The teachers are off and running! An absolutely fantastic group of 14--not all of them teachers, but all of them enthusiastic, energetic, and ready to experience anything Tanzania has to offer. I have to say that those that are teachers are very impressive...anyone who complains about the state of education in the United States just needs to get out and meet teachers! Just talking and listening to them for 2 days and I'm reminded why I loved teaching, why I often miss it, and really how many great teachers there are. We are so blessed to have them here willing to learn and share with their Tanzanian colleagues.
Today we sent 4 groups out--two groups on student verification and 2 groups to visit a local school. My group did not have a typical experience--one family had gone to a funeral and the other was found very quickly. They did get to see the teachers handing around the student pictures to see who knew them, but the work was done relatively quickly. Marta did not pass her primary exams, in part because she missed a lot of school taking care of her mother who has TB. It was quickly clear from visiting her house that she was a great candidate for our school and we were happy to say "HONGERA!" (congratulations).
The other group headed waaaaaay out by the airport in search of their students. They may have traveled the farthest in this selection process, but still had a pretty typical day when it comes to finding a PHS student. You can (and should) read the volunteers' posts on their thoughts and experiences here but I'm cribbing Rob's post to give you another impression of the verification process.
What a day! Terry, Ginger and Rob (that's me!) set out this morning with two Tanzanian teachers, Raymond and Nicholas, the project engineer Max, and our amazing driver Zach. We were off to find and interview 2 potential PHS students, and we knew the trip could be an adventure.
After a short trip east out of Arusha, we were disappointed to find that the road we wanted to turn onto was no longer passable, unless our van could float. So without hesitation we took the long way around - bumping and bouncing our way over smaller streams, by the Tanzanite mine, alongside fields of maize (very different from corn!), rows of sunflowers, a coffee plantation, flower farms and mango trees. We watched girls carry water or wood on their heads, and cyclists roll by on cell phones (they have a better network set-up here than we do in NYC).
Finally we arrived in the students' village. But alas, Glory was not to be found. She was in town staying with her aunt and taking classes. We did spend time with her family though, playing with the children and showing them how to use binoculars, but the decision of whether or not she would attend PHS would have to wait until she could be interviewed in person. Luckily, someone there knew the other student, Happyness, so we were back on track and hoping for better luck.
We wound our way through farmland, punctuated by small but beautiful homes and tiny shops or dhukas with shiny red signs made by Coca-cola (clearly the world's best advertised drink). Of course when we arrived at our destination, Happyness and her mother were not at home. It could not be that easy! They were off looking for water, so we set out looking for them. Chomping away on samosas and popmaize (very different than corn), we were already happy just soaking in the sites and enjoying the warm Tanzanian sun, but our day was to end on a wonderful upswing. We spotted a woman in the field who turned out to be her mother and with a cheerful mom in the van we were able to find her charming daughter in no time. Happyness ran to the van and jumped in, not hesitating to join all these strange wazungu and teachers. She was a born risk-taker and the interview at her home didn't take long. Happyness was coming to PHS!
So after an equally tiring and rewarding journey into rural Tanzania, Glory would have to wait but Happyness was here to stay. I must admit that we were all impressed with the amount of energy and dedication it took to find just 1 of these students. PHS now has over 100 students enrolled and that means an enormous commitment of time by the teachers and the staff who have set off to interview each and every family and student. It was wonderful to witness and I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store. Wish I was going to get to teach Happyness... Until next time. Rob
1 comment:
Rob, seems as if you already found glory under that warm sun.... -Assad
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