Enjoying the Differences

Enjoying the Differences
July 1, 2009

Three days have gone by without Internet connectivity! Either the electricity is out or there are no Internet cards to buy or if we get the cards, the connectivity is so poor that the site takes our log-in number and password, but “eats” it! The connection stops or won’t let us log off. Either way we lose! It’s disheartening, but then I remember the years there wasn’t such a thing as wireless Internet connectivity or Internet cafes (even slow as molasses ones) in Malawi. But last year the Internet café seemed faster and more reliable. And certainly the connectivity at Annie’s Lodge was better. I believe it must be because so many people are using the Net now.

Monday, Tuesday, and today our students taught. My students are teaming because most have never taught and certainly no one has taught under these conditions. As a team they can plan and support each other. They’re also providing a model for the Malawian teachers, who rarely assist each other in teaching. Usually as a new subject teacher comes into the classroom, the other leaves to sit in the sun (or shade depending on the day) to doze or grade papers, leaving their colleague with a hundred or so pupils.

Side Bar: The numbers of pupils per standard (grade) are enormous in the early grades. For example, at Malemia Primary School, standard 1 has enrolled 104 boys and 106 girls. Of course, the children sit on the floor, so desks are not an encumbrance. However, our first day last week was market day, and less than a third were in attendance. Even on a good day when students know they’re being fed, there are only half the pupils present. The drop-out rate is phenomenal. By standard 7 and 8 class size can be reduced to as few as 35, still large but many American classrooms have that enrollment. Reasons for dropping out are varied and frequently complex, often tied to culture like early marriage or to economics (farming, helping at home, selling in the market). Other reasons include language – many pupils come to school with a mother tongue that their teachers might not understand, but they must begin learning Chichewa and English. Pupils MUST pass a national test in English in order to receive a School Leavers certificate. When pupils get so far behind in language acquisition, they just drop out.

Virginia Tech students are at Domasi Government Primary School. Todd and Deena are teaching with Macdonald Shariff in standard 5. Todd teaches mathematics and physical education as well as assists Deena in her English language lessons. Rachel Lamanna and Rachel Schoonover are teaching in standard 7 with Sugzo Sajeni, who has them teaching English, Life Skills, and Agriculture among other things. Everything is fair game except Chichewa and mathematics. Jessica Watahovich and Kacey Hrabe are teaching with Kettie Malizani in standard 4. They are concentrating on English but like the others are also engaged in teaching music and creative arts. Every day is an adventure. Pupils have been bringing Todd and Deena avocados, paw-paws, cassava, and bananas to thank them for teaching. On Tuesday, the girls were dropping to their knees when addressing Deena. Deena wanted to cry at such subservience, but these girls were showing her the deepest respect possible as well as traditional training where girls and women still kneel when serving men in the home.

We left early (except both Rachels who were committed to teaching all morning) to go to walk to Malemia Primary School to see the feeding program and to see Radford University’s project of painting teaching resources on the walls. They hired two local sign painters and artists to draw a tooth with the parts lettered, a map of Malawi with features, and a map of the world, etc. Each room will get one drawing along with a space lettered with Chichewa, English, Mathematics, and Expressive Arts where student work can be posted. Everyone is excited about the outcome.

The electricity just went out again – the third time today, but we were here for only two of them: this morning at breakfast and this evening after dinner, which is most of the day here for us. Other guests report that it was off during mid-morning as well. Oh, well…the candles are lit, and I’ll read by candlelight until I fall asleep. There’s nothing left to do but “enjoy the differences.”