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BLOGGERS (name not disclosed)
Saturday, 16 Jun 2007
Location: Kiyunga, Uganda
Last night I experienced my first earthquake! I'm totally serious!
We had an earthquake. I was in my room by myself and we were already in the
middle of a massive rain and thunder storm, then the ground started shaking and
there was a deep rumbling noise. At first I thought it might be a big truck
going past but it got worse and kept going and I realised it was way too
powerful to be a truck. My bed was moving, the wooden beams and walls were
shaking, the floor was shaking!! I was pretty scared because I didn't really
know what was happening and there was so much noise because of the rain on the
tin roof and the rumbling. It stopped after a couple of minutes but the storm
lasted a long time. This morning I asked Josephus and he laughed and said yes
it was an earthquake. They had one in November also. I don't know how it rated
yet but it might be in the papers here tomorrow. Maybe if you google it you
might see.
OK - Habari? Ki kati?
So I will start with last sunday and work my through the week. I'll summarise
the week don't worry!
Firstly for James and anyone else who would like to donate clothes etc to the
orphans or school, here is the address:
Jim Education Centre
Josephus Gavah
PO Box 287
Mukono, Uganda, East Africa
Last sunday morning I woke at 5am thinking someone was being murdered outside
my window, then I realised it was just the rooster in the room next door
experimenting with his voice. I really hoped his new house would be finished
soon! However through the week he was suspiciously quiet and I soon discovered
why when he was served as dinner one night. I couldn't bare to eat him. We'd
developed a kind of love/hate relationship. Actually I'm eating less and less
meat recently. Mainly because every goat or chicken I see is destined to be
eaten and I'm still not used to seeing my dinner walking around looking cute
one day, then skinless and cooked on a plate the next.
Last sunday was also a celebration at Gavah Gardens and Community Centre. I
still don't understand the occassion but there were about 20 of us there in the
unfinished building and they served massive sticks of goat meat (see pics) to
everyone. It was fresh goat because later as I had a look around I walked over
4 goat legs and a skin with blood still on it.
I'm travelling in the 'taxis' (minibuses) a lot here, squashed in with many
people and always a chicken or 2. The other day at one stop the conductor said
'move to that seat mzungu'. I'm very used to being called a mzungu but
sometimes it's still amusing. When we go running it's the little kids who love
yelling out 'bye mzungu' and they want you to say bye and wave to them. While
I'm running I try to greet the adults in Luganda if I'm not too out of breathe.
They love it and always smile or laugh and reply to me, even if they looked serious
before.
The oldest teacher at the school is 26, Apollo the deputy head master. Simon
25, Peter 23, Abdu 19, Rose 19, Farida 23. I don't know the rest. They get paid
about UGX100,000/month ($70AUD). They're always asking advice on how to make
money and get out of the rutt. For example Apollo's been at Jim School 3 years,
started as a teacher, now deputy headmaster. His Dad died years ago and his Mum
about 4 years ago. He has 2 younger brothers who he has to support now. They're
in boarding school because their home is not near here so he can't look after
them. Apollo can't afford to pay the school fees and the schools are always
calling him to pay. He earns less per month than the fees for one semester.
Abdu wants to further his studies to get a better job but a semester at
University is 800,000 UGX. Teachers in government schools can earn about
200,000/month. Jim is a private school.
The children in school are so polite. They call teachers Madam or Master and
when you come into class they say 'good morning Madam Emma, this is P3, we are
very happy to see you Madam Emma' and when the class finishes 'thank you
teacher for teaching us, your work is highly appreciated'. They're so keen to
learn and if you give them an exercise to do they keep trying until they get it
correct. They really appreciate praise and are eager to impress. It's nice to
see that some of the kids who are not so good in kiswahili are really good
artists.
They're learning kiswahili so well, I'm really impressed. We practice in art class
as well and even in the playground they speak to me in swahili. The teachers
are also learning more! I came from Australia with a whole bagful of pens and
pencils which I give as prizes to students who answer questions correctly about
what they learnt in the previous lesson. The P3 students are nearly doing
better than the P4's. Some boys have already memorised 1 to 10 in kiswahili
after the 1st lesson, and noone in P4 has got it all correct yet. I've taught
them greetings, days of the week, numbers, please, thank you, you're welcome
etc. I gave them an exercise - lini ni leo? What day is today? And they had to
answer Leo ni Jumanne, Today is Tuesday. One girl brought her book and it said
'Today is yesterday'! But they are still learning english as well as Luganda
and now Kiswahili so it would be confusing!
This week in Art I've taught them about patterns and got them to try making
their own. Next week I'll give them nice paper so they can do pictures to hang
in the class. I think they'll enjoy that. So far they're just using exercise
books. The only art resources here are loads of crayons, some pencils and
textas. There's no blank paper, glue or scissors. Apparently we're going to use
porridge to stick the pictures on the walls! I bought some blank paper but it's
not cheap when you buy for over 100 students. There's no paint either so I have
to think of lessons that consist of drawing with crayons or pencil in their
books.
At the end of each lesson I give 1 to 3 questions to be answered and they bring
their books for marking at the end. In my P3 class there's a boy who's started
making up and answering extra questions in his book! He comes back again and
again with more answers. EG I asked 'how do you say monday in swahili?' So he
did 'how do you say Tuesday, Wednesday etc etc'.. Now 3 more boys have started
doing it too. I think they're trying to impress me! On friday they also helped
take down all the pictures without being asked. They're very cute.
On the weekends sometimes I sit outside with Brenda and her friends. Brenda is
3 and speaks a little Luganda and no english. I've taught her my name and
chicken. I can speak some Luganda now which she thinks is really funny. I've
taught her and her friends 'nipotano' which is 'give me five' in swahili and then
you give each other 5 knuckle to knuckle with your fists. Whenever I see them
now they say 'nipotano'. Brenda loves singing so I'm trying to teach her a
swahili song. She's a real character and has some crazy facial expressions
where she rolls her eyes around and looks possessed. Soon there will be a whole
folder of Brenda photos!
Master Abdu was telling me about his tribe from Eastern Uganda. He only got
circumcised last year. His tribe does it when you turn 18. He said it was
extremely painful!
There are 80 orphans boarding here at the school, and of those, 25 have
sponsors. School fees cost UGX155,000 ($110AUD)/term. There are 3 terms per
year. The other 55 orphans have to be supported by the school.
Yesterday Master Peter asked me 'why does your body look like a red indian?
Your skin is darker than Andrew's. Is that what Australians look like?'
Thursday morning I heard strange noises in my room and it turned out to be a
bat that couldn't get out. He was crawling around on the floor over all my things.
I didn't want him to bite me so I stayed behind the safety of my mozzie net.
Eventually he crawled under the crack of the door. Meanwhile I was dying to go
to the toilet!
Most people I've met in Tanzania have an email address or at least know what it
is. Here in Uganda I've met some teachers at the school who don't know what
email is. I had to explain it, and it was a totally new concept.
Madam Rose has 20 brothers and sisters! Her Dad is protestant and has married 3
wives. Farida's Dad is Muslim and has 2 wives. She is one of 15 children.
My photos of OZ are still popular. Sometimes it's the first time people have
seen a kangaroo even if they had heard of them. They always ask if we eat
cockatoos. Adulta are amazed we have tribal people (aboriginals) and kids think
they look scary. Aerial shots of sydney are popular and people who've never
been to the coast are fascinated by beaches and ocean.
Yesterday I took photos of P3 in art class and they were so happy. I got them
to hold up their best drawings and they went crazy. It was so much fun. You can
see the photos. The other classes were wondering what was going on!
OK I will come tomorrow and write some more.. this is getting too long and I've
been here at the internet too long!