After Christmas vacation my students were happy to see me and we have been advancing slowly but surely. I have been working with my 10th grade students to try and prepare them for their test at the end of the years which decides whether they move on to high school, stay back, or abandon school all together. There has already been a few students who have abandoned school, including some of my seventh and ninth graders as well. Although I love my students sometimes they love to push me to the limit, which makes me question what my role here is.
For example the other week my ninth graders were beyond horrible. I was having trouble speaking over 15 students who were all speaking over each other. After about a minute of trying, I stopped and waited to get their attention which continued on for five more minutes. I had students walk out because I had given seating arrangements, students who refused to give me their telephones when they rang in class, etc. We were somehow able to finish the class but I thought I wasn’t going to make it. I then entered into my 10th grade class, normally my favorite because most of them are there to learn and take school seriously, but they had decided because we had a soccer match that evening we shouldn’t have school. For the records the game was at 5:00pm and our class was from 10 to 12pm. I told the students who didn’t want to come to class that was fine they could wait outside because they were the ones loosing, which they did for the first 15 minutes then they decided it wasn’t so much fun so they filed in, as I scolded them. Then 10 about minutes after I had lost control and couldn’t get them to pay attention. I told them to get a piece of paper out and we were going to do a test instead. That caused more problems then anything. Writing about the incident and looking back it seems so minor, but on a day when nothing seems to go well it takes every little bit out of you. Of course I cried the whole walk home, balancing over the fallen tree that lies over the river, then through the woods to my house. Not 15 minutes later I had a phone call from one of my students (that’s a whole other story) who told me not to leave, and told me to stay strong. Then I had students who showed up at my house to tell me they were sorry and that I should still go to the soccer game with them. Of course I sulked for a little bit longer just to get it out but ended sucking it up and heading back out with my students for a soccer game.
The story about my students having my number which believe me I do not give out is… someone somehow got my number and therefore gave it to all my… what do you call them… not well behaved students. So now I get phone calls and messages wishing me a great night of sleep and then first thing in the morning messages hoping I slept well. On all levels not okay, but it works somehow.
The governor of our county organized a soccer tournament for the junior high school villages. I am pretty close with my 10th graders, so they relied on me to help them find a car and uniforms. We were able to get uniforms and found a driver. 200,000 francs later, 19 players in the car including me, and 15 on top of the car heading to the next village over. When we arrived we were welcomed and given a large portion of rice and sauce to eat. The players called me over and I went to eat till I realized I did not have a spoon. My students were laughing as one student next to me tried to teach me how to eat with my hand, as it all split down the front of me. Have yet to live that down. Also another student gave me his jersey that say’s our village name on it, as support. We showed up and played against the other team and thankfully won in a shootout. We then made the ride home; passing students in the dark on bikes making the 15 kilometers bike ride home.
The next letter we received said we would be playing the next day at another local village. So we scrambled to find someone willing to drive some fans and us. The teachers said there was no money available to pay the driver and my students looked desperate at the fact that we weren’t going to be able to go because of money, so I paid the 200,000 franc and the school paid the 150,000 franc. Next thing I know, I’m in my new game attire, my fan shirt, my team is ready, a mini van pulls up and this time we have over 25 students in the van and 25 to 30 riding on top. No joke. We arrive and the other team had not arrived but we start to warm up and get ready. The game began after much discussion, I’m screaming from the sidelines in encouragement, the girls are cheering and thankfully we pull it off 1-0 Bodie!!! We again all climb back in the van and ride home this time cheering the whole way.
Again the following week we receive another letter saying we have 2 days to get ready and we will be playing the high school team from the largest city in our region. I asked my students about this, if it was fair and they seem to be okay with it. We search for a vehicle again, this time the only thing available was a large dump truck. I have my jersey on, and we all load it maybe 50 + people in the dump section, and the three teachers upfront including me. We arrive and we are late. The other team comes running out and it is boys twice the size of my students. I walk over to see if we are ready and I don’t recognize half my students. Why…. Oh because we have picked up older boys to play for us. Of course I make a big scene and my students ask me to please be calm… Calmez-vous Madame. They know I hate cheating. At mid time the other team has scored and we are getting killed. I run over, attempt to do a pep talk… then we start again. We score 1; I’m ecstatic, then again with 5 minutes remaining. At this time in the game I recognize maybe 3 players. We win and celebrate. I go to shake the hands of the other players and they start calling me another name. They think I’m the volunteer from their city; white people all look the same as my students tell me. Again we climb back in the dump truck and head home cheering the whole way. Now we are heading to the final! Quite exciting!
My host brother also came to visit which was so nice to have someone living with me in me pitch-black house during the night. Thankfully this time we did not have any creators living with us inside the house, but I do have a pet bat that lives outside my front door! I did a lot of salad making, washing clothes, entertaining and teaching, which made for an exhausting week. I was sad to see him go though the next week.
I’ve started a computer class with the 10th graders where they use my computer and a friend’s computer he left me to learn how to type. We have just started with trying to learn the keyboard, which means I have to take a piece of string and tie their thumbs together otherwise they refuse to use their other fingers. It also includes me pulling the other students away from breathing down the student’s back who is in the process of learning. They will sit an inch away and if the person takes just a little bit to long someone reaches over and taps the desired letter. Either that or their heads are in front of the poor students trying to type and then can’t see the screen. New rules are they have to wait outside. They’re hysterical.
The other day I received a text from the principal that said a student from the 8th grade had died. I was baffled. It turns out the student was not sick previously, and unfortunately fell sick during the night and didn’t make it to the morning. My students were all very upset. Instead of having school, the whole school walked to the house where the student was staying to offer our condolences. Then that afternoon we went 7 kilometers to the student’s native village where he was then buried. The student’s father was in the capital and his mother was also in another area of the country, but thankfully his mother made it back right before the burial. The mother was hysterical as well as my boy and girl students. The women are not allowed to go to the burial so we all waited until it was finished then we returned back to town. It was terrible! When I asked later on what happened, numerous stories filtered out that the student was walking home and got to the top of a mountain where he felt a hot breeze, then a cold one. When he asked his two friends that he was with if they felt the same breeze they said they had not. Many people believe and have tried to convince me it was “the devil”.
Two important topics; The Aisha magazine was released last month to a great success. The magazine was in color and talked about women’s roles and rights; education, work, personal or taboo questions, the role of marriage, fashion, women’s and infant health, AIDS and sexual diseases as well as food or crop growing. We are now in the process of trying to get it put on-line. I will keep you all posted. We will also be working on our next issue.
I have also started working to finish a library. The library was built by a German NGO that has now left, and I have been working on gaining books, shelves, tables, and screens. We also were just given a generator where I will start giving more computer lessons.
On a bad note, one day I was working there, also had some of my 10th graders there with me working on math, and the man in charge of the library stopped a little boy. The man asked him to empty his backpack. The boy pulled out two books he was in the process of trying to steal. The man running the library was irate. He kept ranting on about how the little boy, maybe 10 years old at the most was a thief and he was going to lock him in prison. I stepped in and tried to do what I could but the man would not let the little boy leave. Finally the man took the little boy, dragging him, and went to lock him in another small room in the library, I almost died and looked at my 10th graders for support. Thankfully the man came back in the Library with the boy, and he asked me what we should do. I said we could talk with his parents, and let them know he was trying to steal. Next things I know the man slapped the boy so hard I thought I was going to die, I ran over to the little boy, but not quick enough because the man kicked him in the side. I grabbed the little boy and rushed him out of the library as they man was still trying to get after him. Both the student and I ran out with out our shoes he had also left his backpack in there, which someone brought to us. The little boy was crying but thankfully not bleeding. I sent him on in the other direction toward his house and went back in where I told the man I would not work at the library if he was going to abuse students. He told me he was an intellectual and that he loved kids. Need I say more. I looked at my 10th graders who were standing up around me. Grabbed my stuff and walked home crying again. Horrendous I then called my brother and cried to him. Thanks Luke! The real reason I bring the library up is if you know anyone getting rid of books, maybe easy beginner books in English or books in French please send them to me in Africa. It would really help with my students trying to learn English and give them reason to come to the library after school and stay out of trouble.
There has been ethnic tension here in Guinea as well. For a little over a week, there was fighting in the capital because of the legislative elections that are suppose to happen in May. We have been told to finish the school program before May because they government is unsure what will happen if the elections do occur. The opposition held a march in the capital where it turned violent and people were killed. Then for the next week, there was fighting between two specific ethnic groups, which burned and looted various shops and homes. Also there were cars burnt and people stopping traffic to demand people in the taxis which ethnicity there were. Very unsettling but as of right now things are calm in the capital and I will let you know if anything changes.
Exciting News!!!
My sister Brooke got engaged! So happy for you both, Brooke and Scott!!! Congratulations!!!
Highlights from the last few months:
I had a student whose been coming over for English lesson and I had asked him to respond to questions in English for homework, also he had to write questions for me in English. One of the questions I asked was, “Where would your like to visit and why?” I thought that was a pretty straight forward question… his response. “I would like to go to Boston because I love you.” The best was I had asked him to read the answers to me. I must have turned 7 shades of red, and said that was not a good reason and where did he really want to go. Next, one of his questions to me, “Do you like black or white men?”
I was shopping in the market the other day when I cam upon a shirt that said, “No money, no job, no kids, Oh sh*t!” Like where was that made and how did that make it here?
The other nice surprise was the other day my student said he had something to show me. He took his phone out and went to his photo gallery where we were both looking together as he flipped through. It started out okay until we came upon naked photos of women, which I questioned him on, he said he didn’t mean to show me that, but then arrived on the photo he wanted, which was one of me. I couldn’t figure out when the picture was taken and asked him where he got that. He said one of his friends has been sending it around. I suppose it could be worse.
Hope you are all well and I will upset you again soon!
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