A less peaceful house

Being so focused on Peace House, it's easy to forget that this school is not typical. Most schools do not have libraries, some do not have electricity, many have more than 40 students in a class. We thought 40 seemed like too many but here? It is a luxury.

Susan, the librarian, arranged for us to visit a Tanzanian primary school run by the government. The school we visited was very typical of what Peace House students might have experienced when they were younger. Susan said that what set this school apart was that the headmaster actually cares and wants to see things improve.

When we arrived, a shout of "MZUNGUS!" (White people!) greeted us. The children were on a morning break and were scattered everywhere. And I mean everywhere. In the buildings, in the "yard," across the road, everywhere. The actual pupils range from about 7 to 14 but there is also a kindergarten for kids about 5-6 years old. We were obviously more of a novelty here than at Peace House.

The headmaster was very kind and answered a lot of questions along the way. His school has 1300 students and 40 teachers. If you do the math, that sounds like 32 kids per teacher. Unfortunately that's not the case. Many classrooms have two teachers, one to teach and one to hit. Even more classrooms had no teacher present, just assignments written on the chalkboard for students to copy. In the older classes, a few students had sticks, to keep the others in line.

The government is supposed to provide books but they never get enough. They might get five copies of a text book meant to be shared amongst 100 students in a class. It's impossible! The books are for sale at local shops but they cost almost as much as a month's rent. Most parents already struggle to buy a notebook and pen for their kids.

We saw class sizes ranging from 60 to 100 in a room. The classes get a bit smaller as the kids

get older, mostly because parents pull them out due to money. Or, in the case of girls, to marry them off and get a cow as dowry. The classrooms have open windows with no screens, no electricity, and pitted dirt floors. There are maps and diagrams crudely painted on exterior walls.

Apparently one huge problem is that some teachers simply don't show up. The kindergarten, housed in a freshly painted new building, donated by a church in Greeley, CO, was missing their

teacher. So instead there were 80 5-6 year olds wandering the grounds - mostly following us around. They were beautiful and happy little children but with no supervision whatsoever. Keep in mind that the grounds of the school are mostly rock, and it sits right on a road. No fences, no safety measures. The football field (pictured) is little more than a ditched with some of the rock cleared, with a puddle in the middle.

The whole place was rather heart-breaking. Looking around, we struggled to even see what these kids need...other than everything. You could donate books, but not enough, and there is no one to read to them. You can't donate any technology as they have no electricity. Perhaps the best thing would be the basics - notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.

Rich told me (jokingly) to remember that I'm not Angelina Jolie and therefore not allowed to just "pick out" an African baby to bring home.

But one little girl who followed me around with big eyes, in her purple skirt and torn shirt, she just tugged at my heart strings. I truly hope she has a family to go home to and who will support her through the years. I hope she gets the chance to study and come to a place like Peace House. And I hope she gets the hugs and kisses that I so longed to give her.

The Tanzanian education system needs change, and it needs it now. A school like Peace House is amazing, but it can help so few relative to the many who want help. I hope today's students can go on to change the world, to provide for the future what wasn't provided for them.

Tarangire

The first thing I noticed when we arrive at Tarangire National Park, English major that I am, is that I have been spelling Tarangire incorrectly. Whoops! We got up early Friday morning to be picked up by our guide, Abraham, at the Peace House gate at 7am. Despite it being only a one night stay, our small duffels were packed to within an inch of their duffely lives. Camera gear, sunscreen, bug spray, first aid kit, etc etc etc all add up! We get to do another mini-pack this week for the crater and that is for TWO nights. We might need our full suitcase!

The drive to Tarangire is an interesting one, going through Kisongo and then out further into Maasai land. We saw a lot of huts and herds of goats and cows. We also saw a lot of young boys and girls herding who should have been in school. The government is trying to force Maasai children to go to school, but it’s not working well. I’m torn between knowing that education is important and letting these people live their lives. Who knows what the right answer is?

Abraham also told us that most Maasai fathers pull their daughters out of school around nine years old so they can focus on the skills needed to be a good wife. When a daughter marries, the father is given a cow in compensation. Since Maasai men count their wealth in cows, it’s important to get their daughter a good match. I wonder how many cows Rich owes to my mom!

We seemed to choose two of the hottest days to visit Tarangire. It was swelteringly hot and I did not get sunscreen on in time so I have two red arms. It was a constant battle over what got shade – the camera or me. Seeing as Rich once told me he would throw me in front of the camera if we were attacked by a bear, I tried to protect the camera as best I could. The sun also brought out tsetse flies. These are the flies that cause sleeping sickness in cattle and for a little while I thought I had it as I couldn’t keep my eyes open in the back of the jeep. Eventually I chalked it up to the heat, early morning, and lack of coffee. Tsetse flies aren’t all that dangerous to humans but are very annoying as they do bite – even through socks!

Almost immediately after entering the park we were greeted by some animals we didn’t see in the Serengeti. Some of the new things we saw were waterbucks, oryx, leopard tortoises, squirrels, mongoose, and cape buffalo. We also saw many more warthogs, vervet monkeys, and impala than we did before. But what we really came for were the elephants. And oh did we see elephants! There were a lot of very small babies as well as big family pods. Most amazing was near the river where many groups had come together and there were several dozen elephants, spread out almost as far as you could see. Because there was a lot of food and water, theydifferent pods didn’t need to compete with one another. Normally they all keep their distance but we got to see them all together.

We also saw a great little group of lions with one or two females and six little cubs. These were definitely the youngest we’ve seen and the most active as well. They were adorable and playful, a bit wary of the truck but too distracted to care much. I think Abraham took us slightly off road to see them, something not allowed in the Tarangire, but it was totally worth it. The area was pretty dry and bare so we didn’t drive over any grass.

When we got to the Tarangire Safari Lodge for the evening, we ran into Lara. She and her family were visiting their research camp for the weekend so we set up a plan to stop by the next morning after breakfast. We did a little shopping in the lodge boutique and had a delicious dinner before heading to bed. After the long day, we fell asleep very quickly despite the heat.

After breakfast we headed through the park and down a very bumpy and winding road to the Elephant Research Camp. The camp was started by Lara’s husband, Charles, and has been expanded over time. They lived there for ten years, even for the first two years of their older daughter’s life, before building a home in Arusha. It’s a small and cozy little place with a few tents for researchers and staff, a small kitchen complete with gas powered fridge, bucket shower, dining area, office, and porch. Pretty much all their power (except the fridge) comes from solar, charging up batteries that then charge laptops and lights. Coming into the camp, one of the first things you see is a funny little covered ledge with cell phones lined up on it. Apparently they determined that was the only spot in camp with reception, and built a phone stand. It’s pretty cute.

The next morning was another early one, meeting Abraham at 6:15am in hopes of catching the sunrise. Unfortunately the small break in the clouds went away so we didn’t get a very dramatic morning. We did see a pod of elephants just outside the lodge, shadowy masses in the dark dawn. A few other animals were up and moving around but the pickings were slim so we headed back for breakfast.

Some of my favorite things in Tarangire are the massive baobab trees. These huge trees can be anywhere from 300 to thousands of years old. The fibrous trunk is often scratched by elephants and over time is so weak that it will just fall away, leaving the tree hollow. In some cases elephants and other animals have damaged the tree so badly that there will be holes right through, or the entire side will collapse. And yet the tree still stands. Some people call them upside down trees as when the leaves fall off, their thick twisted branches look more like roots. I first recall learning about baobab trees from Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) in French class and I was very excited to see them in person. It is daunting to touch something than might be more than 1000 years old. We are such tiny specks in the scheme of things.

We had a lovely time with Lara and her family and also met some more friends of theirs, making it a regular little tea party in the bush. Their research is pretty fascinating and I love that they get to name the elephants. I would have far too much fun with that!

The game drives after that were pretty uneventful, with animals seeming to hide from both us and the heat of the day. After another nice lunch we headed back to Arusha, Abraham seemed to be sick of us and the lack of animals and rushed us home quite a bit more quickly than we arrived. But I know that guiding like that is hard, especially when the fish don’t bite or the animals don’t cooperate. It was a slightly harried end to an otherwise good trip and I won’t let it ruin the experience.

It was nice to be “home” and to take a shower after two sweaty days. We had popcorn for dinner and spent the evening backing up photos and playing Bananagrams. And then I got the best night of sleep I’ve had for a week. It was awesome.

Today is Sunday and it’s another quiet one – for now. The big women’s group arrives today and we will meet them for lunch in the dining hall in a little while. Then they are throwing a tye dye party this afternoon and movie night this evening. Our quiet weeks at Peace House are likely over but it will be fun to see what they have planned for the kids.

[Despite my date editing (I am Doctor Who! I control TIME!!) it's actually Monday morning now, there was no internet yesterday. I have like four more photos for this post but the net is so slow, I can't upload them right now. Will edit later when the net is quieter. Coffee tour today!]

Extracurricular Awesomeness!

After we finished up in the library yesterday, Macon took us on a tour of some of the after-school activities offered at Peace House. It amazes me that these kids even have the energy for extracurricular activities with the extreme school schedule they follow.

The school has several clubs to choose from including cooking, choir, rugby, football (soccer), netball (basketball), drum, dance, scout, running, and acrobatic. We weren’t able to see them all in our wanderings, but we saw a lot.

Drum and Dance clubs work together, performing traditional dances. The group was small yesterday, and it’s all girls, but still great to see. In a very strict society, it’s fun to see the relaxed side of the girls.

We got to see the school gardens, which are currently growing tomatoes, garlic or onions, and several other things. They also keep rabbits and the flock of sheep who love our front porch. They have a great chicken coop set up just waiting for a flock. The garden space is big and has a lot of room for more plants but there just aren’t the people or resources to bring it to its full potential.

Holy buckets! These boys can leap. They certainly had fun showing off for the camera and I had fun playing with quick shutter speeds trying to catch them mid-air. These guys were doing leaps, back flips, jumps, and spins – all in the middle of the woods with sawdust where a soft mat should have been. Using old tires and bricks for height and even climbing into trees and doing back flips off thin branches, it was amazing. Apparently they sometimes perform in the dining hall, a building with all concrete floors, doing high leaps with no mats. Scary!

We also saw some amazing and intense football, though I still can’t figure out how they knew who was on what team given the lack of uniforms. One boy was sitting the game out because he was in hospital just a few days ago with Malaria. Though potentially deadly if not treated in time, Peace House has a nurse on staff and got him help quickly. He may have been disappointed about missing a good game, but I can’t help but wonder if he would possibly have lived if still living in poverty. Peace House may be primarily a school, but they are also a lifeline for many of these kids.

Overall the kids have been curious and welcoming. The standards here are high and very few make it all the way through. It costs about $2000 per year for one student here, but that includes everything – meals, clothes, even school supplies. The school has exams each month and students must meet a minimum standard to continue. 115 form one students just started in January. Form three has only about 30 students. Unlike most schools they don’t simply kick them out and say “Sorry, no longer our problem.” I was astounded to learn that if a student doesn’t pass the exams, Peace House actually find them a new school and pays the tuition. If they get the funding needed to build the planned vocational school, those past students will have first opportunity to enroll should they not succeed academically.

I’ve been learning a lot about the Tanzanian school system. Pretty much all the primary grades are taught in Swahili, though English may be a class subject. Then when secondary school starts, the government requires that all classes be taught in English. Oh, and the national exams are in English as well. Imagine speaking little or no Japanese and then having to take and pass chemistry taught only in Japanese. Could you? And to add to the pressure, the national test results, given at the end of form 2 and form 4 (think 14ish and 16ish) are actually published in the paper. It’s crazy. Most of the classes here are taught purely as lecture with students copying the teacher’s notes and translating them later. They have no textbooks and so often come check out texts from the library. I just can’t fathom what algebra must sound like in a foreign language.

They are working hard to do something amazing here at Peace House, but they have to work within the constraints of the Tanzanian rules. It’s a tough road but hey, Tanzanians are used to tough roads. Perhaps one of the students here today will later be the politician to pave the way for a better system tomorrow.

Highlights of Peace House

So we got to Peace House Secondary School on Friday the 5th and rather than bore you all with another novel, I thought I would start with just a few highlights from our time here so far.

• Friday Night – Shower! We were thrilled to both get a hot shower in our guest house before going to dinner at Arusha Coffee Lodge. Dinner was great, it’s one of the best

restaurants in the city and very close to the school, but entrees are only 5000-20000tsh. I let slip that Mom’s birthday was Saturday and Tait, the volunteer coordinator, managed to get the staff to bring out a chocolate cake with “Happy Birthday Judy!” drizzled on the plate and a sparkler for a candle. It was very sweet!

• Saturday – The school was competing in their first ever rugby tournament so we caught a ride with the team and spectators over to the athletic complex. A local fitness center very popular with expats was kind enough to offer their fields for the games. The center was beautiful with a bar, fancy restaurant, nice pool, shop, coffee shop, and more. Definitely a place for the upper crust. Our first dinner plans were nixed due to a power outage and our second plans were nixed due to rain so we were at the Coffee Lodge again. Oh darn.

• Sunday – We started the day by going to church with the school director, his daughter, and our roommate. Arusha Community Church was about a 60/40 mix of expats and locals and we ran in to several people we’d met at the rugby game including Peace House neighbors and the librarian, Susan, with whom Mom and I would be working closely. Jeff, the director, drove us to a grocery store to get some essentials and as we were walking in the door, we ran into Lara and her two daughters! This big foreign city is already starting to feel like home.

• Monday – Our first day volunteering! We met Susan in the library and had a bit of a tour. It’s a fairly big space with four back rooms. They have a lot of books in boxes waiting to be c

ataloged, one of our projects for the next three weeks. I spent my time entering new students into the system and then attaching spine labels while Mom and Susan cataloged. They have entire sets of American textbooks for subjects like Elements of Writing, Chemistry and Biology. Some are in great shape, others look like they have been abused by high schoolers, which they have. For dinner we had our first meal in the dining hall – kande, beans, and watermelon. From what I was told, Kande is kind of a maize paste. It was mixed in with the beans. Though bland, it was surprisingly good and very filling!

• Tuesday (Today) – Another day in the library. I started by shelving books, a daunting task in

the current state of the library. Kids are still learning to use the library which means books are put away backwards and out of order. However, Mom says that’s a kid thing, not a cultural thing. We ate lunch in the dining hall and today it was rice, beans, and watermelon. There were some carrots mixed in with the beans and again, it was filling. A bit of spice wouldn’t go amiss. In the afternoon we helped Susan teach the new students learn about using the library. Most of these kids have very little experience with books so the lesson started with how to turn pages without folding them and ended with them checking out a book for the first time. I manned the

circulation desk and was overwhelmed by kids shoving books at me, all trying to check out at the same time. Eventually we got a line, but it was a constant battle between chaos and lines. At the end of the day, I was tired. Very very tired.

Tomorrow we’re heading to do some more shopping in town before working with Susan again. I’m learning so much about these kids as they learn about everything else.