Hello Friends and Family!
How are you? What’s up in America? I need another political update!
Not that I really have much hope in the political system, but it’s
interesting news when you’re living in Africa.
I hear all the snow in the Northeast is FINALLY melting. Yay! God
definitely has a sense of humor. I was all excited about escaping the
winter and going to Africa where I assumed it would be warm-hot most
of the time. WRONG. Of all places, I’ve landed in a mountainous region
of Tanzania, which is BEAUTIFUL, but cold and getting progressively
colder by the day. Yesterday I was incredibly grateful for my warm hat
and gloves. Brrr! I think I will be happy to return to the States in
the summer, when it’s hot.
I continue to enjoy teaching and the kids with whom I am working.
Whenever I find myself getting upset with students for coming late to
school, not doing there homework, or falling asleep in class, I have
to take a moment to remind myself of their situation: Some kids walk
over two hours each way everyday, just to come to school. It is the
rainy season, so students are often walking in the rain and few have
umbrellas or any kind of rain gear. Further, chores and helping out at
home take up a significant amount of students’ time. I wonder how much
sleep these kids get…
Right now as I write this (in my notebook to be transferred to the
computer later), I am proctoring a test. I’m watching sixty five of my
Form 1B students. Many of them are straining to see the questions
written on the blackboard. Because they don’t have individual books and they don’t have individual printed copies of the test to look at, they are
copying questions from a sub-standard, nicked blackboard. It’s cold
and windy. At least half of the windows in our classroom are broken
and uncovered. The wind blows in one side of the classroom and out the
other as if the whole room were a screened window. The climate is like
that of a cold fall day in New England. So much for the warm, humid
“African” weather I was hoping for!
So many times since coming here I’ve thought about the fact that I
wouldn’t stand a chance as a student here; I wouldn’t make it for even
a week! I’d be totally screwed.
The commitment to education and hunger to learn that I see in students
here is impressive. Of course, these kids are adolescents ¬ they joke
around when they should be serious, they try to get out of work, they
don’t always do their homework etc. But overall, it is such a joy for
me to teach students who see the opportunity to get an education as a
coveted privilege and not a forced act of drudgery. I wish students in
the U.S. could get a dose of this!
So that’s a little bit of what’s up in my world. Currently I’m at an
internet cafe attempting to send more pictures. Hope to post them
soon! Thanks again for all of your love and support. I hope all is
well with you.
Much Love,
Jenifa (as they pronounce/spell my name here)
May 3rd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Много наподбирали,спс….
Азбука житла. Житловий кодекс від А до Я I hear all the snow in the Northeast is FINALLY melting. Yay! God
definitely has a sense of humor. I was a…