November 12, 2009
Dear Friends,

As I rushed into class today, I saw eyes half closed, heads bobbing in mid air, and looks of exhaustion on each face throughout every corner of the room. The kids have been working hard, and now they are feeling the stress of examinations too. In an attempt to stir them, I shouted “get up, get up up up.”  They know this exercise well, as I tend to do it when they are unresponsive. “Jump up and down, ruka, jump” I yelled as my own body went flying into the air. “Okay now one foot” and that broke the silence, the kids were all laughing.

Classes have been going wonderfully though my heart feels heavy at the moment. I am sad to think that this was the last day of teaching until January. Next week will be filled with examinations and solemn faces. This week, instead of cramming their heads full of last minute knowledge, I decided to get them using their brains in a new and creative fashion. I began the week by telling them three American fables. I then asked them to create their own stories.  I gave them the freedom to use English or Kiswahili, realizing the difference in quality I would get if the kids had access to Kiswahili. Yesterday and today they read their stories, and I found myself learning much about Tanzanian culture. I learned why rabbits have short tails. I learned about why frogs have rough skin. I learned about how families are coping without water. And I learned that many students seemed timid and the task of being creative seemed to have been too overwhelming, thus they simply wrote the names of their family members and order of births in their families.

I have noticed that copying and lack of creativity is a problem in many schools throughout Tanzania. Many teachers enter the classroom only to write a series of notes on the blackboard and then excuse themselves to the teachers’ room. The kids copy the notes beautifully into their notebooks, but re-reading the notes, learning from them, or discussing them is something that rarely happens.  Thus, when I asked my students to think creatively, the freedom of writing about anything they wanted was more of a culture shock than I could have imagined. As many students learn to copy beautifully, they have not learned how to be free thinkers. This is something I will work hard to address in the year ahead.

I was happy to listen to stories by two students who choose to write about the water shortages in Tanzania. Hearing their stories about people dying from lack of water confirmed the importance of the water development planning NTC has been pursuing. Of course after living here for 2 plus months, the problem of lack of water in Kwala has become abundantly clear. Life without a close and reliable source of water makes everything, from farming to cooking to cleaning and washing just that much more difficult.  The drought which we have been enduring has made this problem more apparent; as I am watching much of the corn Mama Annu had planted begin to wither and die in the dry heat of the day. Without water to support irrigation, the plants will die. Without corn, Mama Annu and her family will have to buy more of their food. And so the chain of events has begun to affect the life of a family in ways which may seem unrelated to water until further inquiry.

I will be traveling to Dar-Es-Salaam today to meet with contractors to discuss the prospect of building a well or water harvesting system in Kwala. The question now is “below these sandy floors, are we going to find water or more sand and stone?” I hope to find a contractor to come survey our land and answer this question before moving forward with either project.  Educating myself on the complexities of something which in America begins and ends at my faucet has been an incredible experience.  If you have any input or advice regarding water development, it is most welcome!

In addition to meetings about water development, I will be meeting with Tanzanian publishing companies and business men kind enough to give me their time. We will be discussing future projects in Kwala as well as the sustainability of our program as a whole. More on the outcome of these meetings next week.

I can here Mama yelling for me to hurry, my Pikipiki has just arrived to take me the first leg of the journey to the city. Time to head to Dar-Es-Salaam and see about the next steps for NTC and Kwala. Hoping this will be a fruitful trip.

Many thanks for reading and I look forward to writing more next week.

Lisa Walker
NTC Project Director
LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

November 5, 2009
Dear Friends,

Baby chickens, following their mother, are racing to and fro underneath my hammock. Running in a perfect row, one has just slipped on the grass, wet from the morning dew. She looks irritated to have lost her place in line and is hurrying to catch up to her siblings. The others do not stop to wait for her, but instead continue on what would appear to be a mission to distract me as I write to you.

Athuman has returned from his adventures in America. He seems to have enjoyed himself immensely and sends his love to all of you. Now he and I will be busy, preparing the school for the water harvesting project which we hope to begin in mid January. I am eager to watch him assert himself as he bargains down prices for the supplies we need. Athuman is a very good haggler, a skill I am still trying to master with sloppy Swahili and ambivalence, as this is a skill we do not learn in American stores.

I cannot believe that it’s already November. Time is passing quickly in Kwala, and I realize that I have only one more month before returning home to visit my family and friends. I realize that I missed my mother’s favorite holiday, Halloween, though I imagine the creatures whose angry howls filled the crisp night air last evening are far scarier than any American children. I realize some parents may disagree.  Without being aware of its significance, Mama prepared roasted pumpkin on October 31^st and I found myself relieved to be celebrating if even in that minor way. The pumpkin was delicious, and a welcome treat after far too much rice and beans.

Mama Annu will be departing today to spend the next month in Mororgoro University grading the form 4 national examinations. I am sad that she will be leaving me as she has taught me so much about living here in Kwala and she has become such an incredible friend. She taught me how to prepare maandazi this week, a donut which is taken with morning tea (though I find myself sneaking them throughout the day).  We added jelly to the center of some of the donuts, making them a mix of Tanzanian and American pastry. Mama Annu’s cooking is like a dance, and while I will try to reproduce some of these recipes in her absence, I know I won’t be nearly as graceful as her in the kitchen.

My students are doing beautifully, working hard and preparing for yet another round of exams. I worry a bit about my form three students, wishing I had arrived sooner and had time to do more preparations. Next year, they will be Form 4, and so beginning in January we will be working very hard to ensure their success on their national examinations.  For now, we will study together in preparation for their local exams, and I will try to make this process fun despite is grueling nature. I am very aware of the importance of my class, as English is mandatory if the students are to pass any of their exams, all proctored in English. To make the process a bit easier, we now have the use of English to Swahili and Swahili to English dictionaries in the classroom, a generous donation from my incredible Aunt Sande. Turning the classroom in an Olympic race, the students hurried to find the words I had put up on the board before their peers. Running to the front of the classroom, the tripped over each other in an effort to write the Swahili word beside the English words I had written. As always, it’s so nice to see them excited about resources which NTC is able to provide to Kwala.

During my dictionary lesson, I noticed one of the kids had a baby bird, too young to fly, sitting atop her desk. When I went to look at the bird, giggling to myself in delight, she picked the bird up and offered it to me as a gift. I took the bird and placed it atop my shoulder where it remained throughout the class. Unfortunately, after the class I realized the baby was too young to be separated from its mother, and despite my insistence that it eat some rice, it refused my offers.  I decided to return it to a place close to where the girls found it, and as it went bopping away, I bid it farewell and let nature take its course.

I have met with the NTC scholarship girls again this week. They are an incredible group of young women and I am happy that most are in form three and thus I am their teacher and big sister. We played freeze dance and musical chairs this week, dancing around to the voices of Led Zeppelin and Michael Jackson before sitting down to discuss their lives in Kwala and the challenges they face. Despite the many obstacles they are facing, they are strong and determined, and I have no doubt that many of them will succeed and choose to continue their education.

As always, the full moon has dropped out of sight and the sun raised high in the sky, signaling my time to return home to prepare for school. Many thanks for reading! I look forward to writing again next week.

Lisa Walker
NTC Project Director
LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

October 29, 2009
Dear Friends,

I have just returned from my daily stroll around the village, where everything has a new green glow and vegetables are sprouting up from the lush ground, thriving in the Tanzanian spring. When I first arrived here in Kwala, I found going to the village alone to be a daunting task. However, over the past few weeks it has become my neighborhood, and its inhabitants, my friends. I have become a regular at a few of the soda shops, greeted warmly by the families that run them. Craving friends, I have formed a relationship with some of the older women in village. Without any spoken language, I have created these friendships through games. Mancala (a simple board game) has become a quick favorite in the village. Women huddle around the board giggling excitedly each time one of them beats me.

I travelled to Dar-Es-Salaam this past weekend to meet with some friends and visit with a former professor of mine from Boston University. Escaping the hectic trip entailed in public transportation, I joined Athumans son and his friend in their car to drive into the city. After about 5 minutes of driving along the dirt path which takes you out of Kwala, the boys looked at me and asked if I had a license. As soon as the word yes popped out of my mouth, I felt the engine cut and the driver ask to switch places with me.  I drove 18 km down an incredibly unsafe dirt road; avoiding chickens, cattle, and piki piki’s at every turn. On the main road, I discovered that there are no rules, no speed limit, no lines, nothing. You can drive on either side of the road, as can cars going in the opposite direction. AHH a truck! Which way do I go?? I got pulled over. Mind you…no rules to break on these roads. I did nothing wrong (I swear). But the cop saw a muzungu and took the opportunity to talk with me. After telling me I had to pay 100,000 shillings (about $85) and pretending not to know any English, he told me in English that he was just kidding and let me go. I think next time I will take the piki piki.

I have learned some interesting facts about the names of the public transportation used throughout Tanzania. As foreign technology, there were no local names for the motorcycle and taxi vans when they started being used throughout the country in the mid 1980’s. The dala dala has received its name from the form of payment required to ride it, as the driver would stand outside and collect Dala Dalas (American “dollars”) from the government workers in the mid 1980’s in exchange for a lift in their big foreign made taxi vans. The piki piki has received its name from the sound that it makes, piki piki piki piki piki piki, as it speeds haphazardly down the mud roads of Tanzania.

Victor, a professor at MIT and most recent visitor at Kwala, seemed to enjoy himself as he sped down the mud path and out of sight on the back of a piki piki last week. He came with a wealth of knowledge about basic technology which we hope to implement in Kwala. As we traveled from house to house inundated by a constant influx of soda’s and greetings, he seemed eager to learn more about Kwala. The most prominent questions for me had to do with issues surrounding water. NTC will begin construction on the water harvesting system come January so as to ensure a water supply for the school throughout dry season.   The lack of water is a very big problem for the people living in Kwala, using an average of only 2 liters of water per day for everything from cooking, to cleaning, to bathing.

This past weekend I stayed at a hotel with a swimming pool on the peninsula of Dar-Es-Salaam. Staying at this hotel in the city was an experience to describe another day, but I must say that it felt a world away from the small village of Kwala and the people therein. As I dove into the pool to submerge myself entirely in the water I have been craving for the past two months, I couldn’t stop wondering exactly how many liters of water this pool held in relation to the cistern we will build. Not only do I live, eat, and breath Kwala these days.  But I am swimming in thoughts of it too.

More on my fun with water and washing in Kwala, last night, standing in the shower room soaping up and trying not to fall over as I kneeled down to endure my bucket bath, the lights went out throughout the village. Unfortunately, only moments before, I had not only put gobs of soap in my hair but I had also noticed a massive spider crawling quickly towards me. Unable to see with the blackness that surrounded me, I remained in the room, eyes squeezed tight, trying desperately to get all the soap out of my hair while trying to ignore the thought of the spider crawling on me. This was far from a leisurely shower, but I forced myself to laugh at both the situation and myself as I sought to navigate around the dark room.

My experiences at school are an evolving process, and slowly I am learning about the operations of the school and my place in it.  One of the biggest challenges is how to carry out an effective and beneficial debate as opposed to simply wasting the students time. Debate time is on the national syllabus, and thus despite the lack of organization at the school, we continue to put this event in our weekly schedule. The topic chosen by my fellow teachers to be debated this week was “African Culture is better than Western Culture.” Upon hearing their choice, I felt immediately frustrated with the task of assisting in such a self defeating topic. I have spent the greater part of two months overcoming the stereotypes attached to my nationality. Yet the arguments the kids presented to defend African or Western culture amounted only to an exaggeration of these stereotypes. Following the debate, onion and pepper in hand (apple and orange in mind), I explained to the students that African ways of life are different from Western ways of life, but that neither can be deemed better or worse. You use onions in rice and pepper with beans, and both add a unique flavor to any food you are preparing.  They seemed to understand, though my battle with stereotypes is far from over.

Many more thoughts are spilling out of me, but that is more than enough for this week. As always, I welcome feedback! Many thanks for reading.

Lisa Walker
NTC Project Director
lisawalkerntc@gmail.com

–

October 21, 2009
Dear Friends,

At the moment, I am sitting in my hammock watching an iridescent layer of pink cloud grow bigger in the sky above. Soon, the sun will sit high in the sky and I will have to abandon my favorite place so as to avoid the heat of the day. But for now, in the early hours of the morning, I lay in the open plain daring the day to begin.

I find myself having difficulty, to type another sentence or take another bite of my favorite candy, sugar cane. Only recently have I discovered this delectable alternative to a snickers bar.  Biting into it is like biting into a crisp apple, but the burst of sugary goodness with each crunch far surpasses even the best granny smith. You do not swallow the grass itself, but instead chew the candy, sucking out the flavor, before spitting out the left over shreds. I am still trying to master the skill of an elegant spit.  But for now, it’s sloppy and fun.

School is going well. Our play is progressing, and it’s great to watch as more and more of the students are improvising as opposed to reading the lines I have written. Unfortunately, this picture does not do their improvisation justice. Used a bit of Michael Jackson to spice up class yesterday, a welcome reward for my students who have been working incredibly hard at their studies.  All the kids were up singing and dancing to Man in the Mirror, learning new vocabulary and identifying parts of speech with enthusiasm.  Later in the day, I overheard some of the girls singing the lines to the song as they helped me to clean the library. Made me smile.

This week the English teachers worked together to prepare our students for a school wide debate. The topic was meant to address the question of positive vs. negative reinforcement. Unfortunately, conversation quickly deteriorated into a discussion about corporal punishment vs. candy giving. This was ultimately my mistake, the topic was too complex and we lacked adequate time to teach the meaning of these terms thoroughly enough to debate about them. Nonetheless, it was nice to see many students stand and present their arguments clearly and with pride. I am currently trying to think of a better topic for next week. If you have any ideas, please shoot them my way.

Rainy season is certainly in full blast. And with the rain has come a flood of creatures. Never thought I would be grateful for the simplicity and familiarity of a cockroach until this week. Walked into my room, started rummaging through my stuff, and looked up to find a tarantula about the size of my face starring at me from the outer side of my luggage. Far too close for comfort. I jumped up, screamed like a mad woman, and stood there frozen until Mama came to help me.  She was nice about it. Got rid of it rather quickly for me and didn’t give me trouble about my girlish screams. In hindsight, I should have taken a picture of this thing. But at that moment, the only thing I could do was stand there and stare at this massive hairy too many legged creature. Ugh. Ew. Oh my goodness. Oy. About 10 minutes later, a cockroach came crawling out of somewhere and onto the floor of my room. I stepped on it.  Somehow the cockroach didn’t seem so scary anymore.

In addition to all the bugs comes the surprisingly welcome task of planting seeds. Hoe in hand, Mama Annu looked more powerful than I could have imagined. And I found myself following her obediently, placing seeds of corn in the holes she has prepared for me. In only a few months time these seeds will sprout into the first food I have ever planted myself. I imagine it will taste just that much sweeter when time to eat.

Well, another day in Kwala has begun. I am awaiting the arrival of a guest, a professor studying developmental technology at MIT.  Tell you how our meeting goes next week.

I spoke to my parents last night, who have both been unbelievably supportive. They were so excited to have met the NTC Newton community, and sang praises of their trip to Boston and all the wonderful people they met. Thank you all so much for your involvement in NTC, and I am looking forward to meeting you come December!

Sending so much love to all of you who are reading. Thank you for being a part of this experience with me. It’s a relief to know that so many people are so close despite the physical distance.

Many Many thanks for reading!

Lisa Walker
NTC Project Director
LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

October 15, 2009
Dear Friends,

Well, I awoke this morning to find an unwelcome sleeping partner beside me in bed. One of the biggest cockroaches I have ever seen. So now I am awake, writing this post a bit earlier than I would have liked because I am afraid to get back into my bed. Athuman has told me many times that these creatures cannot hurt me, and yet, ugh.  I think I slept enough for one night. The sun is starting to rise…and so shall I.

This week has passed quickly, and I cannot believe it is time for another blog. My classes are progressing well and my students seem to be enjoying the lessons I prepare. As my literature class discussed the book we are reading, I stumbled upon an opportune moment to discuss stereotypes. This is an interesting topic for so many reasons, but for me, there is a more personal angle which I never thought would be relevant within my own life. Since I have arrived here, I have been the only mzungu within 20 kilometers. As such, the villagers, students, and I have had to confront some commonly held Tanzanian beliefs about white people and their place in Tanzania. It has been an interesting task to explain to the people of Kwala that despite my color, I am not rich. Despite the fact that I am white, there are many things I do not know. And despite the fact that I am an American, I can in fact wash my own cloths. My class and I explored various cultures, discussing commonly held beliefs about people around the world and discovering one by one that these assumptions are not only incorrect but unfair. It was an interesting lesson for both the students and myself, and one of the most valuable class times I have yet to share with them.

I have confirmed that positive reinforcement has in fact been incredibly effective! Athuman…I have won our bet! The first day I assigned homework, only four students turned it in. Today, I received 60 notebooks stacked ominously on my desk. The kids are not only doing their homework, but they are lively and participating in class. Despite the stack of papers I have in front of me, I am feeling good. It’s so nice to have the students respond as opposed to talking to myself for an hour and a half.

Our form four students are wrapping up their examination week, looking exhausted and ready to be complete.  I don’t blame them. Since I arrived in early September, these students have been undergoing an extensive testing process.  Sometimes it seems a bit odd to me. The majority of our students will fail. And this will not be there fault as we have wasted over a month testing them as opposed to teaching them. Of course, throughout this entire testing process Mama Annu and I have been left alone to teach our courses. Various other teachers have been sent to another testing sight to oversee the examination process of other students. And our new student teachers? I have no idea where they are. But, it seems to be expected for teachers to miss their classes. Even if the students are hit by these very same absent teachers for missing idle time in the classroom. Yes, it’s a bit of disgust you are sensing in my tone. Nonetheless, these are surmountable challenges. And I will do my best to set a positive example for student and teacher in my attendance and participation.

All of Tanzania took the day off yesterday to mourn the 10^th anniversary of the death of Julius Nyerere, the first president of Independent Tanzania. His image flashed across the screen of the television all day as the national anthem and other Tanzanian songs were played.  Nyerere’s picture was not the only face I saw yesterday. As Mama Annu prepared to cook, she pulled out a kanga (piece of fabric the women wear) with Obama’s face splashed across the front. I felt proud. As Mama Annu and I discussed the meaning of the day, I realized that only in the last few months have I been able to feel the patriotism that all of Tanzania feels at the thought of Nyerere. How is Obama doing over there? I haven’t picked up a newspaper in weeks.

Well, the sun has risen in the sky quickly this morning and I feel the rise of quiet excitement within my body – it is the start of a new day in Kwala and I will make the most of it. The bell has just rung and I find myself feeling eager for my morning classes. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Many thanks for reading!

Lisa Walker
NTC Project Director
LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

A Letter From Athuman: Living with a Mzungu

It is very easy to stay with a Mzungu for a day or two. There is a lot of preparation to be done before he or she arrives. You buy new bed sheets, pillows, and pillow cases. You buy chicken, bread, butter, fruits, and anything else you think the mzungu will eat. You also have to shift yourself and your kids to other places. After two to three days, they are gone and you are back to your normal life. Eating Ugali (stiff porridge) and beans.

When Lisa came to Tanzania, she was not a one day guest. She was here to stay. In that case I couldn’t afford to shift everything. The first question was where will she stay permanently? The teachers quarters in which I stay has only three sleeping rooms, a sitting room, and a kitchen. The first room is for me, the second room for my sons (I have three) and the third room for my daughter and relatives. You can imagine what a headache I caught when I realized that she needed her own room. Here, 5 girls can stay in one room and its taboo to mix girls and boys. It’s hot here and this matters. Every mzungu needs his or her own room. Luckily, Lisa was patient, and waited for me to situate, living with my 86 year old mother law and 2 fifteen year old girls for over a month while we organized.

Then, we wondered if she could wash her own cloths. We were very worried about this. But guess what! Lisa can wash her own cloths as anybody else in Africa. What about her fetching water? Can she carry a bucket of water balanced safely on her head? Let’s wait and see.

Now Lisa cooks her own breakfast of Chapatti and omelet using charcoal. You have seen her in her blog. Mama, that’s my wife, and Mama Annu, the Head Mistress, are teaching her well. I am still waiting for the day she will cook ugali for me.

Its difficult to cope with the tough African life in Kwala. Here, everything is manually done. But Lisa is doing it and I just need to hug her sometimes.

Apart from being a vegetarian, she is doing well when the meal is on the table. Can she use her hands to eat? Only time will tell. I am sure one day she will enjoy dried fish and chicken.

Lisa is doing a wonderful job at our school. She is changing Kwala. She is teaching student and teacher alike. Many teachers and students are using the internet and learning to type. Two years ago, that would not have even been a dream. As we have installed electricity at our school now, students can come for evening sessions and study under the supervision of Lisa. So, Lisa is teaching and assisting in the Library. Lisa is teaching computer skills. Lisa is teaching English and literature. Lisa is corresponding weekly with NTC friends all over the world. Lisa is preparing for new programs and projects in Kwala. Lisa is cooking. Lisa is washing her cloths. Lisa is fetching water. Lisa is working hard and bringing good things to the people of Kwala. We are happy to have her. And that is our mzungu, Lisa.

Cheers,

Babu

–

October 8, 2009

Dear Friends,

I have just returned from a hectic day in Dar-Es-Salaam, the country’s capital and a bustling city with a life of its own. Traveling to Dar is always an adventure. It takes three to four hours, a motorcycle (pikipiki), two vans (dalladala), and innumerable up close and personal moments with fellow travelers to get from the village to the City Center. Leaving the village, I could hear my name being called from all corners of the village as students raced to bid me farewell. Settling in behind the motorcycle driver, we sped through sand, rocks, and no road, racing the sun as it rose beyond the hills. On the dalla dalla, people and animal alike were crammed liked sardines into a bus which was holding 30 people and a few chickens above its recommended 12 person capacity. Just when I thought absolutely nothing else could fit into this van, it stopped and three more travelers piled in. The more the merrier…I suppose.

Coming to America, Part 2

I traveled to Dar to wish NTC Coordinator Athuman Msangi a safe and productive trip to America. He will be visiting the Boston area for the next two weeks raising awareness for NTC. Luckily, I did not return to Kwala alone. We have another American guest in Kwala this weekend, Madie, who has come to learn more about our community and assist me with my classes tomorrow. Everything feels a bit less daunting with a friend and fellow muzungu (foreigner) to share in the adventure, and I feel relieved to have her here.

The rest of the week has been productive and enjoyable, as I continue to settle into myself and learn more about the life of the village and school. The classroom is the place I crave to be. I have taken on form 1 and form 3, 15 year olds and 17 year olds, respectively. In accordance with the national syllabus, my form 1 class requires an abundance of grammar lessons. I will need to find creative ways to keep their attention in what could be an incredibly boring class. I hope to begin using songs and short stories to teach more advanced grammar, but for now, I have resorted to bribing them with candy. As soon as I awarded participating students sweets, all students’ hands shot up. It was like magic, suddenly all the students knew the answers. Athuman and I have decided to do an experiment. We are going to test the effectiveness of positive reinforcement as opposed to the negative reinforcement which Africans seem so partial so. Thus far, the candy has been effective. And the number of hands eager to answer questions in the classroom continues to grow.

Teaching Form 3

My form 3 class is spectacular. Form 3 English is composed of different types of literature, and we are currently working our way through one of the more challenging novels, Passed like a Shadow. The story is beautifully sad, about a family who becomes infected, one by one, by HIV as it spread throughout Uganda. The kids and I have been working together to transform the complicated text into a play, and the kids seem to be enjoying the process of performing. Becoming more and more creative with each new chapter, they have all started to speak more in class, and even those who I fear I would have lost had we continued reading are now active and understanding the plot of the text. One of the more interesting aspects of teaching English here is that I myself am a student of language. Luckily, the kids have been eager to help me with my Kiswahili, and watching me stumble through my words without shame seems to have given them the confidence they needed to do the same.

Slowly, the Msangi house has started to feel like home. I have taken on the role of big sister to Athuman’s children, a relationship which I am truly enjoying. I awoke one day this week to Fatuma, one of the kids I share my room with, insisting that she cook for me. She woke me at 5:30 in the morning adamant that I must rise so as to eat. When I told her that I was not yet hungry and tried to roll over to go back to sleep, she became flustered and explained that she had broken my mirror. She said she was incredibly sorry and that I had to get up so that she could prepare food for me. I smiled and told her not to worry about the mirror, but I simply was not hungry. Why did she want to cook for me? Well, in Tanzania, if you break a belonging of somebody’s, you must cook for them. This was an unfortunate cultural lesson to learn at 5:30 in the morning, and I promised her she could cook for me later. She looked relieved.

That’s all for this week. Check back later for updated pictures and for a letter written by Babu Msangi about life with a muzungu (me).

Many Thanks for Reading! Much love from Kwala.

Lisa Walker

Project Director

lisawalkerntc@gmail.com

–

October 1, 2009

Dear Friends,

I began writing this post while laying in my hammock watching the run rise, however, the weather refused to wait for me to finish. It is October first, and in anything but African fashion, rainy reason has begun on time. A sea of ants has accompanied the rain, and I found myself running, computer in tow, atop a crawling ground, to the safe haven that is Kwala Secondary School. Now I am trying again, writing this week’s post from the new NTC library and listening to the pitter pat of raindrops as they hit the tin roof outside. The NTC library has become a favorite place for both students and teachers, and I find that the room itself has taken on a life and light of its own as an academic and recreational center for all. Even as I write this, students are shuffling in to pick out books and study together.

The graduation celebration last weekend was larger than life. I was overseeing the food for the event (don’t ask me how I got sucked into that) and spent the end of last week preparing a variety of dishes to feed over 500 guests. I have never peeled so many potatoes in my life! Things got a bit silly in “kitchen” and I found myself thinking, it’s a good thing they are graduating. It would be impossible to respect me as a teacher after watching my ineptitude in the kitchen. Despite the fact that I have no idea how to work a knife, this ended up being a wonderful bonding experience between me and the students.

On Saturday, as the guests rolled in, I watched as our Form 4 students sat nervously awaiting the start of the ceremony. As I walked through the rows of students, dressed elegantly in black and white, I saw the pride they felt in their accomplishments. This is the second class to graduate from Kwala secondary school, and I have enjoyed the privilege of getting to know a few them. Watching them rise to collect their certificates, I felt a sense of honor in the fact that they wanted me to be a part of this experience.

After the graduation ceremony, the students took part in the feast and then partied until dawn. Listening to a mixture of American rap, too much Michael Jackson to recall, and Tanzanian hip hop galore, the kids danced up a storm. The headmaster also took advantage of this joyous occasion, calling all the teachers together to tell us how happy he was to be joining our team of teachers and students. Soda in hand, we raised our bottles to say cheers in Swahili (“Afya” meaning “health”).

Now, the insanity of graduation has passed, and our Form 4 students will be buckling down to do final preparations for their national examinations. This is a nervous time for both students and teachers, and we are all wishing them the best!

The rest of the week has been productive. I have taught more computer lessons than I care to think about, as students come to me by the bunch wanting to learn. It’s impossible to deny an interested student. I have been preparing the form 4 NTC girls for their first internet lesson, creating E-Mail accounts and teaching typing and letter writing lessons so that NTC can stay in touch with these girls even after they graduate. I have enjoyed getting to know the girls, and they have proven to be incredibly motivated and interested students.

The English classes that I have assisted in teaching seem to be very challenging for both teacher and student. A big problem at Kwala Secondary School is the expectation that every student (and teacher) know and speak English, and that each class be taught in English. Mind you, this is not a problem unique to Kwala but a national challenge which has plagued the educational sector since the 1960’s. Ultimately, the students struggle with both content and language. Despite the insanity of the system itself, I am here and I will teach.

I have continued to introduce Mama Annu and the Msangi family to bits and pieces of American food as they teach me more and more about African cooking. This week, I prepared spaghetti for Mama Annu and her family, though this was far from Italian style cooking. Adding coconut milk, carrots, and African spices, the spaghetti was a delicious jumble of American, Italian, and Tanzanian. Additionally, I have introduced her to the delicacy that is hot chocolate. In truly Mama Annu form, she has made this typical American drink uniquely African, adding crushed ginger and some sugar for flavor. If you are interested in learning about Tanzanian style cooking, I have put a few recipes up on our “In the Kitchen” page.

That is all for this week! Thank you so much for reading. Please check back soon for updated pictures.

Much love from Kwala,

Lisa Walker

Project Director

LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

September 24, 2009

Dear Friends,

As I write this, I am sitting inside the home of Babu Msangi eating fresh coconut which I have shaved myself. No doubt it was picked only yesterday from the Tanzanian trees which line the coast. One of the more unique skills I have picked up is the ability to know if a coconut is ripe or not before opening it. A good coconut is one which holds little water and makes a clear ringing sound when tapped with a coin (as opposed to emitting a hollow or dull sound). Give it a shot next time you go to the grocery store! The things you learn living on the African coast.

Another week has passed since my arrival in Kwala. This week has been slow yet seemingly hectic, as our new headmaster has taken the reins just in time to lead the school through it’s rather elaborate Form Four graduation celebrations. The new headmaster seems to be a genuine man seeking to effectively enhance the quality of education provided here at Kwala Secondary School. He is excited to work with me and NTC, and while I feel a bit intimidated by the emphasis which he has placed on my presence here, I will certainly try to fill the massive shoes which he has given me.

I taught my first class today! It was absolutely wonderful and left me feeling invigorated and capable, the latter being a feeling which I had nearly forgotten since my arrival in this place where I know how to do just about nothing. I had the students jumping and running all over the classroom, enthusiastic to be actively participating in the lesson. Before I knew it, the other teachers had crowded around outside of the room, watching me with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. I can only hope that some of my silliness will rub off on this very somber group of the teachers.

I was not supposed to start teaching my own class until January. However, I have watched so many classes sitting idly without teachers and couldn’t bear to watch the students time being wasted a moment longer. Not all news from Kwala can be happy, and this is a facet of my experience which I have found extremely discouraging. How can we expect the students to care if the teachers do not? Unfortunately, the indifference exhibited by many of the teachers is a product of a much larger national problem whereby both teachers and the educational system are severely neglected. I suppose when you are paid nothing and denied a positive educational experience yourself; you lack the incentive and know-how to provide a better schooling environment for your students. Despite their indifference regarding classroom activities, there is no shortage of formality and official procedure here at Kwala. Thus, African time…where everything takes FOREVER. That’s Africa baby.

I have spent the greater part of my week organizing the library. I have learned an important lesson: You can give a man a library – but if you don’t teach him how to use it, the books just get dusty. Back to good news, the Headmaster has been very pro-active in getting us lights for the library! Beginning next week the library will stay open until 10 pm and provide a wonderful place for students to come and study quietly or receive academic support from myself and other teachers. I hope to provide a brief introduction to the library for each form respectively, teaching them how to check out books and the importance of returning them. Beyond all of the academic books which the new NTC library has collected, we have created an impressive section for recreational reading. I am hoping that the students learn to enjoy reading.

Introduced the Msangi family to Italian style pasta last night. Unfortunately, without premade sauce to add to my vegetables, the meal was surely lacking. But they appreciated the effort. And, it was a good way to say goodbye to Bibi (grandmother) who has left Kwala to return to the home of her other children living in Northern Tanzania (Ever seen an 86 year old on a motorcycle?). Goodbye Bibi! Safari njema (Safe travels).

That is all for this week. Please check back in a few days for more updated pictures from Kwala. Many Thanks for Reading. And much love from all the students and teachers here at Kwala Secondary School.

Lisa Walker

Project Director

LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

September 17, 2009

Dear Friends,

It has been two weeks since my arrival in Kwala Tanzania, and I have started to find a rhythm whereby I carry out my daily activities. At the moment, I am swinging in my hammock in the jungle beside the Msangi house, watching the steady rising of the sun, blazing red as it welcomes in the new day. One would think this to be the quietest part of the day, however, I am surrounded by noises of the waking natural world, chirping and cooing, roosting and crowing, all around me in a symphony of life.

This week was full of activity, spectacular moments, and constant surprise. The students finished their midterm examinations on Friday morning, and most departed from Kwala to visit with their families in other villages throughout the region. The students remained on break this week. Only a few students and teachers stayed, and I spent the greater part of the weekend and this week providing basic computer training to all those who were interested. Because most were gone, this gave me the truly enjoyable opportunity to meet with students and staff here one on one and begin the process of learning about their lives.

Mama Annu, the head mistress at the school and one of the most remarkable women I have ever had the opportunity to meet, has taken me under her wing. I find myself grateful for her, as she has become not only my friend, but my teacher and mentor, and has been incredibly patient with me as I learn how to live within this truly foreign environment that is the African bush. She has taught me how to make nail polish from local plants and how to sew, assuring me that once I learn, I will find this activity relaxing (at the moment that is debatable). She has also started to teach me how to cook, which is not quite as simple as defrosting a frozen dinner in the micro wave. Not only am I learning how to cook beans, rice, ugali, and different types of vegetables, but Mama Annu insists that I (the vegetarian of 10 years) adjust to my surroundings and learn how to cook kuku (chicken). She let me off the hook this time as far as participation, but she insisted that I watch as she broke off the legs and beak and threw them in a pot. What’s more, as she began to pull the feathers from the bird, four live chickens came running into the kitchen, squawking and flurrying around the pot in what I could only describe as a chicken uprising!

As stated in my last entry, I showed the students their first movie on the walls outside of the school last week. We watched War of the Worlds. The students love action, and screamed in excitement as aliens attacked the world. One by one, many approached me, asking when this had happened in New York City. As soon as the movie was set up and the children all watching, I found myself distracted by something distinctly different. As I looked up, for the first time since I had arrived, I noticed all the beauty that was held within the glowing African night sky. The wild American sci-fi juxtaposed with the peaceful serenity of infinite stars hanging in the wide open sky made me laugh out loud. The scene I was gazing upon could only be described as a physical manifestation of these two worlds combining. For the first time since I had arrived, I found myself truly enchanted by this incredible opportunity to bring experiences together within my own life, and within the lives of our students and teachers here at Kwala Secondary School. I found myself feeling invigorated by the knowledge that so many more moments such as that one would inevitably arise over the next many months.

Some of the lessons I have learned thus far were enjoyable, some were experienced with the realization that there would be a massive learning curve, some moments were totally disgusting, and others completely invigorating. I look forward to the opportunity to share more of my experiences with you next week. Until then, much love from Kwala!

Asante Sana Kwa Kusoma (Many Thanks for Reading),

Lisa Walker

Project Director

LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

September 10, 2009

Dear NTC Supporters,

I am happy to be writing to you from the porch of our NTC Advisor, Babu Msangi, in Kwala Tanzania. As I sit here, on the other side of the world, watching the sun dip slowly into a bath of pink clouds in the sky, I realize that it has only been one week since my arrival in this new and complex world that is Kwala.

I have come to understand that my dream of Africa, as being a perfect, pure and communal society, was only ever a construct of my own imagination. In fact, most of Africa, and more specifically Kwala, is populated by people living in a different culture but with similar imperfections to our own. The realization that the members of this community are plagued by not only the difficulties of living in poverty but also by the same human faults and strengths as any other group of people, I have been forced to re write my own story and expectations. I find myself in the dual role of teacher and student as I try to assimilate myself into this community. While my vision has changed, by removing my rose colored glasses, my goals have not. I am here as NTC’s Project Director, and in that capacity I am enjoying bringing education, technology, and hope to many of the students attending Kwala Secondary School.

I arrived just in time for the students to begin a week long examination process. As such, I have been assisting in proctoring their exams. Rulers and pencils are shared between the students as they take their exams, passing these materials silently around the room. I find myself pacing up and down the rows, glancing over their heads to see their work. I pace until the urge to blurt out the correct answers becomes unbearable, and then I force myself to sit down. When I catch the students watching me during their exams, I find myself smiling warmly, trying to impart on them silently that I sympathize with their test taking process. They seem to be doing well thus far, yet I am eager for this time to come to an end so that I can begin to figure out how I will fit into the normal routine of the school.

The school is the only place in Kwala with working electricity. Each night following sun down about 100 students gather in the lit classrooms to study together. Tonight, the night before their English exam, I will show the students the film War of the Worlds. I hope that this activity will not only reinforce their English, but provide a stress free and fun listening exercise whereby they can review their materials prior to their midterm exam. Thanks to the kind donation from NTC friends, I will be able to show this movie on a projector in one of the school classrooms.

Yesterday I met with the girls from the Scholarship program for the first time. Despite the fact that the village water pump was malfunctioning and the students were forced to walk 7 kilometers to get water, most of the girls went out of their way to attend our first meeting. I brought a hula hoop with me to Tanzania to play games with the students. I brought my hula hoop to our first meeting as a casual form of introduction and we were able to play games with it prior to our discussion. It was the first time they had seen a hula hoop, and after looking at me with a baffled expression, they each picked it up one by one and giggled as they swung it around their hips. After my American game, they taught me a Tanzanian dance, and we sang together as we danced around the school. During our discussion, the girls told me what they would like to get out of our weekly meetings. We decided to do a combination of computer lessons, English learning activities, open discussions and games. As we went around the circle for the girls to introduce themselves, they also listed their preferences for future occupations. We have a lot of prospective teachers, doctors, and entrepreneurs at Kwala secondary school. I am hoping that through my presence, your continued support, and their amazing desire to learn, we can help them to achieve these goals. This can truly be a collaborative experience for us all.

I am looking forward to carving a place for myself in the lives of the people of Kwala. I am hesitant to say too much about my experience in Kwala thus far as I am still adjusting. More next week. Until then, I welcome your feedback!

Asante Sane kwa Kusoma (Many Thanks for Reading),

Lisa Walker

Project Director

LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com

–

August, 2009

Dear NTC Supporters,

My name is Lisa Walker and it is my pleasure to introduce myself as NTC’s new Project Director. As a recent graduate of Boston University’s International Relations and African Studies program, I feel fortunate to have this opportunity to get directly involved with Tanzania’s education system – a subject that has been my interest for many years. My passion for working with children and young adults has been an evolving theme throughout my life. My commitment to African development has been more recent, and confirmed during my most recent trip to Tanzania in the Summer of 2008, during which I taught under the auspices of Cross Cultural Solutions. My experience provided me with the opportunity to challenge my teaching skills and expand my cultural and educational horizons. The experience also reinforced my belief that Tanzania, with a stable government and a functional economy, is on the brink of major change. As such, I believe that a focus on educational development will provide the necessary tools for the next generation of Tanzanians, empowering students to take an active role within their families, communities, and country.I will be leaving Boston for Kwala on September 1st 2009. During my stay in Kwala, I have many goals that I hope to accomplish for NTC. These include:

• Creating community based NTC Clubs in Kwala that will correspond and work with pre-established student based clubs within Newton schools.
• Learning about the Tanzanian bilingual education system by working with students and teachers at Kwala Secondary School and Mahundi Primary School.
• Creating a peer-mentoring initiative and English Club designed to enhance Kwala students’ English conversational skills
• Working with Kwala staff to further NTC’s development goals for the Kwala School Community while also establishing local ownership of NTC within the Kwala community 

• Creating a holistic educational model to ensure the ongoing success of NTC’s Girls Scholarship Project

We live in a global world. To recognize this fact is to acknowledge our collaborative responsibility to each other and to generations to come. With this in mind, I plan to begin this weekly blog in September of 2009. I look forward to receiving input from the larger NTC community, and hope that together we can have a positive impact on the community of Kwala, the community of Newton, and each other.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to continuing our conversation.

Best wishes,

Lisa Walker

Project Director

LisaWalkerNTC@gmail.com