Wednesday, July 28, 2004
That fresh pork that I bought led to a very comfortable and pleasant evening yesterday. I’d cooked some of it for myself, but stored most of it in Ryan’s refrigerator at Ngonza – kind of put it in the bank there.
Two weeks ago I’d taken a bike ride back into the country to try to find out more about that odd farm I found on my first trip out in that direction. Even in my poor Kiswahili, I learned that the Australian who ran the place was away. Also, one of crops they raise is sweet corn and some would be ready to harvest in two weeks so did I want some. Of course I did, so I ordered a couple of kg, never expecting anything to come of it. But two days ago, the guy turned up at my house with two plastic bags of husked, yellow sweet corn. Amazing. He knew that I was a teacher at Nsumba, and from that there was no trouble in finding me. We Mazungus do stand out.
So I invited Ryan over yesterday evening to enjoy pork sandwiches, fried potatoes and fresh corn on the cob. He arrived with beer, real BBQ sauce from the U-Turn Market downtown, and Kara who was in from Sumve. So the three of us had a great evening of conversation and a real American BBQ. The corn had been picked just a little past its prime a couple of days before we ate it, but none of us could complain a bit.
My own second crop of corn, this time inside a corral to protect it from my neighbor’s goats, is coming into tassel now. The plants are small, not much above my knees, so I don’t know what kind of crop they will produce. Guess it won’t take us too long to find out though.
Yesterday morning Saidi, a student chemistry teacher from the U. of Dar es Salaam showed up. He is a big guy, a little overweight and a little overwhelmed, but otherwise seems to be a nice guy. He will teach two of my five sections for the next six weeks. He is two years into his four-year degree program in education and so far has been taking courses in chemistry and physics. No methods courses, those will come in his final two years. His program seems a little strange to me in that he is doing his student teaching before learning how to teach, but I do remember something about looking a gift horse in the mouth ...
We are scheduled to get together later this morning (Saturday – I went to bed early after the BBQ, so now am writing in the middle of the night) to discuss where my classes are in their studies now, what topics we should introduce next, and how. I’m hoping to use him to pry open the laboratory so we can give the students the laboratory practice they need for the section on analytical chemistry. In Form III Chemistry that basically entails learning how to conduct an acid-base titration. Besides, I want somebody to commiserate with over our lack of equipment and chemicals for the students. I’ve been using that for too long as an excuse not to get my kids into the laboratory.
I’d understood that a second student teacher was supposed to show up for my remaining three classes, but now that may be in doubt. Don’t know. You do have to hang loose in these things.
Two weeks ago I’d taken a bike ride back into the country to try to find out more about that odd farm I found on my first trip out in that direction. Even in my poor Kiswahili, I learned that the Australian who ran the place was away. Also, one of crops they raise is sweet corn and some would be ready to harvest in two weeks so did I want some. Of course I did, so I ordered a couple of kg, never expecting anything to come of it. But two days ago, the guy turned up at my house with two plastic bags of husked, yellow sweet corn. Amazing. He knew that I was a teacher at Nsumba, and from that there was no trouble in finding me. We Mazungus do stand out.
So I invited Ryan over yesterday evening to enjoy pork sandwiches, fried potatoes and fresh corn on the cob. He arrived with beer, real BBQ sauce from the U-Turn Market downtown, and Kara who was in from Sumve. So the three of us had a great evening of conversation and a real American BBQ. The corn had been picked just a little past its prime a couple of days before we ate it, but none of us could complain a bit.
My own second crop of corn, this time inside a corral to protect it from my neighbor’s goats, is coming into tassel now. The plants are small, not much above my knees, so I don’t know what kind of crop they will produce. Guess it won’t take us too long to find out though.
Yesterday morning Saidi, a student chemistry teacher from the U. of Dar es Salaam showed up. He is a big guy, a little overweight and a little overwhelmed, but otherwise seems to be a nice guy. He will teach two of my five sections for the next six weeks. He is two years into his four-year degree program in education and so far has been taking courses in chemistry and physics. No methods courses, those will come in his final two years. His program seems a little strange to me in that he is doing his student teaching before learning how to teach, but I do remember something about looking a gift horse in the mouth ...
We are scheduled to get together later this morning (Saturday – I went to bed early after the BBQ, so now am writing in the middle of the night) to discuss where my classes are in their studies now, what topics we should introduce next, and how. I’m hoping to use him to pry open the laboratory so we can give the students the laboratory practice they need for the section on analytical chemistry. In Form III Chemistry that basically entails learning how to conduct an acid-base titration. Besides, I want somebody to commiserate with over our lack of equipment and chemicals for the students. I’ve been using that for too long as an excuse not to get my kids into the laboratory.
I’d understood that a second student teacher was supposed to show up for my remaining three classes, but now that may be in doubt. Don’t know. You do have to hang loose in these things.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
I see that I haven’t written to this Journal in over a week now. But things seem to have settled into a rather unremarkable routine. And for now it is more difficult to get to the internet because the University across the street is in their three month break.
Here at Nsumba, I have been teaching for a week. Actually, it is going very well. I have been covering chemical equilibria. I consider that a fairly complex topic, but they have stuck with me. I have had them doing calculations in class that we then tabulate on the board and draw conclusions from. It has worked well as a teaching technique.
One of my students told me he wanted to drop chemistry. He said he got a zero on my final exam. My records show that he didn’t even take the test – or any other test or quiz during the whole term. I asked him what subjects he liked. History, English and Geography. But he didn’t want to tell me what his scores were in those subjects. What does he want to do? Be a businessman. Why? No good answer. What do you have to know to be a businessman? He didn’t know. I gave him a lecture about Planning, Knowledge and Hard Work and told him I would take his request up with the administration anyway.
The administration said chemistry is a required subject in Form III and he can’t drop it. But I see that he hasn’t been attending class since our discussion anyway.
Skills For Life Tanzania! also seems to be in the doldrums for the moment. I am waiting to hear from Kuleana’s about whether they will give us space and handle our finances, from the Rotary Club about their assistance and the computer they say they will provide, from my bank manager about when we should start a mail solicitation campaign, and my instructors are still in Arusha visiting their families.
My friends Emily and John decided to leave the Peace Corps. They had been on the edge of it since their marriage on Zanzibar, and things just weren’t coming together for them. There was also some concern about security at their site that they didn’t want to have to deal with. They are the latest in a string of people who have left. We are 10 months into our program now, and I think that it is the time that a lot of people must look at their experience and question what they are doing here.
Here at Nsumba, I have been teaching for a week. Actually, it is going very well. I have been covering chemical equilibria. I consider that a fairly complex topic, but they have stuck with me. I have had them doing calculations in class that we then tabulate on the board and draw conclusions from. It has worked well as a teaching technique.
One of my students told me he wanted to drop chemistry. He said he got a zero on my final exam. My records show that he didn’t even take the test – or any other test or quiz during the whole term. I asked him what subjects he liked. History, English and Geography. But he didn’t want to tell me what his scores were in those subjects. What does he want to do? Be a businessman. Why? No good answer. What do you have to know to be a businessman? He didn’t know. I gave him a lecture about Planning, Knowledge and Hard Work and told him I would take his request up with the administration anyway.
The administration said chemistry is a required subject in Form III and he can’t drop it. But I see that he hasn’t been attending class since our discussion anyway.
Skills For Life Tanzania! also seems to be in the doldrums for the moment. I am waiting to hear from Kuleana’s about whether they will give us space and handle our finances, from the Rotary Club about their assistance and the computer they say they will provide, from my bank manager about when we should start a mail solicitation campaign, and my instructors are still in Arusha visiting their families.
My friends Emily and John decided to leave the Peace Corps. They had been on the edge of it since their marriage on Zanzibar, and things just weren’t coming together for them. There was also some concern about security at their site that they didn’t want to have to deal with. They are the latest in a string of people who have left. We are 10 months into our program now, and I think that it is the time that a lot of people must look at their experience and question what they are doing here.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Sunday. Tomorrow is the start of the Nsumba Secondary second term, after a break of a month and a half that included, for me, the Peace Corps group reunion at Morogoro, the rushed trip back to the states for my Mother’s funeral and too brief meetings with family and friends and frenzied buying sorties for a potato peeler, dot matrix printer (unsuccessful) and camera, frantic attempts to bring Myrna to Philadelphia and the last minute disappointment that she did not come to Africa as planned, a week of visiting NGOs in Dar es Salaam and, finally, my return to Nyegezi to push Life Opportunity Club (now called Skills For Life Tanzania!) into existence.
After all this, I cannot get myself excited about again trying to encourage students to understand the difference between reversible and irreversible reactions and yet again fighting the battle of “No, a chemical equation does NOT tell you anything about mass or weight ratios.” I had a text message from Glory yesterday, and she admitted that she too is “experiencing lack of motivation about teaching.”
So I’ve been sloughing off. Taking long bike rides through the countryside instead of concocting lesson plans. Designing a tri-fold brochure and application form for SFLT! Inventing a “Credo” to use to open SFLT! sessions. I like it so much I plan to start all my classes with it this next term – sort of like US students open every day with the Pledge of Allegiance:
I am a proud Tanzanian
And my Country is rich with opportunity.
My life now is exactly how I have made it.
With planning, with knowledge, with hard work
And care for my health,
I can and will create a life that I choose.
I wonder if the real teachers – the professionals who come back year after year and define teaching as their career – resent the start of yet another academic year. My sister always seemed so eager for the summer to end. Always designing colorful illustrations and posters for her classroom, planning music programs for her classes in the new school year. It is now, in her retirement, that she would not want to gear-up again for another year of instruction and scholastic politics.
But this teaching is a good experience for me. It is a stiff challenge, gets me back in touch with the basics of the field in which I am certified to be an expert after lo these many years, and provides a reason for my immersion in this very different world of Africa.
So, bring it on!
After all this, I cannot get myself excited about again trying to encourage students to understand the difference between reversible and irreversible reactions and yet again fighting the battle of “No, a chemical equation does NOT tell you anything about mass or weight ratios.” I had a text message from Glory yesterday, and she admitted that she too is “experiencing lack of motivation about teaching.”
So I’ve been sloughing off. Taking long bike rides through the countryside instead of concocting lesson plans. Designing a tri-fold brochure and application form for SFLT! Inventing a “Credo” to use to open SFLT! sessions. I like it so much I plan to start all my classes with it this next term – sort of like US students open every day with the Pledge of Allegiance:
I am a proud Tanzanian
And my Country is rich with opportunity.
My life now is exactly how I have made it.
With planning, with knowledge, with hard work
And care for my health,
I can and will create a life that I choose.
I wonder if the real teachers – the professionals who come back year after year and define teaching as their career – resent the start of yet another academic year. My sister always seemed so eager for the summer to end. Always designing colorful illustrations and posters for her classroom, planning music programs for her classes in the new school year. It is now, in her retirement, that she would not want to gear-up again for another year of instruction and scholastic politics.
But this teaching is a good experience for me. It is a stiff challenge, gets me back in touch with the basics of the field in which I am certified to be an expert after lo these many years, and provides a reason for my immersion in this very different world of Africa.
So, bring it on!
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
REQUEST FOR DONATION:
Does anyone have an old dot-matrix printer stowed in their attic somewhere? It turns out that the Mwanza Rotary Club will give SKILLS FOR LIFE TANZANIA! (nee: Life Opportunity Club) use of a computer, but not a printer. Ink jet printers are cheap here too but no way can we afford the replacement ink-jet cartridges. Those dot-matrix ribbons are only about $5 each. I scoured the used junk shops when I was in Philadelphia last month but even those trash hounds have given up on dot-matrix printers.
So it would be just wonderful if someone could find a dot-matrix printer and air mail it to us. I’ll gladly reimburse the shipping cost.
Lee Forney
Nsumba Sec., Box 4044
Nyegezi, Mwanza
Tanzania, E. Africa
phone: 255 748 630684
** **** **
The fresh pork BBQ here on the 4th of July was relaxing and fun, with good friends. Becky brought energy, brownies (!) and rum. She had extended her service for another year, after serving in Zimbabwe until it got fluky, and then Mali before Tanzania, and by now she is ready to say good-by to Africa.
Ryan brought fruit, coca cola, and Bertha, a succulent Tanzanian minx in training. Bertha is from a family that has married several of its intelligent and attractive women to European men to its advantage, but Bertha is still a bit young. She is getting ready, though. Bertha had the appropriate western casual attire – tight jeans that must have taken her an hour to pour herself into and a close-fitting knit top with bare shoulders. But she has not yet mastered the requisite social skills. Her displeasure at enduring three hours of conversation in English that she did not understand was readily apparent. Her sisters will have to advise her about that. But I can sympathize with her – I had to endure a three-hour Staff Meeting in Kiswahili yesterday.
Emily brought buns and fabulous tales of her marriage on Zanzibar where, in keeping with local tradition, John had to barter with her father: How many goats plus a cow for Emily’s hand? And then her father attempted to palm off Emily’s sister or cousins for the cattle before producing Emily! John rode to the alter on a donkey, and Emily was carried in on a litter. The guests, sunburned from snorkeling and diving, sat on pillows on the beach for the affair. Wish I could have been there too. Emily is now in the process of changing her site from Ukerewe, an island in Lake Victoria, to join John at his site on Pemba, another island but this one in the Indian Ocean, off Zanzibar.
I had intended to grill slices of the pork for the sandwiches, but my houseboy insisted on taking over the cooking and that just isn’t the way it is done in Tanzania. I couldn’t turn him off. So we had little chunks of pork, fried with peppers and onions. It still made good sandwiches – just shifted the esthetic a bit. I did manage to wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and grill them on the charcoal, over his objections. He was amazed that you could do that, but ended up eating several.
Later we all hiked up to the Retreat for the view, to watch the hawks circling, the cranes soaring back toward the lake, and then the glorious sunset. On the way back we encountered several large owls that let us get fairly close before leisurely taking wing and so silently flying off.
That was our version of fireworks.
Does anyone have an old dot-matrix printer stowed in their attic somewhere? It turns out that the Mwanza Rotary Club will give SKILLS FOR LIFE TANZANIA! (nee: Life Opportunity Club) use of a computer, but not a printer. Ink jet printers are cheap here too but no way can we afford the replacement ink-jet cartridges. Those dot-matrix ribbons are only about $5 each. I scoured the used junk shops when I was in Philadelphia last month but even those trash hounds have given up on dot-matrix printers.
So it would be just wonderful if someone could find a dot-matrix printer and air mail it to us. I’ll gladly reimburse the shipping cost.
Lee Forney
Nsumba Sec., Box 4044
Nyegezi, Mwanza
Tanzania, E. Africa
phone: 255 748 630684
** **** **
The fresh pork BBQ here on the 4th of July was relaxing and fun, with good friends. Becky brought energy, brownies (!) and rum. She had extended her service for another year, after serving in Zimbabwe until it got fluky, and then Mali before Tanzania, and by now she is ready to say good-by to Africa.
Ryan brought fruit, coca cola, and Bertha, a succulent Tanzanian minx in training. Bertha is from a family that has married several of its intelligent and attractive women to European men to its advantage, but Bertha is still a bit young. She is getting ready, though. Bertha had the appropriate western casual attire – tight jeans that must have taken her an hour to pour herself into and a close-fitting knit top with bare shoulders. But she has not yet mastered the requisite social skills. Her displeasure at enduring three hours of conversation in English that she did not understand was readily apparent. Her sisters will have to advise her about that. But I can sympathize with her – I had to endure a three-hour Staff Meeting in Kiswahili yesterday.
Emily brought buns and fabulous tales of her marriage on Zanzibar where, in keeping with local tradition, John had to barter with her father: How many goats plus a cow for Emily’s hand? And then her father attempted to palm off Emily’s sister or cousins for the cattle before producing Emily! John rode to the alter on a donkey, and Emily was carried in on a litter. The guests, sunburned from snorkeling and diving, sat on pillows on the beach for the affair. Wish I could have been there too. Emily is now in the process of changing her site from Ukerewe, an island in Lake Victoria, to join John at his site on Pemba, another island but this one in the Indian Ocean, off Zanzibar.
I had intended to grill slices of the pork for the sandwiches, but my houseboy insisted on taking over the cooking and that just isn’t the way it is done in Tanzania. I couldn’t turn him off. So we had little chunks of pork, fried with peppers and onions. It still made good sandwiches – just shifted the esthetic a bit. I did manage to wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and grill them on the charcoal, over his objections. He was amazed that you could do that, but ended up eating several.
Later we all hiked up to the Retreat for the view, to watch the hawks circling, the cranes soaring back toward the lake, and then the glorious sunset. On the way back we encountered several large owls that let us get fairly close before leisurely taking wing and so silently flying off.
That was our version of fireworks.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
What a week. Many PCVs are traveling, since most schools are closed until mid-July. Kurt and Ann were visiting Ryan down the road, and we all spent an evening together watching the sunset from the Retreat hilltop, then talked late into the night over chipsi miyai in the moonlight. Kathleen spent a night here at Lee’s Hotel, then Kara the next night so I caught up on their trips to Uganda and Italy, respectively. I bumped into Kim downtown, in the process of transferring her site from Sumve to Bukoba. Becky came by and we shared more PC gossip.
My friend Paul was taking orders for meat before he slaughtered a pig, so I signed on for 2 kg of fresh pork. Then I invited all the PCVs in the region to Nsumba for a pork BBQ on Sunday for a JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION. The pork was delivered in a plastic bag yesterday and I arranged with my neighbor to have it stored in the school freezer until Sunday. Paul dropped by in the evening – he was in bad shape, shivering and coughing with maleria. He clearly should have been in bed, but had committed himself to this pork project and also had to deliver an order for several dozen eggs to a restaurant – and then go buy flour for his family’s evening meal. He wanted to look at my copy of “Where There Is No Doctor” to check on medication side-effects. My heart goes out to this guy. Among other trades, he is also a master mason and on Wednesday as I was riding my bike back from Mwanza I found him building a block retaining wall at a roundabout - using his hands instead of a trowel to apply and smooth the mortar. He is always working hard, and still is always friendly, smiling, and gregarious. Makes me feel very pampered with my soft hands and relaxed schedule.
I’ve racked up a ton of internet time. It is a good thing that I get free access at the University by now. I bought and installed another printer ribbon for them. Wrote thank you emails and confirming letters to the six organizations I visited in Dar last week, reminding them to send materials. Asked Kyeh Kim in the Washington PC office by email for materials and she replied with a batch of great leads that I followed up on. That included downloading a good small business training course that was put together for semi-literate farmers in Zambia. She also led me to a Canadian NGO: Street Kids International < www.streetkids.org > SKI has put together a dynamite program that is right on-target, although it may be too fancy with its videos and all. But from them, I also downloaded an incredible report on the status of street kids, with a clear philosophy of how to work with them. It has given me much to think about, and definitely will impact how we present our program.
By now I think we are not so much about giving a how-to course on small business and instead are about changing belief systems to foster self-reliance and confidence. I think we need to change the name of the project from Life Opportunity Club to something like Skills for Life. I always thought LOC was a bit hokey but it was all I came up with and nobody suggested anything else.
Then, I had a cantankerous meeting with my partners Peter, Samwel and Paul (not the pork guy Paul). Peter and Samwel had asked for $100 a month instead of the $75 we had budgeted, plus $100 to come back from Arusha after visiting their families. We compromised on $95 a month and $25 each to come back from Arusha. Paul was insisting that we must register our organization and was all hung up on what it means to be a “club.” He is probably right about the registration, unless we can operate as a part of an established group like the Rotary or Kulianas or something. I’ve set up appointments with both for next week and will have this issue on the agenda.
I would really like to fund this project with local money instead of foreign donations, but I am worried that it might be very difficult to accomplish. One good suggestion from Sridhar at the ExIm Bank was to have the kids themselves help, through a City Walkathon. What a fabulous idea, but I’m afraid it can’t make too much of a dent in our overall $2000 project cost.
My part of Africa here is looking browner by the day. For sure, we are going to find out what “dry season” means.
My friend Paul was taking orders for meat before he slaughtered a pig, so I signed on for 2 kg of fresh pork. Then I invited all the PCVs in the region to Nsumba for a pork BBQ on Sunday for a JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION. The pork was delivered in a plastic bag yesterday and I arranged with my neighbor to have it stored in the school freezer until Sunday. Paul dropped by in the evening – he was in bad shape, shivering and coughing with maleria. He clearly should have been in bed, but had committed himself to this pork project and also had to deliver an order for several dozen eggs to a restaurant – and then go buy flour for his family’s evening meal. He wanted to look at my copy of “Where There Is No Doctor” to check on medication side-effects. My heart goes out to this guy. Among other trades, he is also a master mason and on Wednesday as I was riding my bike back from Mwanza I found him building a block retaining wall at a roundabout - using his hands instead of a trowel to apply and smooth the mortar. He is always working hard, and still is always friendly, smiling, and gregarious. Makes me feel very pampered with my soft hands and relaxed schedule.
I’ve racked up a ton of internet time. It is a good thing that I get free access at the University by now. I bought and installed another printer ribbon for them. Wrote thank you emails and confirming letters to the six organizations I visited in Dar last week, reminding them to send materials. Asked Kyeh Kim in the Washington PC office by email for materials and she replied with a batch of great leads that I followed up on. That included downloading a good small business training course that was put together for semi-literate farmers in Zambia. She also led me to a Canadian NGO: Street Kids International < www.streetkids.org > SKI has put together a dynamite program that is right on-target, although it may be too fancy with its videos and all. But from them, I also downloaded an incredible report on the status of street kids, with a clear philosophy of how to work with them. It has given me much to think about, and definitely will impact how we present our program.
By now I think we are not so much about giving a how-to course on small business and instead are about changing belief systems to foster self-reliance and confidence. I think we need to change the name of the project from Life Opportunity Club to something like Skills for Life. I always thought LOC was a bit hokey but it was all I came up with and nobody suggested anything else.
Then, I had a cantankerous meeting with my partners Peter, Samwel and Paul (not the pork guy Paul). Peter and Samwel had asked for $100 a month instead of the $75 we had budgeted, plus $100 to come back from Arusha after visiting their families. We compromised on $95 a month and $25 each to come back from Arusha. Paul was insisting that we must register our organization and was all hung up on what it means to be a “club.” He is probably right about the registration, unless we can operate as a part of an established group like the Rotary or Kulianas or something. I’ve set up appointments with both for next week and will have this issue on the agenda.
I would really like to fund this project with local money instead of foreign donations, but I am worried that it might be very difficult to accomplish. One good suggestion from Sridhar at the ExIm Bank was to have the kids themselves help, through a City Walkathon. What a fabulous idea, but I’m afraid it can’t make too much of a dent in our overall $2000 project cost.
My part of Africa here is looking browner by the day. For sure, we are going to find out what “dry season” means.
