Wednesday, June 29, 2005
So we are in this interlude between the school terms, with about half my students still here so they can have some extra classes to help prepare for the National Exams in October. The school required that they pay 4000 shillings (about $4) for the privilege, which is why the other half went home.
Last week I really didn’t do anything. I’d come back from the meeting in Dar es Salaam to find that the Chairman of the Chem Dept was sort-of running an open laboratory as his way of teaching qualitative analysis. I basically stuck my head in now and then to show that I was there, and otherwise stayed out of the way.
This week I intended to actually teach. I went to my first class, only to find another teacher in the classroom, reviewing history. After checking the schedule with him, he left. But then he gave out his test papers right outside and all the room followed him to get their papers and see what their scores were. About the time they started filtering back into the room, the school bell rang. This indicated a special parade-ground meeting, and so that was the end of classes for the day.
There was a car from the Bugando Hospital on the parade ground. Seems the Hospital had run into a critical blood shortage, so had come to announce an ad-hoc blood drive. That led to a much milling about and general party atmosphere, and slowly things congealed at the biology laboratory where they were setting up some tables and cots and most students migrated over there.
I was curious to see how a blood drive would be run here, and had no reason not to give blood anyway, so I participated too. So far as I know, only one other teacher gave blood. Interestingly, I will not be accepted as a blood donor again in the US for a long long time, if ever, thanks to my two years plus in Africa. Fears of both malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Anyway, there were none of those confidential discussions of previous sexual activities, drug use, or medications before giving blood. They had announced at the Parade that no-one with malaria should give blood, and probably announced other restrictions too, but as it was in Kiswahili that escaped me. They checked weight (50kg min. for donation), pulse (I had one), blood pressure, and hematocrit. They ladled out about two tablespoons of pure glucose into our hands to be licked up before giving blood. The collection apparatus was simple but modern – alcohol swabs before using needles, vacuum sample collection bottles, the sharps were all single-use, with familiar looking plastic tubing and blood bags, but no IV stands. I loved the BIG nurse with her HARLEY-DAVIDSON T-shirt. One more benefit of the used-clothing market here. Afterwards we got some free pens, exercise books, and a soda. No jellybeans or oreos, unfortunately.
The blood will be tested for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and a bunch of other stuff. The director told me that it is optional for a person to be told whether the tests – esp. HIV/AIDS – are positive or not. There is counseling for those who learn that they have HIV, but if they requested not to be told the results of the test they won’t be, even if the test was positive. There is such a strong stigma to having AIDS here! I asked what percentage request not to be told. He said about 50 percent overall, but a much lower percentage among students because most of them don’t think they have AIDS. I intend to use this to get a discussion going in all my classes. What are the reasons FOR and AGAINST learning the results of an AIDS test? What would you tell your friend to do? Your sex partner, if you had one? Why? What would you think of a person whose test was positive?
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I just got a phone call from Thomas Msuka, my PC Asst. Dir. for Education - he is a good guy who oversees the Education Program I am part of. While I was in Dar last, I filled out a form requesting participation as a “PCV of the Week,” to spend some time with new volunteers while they are still in their training program. He told me I had been selected, based largely on my intention to share about starting secondary projects. So this will be interesting and fun, and yet another break from teaching at Nsumba.
Thomas also wanted to know if I could arrange a workshop or program to showcase the entrepreneurship project for a “visitor” from Dar es Salaam. Can I? WITH BELLS AND WHISTLES AND FOUR PART HARMONY!!!!!! Whooeeeeee! His schedule would put this meeting in the middle of my family’s Safari, on August 11th (my birthday) and 12th. But god is with me, bless her, as that is during the time I’d intended for us to be in Mwanza anyway, and the timing fits beautifully.
The whole entrepreneurship program ought to conclude around the end of September, when we should have some sort of graduation ceremony. Give out the precious certificates all the students want and announce the winning business plans – hopefully make an award or two. I asked Thomas what he would think about inviting the new PC Country Director to attend the ceremony – maybe even invite the US Ambassador – and he was POSITIVE about the ideas! Suggested that I work with Nancy and the current Director, Marily, to start the ball rolling. If this works, it would really galvanize things. You couldn’t keep the Headmasters away from an event like that, and the Rotary would be doing cartwheels too. And the TechnoServe brass should absolutely be part of it. Media coverage. Politicians. Solidified cooperation between USAID, Peace Corps, and TechnoServe. Sustainability GUARANTEED! Well hey, it is a long shot, but...
What else? Well, second year volunteers have a reputation as being cynical. I think it is more the realism that comes after the initial euphoria wears off and that, instead, some of us simply have formed some strong ideas about what works and what doesn’t. But these get lost in the complete two-year turnover pattern, and so we all keep re-inventing the wheel. So I suggested to Thomas that as part of our Close of Service (COS) gathering in October, we might have a Symposium – invite any volunteer who wants to prepare an abstract and give a 15-20 minute talk about their work a chance to do that. Then maybe have a panel discussion or two. Thomas was encouraging about that idea, too. Have to see what can be done.
