23 February 2014

There were lots of happenings this past week and each week seems to go by faster than the previous ones.  We had some rain again, not a lot but enough to keep the crops looking good.  Many times here the month of February is dry, and sometimes that period of dryness is long enough to kill the corn and that’s the end of that crop.  However this year we've had some nice rain this month and the corn really looks nice.  People have a lot of hope that there will be abundant food when harvest time comes around, and if the rain continues into March, it looks like that will be the case.  What a blessing that is.

We have been eating from my “garden” these days.  This garden consists of three cement sacks half filled with soil, and four Chinese Cabbage plants in each sack.  Their color is beautiful and the fresh taste is wonderful.  I’m proud enough to attach a photo!

Yesterday at school we had a meeting of parents, an annual event which brings parents to hear about the progress of the school,  problems that may have arisen, gives them a chance to air their concerns, and they also have an opportunity to visit their daughters.  The meeting was good, and everyone was very happy with the news which had just been released the previous evening.  The results of the national Form IV examinations came out and our school performed very well.  Every student passed, and more than half achieved Division I and II, the highest marks possible.  Good results like these will give the students a wide choice in careers and further studies so I’m sure they are thrilled.  The parents of the current students certainly are, and have the same kind of hopes for their daughters.  May all the dreams of these girls be fulfilled, and all of their hard work and the sacrifice of their parents be fruitful.

16 February 2014

One of the events of this week was the inauguration of the new library at the secondary school.  A group of people from Italy had taken on the project of building this library and 25 people from this group came about a month ago and have been working on completing it.  They were due to go back to Italy on Friday and so on Thursday we had a little ceremony to inaugurate the building.  Since it was a school day, we were all on hand early and awaited news of what the day would bring.  Around 8.30 we started walking over to the church, which is on the adjoining property.  The students marched in class groups, led by the beating of the drums, and we teachers moved along with them.  Mass began almost on time (9.10) and finished by 10.45, made as long as it was by a too long homily.  The homily in Swahili was long enough and then it was translated into Italian!  Not only were we celebrating the library but it also St. Maria de Mattias’ feast day (patroness of the school) so there were two reasons to celebrate.  After the Mass we all walked back to the library where another speech was given, this time by one of the Italians, and so now we listened first in Italian and then came the translation into Swahili.  Finally the ribbon was cut and we went in to see the building.  It truly is very nice, with an open second floor and a curved stairway leading there.  At the top of the staircase is the top of the center column, and on the top of that is a lovely round clay sculpture, signifying the globe.  We were invited to envision the staircase as signifying the evolutionary progress of humankind and education leading to deeper consciousness.  Teilhard de Chardin was even quoted! 

After the inauguration, the students had some entertainment to share with the guests, they were each given a gift, and then hurried off to have some lunch before leaving for Dar es Salaam where they would board a plane the following day. We have been seeing these folks around for the past few weeks, working hard every day, and now they have left us with a lovely and strong building.  Thanks be to them and their friends.

After all of that on Thursday I came home and soon met with my little ones.  Everything was going on fine until one of the little girls complained that she was missing her pen.  We looked everywhere for it – in all of the books, in all of the notebooks, and some of the older ones even searched the pockets and school bags of each other, looking for the pen.  I didn’t know what to do about finding the pen and so finally I told them that whoever took the pen needed to give it over or else they would all have to stay until it showed up, even over night.  Well, they thought that was a wonderful idea, and started picking out their spaces to sleep on the mat!  Obviously my threat didn’t work and we never did find the pen.  I'll have to keep my eyes open to make sure that this little pilfering doesn't start.

9th February 2014

Another nice week has passed.  It was a good one because we had some rain, we had an overnight guest, classes went well, both of us here in the house are healthy, we haven’t heard of any deaths in the neighborhood, and so the week is complete.

 

The teachers at school laughed at me on Thursday because I said that I was resigning.  As I was leaving school I told the Headmistress that as well, and, although everyone knew I was teasing, still it worked.  What worked?  Well, I've been complaining that there is no teacher’s chair in either classroom in which I teach.  Now I usually don’t spend a lot of time sitting during a class but when students are doing some desk work or taking a test or having group work or discussion, there is usually a few minutes that I could be sitting and getting some new energy during those 80 minutes of class time.  And the second 80 minutes are especially hard when I've been standing all that time.  (I have one group for 80 minutes and then immediately following is the second group for another 80 minutes.)  On Saturday when I went to school for the remedial English class, I noticed that each classroom had a chair at the teacher’s desk!  So you see, it did work.

Another good thing that happened this week was that I got a hair cut!  I think others will be happier than me about that since they don’t have to look at the straggly hair any longer.  It also helps to feel a little cooler, although this past week wasn't bad because of the cooling rain that we had.  We have a new hairdresser in town and I like the way he cuts hair so I've switched from the only other hairdresser in town who cuts this kind of hair.  His salon is also very convenient since it's right near the shops that I usually visit when I go for shopping  in town, so the woman who used to give me a headache because she was never on time for her appointments is missing out.

And so I’m ready to begin another week.  Nature is helping keep everyone’s spirits up with all the green around, and  those who have fields of crops are grateful for the good season so far.  May all the right conditions continue!

2 February 2014

It's a new month but there isn't much news from this corner of the world.  It's hot, hot, hot and we would like to get a little rain soon.  Since it's been more than a week without rain, the corn is beginning to curl its leaves. In some soils a week without rain wouldn't cause that but in our sandy environs it seems like the moisture is gone really quickly.  Anyway, because of the heat today and the clouds on the eastern horizon, maybe there will be something soon.
One funny story from the week:  The little ones were chatting away (instead of doing their writing and drawing, of course) and two little girls in particular, Nuru and Irene,  were having a whispered conversation of some import.  Finally, Nuru asked me:  Eti, Sister, Irene wants to know (yeah, of course it's Irene who wants to know) why you always wear the same dress!  Well, what can I say to that?  I guess they're as tired of it as I am BUT it's shapeless, sleeveless, cool, comfortable and the perfect thing to slip into when I get home from teaching at the secondary school.  Maybe for Nuru and Irene's sake I'll get another one made of the same style in order to rest their eyes a little bit!  In the meantime, that dress will continue to be worn every hot afternoon.