DAY 8 - Bweranyange Girls School - and the Hansens - July, 2010

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Revisiting Bweranyange Girls Secondary School (BGSS), one of my favorite places from 2008 was heartwarming and eye opening. Highlights 1.) Another lovely breakfast with Carsten at the Kayanga Hotel with condolences over Germany losing the World Cup to Spain. 2.) Visited the Jubilee Site where the ELCT just celebrated their 100 years in Karagwe; 3.) Visited Bweranyange Girls School (BGSS) that has expanded from 120 girls in 2008 to 323 in 2010!; 4.) Girls sang and danced for us in an assembly; 5.) Met with teachers and Assistant Headmaster at BGSS and shared fun at Maya Point.

NARRATIVE: Sam picked us up shortly after 7:00am, picked up Sister Regina and stopped by the Jubilee site. I remember Sr. Regina from 2008 when she would be walking on the road between familes she would visit and our ELCT vehicle would pick her up to give her a ride. She is kind, no-nonsense, one-speed type of person, and I'm sure if I spoke more Swahili, I would be able to confirm my suspicion that she is really smart. We visited the Jubliee site. The ELCT is still recuperating from hosting hundreds and hundreds of people from around the world as they gathered here to celebrate 100 years of the Gospel in Karagwe. The Germans were instrumental in this and still have a strong presence with the ELCT. At the site was a stark white obelisk with commemorative words.

Driving to the school 40km from Kayanga, we saw the rural poverty become more pronounced. One kid with no pants, another dragging his rear on the road, men and women walking out of the shambas where it would appear to a casual observer that no one would live, thatch covered stick homes with clay smeared. It could be a scene from hundreds of years ago. Driving up to Bweranyange I was astonished at the well-made buildings, the multiple plantings of trees and shrubs, the white painted bricks lining the drive, the welcoming committee made me feel like the school was a developed place in what was otherwise utter poverty. We were welcome by Mr. Gens and the welcoming committee. I was keeping my eye out for Sophia Rozaro and Sophia Bonaphage from my visit in 2008, but learned that they had enrolled in further education and were away at school.

The BGSS staff was shy to look at us at first. Assistant Headmaster, Mr. Gens, introduced me as "This is Professor Jan who has her photo in the Headmistress' office and who gave the books". I then realized that the small passport sized photo I had given to Sophia, the previous administrator of BGSS had blown my photo up into an 8x10 with each pixel quite fuzzy and enlarged. I smiled and it felt good to be welcomed this way. After some initial signing in, I asked Mr. Gens when would be a good time to give BGSS a gift. He said "now" so I pulled out the plaque I had made with 30 donors names on it. The list was framed and included each person who had contributed to the Bweranyange Girls' School first ever curriculum (books). Steve's sister, her family and Steve's parents were the very first contributors. Family, friends from my church, St. Thomas, neighborhood and others had their name written on a classy framed plaque intended for the BGSS Adminsitration Building. Mr. Gens was so appreciative and insisted upon reading each and every name. He was formal and I could tell that he was genuinely moved that so many people care about the girls' school. When he got to the "H's" he read Hansen after Hansen after Hansen. At one point he looked at Steve and said "That is you!", then continued on reading the names. When he finished, Mr. Gens thanked us formally and then introduced us to the staff by name and position. There were many new additions to the staff. I recognized only one teacher from my 2008 visit - the Math and Science teacher Mr. Bxamugisha (Dominic). He was happy to be remembered. The staff accepted the 1 gallon solar-powered water pasteurizer that we gave them. The directions were complicated and the teachers pored over them. We shared that the purpose of our trip was to listen to what they believe their needs are at the school. They readily identified these for us stating: 1) Books and resources (they compiled a long list while we talked); 2) Motorcycles so that teachers can be transported to see their families on weekends; 3) science equipment especially Bunson burners; 4) teacher training.

After a while we went as a group on tour of the school. We saw several new species of landscape flowers, ornamental shrubs, and transplanted native grasses. We were told that some Europeans and some Americans had made generous contributions to help with landscaping and with the new water tank, the solar panels and generator, and the laboratory with science equipment and the books. Definitely an Ameri-Euro feel to this African campus. Not good or bad - just the way it is.

We were escorted into an assessmbly hall that did not exist in 2008. It was huge and it seemed surreal. We were seated at the front and treated as VIPs. The staff and Mr. Gens and Sister Regina and Sam sat with us. I was very mindful that each place had a bottle of water by it. Do the audiences here ever tire of the VIPs having water while they do not? The entire school was in the assembly hall seated in straight rows facing our head table. Mr. Gens welcomed all and introduced us. The girls then sang and danced for us. They performed traditional songs and dancing. I made one small video and if you visit our Educate Tanzania website you can click on "Bweranyange Thank You Song" and see it (and all the Dasani on our table).

One of the male teachers invited Steve to dance and they went at it - the girl students were rolling they were laughing so hard. Steve later said, "It was my first dance in Africa and I liked it". Several girls represented BGSS and thanked Steve and me in English. One got a little carried away and thanked us for building the school. Woo! Mr. Gens closed the assembly and thanked us again. We were then escorted to lunch.

Our lunch was somewhat uneventful with Mr. Gens sitting at our table with us and frowning at the teachers who all sat at another table. Mr. Gens invited them to sit with us and a few simply shook their heads 'no'. I committed then to reach out. After a look at the new kitchen and the new ovens, and a leisurely walk through the dormitories and introduction to students, we were invited into a car to go to the Maya Point.

Steve and I got to the overlook and it was even more beautiful than I remembered it. Rocks as I saw in "Lion King" looking over the Kagera River into Rwanda. We could see for miles in every direction. Beautiful. In no time here came all the teachers in a truck - all standing together in the pick-up bed. Teachers piled out and were more friendly than at the school. We chatted and talked. What did they like about teaching? Helping young girls. What were the challenges? Being away from family. Having so few supplies. Where did they see themselves in a few years? Furthering education. The younger women became friendly as we all had Fanta together. As we sat on the rock, one shared her insecurities in teaching and asked me to help the staff learn to teach better. She was one who pored over the directions on the solar powered pasteurizer and I bordered on lamenting that I could not bring her back to St. Thomas' Teacher Education program where we could do science together for a semester. We lingered over the sodas and as formal as one can get on an overlook in Africa, Mr. Gens called for everyone's attention and presented Steve and me with a hand-carved plaque. It showed an elephant, a giraffe and the traditional landscape. Beautiful. It will be treasured. Not naive - but pure hearted and that is one of the things I love about the people I met today.

It became time to go. We again piled into the truck and drove with Sister Regina to Kayanga where we met with General Secretary, Erasto Kamihanda. We debriefed about the needs at KARUCO and Bweranyange and discussed possibilities. Steve is good at not making promises but offering ideas. He really enjoyed his day at the Girls' School, meeting so many young people, getting to know the staff and Mr. Gens, riding with Sam and Sister Regina, and writing on a chalkboard, "Yes we can!". After a wonderful supper of rice, red sauce and cooked cabbage we were in our rooms by 8:00PM. Power outage tonight so no water which means - no shower. We'll get a bucket of warm water in the morning if this continues.

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Take me to the Educate Tanzania website.

http://educatetanzania.org

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Photos

The Library
Our Donation

Sister Regina
Campus Walk at Bweranyange

Roommates at the Girls School
Community Living

Headmaster & Steve at Maya Point
Panormaic View of Kagera River & Rwanda

Young Teachers
Teaching Students Slightly Younger Than They

Handcarved Plaque
This gift commemorates a wonderful day.