Glory, Glory, Moshi Rural

Hey everybody, I've not had too much time to write this week, so in lieu of a proper blog entry, I thought I'd share a recent article from the Tanzania Daily News about education initiatives right here in Moshi.

Just to be clear, the village of Msaranga where the Toa Nafasi pilot project is currently being implemented is NOT technically a part of the Moshi Rural District discussed below.  It is, in fact, considered Moshi Urban....despite the fact that goats and monkeys rival the human population there....

Anyhoo, enjoy this piece, and here's hoping for a "Sarah original" next week....!

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For many years, Moshi Rural District has been well-known for its development in education.  The district, which is made up of 31 wards, is home to several universities, and the people from that area have scattered all over the country as well as abroad in their quest for further education, business, and employment.  However, these days, that fame is gradually disappearing and there is a growing concern of people wanting to find a quick solution to the recent poor performance in education and to restore Moshi's glory.

There are many factors inhibiting the achievement of good results in education such as lack of motivation in the workplace, shortage of teaching materials and learning facilities as well as poor working conditions.  Additionally, it is sad to state that the government owes Moshi Rural District teachers a staggering TSH1.9billion in arrears.  The Chairperson of the Tanzania Teachers Union (TTU) in Moshi Rural, Ms. Angela Kimath, says it will be difficult to successfully improve education in the district if the sum is not paid, but she is hopeful the matter will be settled soon.

According to the 2012 census, the population of Moshi Rural is 466,737 people.  The TTU Secretary for the district, Mr. Dawson Temu, says there are currently 2,556 teachers in primary schools and 1,125 in secondary schools while the teacher training colleges have 257 teaching staff members.

Amongst Ms. Kimath's concerns is that the pass rate for Standard VII students has dropped dramatically and this is a great challenge not only to teachers but also to parents/guardians and the government.  Data on primary education shows that in 2010, the pass rate was 61% which was improved upon the following year (75%), but fell substantially in 2012 with only 38%.  The district bounced back with a moderate pass rate the next year with 65%.

Whether these low rates are due to the large number of pupils in the classrooms remains unclear, but other challenges in schools are scarcity of teachers, especially in Science subjects as well as lack of working tools.  Still, according to Mr. Temu, primary education inspectors were generally carrying out their duties well.

Ms. Kimath is optimistic that great strides will be achieved in the near future as Moshi Rural District is fortunate to be incorporated in a program that goes by the abbreviation QUEETS, or Quality Education through Expert Teachers System.

This program is run by CWT (Chama Cha Walimu Tanzania), Moshi Rural District Council, and Helvetas, a Swiss agency that is said to be one of the most experienced and largest development organizations in Switzerland.  QUEETS was introduced on July 1, 2011, and aims to improve the teaching of Mathematics, English, Science, and Environment subjects for primary schools.  The program concentrates on three regions in the north of the country - Arusha, Manyara, and Kilimanjaro.

"Last year, 84 schools received the training and this year others will go through so that by next year, we will have accomplished the task," says Ms. Kimath.

The hope is that after the teacher training, all pupils of Moshi Rural District will be better educated.  By joining together a group of national facilitators with with international assistance, the program seeks to develop improved curricula and training aids so that the facilitators (Expert Teachers) may then train already competent teachers in selected topics.

In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, the TTU closely collaborates with the education authorities at national, regional, and district levels.  Mr. Temu says the TTU in Moshi Rural District is looking forward to a bright future in teachers' and students' performances on one side and in the government meeting its obligation in teachers' remuneration on the other side.

Hello Foto

Pole sana, dear readers, but it's been kinda a crappy week.  I don't want to bring you all down with my moody blues, so I decided this entry will be an exercise in photojournalism.  

Let's hope by next week, I'll have returned to my normal chatty self!
 

 

Kissing cousins: our little heroine, now happily residing

at the Gabriella Center in Kibosho, gets a visit from a familiar face.

 

Walimu wetu (Our teachers): Could the ladies of Toa Nafasi

be any hotter?  Vumi and Yacinta chillax while waiting

for a meeting at Gabriella.

 

"We're gonna open a book, and read every word we can see.

We're gonna give you the power to learn about everything,

'cause the power's gonna set us free.

We're gonna turn it on; we're gonna bring you the power.

It's comin' down the line, strong as it can be,

through the courtesy....of THE ELECTRIC COMPANY!"

 

(or in this case, of TOA NAFASI?)

 

 

Okay, I know over-sized clothes are all the rage

amongst today's youth, but seriously??

No matter, by this time next year,

they'll be up round his bellybutton!

 

 

Just to be clear, I am NOT poking fun of this young gentleman

and his healthy appetite.  He's an adorable little boy.

He just really loves lunch.

 

 

And the line forms here!

When it's hot and dusty in the classroom at the end

of a long school day, sometimes the best place thing to do

is pop a squat under the shade of a lil' old tree!!

The Breakfast Club

Okay, so I am working on a big piece to share with you about the end of the Observation Period and the start of Assessment, but as usual, where do I find the time??  One week into Assessment, and out of 129 students, only 22 remain to be tested!!  Perhaps, Vumi, Yacinta, and I ought to give ourselves a congratulatory holiday for being *totes amazeballs* and getting the job done in record time?!

At any rate, that entry on the serious side of things is most definitely forthcoming, but until then, as my time with the students always leads me to uncovering funny and cute things about them, here's a funny/cute blog post: the new and improved Breakfast Club for this millennium!

So, cue up your Simple Minds cassette, fold n' roll your favorite 501s, and check out the 2014 Brat Pack!!

  

Our "princess," Claire, is a little girl whose favorite pastime

is coming up to the teacher's table and telling me

in a Hello Kitty voice that her classmates are misbehaving.

Well, gosh, Claire, thanks for the update!

 

This little boy could pass for Emilio Estevez's "athlete"

though I've no idea if he actually likes sport.

I just thought he was a healthy, well-fed specimen, so why not?!

(Remember the infamous lunch scene in the movie?)

In this production, the "criminal," Bender will be played

by the previously introduced Baraka, who is hardly as nasty

as Judd Nelson was (especially given that he's in the first grade),

but his cheekiness wins him the title.

Love this kid.

Our "brain" is more of your typical dorkus malorkus

than a straight-up dweeb, doing all the silly things

Anthony Michael Hall would do in a John Hughes' movie....

a less intrusive take on the Atomic Wedgie here....

self-inflicted, it appears....

I hesitate to give this young man the moniker of "basket case,"

even in jest, but Ally Sheedy's is the only character left,

and I suppose it's suitable only for his appearance.

He is actually quite capable (and HUGELY lovable)....

if a little open-mouthed....

Can't Stop the Cuteness

I feel like this video speaks for itself....
Meet my new bestie, Baraka!!

My Triumphant Return, Part 2

Here – at long last – are a selection of the testimonials I've transcribed from some of the students and parents from the first year of the program as well as the teachers at Msaranga Primary School with whom we continue to work closely.  I have loosely translated their remarks, which I think are really encouraging.  Unfortunately, due to intermittent power and a janky internet connection, I could not upload all the vids, so for a couple, I've just included their remarks and hope you'll trust my translations!

Enjoy!

1.) Standard One Teacher
She received a very big picture of what Toa Nafasi is and how it concerns intellect, health, and social issues.  With our help, the children are being followed up by parents and teachers together in these areas.  She believed that she had students in her class who could benefit from the program as they had lots of problems and she sees now that whether it's a matter of intellect, health, or social issues, they will get the help they need.  She has seen big changes since the start of the program in that those students she thought could never succeed, now they can.

2.) Standard Two Teacher
From when we began the program in February 2013 until now, a year later, she has seen big changes.  Children who could not identify letters, now they can.  Children who were hiding in the bushes instead of coming to school, now they are in the classroom.  Those who couldn't even hold a pencil, now they do.  Those who had only runny noses, now they don't.  For example, one of these children with just a runny nose, these days he laughs and plays and if you call him, he comes.  In the past, if you called him, he was afraid and now he's not.  He smiles because now he thinks, "Me, I can do it!"

3.) Headmaster
When the program continues in the future, he thinks that the children whom we have discovered to have problems should continue to be provided services, but also when there are new students, we should include them as well.  We should also continue to provide information to the authorities at the district level in order both to get their advice and to be congratulated on our good work.

4.) Grandfather
When we called him to come in the first time until now, he has seen big changes in his grandson.  At the start, he did not think the child could change to the way he is now because his brain is not good.  When he was taught something, he did not understand.  Now, he has changed and if you tell him to do something, he will do it.  Maybe he will make a mistake, but it's a small mistake and he can be corrected and do the task well.  This already is a big accomplishment.  If he continues to do well, he can reach far.

5.) Mother
She believed 100%, not 25%, that her child needed help from Toa Nafasi.  She has already seen his accomplishments which are very big since he started his exercises until now.  The changes are big, and they are in everything he does; it is the reason she has heart again.  Even this morning, if he is called to school, he will come quickly, he will drop everything in order to come to school.

6.) Boy
He felt good when we called him for tuition.  If he is called again, he will come; if he is not called, he won't come.  It is his happiness.  (This is typical Tanzanian child-speak; kids do not offer much information even when solicited.  It is not customary to ask a child for his/her opinion and so, when asked, it's tough to get a very in-depth response.  Check how Vumi tries to draw him out by repeating his answers and using soothing tones.  And still, no dice....)

7.) Girl
She feels happiness at being called for tuition sessions with Toa Nafasi.  She is now in Class 2 so she knows how to read, but she doesn't want to stop attending tuition.  She wants to continue in order that she knows even more so that one day she'll be reading a big stack of newspapers like the Daily News.

TGIF

Back when we first mapped out how we would conduct the Toa Nafasi tuition sessions, Vumi and I thought it was best we do a week of literacy followed by a week of numeracy.  We decided that we would keep switching the lessons up like that in order that the students focus on an academic subject for a few days, enough to build a foundation of knowledge so that they don’t quickly forget, but not too much to become routine and boring.

Then, we thought it would be cool to turn Fridays into ziada (recreational) days in which the kids could do fun but educational activities.  This would promote non-scholastic qualities important to the development of a well-rounded child: communication, cooperation, participation, critical thinking, appropriate social skills and self-management....you get the drift.

To that end, I went on a buying binge at Barnes and Noble while I was home this past Fall and stocked up on puzzles, mix n' match games, and various other fun stuff.  (My nutty sister insisted I buy an origami kit, so we'll see if these youngsters can fold a paper crane....actually, it's a good test as to whether they can follow 2-step directions, so I shouldn't call Julia out on this odd choice....)

So now, Fridays are indeed furahi-days (happy days) in which the kids revel with the new toys and learn some new concepts through play.  Check out the scene below:

 

 

You can see that in the video, one of our students, Danny, kinda bogarts the putting together of the puzzle, but his assertiveness and big smile are such a tremendous change from the way we found him last year that neither Vumi nor Yacinta (a new TTNP hire!) has the heart to tell him to let the others have a chance.  Perhaps we can make that part of next week’s TGIF lesson: sharing is caring!

Bata, Bata, Bata Bukini

'Kay, so I'm still going through my video and notes from the student, teacher, and parent testimonials, and I'm actually staying home from school tomorrow in order to finish that up as well as to do a bit of admin work, so this post is just gonna be a throwback for all you older readers out there who want to relive their misspent youth.

The title of this entry can be translated as "Duck, Duck, Goose" and refers to that game of yore we all knew and loved.  The Swahili version is a bit different; there's no ducks and no goose, rather a rotten egg that smells bad like a samosa - I kid you not - but the competitive concept is the same.  The leader picks an unsuspecting participant to race until he/she a.) gets back to his place in the circle safely, b.) is tagged out, or c.) face-plants into the ground from exertion and over-excitement.  Not sure which outcome occurred here, but the kids were definitely having fun!