Progress

Herders in front of Botha Bothe Prison

Sometimes I have days where it just feels so normal here to me and I think that there really isn't much of a difference between here and home.  BUT then I walk into town and see huge herds of cows and sheep walking down the main street, the herd boys and men wrapped up in tons of blankets, hats and boots.  Wearing all these clothes on a day when I am hot in a T-shirt, it amazes me.  They wear all these clothes because they have to carry them, being out with their animals for many days.  Anyway, once again I am reminded of how different things are from home.  These men saw me walking and asked me to "shoot" them with my camera.  Sometimes they look so tough and then they light up like children when they see their photos.  Digital cameras are so much fun here.
     I can't believe the support that has been received in just a few days from family and friends at home.  All of you who have donated to our building project at school, thank you so much.  In order to cut back on costs we hired a builder, Ntate Lefu, instead of a contractor.  This means that my principal and I are basically acting as the contractors, purchasing materials and coordinating everyone.  I am learning a lot and trying to help, but she is basically in charge.  We check in each day with the builder and then make sure that he has the materials here for the project.  He is moving so fast, we can't keep up.  In just a week we already have walls, windows, doors, foundation, etc.  We are actually trying to slow them down a bit because we still have to wait for the Peace Corps Partnership Grant money (that is your donations) to come before we can start the plumbing and electrical work!  I know people are really happy to get work here, unemployment rate is around 45%, and the sooner they get done the sooner they get paid.  I am hoping to have all of our grant money within the next week or two, if you haven't donated and would like to the link is:
 https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.donatenow&keyword=dold

Lefu and building crew

 Otherwise things are rolling along at school.  I spent the week with our more severely disabled class, my favorites.  We worked a lot on toileting, washing, and staying clean here.  Having a new class with a bathroom will be great for those students.  It is impossible for 1 teacher to take all 12 of them to the bathroom, carry buckets of water in for washing hands, etc.  Many of these students are non verbal and we practiced using pictures to communicate.  It has been a tiring but fun week.

Learning how to eat candy, bad I know, but every kid
should know how!

One of our new students, such a cutie.

Playing

car made out of cans and wire

I know that I have already mentioned how much I love seeing kids play here, but I think I need to do a whole blog on it.  Without video games, tv and even typical toys, play has a whole different meaning here.  There is no lack of playing, the kids are expected to help out with many chores and caring for animals, but they still have plenty of time for fun.  They get very creative and make toys out of any old thing they find.  There is also a ton of social and group playing going on without adults around (they are busy).  So the children really learn to work out conflicts, socialize and form friendships on their own.
  Each evening when I leave school I spend some time watching the students playing with each other without any teachers around.  Sometimes I get upset that there is not more supervision because the kids are dirty, missing clothes, fighting, etc.  But I have to remember that there are 65 students and only a few staff members after school.  Also the students are actually learning to be more independent and how to help each other out.   After getting over my concerns, I usually realize that they are really having fun and learning social skills.  Even with their severe disabilities, they are given some freedom to explore and invent whatever activity they can find to do.  They always get out of their wheelchairs and everyone gets dirty.  There is no such thing as being "overly protective" at our school.

playing after school

Once I get home from work I usually try to spend some time alone in my house, reading, writing, etc.  This never lasts too long as the sound of fun from outside is very contagious.  Maybe because I live there and I am "different" or maybe just because I have a big yard, whatever the reason I am not sure, but all of the action is always happening right outside of my door.  The group includes both boys and girls from the ages of 11 months to 15 years old.  Their games include playing football (soccer) with a ball made out of plastic bags,  playing freeze tag kind of game involving stacking large stones?, jax with rocks, making mud and throwing it (using water from old beer bottle), and acting out exciting football and wrestling matches.  The girls also sometimes jump rope and there are always a few who want to just sit around with me and watch the action.  I usually head in when it starts to get dark, but they can stay longer.  Without adults around (I don't count) they learn to solve their own problems and they watch out for each other.  They learn to be creative and inventive.  There is always some crying and small fighting, but it never lasts long.  Of course I wish that the children here had more toys, books, computers, etc., these are important for learning also, but for now they are doing pretty well with trash, rocks and their imaginations.

Students on Football field

so silly

Yes that is a beer bottle they are
using to get water for mud

Taking a break from the football game

Music

On the way to fetch water

Last blog I talked about our water shortage.  Well I made a trip down to the spring area with the girls from my neighborhood to fetch some water.  Unfortunately I could only carry around 10 litres and not on my head.  It was fun to go with them though, they all screamed a lot in the high grass because everyone here is very scared of snakes.  At the river / spring area they did some wash and ran around playing in the water.  They all carried their water back on their heads and laughed a lot at me when I tried.  I was exhausted after one trip and decide to just not use anymore water, but they all made several trips back and forth.  Luckily the water came back over the weekend and has been off and on since.

We also go a few rainy days over the last week.  This is great, because it has been so dry, but also very messy.  Most roads and paths here are dirt, which means when it rains a lot they are mud.  It makes for quite a commute to work.  Although I have been wishing for rain, I am now hoping it is not too much.  Last week we finalized plans for a new classroom building for our school and I don't want it to be delayed for weather.  We are adding 3 additional classrooms and trying to make them better equipt to teach vocational and daily living skills.  I have worked on getting a peace corps partnership grant to provide plumbing, electricity, etc.  People from the US can donate to this specific project until we have enough money.  If it gets approved I will write about all of the details in case people want to contribute.  Anyway we really want the building to be finished before I leave, which is less than four months away!  Crazy!!  So not too much rain please.

Way home from the water fetching

    Well my week of model teaching that I mentioned last week worked out pretty well.  This week I stayed out of the classroom, but watched to see what was going on and was very happy to see some of the things we worked on being implemented.  Next week I will focus on a different teacher and spend the week in her room, hoping for the same effect.  School has been very active lately.  We had visitors on Friday and the staff and students were busy all week preparing.  The visitors are a family from england that over the years has made donations to the school.  The students and teachers sang for them and made them some traditional clothing.  It was very nice and my favorite part was the singing.  I tried to join in but I just don't know how to sing.  People here spend their lives singing and can harmonize and sound amazing with very little practice.  I wish I could put a video clip on this blog so you could hear them, but I don't have enough juice from my wireless modem.  You just have to trust me.  I actually just read the following in a novel that really explains it well:
"Africa is too crude a stage for the small scratching of the violin, too majestic for the piano  Africa is only right for the drums.  The drum carries its rhythm but does not steal its music.  Timpani is the background, the music of Africa is in the voices of the people.  They are its instruments, more subtle, more beautiful, infinitely more noble than the scratching, thumping, banging and blowing of brass and wind and vellum, strings and keyboard."  This is from Bryce Courtenay's book The Power of One.  

Students practicing Singing for visitors

My commute to work with kids in the rain