Uji Update!

I cannot thank everyone enough for your support of our Uji project! We have passed $2700, which is simple incredible! Not only have we purchased a water tank for the school grounds, fed all 300+ students uji everyday, fed all of the staff milk tea and mandazi daily, and employed two local man as our cook and as our supplier of flour and sugar, but now we also have the opportunity to purchase 4,600 kilograms of maize for the school to use for the rest of the year! That’s a LOT of maize! Which means a LOT of uji! And while I cannot guarantee that it will necessarily last until the end of the school year, I can safely say that it is enough to provide the students with uji for at least five more months after I leave.

We had a meeting on Thursday this week with all of the village board members, my headmaster, myself, and a few teachers, and I have been asked to relay their gratitude for your support. They are eternally grateful for the assistance in feeding the students, and while they have nothing to give in return, they are acutely aware of the impact this has had and are happy for the blessing we have given them. They look forward to continuing this relationship between Bukiriro and all of the schools, families and friends in America who have so generously donated. I assured them that my departure is not the end of our relationship, and that we will be in communication to continue promoting education in the community.

My headmaster also presented some exciting news at the meeting, saying that the government will be paying for the construction of 6 new pit latrines and they will also be finishing the repairs on one of the teacher’s houses. In addition, we were also selected as one of three schools that will be receiving outside funding to build a laboratory, two new classrooms and a third teacher house. So many great things! I can’t wait to return one day to see all these wonderful things come to fruition!

Bringing about change in a community happens one day at a time, and I can personally say that over the course of these past 9 months Bukiriro school, village and community have been positively changing and growing each and every day.

Birthday in the Bush!

While at the outset, celebrating a birthday in Muyenzi might not seem like the most exciting way to ring in 24 years on this planet. But overall, I must say that it was a very pleasant day. We woke up to the sound of rain pounding on the roof, a typical occurrence lately. And while this might normally make me feel trapped inside the house with nothing to do, it was my excuse to lie in bed reading Harry Potter until 11:30! How great is that? When it finally stopped raining around midday, the sun came out and we were certainly in the Tanzanian heat again. We took a stroll to visit Mama Kabibi and then to explore the fields and land around us. We live in such a beautiful part of the world, nearly completely untouched by man, other than the simple footpaths that meander the mountainsides and occasional mud hut. It’s easy to take for granted the beauty that surrounds me daily, so it was nice to have a day to wander aimlessly along the paths, exploring rice patties, smelling the flowers, and merely soaking in the loveliness of life here. We finally made our way back home and decided that it was the perfect day for some good old mac n’ cheese! Tasted just like home! For dinner, eggplant stew and homemade tortillas was certainly delicious, as was the birthday cake Marisa made for me! Funfetti!! While cooking a cake on our jiko never fails to be an adventure, this one faired decently well. And while slightly undercooked, neither of us has experienced symptoms from eating the raw eggs, so I would say it was a success! The cake even had candles that I blew out after a lovely rendition of “Happy Birthday!” was sung for me. And the evening was complete with a bottle of wine, just for good measure.

I even had a few cards and gifts to add to the celebration! Sue bought me a…unique…authentic singing Tanzanian birthday card, covered with hearts and glitter and the sappiest Happy Birthday message I’ve ever read. Marisa happened to find a “Best Friend” card, with two white children on the front holding hands…how perfect is that? Larissa, our friend from the Netherlands, brought Marisa and I both suckers and stroopwaffels(?), a Dutch delicacy from home, while also leaving us her hand sanitizer. Which might not sound so great, but when you live in here, there is no more practical gift you could receive! And while all of my Happy Birthday text messages didn’t come through until Monday afternoon (I HATE Vodacom…), and while I couldn’t read my facebook wishes until this weekend, it’s the thoughts that count! And I certainly appreciate everyone who took a moment to wish me happy birthday! I can’t wait to see you all again soon :)

Change.

Change your thoughts and you change your world.

Lately, it's been all-to-easy to focus on May 23...the day I will arrive in America! I've started my countdown and I seriously can't wait to be home again! However, the issue with this mindset is that I'm all too focused on the future, forgetting to live in the present and embrace every moment I have left here in Tanzania. I sit here and complain about not having enough water, not being able to send a text message, not being able to sleep because the rain is so loud on our tin roof. Then I remind myself that I have the ability to pack up and leave in a month, and then that's it. And I'm certain that after a few short weeks at home, I'll just want to be back in Muyenzi with our bat friends and candlelight dinners!

So, when I came across this quote this morning, I've realized that I must refocus, changing my thoughts so that I can appreciate the rest of my time here, and embracing all things with a positive attitude. I have been reminded this week the power of a smile, a wave, a friendly greeting. Rather than focus on all the frustrations of living here and counting down the days, I can change my world to simply spread joy in every single moment.

See you soon America...but until then, we'll be living it up in Africa! 

The Reality of It.

As I sat at my desk on Thursday trying to write my midterm exams for my classes, I must admit that I was quite discouraged. It’s one thing to expect my students to learn and understand the difficult topics in the curriculum, but it’s a whole new battle when it comes to the national exams. I fully believe that challenging students is the only way they will ever reach their full potential, but the challenge must be reasonable and attainable. When the material is so far beyond comprehension, then what is the purpose of even attempting? And when the only thing that matters is your national exam at the end of the year…well, then, what is the purpose?

Just to give you an idea of what I mean, one of the topics Form 2 learns is transposition of formulas. Simply put, rearranging formulas to make various letters the subject…

Ok, like this. Make y the subject of ax + by + c = 0.
                                                            by = -ax – c

                                                            y = (-ax - c)/b

Really, it’s simple algebra. Nothing more than a little rearranging. And my students actually do understand it for the most part! They can transpose simple to moderately complex formulas, which in my opinion, as a sophomore in high school, is great! However, the kicker is when they get to their national exam in November, and are expected to solve problems like this:

Make g the subject of the formula.

WHY??? What is the purpose of asking such a difficult question? Why not simply test for understanding of the concept instead of targeting the top 0.1% of the students here. To be honest, when I tried to solve this problem, I also got it wrong…and I have a college degree in mathematics and was taught in my native language. When I plan my lessons, I try to target the middle of the class because I feel inadequate if I teach to the top 2 students out of 75 kids in my classroom. But at the same time, if I don’t focus solely on those 2, then they won’t pass either because we won’t cover enough of the curriculum. But even for them, they will have a rough time passing even if I taught only the two of them every day of the week for 2 hours. And I say this sincerely, as I don’t know if I would be able to score much over 20% (a passing score) without a book or a calculator. Sorry for the rambling…but this is my daily struggle…

When it really comes down to it, it breaks my heart for these students. They are facing so many challenges in life already: carrying water on their heads daily, walking several kilometers to and from school, not knowing when they will get their next meal or how they will pay for their school fees, and studying by candlelight. And then to expect them to learn such a demanding curriculum on top of all of this. The reality of it just seems unfair. And then I have students ask me “Why all white people are brighter than black people if we all pray to a single God?” Well, I might think that too if the roles were reversed. Even though some of my students are brilliant, including the student who asked this question.  They just have a skewed perspective because they think to be “bright” they need to know how to derive the quadratic formula on their national exams. (Even I wouldn’t want to derive the quadratic formula…and I love math a whole heck of a lot!)

So this is it. The reality of it. And while I won’t be able to teach my students everything they need to know, and while the vast majority won’t pass their exams, if we can enjoy our remaining classes together and if I can leave knowing that I’ve at least managed to teach everyone something, then I’ll take it as a success. 

Reach for the Stars

Coming back from break has been a bit rough, not going to lie. Being in Kigali reminded me of all I’m missing out on: hot showers, internet, a plug, good food, and most importantly everyone back home.  Then, the week really started off on the wrong foot, as we didn’t make it to Muyenzi until Monday, which meant that I missed three classes and didn’t get a chance to prepare for the rest of the week’s lessons. While 6 weeks here is ultimately very short, I was torn between really just wanting to be home, and feeling the need to make the most of my remaining time here.

So what does one do when things get a little down, play some good jams and tune out the world for a little while. And S Club 7 did the trick instantly on Thursday!

…So reach for the stars

Climb every mountain higher

Reach for the stars

Follow your heart’s desire

Reach for the stars

And when that rainbow shining over you,

That’s when your dreams will all come true!

Thank you for the reminder that while it may not always be easy, I am here following my dreams, climbing mountains and reaching for the stars. And as I look forward to the next stage of life, I’ve still got 40 more days to climb the mountain a little higher, catch a few more stars, and to admire the beauty of the African rainbow shining all around me. 

Spring Break 2013: Part 2

On Wednesday, I made the journey to Kigali, Rwanda for a few days of rest, relaxation, WiFi and a plug! So necessary considering I needed to write all of my lesson plans and modules for WorldTeach, as well as begin the job application process. While applying for jobs in the states can be a stressful and time consuming process, now imagine you live in the bush where you can forget about charging your computer or opening any internet page beyond a simple email. Hence, travelling to Kigali for a few days, splurging on a $30 hotel room with Wi-Fi and hot water, and diligently working for hours on end. Good news: all my lesson plans are finished, I only have one more module to complete, and I’ve applied to six school districts with high school math positions open! Keeping my fingers crossed!!

After spending most of my time working on Thursday and Friday, I spent Saturday relaxing, wandering the city, buying a few fun things, and meeting up with Marisa and another volunteer for lunch…classic BBQ pulled pork sandwich! WHAT? We also got drinks at a really nice hotel before enjoying an actual, real-life, Chipotle-style BURRITO! Seriously so great! It was a very nice way to end spring break 2013!

And while I don’t want to get into the details of it all…we actually ended up being stuck in Ngara for the night after waking up early to ensure we would make it back to Muyenzi on Sunday. Public transportation here is one thing that I can’t say I will miss. We caught a 10am bus heading to the border, which was lucky because all of Rwanda basically shuts down this week in remembrance of the genocide. It took about five hours to get to the border because it was pouring rain the entire time, but we were lucky it stopped by the time we had to walk across the border. We waited for a few minutes at the border for our motorcycle drivers to come, enjoying some chips mayai (local dish of scrambled eggs and potato wedges). And then we found our drivers and took off for Ngara. It’s about an hour long ride, considering you have to cross a river on a ferry and go up and down huge mountains on dirt roads being washed away slowly from the rain. The piki I was on ended up in the ditch twice, so it was certainly an eventful ride…But we made it in one piece to the taxi stand by 4:30 to head home to Rulenge. Considering we have literally no food at home and the taxi wasn’t full yet, Marisa and I took turns searching out food while we waited…and waited…and waited some more. Come 6:15, the driver decides that he won’t in fact be going to Rulenge anymore, so we’ll have to come back in the morning. AHHH! So much for school on Monday! Marisa and I checked into the motel across the street…$5 a person per night. And we tried not to complain too much about the reality of being stuck in TZ when we could have simply stayed in Kigali.

We’ll make it home eventually, and the reality of it is that you wouldn’t be reading this blog post had we actually made it home yesterday. So good things have come of it, even if not ideal. It does no good to complain, and the fact that I will be leaving here in 6 weeks helps me keep looking on the bright side. 

Happy 44 days until America!!!

Spring Break 2013: Part 1

While my spring break plans to travel to Mbeya fell through, I’ve had a lovely few days in Ngara instead! On Monday, I had a particularly nice time, when I was ultimately reminded that this is why I’m in love with Africa. With no agenda, I was able to sit at a local café and write some lesson plans while drinking fresh milk tea. Kind of like Starbucks…but TZ style. Then I decided I was hungry, so I chose a little restaurant for some rice and beans, and while sitting there I met some really nice people. There was an old man who sat down next to me, and we were able to share a whole conversation in Swahili! I always feel like I don’t know any Swahili, but then I’m reassured that I do know quite a bit when I am able to carry on a friendly conversation with a complete stranger. There was also a little boy who was enjoying running around, tumbling around, being the class act of the hour. He was seriously the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! When I was getting ready to leave, the old man offered me half of the bunch of bananas he had just bought, which was such a wonderful zawadi! I said my thank you’s and goodbye’s, paid my $1 for my food, and walked off to find a piki driver to take me back to Alex and Sue’s house. I didn’t realize it, but the little boy had been following me, and when I got on the motorcycle, he fell down and started crying. Poor kid! I just broke his heart leaving, we had been sharing some good laughs together, and so I was just as sad as he was to be leaving. Shortly after arriving home, Sue and her sister came back and one of Sue’s friends came to visit as well. He’s the same age as I am, but it’s incredible to me how different our stories are. He comes by quite often because he is trying to improve his English, and Sue has adopted him like one of her own sons. It’s a precious relationship that’s formed between them, so it was really nice to spend the afternoon with all of them. While they shared their English lesson, Sue’s sister and I prepared dinner. We made bean burgers, sweet potato fries and regular chips, as well as mixed greens in peanut sauce, all of which was delicious! Overall, such a relaxing, comfortable, and exciting day! I loved it!

On Tuesday, we woke up early to head to a local NGO, WomenCraft, to join them on a few village visits. WomenCraft gives local women the opportunity to earn money by weaving baskets for sale around the world. The first week fo every month, they travel to each village to collect the baskets, place new orders, pay the women, and give more supplies. We were able to stop at three villages, and it was so great to see these women working and making such beautiful baskets! They are also beginning to help the women grow coffee as another source of income, as well as provide counseling for the women and their husbands to help the men understand the importance of their wives earning their own income. One woman is going to get a new tin roof for her home from WomenCraft for the baskets she’s weaving. It’s always so amazing to see the impact of projects like WomenCraft. They are doing so much good for the community, as the woman have a source of income to provide for their families. They can purchase clothes, shoes, exercise books, pay school fees, and ensure that everyone is being fed. Easing the pressure financially one woman at a time will slowly help improve the overall quality of life here in Ngara. Not to mention, the baskets are absolutely beautiful! You should all buy one. No joke! They are unique compared to other woven baskets, because rather than dying the palms to color the baskets with patterns, they weave fabric into the baskets to create the design. It’s quite innovative and certainly exclusive to this area, resulting in a gorgeous collection of handmade baskets! 

This women has been weaving large hampers like this one
in order to save money to purchase a tin roof for her house!

Some of the women in the village who are employed by WomenCraft.

Women weaving baskets in another village that we visited. 

Don’t worry, I will certainly be making some purchases before I leave!

The Little Things

One of the benefits of travelling to school everyday is that I get to witness village life. I see the same man herding his cattle in the same spot every morning. He wears the same scruffy green coat, one of those crazy black and white winter hats with the earflaps and a tassel, and two different colored sandals every day. We pass each other every morning, yet I will never know his name or really anything about him. But I did notice this past week that he had shiny new red rain boots on! How wonderful is that?!

Likewise, nearly every day after school I pass one home where the children come running to the path with huge smiles on their faces, waving their arms wildly, shouting “MADAM!!!” It doesn’t matter what kind of a day I’ve had, but I see them running to greet me, and I can’t help but smile and wave back. I love it! They are so precious. I may never know their names, may never speak to them, will not see them grow up… However, we hold a special place in each other’s hearts, I can guarantee that!

And now for the simple joy that got me thinking today. I was outside on the phone with my parents when two small boys came to the fence in front of me. They were maybe 6 or 7 years old and herding goats on their own, which is a very common occurrence here. Every time I see a young child herding goats or cows, I always think they should be in school, why are they not learning?? And I thought the same thing today…then they shouted “Good morning Madam!” and since it was afternoon, I responded, “Good afternoon! How are you?” They were able to successfully respond, “We are fine!” which is actually impressive, since more often than not “how are you?” does not receive a reply from the kids around here. So anyways, here are the children, herding their goats, talking to the white woman, when all of a sudden music came on in the neighbor’s house. Naturally, one must dance to music right? Of course. So the boys started to dance, laughing at each other, making some crazy moves as the goats wandered around them. I couldn’t help but join in the laughter; it was the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen! And as any little boy would be shy if the stranger was laughing at them, they hesitated when they saw me laughing. But the beats were too good to stop and they continued right on dancing!

 It’s the little things in life that bring the biggest joy. Whether a new pair of red goulashes, a friendly smile and a wave from a stranger, or some upbeat music to dance to when you’re spending all day out in the sun with your goats, you simply must make the most of it. Life is too short to choose anything but JOY. 

Without a doubt, my students know what this is all about!

Welcome to Form 1! :)