This week has had a few unexpected twists and turns.
The English Lessons that were planned didn't happen because as expected it took all week for the students to arrive back. They just come in dribs and drabs,have to register at the office and have their luggage searched before going to the dormitories to settle in, so formal lessons for many classes are a non event for a few days. This coming week doesn't hold a lot of promise of work for some as it is Form Four Graduation Day next Friday and that is a huge event which lasts all day.
Despite the change to plans, I still had a very busy week trying to sort out dilemmas for students and covering and repairing heaps of books in the Library. This week Evina, the young lady in charge of the Library was offered a place at a college near Dar Es Salaam to do a further two years study in Librarianship so she will be leaving in about ten days time. She was so excited and literally nearly swept me off my feet when she found out.
Our efforts with Nelson last week took a very different turn. He arrived safely in Dar and was picked
up at the bus terminal. Unfortunately the arrangements didn't turn out as expected and we have spent every day this week trying to sort out something suitable for him . We are very grateful to the man and wife who took him and his brother into their home for the week and helped get a better arrangement in place for his Braille lessons.
The building is progressing well and Kevin is happy with the work being done. The carpenters have been making the trusses all week. This morning they put the roof beams up ready for the trusses to go on on Monday.
makes a school of 560 pupils.
Of course there was the usual very!!!!!! loud music and the event lasted for almost four hours. After the usual items and speeches, the graduates were presented with their certificates but because of the continuing noise(music),it was impossible to hear their names.
A son of one of the Dormitory Masters at school was graduating and so he was keen for us to attend and meet his family. It was impossible to remain inconspicuous being the only person with white skin but I sat in the middle of the parents and tried to "blend" in.
The English Lessons that were planned didn't happen because as expected it took all week for the students to arrive back. They just come in dribs and drabs,have to register at the office and have their luggage searched before going to the dormitories to settle in, so formal lessons for many classes are a non event for a few days. This coming week doesn't hold a lot of promise of work for some as it is Form Four Graduation Day next Friday and that is a huge event which lasts all day.
Despite the change to plans, I still had a very busy week trying to sort out dilemmas for students and covering and repairing heaps of books in the Library. This week Evina, the young lady in charge of the Library was offered a place at a college near Dar Es Salaam to do a further two years study in Librarianship so she will be leaving in about ten days time. She was so excited and literally nearly swept me off my feet when she found out.
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| Evina with the award she won for top student in the first year of the librarian's course. |
Our efforts with Nelson last week took a very different turn. He arrived safely in Dar and was picked
up at the bus terminal. Unfortunately the arrangements didn't turn out as expected and we have spent every day this week trying to sort out something suitable for him . We are very grateful to the man and wife who took him and his brother into their home for the week and helped get a better arrangement in place for his Braille lessons.
The building is progressing well and Kevin is happy with the work being done. The carpenters have been making the trusses all week. This morning they put the roof beams up ready for the trusses to go on on Monday.
Thursday, I was invited to a Primary School Standard 7 graduation. There is a Primary Teacher's College behind the school and attached to it is a government school. From my previous sightings of the school and seeing only about eight classrooms, I imagined it to be a small school. On entering the auditorium at the College, I was greatly mistaken. Two thirds of the space was occupied by pupils.
I guess eight classes with anything up to 70 students per class (quite common) makes a school of 560 pupils.
Of course there was the usual very!!!!!! loud music and the event lasted for almost four hours. After the usual items and speeches, the graduates were presented with their certificates but because of the continuing noise(music),it was impossible to hear their names.
A son of one of the Dormitory Masters at school was graduating and so he was keen for us to attend and meet his family. It was impossible to remain inconspicuous being the only person with white skin but I sat in the middle of the parents and tried to "blend" in.
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| William with his son |
Most of the time, I had a little boy on my lap either wriggling or sleeping. I really wasn't sure who owned him. When an item is being performed a box is usually placed beside the singers or dancers and anyone can place money or usually lollies in it and these are then shared among the performers. So you get this mayhem as people move to and fro during the item in their usual dance style. At one point, the little fellow departed and somehow managed to convince someone to give him a lolly and arrived back with very sticky fingers so in true African style, I pulled up his shirt and wiped his hands. An interesting episode.
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