Coloring books and other happenings this week

I have been trying to write blogs about specific things and after a month I have had plenty of thoughts that I wrote at length about but I think I will try to keep it short, just things that have happened and lots of pictures if I have them.

Visited Kudzra for my first parent/teacher-type conferences and got more students to apply to try to become a sponsored student. Meeting with the parents was good but hard because a lot of what we were discussing is what they are expected to provide their child even though Pagus sponsors are covering all the tuition. Some pay nothing, but some who are able pay for things like books, supplies and chip in a little, equivalent to 7.50 a year. This is more of a symbol, or token that they are investing in their child so they are less likely to let the kids skip school or take out of school to work on the farm. It is hard to see the lack of what we would consider basics, and then be asking them for money. Similarly with the new applications, it is competitive but it is hard to not feel like all of these girls need to come. Even the chief of the village's daughter has so little opportunity. But if students come that are not ready, do not have family support, or otherwise not a god fit it is bad for everyone, the sponsor who is funding a failed education, the time and money of the organization and the school but mostly the opportunity lost for another child to come to school. There have been a tiny number of students leave the program over the past 6 years which is great, but as the numbers increase, and the competition increases, all the more reason to make sure the ones that both have the need but also the character to take advantage of the opportunity are chosen.



Busted out the coloring book and crayons for the first time, total mob scene at break time. The school has a lot of games/supplies but I get the feeling the teachers do not really use them. I now have about 20 kids from 2^nd to 6^th grade that always come to my “classroom” a table and chairs under a open roof at break time. Some of the older ones I am trying to teach to type with using all ten fingers and the younger ones either read the stack of books I always have or from now on will be coloring. Thank you Vanessa for three big coloring books! I almost did not bring them because my bagt was too heavy and I thought the kids I would be teaching were too old. Turns out I am “teaching” in a lot of informal ways and you are never to old for coloring. Way better decision than brining a few more shirts. 

Bitten by a tsetse fly today, the students looked at me and said “you are going to fall asleep” Great, just what I need when I already am needing 9-10 hours of sleep here, a sleeping sickness. Not sure if it is a wives tale or true but they said if I eat lots of fruit I will not get sick. Good thing I eat like 2 bananas a day.

My "Classroom" at break times



I took my first nighttime walk today. It was a full moon and still tons of stars. It was very beautiful and then a few hundred yards from home my neighbor passed on his motorcycle and I hopped on the rest of the way. I really like having nice neighbors and I miss that. Both in Chicago where I do not really know mine, or in my last house in Virginia where I think they were dealing meth, It has been a while since I had people that will take my clothes off the line when it starts to rain, or they ask to borrow a jump drive and I ask to borrow a screwdriver.

I was reminded today of something Josh said, about how much he understood racism more by being constantly defined by your skin color here and the constant shouts of “Yevu” (whitey) Here it is targeting us but in a positive way and it still gets under your skin (so to speak) so we cannot imagine how much it would suck in a negative way. Today Bishop Forson, the founder and director gave a nice speech about his return to the school and several time called out Pagus and how his school is better and unique because of the good relationship with the school and Pagus. But then, when he was talking to the stage 5 class, he said “You should be proud to be in this school. How many other schools in town have white people there? None!”  So I could be a terrible teacher, totally incompetent but I am still a white feather in the school cap. It was meant in total praise and a compliment but still feels weird.

 

Teaching the remedial class – I was a good student and can count on one hand the number of times I did not turn in an assignment. This week I had two classes that almost everyone only did one part or none of the homework. I felt bad because they all said they did not understand, but also upset that they had three days and never asked and I am sure most of them did not even look at their book. I have a couple very diligent, although struggling with English students that gave it a try but I felt so dejected having my students so thoroughly fail their assignment. But some do seem to be getting better, at least they show up for my class unlike others.