Workshop for Primary 1 Teachers at the Coordinating Center
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I saw someone wearing a shirt with the Texas flag on it.
The other day I saw someone in a UT Longhorns shirt. You know me, I have post-UT school spirit (went to the Co-op before I graduated and got myself a tee shirt) But I had a surge of pride and did the hook ‘em horns out the window. (I was in a taxi.)
And finally yesterday i saw a young girl with a Fort Worth Zoo Tee Shirt. (!)
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Last week we had some workshops at various schools and i would like to describe some aspects of their structures for you. Their buildings aren't all the same, but at least mostly similar. Looking at them i think of parents/teachers/students from back home and make silent faces to myself cause i know someone who's in facilities maintenance :)
Here are some things:
#1 No Electricity but overhead light bulbs
#2 Cement floor crumbling near the blackboard (nice pot holes for the teacher to maneuver around) and under the student’s desks
#3 A tin roof and no ceiling. (I’ll mention it just in case you weren’t imagining it: there’s no air conditioning here on the equator. Sometimes I step into a swanky bank or grocery store-in Kampala of course- and feel the fresh burst of cold air coming my way. Mmmm)
#4 No glass panes for the windows, when it rains everyone just moves towards the center of the room and since rain on a tin roof is Loud, class instruction usually stops.
#5 Pupils’ desks have rusty nails sticking out of them
#6 Thick, established spiders’ webs and bats’ nests in the corners and crevices of the room
#7 Crumbling cement walls
#8 Old wooden door that doesn’t occupy the entire door frame
#9 Lines of ants running up and down the walls.
Some schools have more or less building "issues" they would love to fix if they had the funds, but in the meantime, the students learn and the teachers teach.
LOVE. Me
wow.
ReplyDeletehi leste, muah! sluggaa! haha wow I have a big sister in Africa.
ReplyDeleteHey Celeste-so good to hear from you. Lucas sends his love and says to be careful. We all miss you! TIA
ReplyDeletebuenos dias! i was reading your latest blog again...and had a story of my own, and questions...i was waiting to pick up Martin and thought i would go find something to eat, i was so hungry because i had not eaten lunch(i know, a shock). i went to a BQ place, walked in only to have everyone in the front let me know the place had closed five minutes earlier. A guy came out from a back room and asked what was going on. One of the ladies said someone had forgotten to lock the door and they were telling me they were closed. The guy looked at me then told them to go ahead and fix me something to eat. i was surprised!? He walked over to the counter after i had ordered. He asked me if i had gone to BD. i said yes! and wondered how he knew. He said "I was not going to say no to someone wearing my alma mater tee shirt". T-shirts are powerful!! :) AND i was wondering several things: are all of these buldings you are visiting, and i guess at some point will work in, elementary schools? Are you going to 'high' schools also? How many classrooms are in each of the buildings? Do they have 'cafeterias'? 'restrooms'? 'administrative' areas? At the elementary schools, are there 'playgrounds'? IF there was money, who would be responsible for funding? the government, town, private institution? By the way, it brought a smile when i read your last sentence recalling~ you do what you can with what you have...and most times what you have is much more than most..sound familiar? :) te quiero tanto! be good, con carino, la mama.
ReplyDeleteHi Celeste!!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your posts and am ashamed I have not visited your blog sooner :| But hey, I've been thinkin' about you lots. I have your little orange piece of paper with the address on it on my fridge and think of you all the time. You are incredible, young lady. It takes me back to when I was a child and lived in Nigeria. Our bedrooms had AC but that was it, and when I brought young Nigerians from the village into my room they were freaked out, because they had never experienced AC before. I am enjoying the summer break but this summer is going to be very short and will be over in no time. We certainly miss you here. Mrs. Dailey has hired former student Victoria Doan to help with many of the things you did while working at the school. She wants me to update the "How to buy books on the Web" video. She thought I could do the video and then have Victoria do a voice over or something! Hey, take care of yourself kid. We all love and miss you much. I will try and do the right thing and send you a cool care package.
Ciao for Now, Mr. Beattie