Back to School

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The orphanage project is now complete with all but the ground to clear. It's been very slow process and frustrating at times not being able to have any input on the organisation or the buying of materials. One day we waited 6hrs for a delivery of materials. All they arranged was delivery, nobody thought to ask what time it would arrive and nobody thought to order it earlier so we still had some work to do in the meantime. Then when it does arrive, they decide to have a break! A whole day wasted sitting around. The orphanage build could have easily been completed in 2 weeks but due to the lack of organisation and the unwillingness for the locals to work, it's taken almost 6 weeks. Isaac my host is keen for me to move onto the schools project. In other words, he doesn't like a woman having an opinion about how they work, or rather lack of it. The orphanage will open in March and will house 10 children all cared for by a lady who has taken in one by one orphaned children. She was given a home by the community about 10yrs ago that was in a very bad state of repair back then and is a lot worse now. All the tin has rusted and has broken away in some areas, there is a wasp’s nest inside and the roof leaks. So this home will help enormously for her and the children. We have provided beds and mattress for all, blankets and some utensils. The plan is to build another 4 orphanages on the same site as there are far more children to be cared for.


The school term started on 6th January. Each term is 3 months long then they have a month off, so the next holiday will be for the whole of April. Olasiti School consists of 3 classes. Baby class (3yrs) a nursery class (4yrs) and junior class (5yrs). In each class there are approximately 15 children but there would be more if the parents could afford the school fees. The fees are 200ksh (£1.40) per month. 200ksh could feed a family of 4 for approximately 3 days. The school day starts at 9 and finishes at 12.30. They day is extended if there is money to provide a lunch for each of them, but at the moment there is none so the children go home at 12.30. My host Josephine is a teacher at the school and is paid 3000ksh per month (£21) with no pay for holiday time.


I was hoping to sit in and observe each class before making any decision as to what class I wanted to teach. However, when I arrived I was told one teacher had not turned up and could I take the baby class? Thrown in at the deep end was an understatement. I wasn't given any instruction whatsoever. 15 3yr olds who don't know a single word of English, especially the word NO! I tried singing nursery rhymes, playing ring-a-ring-a-roses, counting, dancing but nothing seemed to stop them fighting, spitting, pushing desks over, taking their clothes off, eating chalk, eating each other, or escaping from the classroom. After just one hour, I let them go into the playground to play, there are 2 swings, a sea saw and a climbing rack which was made by previous volunteers. The other two teachers looked at me and laughed, I must have looked traumatised. I think I was. After play was a little better but only because I had sweets to give them but I still couldn't keep them in the class room for more than an hour. In hind sight I should never have been given that class but none of the teachers like taking the baby class, which is why it happened. The children are unruly, they are not used to sitting, it's like watching feral children at times. They are up and dressed before sunrise some mornings and play until dark. They are used to not having any food all day.


For the next few days I've sat and observed. The teaching leaves a lot to be desired to say the least. The class rooms are enormous for the amount of children but the desks are all so close together. The children are allowed to sit 7 at a desk even when there is plenty room on other desks, most bring chi in plastic bottles and are constantly distracted by opening and closing them. They are given pencils at the beginning of the class even though they may not do any written work. They do nothing but stab each other with them and it all goes unnoticed. They fight all the time and are quite spiteful to each other. I know kids can be spiteful but this just seems a whole lot worse than I've ever seen. I've identified that only a handful of children want to learn and am keen but are distracted by other children who have no interest. All the children are given homework but only these few children have completed it. The ones who haven't, I'm shocked to see get the cane. In the playground a crying child gets no attention even though he has fallen over the barbed wire which is supposed to be around the top of the fence but has fallen down. His leg is bleeding and I go immediately to inform one of the teachers who don’t care much. He tells him off for crying because he's a boy but he is still bleeding. Thankfully, I've got some plasters in my rucksack and fix his leg up. He is still crying but kids here are not used to being hugged and don't like it so I try and sing to him to distract him from the pain, it works for a while.


I've taken a look in the library, it's not well stocked and everything there is from volunteers. I've managed to find only a handful of books that are being used. They have books labeled aged 20+ and 13-19 yrs which are fairy tale books. In other words, these books will never be used by the school and have never been opened. They have paints, jigsaws, cards play dough and paper that are unopened. When I ask why, I'm told the children don't know how to play with them. They have rackets, cricket sets, bats and balls all unopened which is really sad. The teachers don't understand learning through play.


It's not all bad, the older children's class seems more structured and the kids seem more enthusiastic about learning. The other classes enjoy singing and dancing a lot and most of the class is enjoyable for them. When a child gets a question right, the rest of the class sing a song of praise to them. However if they get a question wrong, the whole class sing a song to mock them too. It's difficult to tell the difference between boys and girls as the boys wear girls clothes and shoes and vice versa. Clothes are clothes and everything gets used.
When returning from school, I have hundreds of questions to ask Josephine about the teaching and work ethic at the school. I asked firstly why no attention was paid to the crying boy and was given the answer "kids cry all the time, they stop soon, we can't attend every child and." I've asked her if I can make a few suggestions, the first being to stop using the cane and take 5 minutes of play from them instead. The second it to ensure all the children are properly spaced out and have enough room to sit and write comfortably. There were many more and some ongoing but too much to mention.


At the weekend I've searched on the market for balls, skipping ropes, hula hoops ribbon and also managed to get some canvas sacks for free. So for Friday 31st I've arranged the schools first ever sports day, with lunch included. Well have sack races, stone and spoon races, obstacle races and running. I'm hoping that the moms will attend too but I'm told they probably won't. I've searched high and low for some sort of medals to give them all but to no avail. Hopefully, if not too expensive, I maybe able to get some in Nairobi about 2hrs away.
Isaac's sister is a teacher also, but works in a school in the town which is funded by the government. I have arranged to go to that school for a day next week so I can see how it compares to the Masai schools.


As for me, I'm now confident in getting around by myself which is giving me a lot more freedom. I still can't get used to the very slow pace of life here and therefore I use this freedom to take myself off on walks and talk to other members of the community.

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Photos

Fairy tale books
Labeled 13-19yrs

Boy or Girl?
The boy is in the pink

Comments

[Home and Away]

I was also frustrated by the lack of organization...
when I was involved in construction management in Uganda in October 2008, which I blogged. I was not allowed to provide any advice as this would be perceived as being insensitive to their culture. Unwillingness to learn new ways is what holds most of the continent back.