Site Visits

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What
a Mixed Bag!





Three of us SA26’s did day site visits. Eva and George came to Kameelpoort where they toured Sele Secondary and Ndayi Primary, met my host family and then I cooked lunch for them. On following days, we visited Eva at Mt. View,
then George at Kwagga.











Site -
How it looks/How it feels





Carolyn I have hills around my town. And the town is sweet. I like my 12’ x 14’ room in Martha’s yard. She has a new kitten and a dog she keeps tied up.





George BEST A view like the best of Montana. Big sky, rolling hills with cows and a stream (which I’d never go in!) Has his own bathroom w/flush toilet. Hot water from outside tap. Eva and I loved turning it on and feeling the water!





Eva
WORST Close to shopping town Housing is congested and roads are dirt with ruts. Has a friendly dog, but rats in the latrine! Last wknd, Eva was bothered by moths and weird bugs flying around a hostel we were staying in, but not me...I have lots of bugs in my room, I prefer them to rats!!!!!!!





School facilities/challenges they face

you will have to wait for photos of classroom conditions





Carolyn
BEST A newer school in a small, sleepy village. Good library room. But still no lights in some bldgs, leaky roofs in others, and desks falling apart.





challenge:190 learners in 6 grades, so teachers have 5 or 6 different preps
in a school day. Not all teachers go to classroom to teach regularly.





George
George’s school has very small blackboards in each room.





challenge: Teachers don’t go to class the two periods after lunch and most
learners go home. When George teaches after lunch, he’ll have maybe 5 students. (schedule rotates)





Eva
WORST All the rooms have pitted, crumbly cement floors.





challenge: 560 learners in Gr 7-9 Like an inner-city school, students have
drug problems, fights, etc.





Principal





Carolyn
Since he was born in the same month and the same year as me, and has
been widowed over 10 years also, you can imagine how the staff likes to remark on the things we have in common!





George
Principal is not involved in what’s happening in classes. Also not interested in assisting Peace Corps volunteer.





Eva
BEST Very efficient and organized; she gets the teachers to class! Has taken Eva under her wing.

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Comments

[judy bryant]

Carolyn, thanks for the organizing, but I had fun reading it the first time. What a variety of situations, comfort-wise and people-wise! Do PC volunteers bother with holidays like Thanksgiving? Interesting comment about the similarities you share with your principal.