less points for us. I also flashed to my Spanish teacher, who used to chide us for making up words that looked like they were Spanish and then use them on our tests. As I corrected over 240 essay tests this week, crossing out made up English words and writing lines through the same thing said 4 different ways, I can now totally sympathize with every teacher who ever had me as a student. I’m glad for one great difference though - a difference I believe would help the children of America in their education should they be privileged enough to partake, and that is the close relationship I have with all of my students.
Originally I thought students would not want to be anywhere near me after school, but here it is a sign of respect to always help the teachers, and as such I’m constantly surrounded by students, asking questions, borrowing books, carrying my water, or even taking naps on my porch with my cat. It’s not just the “mzungu” factor either; the other teachers are also constantly surrounded by students, always looking for ways to help around our homes, on the school grounds, or simply wanting to hang out. These relationships benefit everyone, I’ve learned more about Tanzanian culture as my students teach me to balance a water bucket on my head, build a nest for chicken eggs, and braid my hair so that it looks more African, and in return the students ask more questions in class, participate and pay attention (They all learned the hard way that once I learn their names I call on them all the time).
In Closing – to all teachers who ever had me in a class – who thought I wasn’t paying good enough attention, or who had to read an essay where I repeated the same thing over and over again – and then read everyone else’s tests of a similar nature: Thank-you. When I think of the fact that I’ve only been doing this for 3 months while some teachers carriers can exceed 30 years, it only deepens my respect for every teacher I’ve had the privilege to learn from.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Trail Blazing
Entry via Letter
Today was the first meeting of the newest NGO (and first) in Makong’onda village. At first, I was incredibly skeptical of helping this group, when they admitted to me one of their only aims was to have me help sell cashew nuts n America. After the introduction of members and my firm “no” response, we moved right into what we could do to help the Malaria problem in the community. We discussed ways to raise money to buy mosquito nets, ways to educate the community, ways to help people to educate and help their children; we even discussed how the peer educators themselves could help! I left the meeting with 10 new dedicated counterparts, ready to help in the community and help with any thing I should need in Makong’onda, the prospect of starting a new group is extremely exciting, but will prove to be a lot of work I’m sure – I hope to have great news and exiting updates for my next round of entries!
Today was the first meeting of the newest NGO (and first) in Makong’onda village. At first, I was incredibly skeptical of helping this group, when they admitted to me one of their only aims was to have me help sell cashew nuts n America. After the introduction of members and my firm “no” response, we moved right into what we could do to help the Malaria problem in the community. We discussed ways to raise money to buy mosquito nets, ways to educate the community, ways to help people to educate and help their children; we even discussed how the peer educators themselves could help! I left the meeting with 10 new dedicated counterparts, ready to help in the community and help with any thing I should need in Makong’onda, the prospect of starting a new group is extremely exciting, but will prove to be a lot of work I’m sure – I hope to have great news and exiting updates for my next round of entries!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Beginnings of Endings
Entry via Letter
Today I finished writing my last annual exam which will be taken by my form 1 and 3 students in 1 week, after my form 2 students finish their annual national exams. These exams bring our first semester together to a close and send all of the students off on holiday to villages near and fair. It wasn’t until today, as students and I gossiped around the water pump-trying to help my “dumber by the day” cat our of a Koroshot tree while at the same time teaching me to balance a full bucket of water on my head – that I realized I would be truly bored over the next month without them.. Don’t get me wrong, my peer educators are all still coming to learn and prepare in December as we have progressed from learning about AIDs/HIV to STIs to learning to use condoms – of which several of my students felt necessary to imitate all aspects of what a model penis’s capable of before safely disposing of their condoms. Today’s session was most sucessful as each student had a dozen questions over the use of a condom and the specifics on where they could find them in the community. I can start to see the animated difference in some of them as they become excited at the prospect of teaching others, and increased confidence in my girls as we talk about subjects that are culturally taboo. I’m hoping to be able to teach them more, including a possible field trip to Newala to see where blood tests for AIDs are done in the hospital. Mungu Akipenda we will find the time and have the ability to continue making these sessions meaningful.
Today I finished writing my last annual exam which will be taken by my form 1 and 3 students in 1 week, after my form 2 students finish their annual national exams. These exams bring our first semester together to a close and send all of the students off on holiday to villages near and fair. It wasn’t until today, as students and I gossiped around the water pump-trying to help my “dumber by the day” cat our of a Koroshot tree while at the same time teaching me to balance a full bucket of water on my head – that I realized I would be truly bored over the next month without them.. Don’t get me wrong, my peer educators are all still coming to learn and prepare in December as we have progressed from learning about AIDs/HIV to STIs to learning to use condoms – of which several of my students felt necessary to imitate all aspects of what a model penis’s capable of before safely disposing of their condoms. Today’s session was most sucessful as each student had a dozen questions over the use of a condom and the specifics on where they could find them in the community. I can start to see the animated difference in some of them as they become excited at the prospect of teaching others, and increased confidence in my girls as we talk about subjects that are culturally taboo. I’m hoping to be able to teach them more, including a possible field trip to Newala to see where blood tests for AIDs are done in the hospital. Mungu Akipenda we will find the time and have the ability to continue making these sessions meaningful.
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