Milestones

This weekend, we had a teeny celebration...

I just passed the four-month mark here in Kitongo, and Kayci celebrated ONE YEAR IN TANZANIA this Friday. Of course, chocolate was in order on such a momentous occasion. We enjoyed this decadent treat on Friday afternoon, though the real treat was a (mostly) quiet hour to relax on the back porch after an incredibly hectic week.

Kayci has been in seven countries since I began work at JBFC, never home in Kitongo for more than a week and a half. She’s put the jet-setting on hold for the next few months, and I am really enjoying our growing friendship now that she h. Kayci definitely makes life in Kitongo a lot more fun!

For those of you who don’t know JBFC’s assistant director personally, here are a few fun facts about Kayci...

1. She is really cool. And tough. My first impression of Kayci was, “wow, no wonder she lives in Africa! This girl can handle anything!"
2. She can make cheese from goat’s milk! This is further evidence of fun fact #1.
3. She has lived in three countries on three different continents – Saudi Arabia, USA, and Tanzania!
4. In an act of extreme bravery, she allowed the girls to plait her hair. AND, she left it in for two whole days! CHAMP.
5. She and I are the same height, eye and hair color. This combined with the fact that we are both muzungu in Africa means we could probably use each other’s passports if needed. Not that we would...but...it’s just nice to know you have the option, right?

In addition to all these things (and about 4,187 more I didn’t mention), Kayci is one of the most compassionate people I know. While we tease her for having never yelled at anyone in her life, the truth is I really admire how much she cares about others. It’s this huge capacity to love people that makes her so great at what she does—which is anything and everything to help JBFC be a better place. Kayci maintains financial records, coordinates guests’ visits, teaches seminars, paints classrooms, plants trees, goes on endless shopping trips in the city for campus supplies...the list is endless. Her business card should just read “Kayci Hebard, JBFC Rockstar.”

I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful colleague and friend. Happy one year anniversary, Kayci!

Smart Secondary Students

Today our secondary school opened!

Here is a picture of Form One with their new teacher, Mr. Jonas. Can you figure out what is very different about these students?

If you noticed that they are not in uniform, you are correct!

These “smart” looking students* are probably the only ones in Tanzania who came to school today without a school uniform.

In Tanzania, government schools are free for all children, though they must pay for a school uniform in order to attend. Tragically, many families cannot afford uniforms, and students are denied an education because of this small cost. (Even those lucky children who do have uniforms are usually wearing ones that are missing all or most buttons, have several rips and tears, and/or don’t fit well.)

So we have decided to make a statement—and not just by allowing a 14 year old boy to wear “Purple Hat Ladies” t-shirts to school, though that is DEFINITELY a fashion statement. We want our students to learn to express individuality through their clothes and to practice dressing professionally for the future.

But the biggest reason we’re letting our students come to school without uniforms is to say…it doesn’t matter what you wear to school, as long as you come and you work hard. We want to be an example for other schools. Our students don’t wear uniforms, and yet they are succeeding tremendously. Perhaps we can be a small agent of change in showing that uniforms are not a necessary ingredient for education. I hope in several years that mandatory uniforms will be an idea of the past and all children will have access to the education they all deserve.

Today, it’s an idea that made our students giggle. Tomorrow, it might just be the idea that opened up a world of opportunity for children across our country.

In the meantime, we have a bunch of SMART (looking) students!

*Here, people say “you look smart” for “you look nice.” So…pun intended. But now I am pointing out the pun, which is really awkward. Thanks for reading.

Bright Star

We have a new girl at JBFC! This should be a time of rejoicing…and we are. We have a new sister, daughter, and friend. Neema is reunited with her biological sister. There is someone new to love.

And yet, the circumstances in which we have come to welcome Ester to our family have been rather horrifying. She came to us late in the afternoon on Monday with no warning from the social welfare office. Her head is covered in scabs, and she is severely malnourished.

Ester weighs sixteen pounds. She will turn four on Sunday. Yes, those numbers are correct. And beyond shocking.

It’s like the advertisements on television, except this child with swollen belly and frail arms is in my arms and looking up at me. It doesn’t quite sink in until I see our other four year old, with long strong limbs carrying her effortlessly through the dining hall, that I begin to understand just how much is lacking here.

Ester should be able to walk and run and speak and laugh. She should have memories of being held by people who loved her and who did everything they could to provide her with the best nourishment they could so her body and mind would grow strong.

Until Monday, that wasn’t the case. But we are rallying to do all we can to catch her up on missed hugs and lessons and smiles.

Rachel bought Ester a dress with matching headscarf, which looks darling. The mamas take turns swaddling Ester on their backs while they cook during the day. After school, there is a crowd of girls surrounding Ester, smiling as they take turns feeding her porridge or papaya or milk. When I hold Ester, I talk constantly, pouring words into her that I know I’ll hear back from her someday.

Ester will be greatly loved.

In the Bible, Esther was a beautiful and courageous woman who turned difficult circumstances into an opportunity to save a whole nation of her people. I don’t know why our Ester has had to endure such tremendous pain and neglect in her early years, but I do know that God redeems stories and pain and uses everything for our ultimate good. While others intended to do harm, God has taken our Ester’s story and is writing a future full of hope and promise for her.

School Days, School Days

Joseph and Mary Primary Academy opened its doors today, ready to greet 250 students for the 2012 school year.

Our students tumbled out of school vehicles, came with their parents on the back of piki-pikis, walked in from neighboring farms, or—in the case of our forty girls—skipped 200 meters down the path from our dorms to school, all converging in a boisterous mob of royal blue polo shirts and red shorts or skirts.

We started our day with Morning Parade as usual—my second favorite part of the day. I love looking out onto a sea of eager faces (that are sometimes attached to very fidgety bodies) each day when I lead this assembly. After dismissing the students, there was a mad dash for the classrooms as they clamored to get inside. I’m thinking this is a good thing.

Then came my favorite part of the school day—the sounds of learning. From my desk in the head teacher’s office, I can hear preschoolers singing, kindergarten shouting their ABC’s in unison, and Mr. John’s lecture to the 6^th Grade about sentence structure. The echo of fourth grade desks being dragged across the floor tells me they are working in groups this morning. Ms. China is reviewing math concepts from last year with her 2^nd Grade.

Magic is happening.

After reveling in the moment ever-so-briefly, my day was a blur of processing school fees, distributing five sets of notebooks to each student, welcoming back each class, checking in on new students, coercing our photocopier to work, collecting schedules, taking inventory of schoolbooks, and…a whole list of things I’ve already forgotten. Which reminds me…I need to find our school bell.

I’m excited about the possibilities that lay ahead for the year…our first annual “Back to School Day” for parents will be in February, we’re opening a brand-new learning center equipped with five computers, and teachers are sponsoring ten different clubs in which students will explore interests beyond the academic subjects.

Aaaaaaaaand…if this director of education has her way, there WILL be a school talent show. (I’m already rehearsing my fire baton routine.)

No matter what, I know our students are receiving a quality education from people who truly care about them. Our teachers equip students to follow their own paths and dreams. We are transforming lives, one child at a time.

Teachers Typin' and Misbehavin'

On Monday, Joseph and Mary Primary Academy will welcome 280 students for the 2012 school year. I can’t wait to see all our students return to campus, sing our school song at morning parade, and share our first lunch together again.

I’m finding it hard to separate “the beginning of school” with “September” in my mind; these concepts have been synonymous since I was five years old. I’ve had “first days of school” in September for seventeen years as a student and then all the remaining years since then as an educator. Plus, it’s eighty-five degrees outside—how can it be January? At any rate, there’s a lot of great things to be said for year-round school that aligns with the calendar year…but I digress.

For the past two weeks, our teachers have been back on campus for faculty development, which has been a great time of preparing for the year together. I was petrified to coordinate two weeks of teaching teachers, but it has turned out to be a very productive and positive way to kick off the year. We’ve planned our schedules, examined curriculum, brainstormed strategies for helping students, and participated in teaching demonstrations.

There have been a few highlights for the teachers.

1. Life at “Whitepersonville.” During the past two weeks, the teachers have stayed in the JBFC Guesthouse. It’s a great chance for them to bond before the beginning of the school year, and it’s also an escape from their everyday life. No meals to prepare, no families to take care of, and if that weren’t enough, this year there are hot showers! The women in particular have enjoyed the amenities at the JBFC Spa.

2. Culinary Adventures. We’ve made two special meals for the teachers at Chris’ house, using the opportunity to introduce them to new types of food. We weren’t sure anything could top the “fa-HEEE-tahs” of week one, whose deliciousness was the topic of discussion for days following, but we might have managed to at least come close with Coconut Chicken Curry. (Thank you, Williams Sonoma cookbooks.)

3. COMPUTERS! By far, the most popular kids on campus this year will be the five laptops that came back from America for our soon-to-be-completed Learning Center. The teachers have loved learning how to use them, and since being introduced to the Mavis Beacon program, there has been fierce competition to be the best at typing. We hosted our first “Teacher Typing Competition” today. The winner, Ms. Deo, smoked everyone with 22 WPM, not bad considering her first computer lesson ever was last Tuesday. She earned a COLD soda and a beautiful "custom made" (code for semi-hastily hand drawn) certificate, but also the more desirable prize of serious bragging rights for the next month—until our next competition.

But, nerd that I am, my favorite experience has been our teaching demonstrations on Friday mornings. It has been such fun to observe the diversity of subjects and teaching styles that occur within our school on any one day. Last Friday, Ms. Deo taught us “how to carry a tray” in a preschool life skills demonstration, then Mr. Fred gave an excellent Class 7 science lesson on the human lungs, followed by Mr. Thomas, who instructed us as a kindergarten class on how to count to from one to twenty in English. While I excelled at counting, I need to practice keeping my elbows close to my side when I carry my tray. Duly noted!

I learned at least two things during teaching demonstrations. One, it takes a special gift to teach little ones. Two, our teachers are remarkable actors. They took their roles as “students” during the teaching demonstrations quite seriously, rapidly switching characters to fit into whichever level of lesson was being presented. Of course, everyone enjoyed role-playing in the preschool, kindergarten, and first grade lessons most. It turns out, after years of teaching, they have accumulated a lot of inspiration over their years of teaching.

In just one morning of acting as primary students, I observed…

Four pushing episodes

Three classroom “wanderers”

Fifteen crying meltdowns, at least half from the typically shy Ms. Tuma alone!

For all the laughter, it also was a good way to assess each teacher’s classroom discipline. Ms. Edith is no pushover—she made John do wall sits for not asking permission to leave “to go to the toilet.” I’m no expert at wall sits, but I think he could have better form here…

Talking out of turn, not paying attention, falling asleep on desks…you name it, they probably did it...while still being respectful and supportive of one another’s teaching. After all the good-natured mischievous behavior we displayed, I think we’ll find our students to be a welcome, better-mannered change come Monday.

Of course, we all celebrated when our “fellow students” did something well, too, with our special school cheer for good performance: “Good, Better, Best!”

For all the hard work and preparation done by our teachers at Joseph and Mary Academy these past two weeks, I say, “Good, Better, Best!”

Let the school year begin!

Our Growing Family

Last Thursday at 3 am (or “nine” in the evening, Swahili time) everyone on campus awoke to the same noise. Imagine what it would sound like if a seal was being strangled while giving birth next to a foghorn, and all of that was amplified through a loudspeaker inches from your sweet, slumbering ear. That’s kind of what it sounds like when a donkey gives birth. You can ask anyone here, because WE KNOW.

Of course, our lost sleep was (mostly) forgotten the following morning when we all went down to the donkey pen to see this new darling of campus, the baby of Winnie the Donkey and her mate, Santa.

A wise woman once said, “all baby things are cute.” (For the record, that wise woman needs to get on a plane bound for Kitongo, PRONTO. Love you, Rex!) In this case, I can say she is most certainly correct. The uncertain look, wobbly gait and incredibly soft fur of our baby donkey is totally cute.

For the past five days, we’ve all been enjoying our new friend. Meanwhile, there has been an ongoing campaign to name Winnie’s baby. So far, “Gertrude” has been the strongest contender, though the name may have been appropriated for another important purpose that this blog shall not seek to elaborate upon.

But with ears like this girl has, who cares what her name is? At any rate, you can see that Winnie’s baby is much-loved here on campus.

Welcome to the JBFC family, little one!

Village Night

Tanzania Bucket List, Item 33: Get invited to the home of a local family, and eat dinner with them.

Done and done.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Mama Kitula, the wife of our building and maintenance manager and mother of several students at our school. Following a warm introduction, she said to me, “karibu nyumbani.” For all the muzungus back home, that means “welcome to my home.” A few people have welcomed me to their home since I arrived three months ago, but I knew A—Mama Kitula definitely meant it, and B—I bet she cooks a mean chapatti*. So, with those two words, I was IN.

We made plans for the following week, and I began counting down to my Kitongo dinner party. As the day got closer, Mama Kitula also invited several of our girls and two "wageni" (guests) who were visiting JBFC at the time, Megan and Tracy, to join in the festivities.

On the appointed day, Mama Kitula came to pick us up at the guesthouse late in the afternoon. Of course, we had been excitedly waiting for an hour. (Legit invitation to dinner AND chapatti…this is big news, people!) We followed her back to her home, about two miles away, as she greeted people along the way. It’s an honor for people to host wageni, so I think she enjoyed showing us off!

The Kitula hospitality was wonderful, and dinner was as delicious as expected…rice, beans, huge chapatti, two different preparations of beef, and hot chai. Mmmmmmm. We enjoyed the feast, as you can see!

Bhoke (to my right, above), clocks in at all of 40 pounds. Unfortunately, that night she became too full to finish her plate, though there were several willing parties to come to her aid. After pronouncing her disappointment at this turn of events, she promptly fell asleep at the table.

When the sky became dark and the stars emerged, we said goodbye to our gracious hosts. As we made our way down the road, we heard a chorus of “karibu tena!” Mzee Kitula and his wife, their children, nieces and nephews, and neighbors—who had all been present for our meal—were welcoming us back again.

We took turns carrying a very sleepy and increasingly heavy Bhoke all the way back to campus. I got the third and final shift, from the turn off the “main” road back to the girls’ dorms. As I gently put her to bed, guess who was suddenly wide awake again? I think we got played by a five year old. Well done, sweet child of mine.

Walking up the hill to my house, I could hear all our girls singing in the dining hall. The beautiful sound of their chorus followed me the whole way home.

All in all, it was a very special night I will remember for a long time.

*Chapatti: Tanzanian specialty, a cross between a pancake and a tortilla. Yum.