Graduation for the Standard 7 students

I am so happy to report that we have the internet back on at Twiga. It is a great day. The Tanzanians staff must have be very amused by the hooping and hollowing as Laura somehow managed to get it up and going. This effort is the culmination of her many months spent here over a 5 year period. I am not sure what they thought as the 3 mzungus ran to the computer and plugged in their laptops.

It has been a great week here at Amani. The standard 7 children have just sat their National Exams and if they pass they will be able to move onto secondary school. Those who do, are the privileged of the children in Tanzania. More than 50% of children finish their primary educations but only about 7% get through secondary. Not only is it expensive but challenging. As I have already reported, all of the schooling is in English versus Kiswahili in primary school. We are all so proud of these 16 children as it has been a grueling year for them especially over the last month or so. The standard 7 exam is really difficult. A British volunteer who was recently visiting said that he thought it was based on the English O levels which is sat at the age of 16 in Britain. This includes the English exam which is being sat by non native English speakers at 14 or so. My heart went out to them as I watched them straggle home around 6 pm each night having been in school since 8 in the morning. Laura, the English teacher and a couple of the other volunteers have spent each evening and a couple of hours on the weekends helping them with practice tests for the last month or so. Unfortunately as much as I would have liked my Kiswahili wasn’t up to being of much assistance. After the 2 days of exams they were able to celebrate by going out for Chipsi Kuku (fried chicken and chips) which is a real treat for them. Their week also included a Seminar Day which included all sorts of topics and outside speakers that would help them with the transition to their new independent lives. The week culminated in a staff, student soccer game. I feel that the staff took it all a little seriously but when I suggested that they lighten up and give the kids a break they responded "but what was the score last time" Yes the kids had won 7-2 and there was no allowances being made this game.

Although it isn’t usual here in Tanzania, Amani held a Graduation Day for them as a celebration of their achievements as well as a farewell to Amani. Once the children enter secondary school they either go home to their family, extended family or to boarding school if no family exists. Several weeks of planning preceded this day with all staff and students helping to pitch tents, count plates, cutlery etc and move chairs from storage downstairs. The morning started with everyone working to put up elaborate decorations and helping in the kitchen. No modern kitchen here. Nothing electric. Everything to be served to almost 200 people was prepared by hand. Want to know how many potatoes had to be peeled.... Let's just say it was a lot. The guests were supposed to arrive and the festivities start at 10 it was much closer to 12. Speeches, acrobatic and jump rope displays along with distribution of presents to the honored students followed. Finally it was time for lunch and what a feast. Fried chicken and potatoes, rice and meat, veggies galore and watermelon and of course the real favorite being soda. However the day wasn't over. The head of the social work department is also a DJ and now is when the dance party started. This also included a student competition followed by staff against staff with the students as judges. Since it is impossible to beat Africans at their own game the only way for the westerners to make any impression was through their popularity with the students or to be outrageous in their dancing style. I left at around 5 and the kids were still at it. The neighborhood kids who had also been invited had to be dragged off the swings and soccer field. For them it had also been a fabulous day. They never get to use play equipment and their usual soccer field is a patch of dirt if they can find one somewhere.

Harvest Day!

Today was declared as the day for harvesting the corn at the Amani garden. This is located a few kilometers up a road behind Amani. Two staff members maintain it on a regular basis and the kids and the rest of the staff help out throughout the year. This huge field consists primarily of corn with a small plot of the land used to grow some vegetables. Now, you may be asking, “What in the world do they grow so much corn for?” Let me start by saying that everyone grows corn here. The corn is used to make Ugali, which is a staple of Tanzanians’ diet .It is basically like super thick grits and it takes a lot of dried out corn to feed 70 kids and 50 staff a couple times a week. Despite the heat and multiple scratches all over our arms and legs from the dried out corn stalks, it was a lot of fun especially after the truck was loaded and everyone piled in for the trip back to Amani. The corn is stored on the ground floor and will be shucked off the cobs within the next few weeks.