Yesterday, I was finally back in a classroom after two years of purely coordinating. I, along with Reinier, held a teacher meeting with the two standard 7 teachers at Chimutu Full Primary School. Martha and Ms. Madala are wonderful ladies. They were interested in what we had to say and very impressed with the interactive activities we used to demonstrate topics they’re required to teach by the Malawian government.
For the first time ever, a teacher I was working with agreed to practice our sections for the rest of our group. After I reviewed a lesson she’d just observed in the classroom, Martha stood in front of Reinier, Ms. Madala, and myself and drew the outline of an imaginary character on the board named Johnny. After describing him briefly, she drew Ts throughout his body to represent t-cells, or “soldiers of the body” that are part of the immune system and work to fight off illnesses.
She talked about the fact that as a healthly boy, Johnny had more than 1,000 t-cells in every drop of blood in his body. Once he contracted HIV, however, the virus would begin to kill Johnny’s t-cells. She drew a circle over one of the Ts and continued to do so, describing how the added circles represented HIV’s destruction of Johnny’s immune system. HIV would be detectable once Johnny had less than 1,000 t-cells in every drop of blood, Martha explained.
She continued to color over the Ts until there were only one or two remaining, when she explained that Johnny now had AIDS. That meant that he had less than 350 t-cells in every drop of blood. His immune system was so weak Johnny’s body would be unable to fight off even simple illnesses such as the cough or diarrhea. Eventually, Johnny would die from AIDS.
Martha explained that although she taught her class about HIV in the government’s prescribed Life Skills curriculum, she’d never heard of t-cells. She assured Reinier, Ms. Madala, and myself that she would continue to use diagrams and detailed explains as she continued to teach her future students about AIDS.
Yesterday, I met two teachers at Chimutu FPS.
Yesterday, I empowered a teacher.
Yesterday, I impacted every single one of Martha Mkonkholo’s future students.
Showing posts with label Lilongwe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lilongwe. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Malawi Malawi Malawi
As expected, my diligent blog posting collapsed upon arrival in Malawi. I’ve been incredibly busy since I landed in Lilongwe on Dec. 30. Bikoko and I arrived the same day, and we immediately hit the ground running because all 4 interns arrived the very next day. We set up the house, updated documents, confirmed schools, and caught up on the past four months before heading to the airport. Two of the January interns are from Colby, so it’s fun to swap stories and recommend restaurants (Foss Fam: we’re going to the Lebanese restaurant asap). The third intern is from Maine but goes to school in North Carolina and the last intern is from Canada. It’s a great group.
So once the whole group was in Malawi, we had our four-day orientation filled with curriculum, city tours, consultations with Lali, our tailor, yummy food prepared by John, early mornings, and errands. Tuesday the 3rd we headed straight into the village for a 4-day 3-night homestay and camp. So far, I love this schedule and the extended homestays. We teach from 9:30am-1:30pm, take a half hour break for lunch, and then do optional creative writing workshops with the kids. It’s great to not have to pack up the car in the morning then drive to the school and drive all the way home and unpack supplies.
So pretty much every morning, I got up early (5:30) to run. I wanted a quiet village but everyone was already up, pumping water and walking to church. Then I’d take my bucket bath, have some breakfast and read on the porch before class started. One morning I went to church, which was just in front of our house. It was a short service, only 40minutes, and completely in Chichewa, but I’m glad I went and got a quick overview from a translator after.
During school, I mostly chatted with the teachers. We sat on my host family’s porch and compared Malawi and the US. Other mornings I’d read or help sweep the house. At 1:30, we’d wrap up classes and walk about 15 minutes to the trading center where the headmaster hosted us for lunch. Two days we had nsima, two days we had rice. She mad a delicious relish with rice. If time allowed, we’d chat for awhile then head back to school where we held the optional creative writing sections for the kids. All the girls and about half the guys showed up everyday.
After school we hung out at the futball field for a few hours, kicking a ball, chatting in either Chichewa or English, walking to watch the sunset, tossing a Frisbee, singing, or any other number of activities. Then it was back to the boys’ host family for dinner altogether. We had nsima, rice, and pasta on various nights with yummy yummy relishes.
One afternoon, I talked with our host dad for close to an hour. He brought out pictures of his wife and two kids because they’re visiting family up north and we couldn’t meet them. We talked about his schooling and teaching and Malawi. His English was great and it was wonderful to be able to just sit and chat.
This weekend, we took a tour of the city where we saw the first president’s burial site, a war memorial featured in the Amazing Race, and Coffin Street. We also went to a soccer game where we rooted for the Civil Servants to beat the army’s Red Lions but were defeated. Dinner out completed a great weekend.
This week, we’re living at the house and working at a city school that’s just a few minutes drive away. After camp today, we went to Baylor AIDS Pediatrics Clinic and the office of Grassroots Soccer, which is an NGO that uses soccer to raise awareness of and promote testing for HIV. Tomorrow we’re going to the Crisis Nursery and Thursday we’ll visit a permiculture site to learn about sustainable gardening and more efficient ways to farm in Malawi.
Also, the interns are keeping their own blog at worldcampforkids.blogspot.com. check it out.
So once the whole group was in Malawi, we had our four-day orientation filled with curriculum, city tours, consultations with Lali, our tailor, yummy food prepared by John, early mornings, and errands. Tuesday the 3rd we headed straight into the village for a 4-day 3-night homestay and camp. So far, I love this schedule and the extended homestays. We teach from 9:30am-1:30pm, take a half hour break for lunch, and then do optional creative writing workshops with the kids. It’s great to not have to pack up the car in the morning then drive to the school and drive all the way home and unpack supplies.
So pretty much every morning, I got up early (5:30) to run. I wanted a quiet village but everyone was already up, pumping water and walking to church. Then I’d take my bucket bath, have some breakfast and read on the porch before class started. One morning I went to church, which was just in front of our house. It was a short service, only 40minutes, and completely in Chichewa, but I’m glad I went and got a quick overview from a translator after.
During school, I mostly chatted with the teachers. We sat on my host family’s porch and compared Malawi and the US. Other mornings I’d read or help sweep the house. At 1:30, we’d wrap up classes and walk about 15 minutes to the trading center where the headmaster hosted us for lunch. Two days we had nsima, two days we had rice. She mad a delicious relish with rice. If time allowed, we’d chat for awhile then head back to school where we held the optional creative writing sections for the kids. All the girls and about half the guys showed up everyday.
After school we hung out at the futball field for a few hours, kicking a ball, chatting in either Chichewa or English, walking to watch the sunset, tossing a Frisbee, singing, or any other number of activities. Then it was back to the boys’ host family for dinner altogether. We had nsima, rice, and pasta on various nights with yummy yummy relishes.
One afternoon, I talked with our host dad for close to an hour. He brought out pictures of his wife and two kids because they’re visiting family up north and we couldn’t meet them. We talked about his schooling and teaching and Malawi. His English was great and it was wonderful to be able to just sit and chat.
This weekend, we took a tour of the city where we saw the first president’s burial site, a war memorial featured in the Amazing Race, and Coffin Street. We also went to a soccer game where we rooted for the Civil Servants to beat the army’s Red Lions but were defeated. Dinner out completed a great weekend.
This week, we’re living at the house and working at a city school that’s just a few minutes drive away. After camp today, we went to Baylor AIDS Pediatrics Clinic and the office of Grassroots Soccer, which is an NGO that uses soccer to raise awareness of and promote testing for HIV. Tomorrow we’re going to the Crisis Nursery and Thursday we’ll visit a permiculture site to learn about sustainable gardening and more efficient ways to farm in Malawi.
Also, the interns are keeping their own blog at worldcampforkids.blogspot.com. check it out.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Arrived safe in Malawi!
And boy does it feel great to be back home in the WC house. Thanks to me losing my passport, I hadn’t really expected to get into Lilongwe until Thursday at the earliest. But luckily, despite quite a few hiccups, everything worked out.
So after my trip to the Embassy, I hung out at the program house for awhile. I really wanted to see my host mom, Tiny, in the hospital (she was planned to have a cesarean and have a baby girl!) but it didn’t look like it’d work out with the timing. I had a cab coming at 3:30 and it was already 1:30. I took a cab home and found my host dad and sister there. They’d met Atlha, the newest member of their family and were now letting mom and baby rest. They could go back and visit at 3. I didn’t think there’d be enough time to go to the hospital and back, but John convinced me there was. As we were waiting to leave, two of his constituents showed up at our house. He said they weren’t friends and that they’d just showed up to ask him for things. He was clearly annoyed and said that this is just what people did; they showed up to their representatives and asked for things. But isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t he be fighting for what his constituents want in parliament? It was weird to watch him dismiss these two men so easily when he was elected by them to serve them. I was impressed with the easy access these men had to their representative and upset with how easily John dismissed it.
So a few minutes after 3pm, we left the house for the hospital. We found Tiny and Atlha sleeping, although Tiny woke up when we walked in. Atlha had been born at 10am, so she was just five hours old. She was beautiful. Her little hands were all curled up and she was wearing one of those cute little hats the hospital gives to every new baby. I really wanted to hold her but also knew to never wake a sleeping baby.
At 3:20 we left for the house again. When we pulled up, Lala, my very trusted taxi driver was already waiting. He joked about me never being on time, because this was the second time he’d had to wait for me, although we pulled into the driveway at 3:29. I grabbed my bags, said goodbye to Ame, and hopped in the taxi. We drove the thirty minutes to the airport and I tried to check in. Tried being the key word in that sentence.
The lady at the desk told me I had to go to the special desk to get authorization to check in. So I did, and the man who helped me was a friend of Phono’s who I’d talked to on the phone when I was trying to move my tickets up. He printed out an authorization card and sent me back to the same lady. But when she tried to check me in again, she realized my ticket was booked for Dec. 27. So I went back to Phono’s friend and asked what he could do for me. He said although my ticket was for the 20th, my booking was for the 27th. WTF? He could change it for $200. I knew it was worth it but also asked if he could get that down at all. And he did! He got it to p200, which is approximate $64. So we changed my ticket to the right day and I checked in.
Then I went to security (after chugging my nalgene) where they didn’t notice the pocket knife I’d forgotten to take out of my backpack. They also didn’t care about the toothpaste or hand sanitizer I had with me. I got to the immigration desk and handed over my brand new passport. The immigration office was not happy I didn’t have an entry stamp. So I explained I’d lost my passport and therefore the stamp. She got on the phone with her supervisor for quite awhile and asked me a lot of questions. In addition to not having a stamp, I’d lost my visa extension paper that I’d paid for in Maun. So my original visa had expired as well. She asked why I’d stayed in Tlokweng, which is the address I’d given when I arrived. I was really confused until I realized the office had relocated to Gabs and I’d given the old address. So in addition to not having any of the correct paperwork, it seemed like I’d lied on my immigration form four months before.
She asked for a letter confirming I was a student but since I didn’t have one, really didn’t believe me. I told her that on my way into the country, I’d shown my program manual and that had been enough. She asked her supervisor to come over and told me to stand to the side and wait. So I waited a little less than ten minutes, until a woman on the biggest power trip ever walked over. She was strutting slowly and swinging her keychain back and forth. She came up to me, didn’t say hello, and asked for my passport. Since I didn’t have it, we walked over to the immigration both together and had a long conversation with the immigration officer. Again, I was asked for my visa extension papers and a letter proving I was a student. Since I didn’t have either, the supervisor and I went back out through security and called my bag off the plane. At first I thought she wouldn’t let me leave, but she just wanted to see my student manual. So I showed it to her, and she decided it was enough. We went back through security and I was given an exit stamp and allowed to run to my plane after they both told me independently that I should be much more careful the next time I came to Botswana and that they were doing me a huge favor. Aysh!
So I ran for my plane. It was pretty much empty so I had the row to myself. I spent the night in the Joburg airport, and since I’d planned on it this time, I brought lots of extra socks and jackets to stay warm with. I napped for a few hours and caught my 10am plane the next morning. Jaren picked me up at the airport and we started working right away. We rearranged the furniture in the annex, living room and office and got some office work done. Today, we ran a few errands in town, explored the new mall and took a Christmas card picture with John, Ngoni and Mr. Vitto!!! Check out World Camp’s blog (worldcampforkids@blogspot.com) or their facebook page to see it… And trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
So after my trip to the Embassy, I hung out at the program house for awhile. I really wanted to see my host mom, Tiny, in the hospital (she was planned to have a cesarean and have a baby girl!) but it didn’t look like it’d work out with the timing. I had a cab coming at 3:30 and it was already 1:30. I took a cab home and found my host dad and sister there. They’d met Atlha, the newest member of their family and were now letting mom and baby rest. They could go back and visit at 3. I didn’t think there’d be enough time to go to the hospital and back, but John convinced me there was. As we were waiting to leave, two of his constituents showed up at our house. He said they weren’t friends and that they’d just showed up to ask him for things. He was clearly annoyed and said that this is just what people did; they showed up to their representatives and asked for things. But isn’t that the point? Shouldn’t he be fighting for what his constituents want in parliament? It was weird to watch him dismiss these two men so easily when he was elected by them to serve them. I was impressed with the easy access these men had to their representative and upset with how easily John dismissed it.
So a few minutes after 3pm, we left the house for the hospital. We found Tiny and Atlha sleeping, although Tiny woke up when we walked in. Atlha had been born at 10am, so she was just five hours old. She was beautiful. Her little hands were all curled up and she was wearing one of those cute little hats the hospital gives to every new baby. I really wanted to hold her but also knew to never wake a sleeping baby.
At 3:20 we left for the house again. When we pulled up, Lala, my very trusted taxi driver was already waiting. He joked about me never being on time, because this was the second time he’d had to wait for me, although we pulled into the driveway at 3:29. I grabbed my bags, said goodbye to Ame, and hopped in the taxi. We drove the thirty minutes to the airport and I tried to check in. Tried being the key word in that sentence.
The lady at the desk told me I had to go to the special desk to get authorization to check in. So I did, and the man who helped me was a friend of Phono’s who I’d talked to on the phone when I was trying to move my tickets up. He printed out an authorization card and sent me back to the same lady. But when she tried to check me in again, she realized my ticket was booked for Dec. 27. So I went back to Phono’s friend and asked what he could do for me. He said although my ticket was for the 20th, my booking was for the 27th. WTF? He could change it for $200. I knew it was worth it but also asked if he could get that down at all. And he did! He got it to p200, which is approximate $64. So we changed my ticket to the right day and I checked in.
Then I went to security (after chugging my nalgene) where they didn’t notice the pocket knife I’d forgotten to take out of my backpack. They also didn’t care about the toothpaste or hand sanitizer I had with me. I got to the immigration desk and handed over my brand new passport. The immigration office was not happy I didn’t have an entry stamp. So I explained I’d lost my passport and therefore the stamp. She got on the phone with her supervisor for quite awhile and asked me a lot of questions. In addition to not having a stamp, I’d lost my visa extension paper that I’d paid for in Maun. So my original visa had expired as well. She asked why I’d stayed in Tlokweng, which is the address I’d given when I arrived. I was really confused until I realized the office had relocated to Gabs and I’d given the old address. So in addition to not having any of the correct paperwork, it seemed like I’d lied on my immigration form four months before.
She asked for a letter confirming I was a student but since I didn’t have one, really didn’t believe me. I told her that on my way into the country, I’d shown my program manual and that had been enough. She asked her supervisor to come over and told me to stand to the side and wait. So I waited a little less than ten minutes, until a woman on the biggest power trip ever walked over. She was strutting slowly and swinging her keychain back and forth. She came up to me, didn’t say hello, and asked for my passport. Since I didn’t have it, we walked over to the immigration both together and had a long conversation with the immigration officer. Again, I was asked for my visa extension papers and a letter proving I was a student. Since I didn’t have either, the supervisor and I went back out through security and called my bag off the plane. At first I thought she wouldn’t let me leave, but she just wanted to see my student manual. So I showed it to her, and she decided it was enough. We went back through security and I was given an exit stamp and allowed to run to my plane after they both told me independently that I should be much more careful the next time I came to Botswana and that they were doing me a huge favor. Aysh!
So I ran for my plane. It was pretty much empty so I had the row to myself. I spent the night in the Joburg airport, and since I’d planned on it this time, I brought lots of extra socks and jackets to stay warm with. I napped for a few hours and caught my 10am plane the next morning. Jaren picked me up at the airport and we started working right away. We rearranged the furniture in the annex, living room and office and got some office work done. Today, we ran a few errands in town, explored the new mall and took a Christmas card picture with John, Ngoni and Mr. Vitto!!! Check out World Camp’s blog (worldcampforkids@blogspot.com) or their facebook page to see it… And trust me, you don’t want to miss it!
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