We were a little surprised to find no structure or organisation to the teaching, with school starting at different times each day and with poorly planned lessons. We quickly realised that we were not going to be assisting with lessons but leading them instead. We decided to teach the 2nd of four classes (35ish kids aged 5-7) primarily because when we arrived they had no teacher as she was absent due to injuries suffered after a beating from her husband! Thankfully school finishes after all the children are given lunch which meant we had some time to put together some lesson plans. We spent most of our free time the first week doing this and then repeating and modifying for subsequent weeks.
The teaching proved to be quite a challenge not only because of the language barrier but also due to the vast ability gap of the class. Nevertheless we persisted with teaching basic English and Maths and hopefully some of it stuck. Our initial lessons were continuously interrupted by "teacher, pencil" as the lead yet again snapped off in the crappy pencils they were using and which then refused to sharpen. We immediately went out and bought some better quality pencils which the children systematically chewed the rubbers from!
We were not the only volunteers at the school, in fact on average there were 8 of us. A few of the volunteers are were back for a 2nd time and will be staying till the end of the year. Those volunteers in particular have made a big difference at the school which has included the employment of a social worker with their own funds. We both enjoyed the experience and feel that it was a much deserving project that has many challenges and is in constant need of help, not just financially but also in the management and oversight of the school. Those supposedly in charge have their heart in the right place but their brains somewhere else!
As many of you know we have sponsored (along with your help) one of the children at Faraja's to attend a private school. Here they will receive a good standard of education with all lessons taught in English, which we've learnt is essential if you now want a half decent job in Tanzania. We chose to sponsor Elisha, a 7 year old boy who lives with his grandmother after his father died and his mum left. He was one of the brightest in our class and after visiting his home, which had no power or running water, we certainly feel he is deserving (although many children live in the same, if not worse conditions). Before Elisha started school we had to take him to a local market to get him school shoes, backpack, wellies and raincoat all of which he seemed very proud to try on and wear. Hopefully we'll be able to stay in touch with Elisha and communicating will be easier as he learns English.
In our spare time (when not planning lessons!) we have explored the local area. Highlights have included a visit to a Maasia village where we learnt about their traditions and lifestyle and were shown different uses for the loca flora. This includes a plant which they use to prevent malaria (successfully apparently) which is just as well as they don't like to use western medicine. We also had a few attempts at throwing a spear which they carry for protection against Lions! It was just like being back on the school playing field with Javelin in hand.
Another highlight has been the 4 day safari visiting lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. We saw all of the big 5 apart from Rhino which gives us a good reason to come back and try again. We got particularly close (outstretched arms distance) to Elephants and Lions. On one occasion we came across a solitary male Lion who was not in the least bit bothered by our presence. In search of a great photo Phil decided to stick his head out of the window which in hindsight was a risky move. Clearly the Lion wasn't hungry or just didn't like the look of Phil! We also had 3 Elephants enter our campsite at dusk to drink from the water tank which was an awesome site. Camping in open campsites is quite an experience given that anything can walk into your tent in search of some food or your tootpaste!
The final leg of our trip has included a brief stay in Moshi to see Mt Kilimanjaro and to do some walking around the foothills and through the villages of the native Chagga people. Our guide took us to a waterfall and during the steep descent down to the bottom he explained how one of his friends had, 3 weeks earlier, jumped into the pool below only to not come back up! When they finally found his body crabs had eaten his eyes (sorry to the feint hearted). Needless to say we decided to keep our feet dry. After Moshi we travelled to Zanzibar where we explored the historic Stone Town and relaxed on the island's northern beaches.
Other experiences of amusement during the last 5 weeks have included;
- Phil suffering recurring electric shocks, either from the shower and kitchen taps at our house in Arusha or on 2 separate computers! Phil is now afraid of the next lightning storm!
- Katie took a group of small kids to the small pig farm at the orphange which terrified most of them, so much so that one of them wet himself!
- A sunset kayaking trip on Zanzibar ended in disaster when we tried to reach the shore and the usually calm waters started producing some larger waves which turned the kayak around, flipped us out and left our sunglasses with the mermaids!
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