I do apologize for my long silence. I’ve only recently had the ability to access the internet.
I’ve been in Tanzania now for almost 3 solid months. It’s hard to believe. My first three weeks consisted of country orientation in Dar es Salaam followed by language training in Morogoro. I was very grateful for those first three weeks as they provided a nice “soft landing” to what would otherwise have been a jarring experience. For me, Tanzania took some getting used to. I now travel to Dar es Salaam to see friends, eat good food and do some shopping for supplies. But in my first week here, Dar es Salaam was completely overwhelming and frightening.
The stunning mountains of Morogoro where I did language training
I’ve been at my volunteer placement at WAMA-Nakayama Girls’ Secondary School since July 26th. There are 82 students and new faculty continue to trickle in. When I arrived there were just 5 including the School Manager and Headmistress.
The school is just outside of a small village called Nyamisati. To me it feels like I’m in the middle of of nowhere at the end of a long dirt road. The heart of the village consists of a few ramshackle shops and a set of concrete steps leading into the muddy Rufiji river that acts as the port for boats and canoes. The river provides access for fishing and you can buy fresh prawns and fish most days in the village.You can also catch a ferry that will take you to Mafia Island.
A typical home in the village
Boats at the port of Nyamisati
The school itself is built on a large sandy campus. There is a dinning hall and outdoor kitchen, dormitories for the students, classrooms, an administration building, library and computer lab and houses for faculty. Compared to other schools in Tanzania, we are very well equipped and have excellent facilities. Compared to schools in Canada, it is very basic and lacks most things that are considered necessary for running a secondary school.
Form 1 classroom block
One of the school classrooms
Most days we have some electricity (supplied by solar panels and after three months of waiting, a repaired wind turbine). We do not have running water, although the pipes and pumps are in working order. I think it’s a matter of not having enough power to run the pumps. Currently there are 6 working computers in the computer lab and a handful of books sitting on the floor of the library. We are waiting for lots of materials to arrive at the school (such as shelves, chemicals and equipment for the labs, text books, etc). The school is brand new and lots of kinks still need to be worked out. Many areas are still under construction. I’ve learned to be patient. There are usually lots of promises that things will arrive within a few days and it might come to fruition a month or two later, if at all.
One of the school's wells where students fetch water for drinking, washing clothes and cleaning.
Overall, the place is oozing with potential. It’s really up to WAMA (the charity organization that built the school) to decide how it’s going to turn out. They have lofty ambitions, hoping to one day build a college and house paying international students in addition to the sponsored orphaned students from around the country. But I worry that politics (the First Lady being the head of the organization) and producing pretty magazine pictures are of a higher priority than serving the students of the school.
The true joy to being here are the wonderful students. The girls are from all over Tanzania and range in age from 14 to 20. They are all in From 1 (the equivalent of grade 7 or 8 in Canada). They are hard working and never fail to smile despite how much they struggle each day to learn a difficult curriculum in a second language. They are truly inspiring young women and continue to surprise me with their determination, maturity and good humour.
A group of students that came with me on a walk the other day.
Students posing for the camera.
I’m currently teaching Biology and basic computer skills to students and faculty (very few of whom have ever used a computer before). I am working with the new Headmaster and School Manager to run teacher training workshops for faculty (on everything from student centered learning to special needs to assessment.) And I’m doing my best to implement new co-curricular activities for students, such as an Art Club and Literature Club. It will be exciting to witness the number of positive changes happening around the school over the next year. There is so much room for growth! And in a very short time (the middle of January) a new group of Form 1 students will be arriving at the school, doubling our current enrollment.
Students in the computer lab practicing their typing skills
So those are the details that will bring you up to speed. I can’t say I haven’t been homesick. It’s been hard at times feeling so cut off from family, friends and civilization. I miss foods, cooler temperatures, and a house that’s scorpion free. But I’ve also had some beautiful moments, like gazing up at the brilliant stars of the southern hemisphere, shinning unimpeded by any light pollution, learning to cook over a charcoal fire, and dancing and singing to East African music with students while they laugh at my attempts to mimic their cultural dances.
From now on, I’ll try to be a better blogger and post more frequently.
Cheers,
Marike
