The Masai

I think most of you know I have a Masia warrior acting as night watchmen.  His role is to keep the accommodation safe at night.  There are a group of them, 7 at the last count who live in a hut next to my accommodation and look after all the different properties that are sponsored by the project.  Over the last few months I have got to know them better.  Ever since I went out and shared a few drams of whisky one night before they went on duty we have become very friendly. It has now become Bob’s ritual! They have a culture that still thrives and even these Masai that are working for the project keep to some of their traditions.  It is a very interesting culture and way of life.  They live mainly in Kenya and Tanzania.  The rituals of becoming a warrior are well documented and involve age-based rituals and ceremonies, including circumcision.  I wondered why they have this reputation for being fierce!!  The biggest role of the Masai culture is the role of the warrior and hence they make very good night watchmen because everybody is frightened of them. I have become very attached to them because once a week they perform the Masai Jumping Dance and sing their songs.  It is something to listen to and watch from my lounge window.  Each young man will jump as high as he can while others are standing in a circle and singing.  The voices of the men get higher as the jumping increases.  You can see from the photos that they allowed me to take that they achieve the most unbelievable height. These lads aren’t jumping in soft padded shoes.  In fact tonight I saw one jumping without shoes, on the hard concrete.  Yes they jump in the gazebo, which has a concrete floor.  What it does to their Achilles tendon I don’t know. I invited them all for lunch last Sunday.  Bob’s shepherd’s pie was on the agenda specially chosen for their culture.  The centre of all Masai culture is the tending of cattle. Shepherd!? Pie!? I think the connection was lost on them and anyway the shepherd’s pie became modified, as there was no oven because the electricity was off all day.  It’s amazing how you improvise when you have to and my camp cooking skills are still with me.  I cooked on two kerosene stoves.  I decided not to insist on a knife and fork!  Quantity was the order of the day and double portions went down well.  It was a very interesting afternoon as they hardly spoke a work of English and my Masai was somewhat missing.  But it’s amazing how you can converse with little common language.  Of course I bet you can guess what we finished with – yes a few more drams of whisky.  I attach some photos of them jumping but these lads, although fierce are also gentle as seen with Mama Gladness’s young daughter Elizabeth.  I am also now an honorary member of the Masia hence my new dress attire.  Happy days!!  I have Masai blanket and all the gear as you can see but I it was a little too draughty for me.

Play Leaders Training

Well another week passes and where does the time go.  I was laid low for almost a week which seemed to drag on with a nagging headache.  I was advised to visit the local hospital but had some reluctance having met a Swedish Dentist on one of my visits to the Marangu Hotel who told me she was horrified at the lack of hygiene in operation.  However the headaches continued and eventually last Thursday Dilly (the project leader’s Tanzanian husband) said he would take me to a private hospital In Moshi to have my blood checked.  Thankfully the malaria parasite was not in my blood. I was advised to drink more water which I did and took some salt replacements and never looked back. I must say the Doctor was a very shrewd man who told me I had the body and heart of a 30 year old, well I think that’s what he said.  I could have lost something in the translation – it could have been 300?? Anyway I was raring to go last Monday and started my Play Leaders Training with Standard 7 in one school and Standard 6 in another.  Of course all the old skills came back. These pupils are to be seen to be believed.  They were so enthusiastic and eager to take part.  The simplest of games were devoured and developed quickly.  Its hard to comprehend but they want to please, eager to help and hang on your every word.  It reminds me of my teaching when I started in 1968!!!  They were a joy to teach.   Needless to say I was the one tired out at the end of the session.  They loved the equipment.  Time to give a big plug for Mrs Evans of Evans of Longton who kindly sponsored these activities by supplying bags of equipment and paying for it to be flown out to Tanzania.  Thank you Mrs Evans.  At the moment I have made little progress into the leading bit of the programme as there is still too much individual pupil enjoyment and learning of games taking place.  But I love it myself for its very rewarding to have pupils waiting for you to arrive and whose faces light up as soon as you arrive.  Here are some pictures of the pupils in action.

Dini Sessions

Well another two weeks have passed and I’m not sure where the time has gone. I am in the schools constantly.   I love my work in the schools and it brings its own rewards.  I feel I am making some progress with the staff, who are now engaging in the weekly Dini sessions where I deliver a different topic each week.  The aim being to improve their knowledge and understanding of the subject topics and in particular mathematics, which the Government have identified as a real weakness in schools.  I am teaching them using what in Tanzania they call participatory learning and we in the UK would view as active learning.  I constantly have to find ways of delivery where the teachers actually have tasks to do rather than listen to me talk.   It is working but I spend each weekend planning the next session.  I am also delivering lessons either as demonstration lessons with all the teachers watching or team teaching with an individual teacher.  I recently planned a English lesson on time and made 10 clocks out of card and then had the pupils working in small groups of 4, using their own clock to set each other times which they then had to identify.  The best part  of the series of lessons was when I asked them to make their own clock and gave them each a split pin each to attach the fingers.  Would you believe almost every child made their own clock.  I attach a picture of one of the series of lessons.  Note the state of the classrooms and no ceilings!!  Its all good fun.  I have now started my Play Leaders training for standard 7 pupils.  They are so enthusiastic.  I should have some pictures to share with you next week.  I have been laid low over the last four days with a tummy bug.  Picked up when visiting another ill colleague.  It was a long walk to this colleagues house and I was perspiring a little when I arrived.  She offered me some diluted orange squash and I didn’t ask the question – has the water been boiled and it clearly hadn’t.  I was in bed the first day, all day and didn’t see a soul and felt quite sorry for my self.  I wondered at one point if I died how long would it be before they found the body!!  Morbid thoughts.  Its at times like these that you want to be in your own home.  Well that’s it for now.  I attach a superb picture taken of Kilimanjaro with full snow covering.  Hope you like this Jenny, Daniel and David!!!

Safari to Lake Manyara

Well almost two weeks have passed since I arrived back in Tanzania.  I feel as though I have never been away.  You quickly click into the polypoly way of life.  In fact you have to or it would drive you nuts.  Time means nothing out here. The Swahili  word for punctuality I think is - kuwahi but I'm not sure that Tanzanians be fully understand what it means.  Yesterday, Saturday, I invited a group of pupils from one of my schools  to watch an episode of Planet Earth.  They should have arrived at 2 pm but the first arrived at 2.45 and the last at 3.30.  They looked in awe throughout as the images they see are so new.  This week I showed the episode on Jungles - Equatorial Jungles.  They have one on their door step but know so little about it other than it valuable for firewood. I will tell you more about this weekly events on a later posting.  Now I want to tell you about my recent safari to Lake Manyara which I had the opportunity to go with a group of pupils before I came home for Easter.  Its an annual trip that the Village Project organises.  The only thing that put me off was the thought of a 5 hour journey there and back. I accompanied the Gap students and teachers from the school.  The management of the pupils on the bus was a piece of cake.  You wouldn’t have known there were any children there until the black bags that they had all been issued with came into operation.  I think almost all of them were sick.  Travelling on a bus on a long journey was a new experience for them.  But they didn’t complain once.  Can you imagine in UK?  The pupils stayed in a hostel adjacent to the park, looked after by the teachers, and the other adults slept in tents.  One of the worst areas for mosquitoes !!!  I have never really been interested in doing a safari but once we arrived in the park the tension and excitement of the children was infectious and as soon as we moved off into the bush (travelled on bus) the animals appeared like magic.   Every animal you could name.  I have loads of pictures, if anyone to would like me to come and bore you with them , let me know! I include only two in this posting.  They are the pictures of an elephant.  We suddenly came upon this elephant and stopped to observe when suddenly his ears extended and he moved towards us.  The driver beat a very hasty retreat.  I was told later that the movement of the ears indicated that he was about to charge!  The children had never seen many of these animals despite the fact they are native to their country.  It was an exciting two days and the journey home passed quickly, thanks to the Gap students who led the children in  a countless number of animated songs.  Can’t wait for the next safari.