The One With Kafule’s Current Copy Machine (4/27/2013)

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has already donated money towards the solar equipment for Kafule. Dahlia and I are getting really close to our goal.  I told our school second master, Mwakatoga, how much we have raised so far and he started jumping up and down and then proceeded to run out of the room saying, “I have to tell the headmaster! I have to tell the headmaster!”   

I took a picture of one of my exams that was copied on our current copy machine.  One of my biggest teaching frustrations here is that students will often get test questions wrong, not because they did not know the answer, but because their copy of the test was too hard to read.  There is always one master copy that the students can reference, but this copy is shared between 3 classrooms and 150 students and, because of the time limits on the exams, not every student is able to look over the master copy.  With the new solar equipment that we plan to buy the school will be able to power a copy machine that will provide midterm and final exams that are legible.  There is still time to donate (the deadline has been extended to May 4).  See http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/CarlySpoor-1/Tanzania2013 for more information if you are interested! 

The One With The Last Mbeya Weekend (4/27/2013)

I am currently in Mbeya, sitting in my hotel room, fully enjoying the electricity and running water, full from a delicious meal that I didn’t have to cook, doing my best to soak up all of the city comforts.  It was a long trip to get here, but it was also my last.  My last 12:30 am alarm for my last 1:00 am departure, and my last 10 hour truck ride out of the village.  Little things are starting to make me nostalgic about leaving Kafule, but Tanzanian travel is something that I don’t think I will ever miss. 

Tomorrow I head back to Kafule for my last 4 weeks there.  Prayers are appreciated for the muddy adventure back to the village! 

The One With The Day At The Races (4/17/2013)

Monday morning I showed up at school ready for a day of classes.  At about 7:45 I found out that there was going to be a meeting at 8 (when classes are supposed to start).  At 7:55 I found out that at the meeting we would be deciding if there would even be classes that day.  And by 8:30 all classes were canceled.  Days never go as I expect here, you would think I would have learned by now.

Evidently the district education officer (DEO) informed our headmaster that Tuesday was to be “sports and games day” at Kafule meaning that we needed to use Monday to prepare the fields.  Tanzania is holding a mini-Olympics for secondary school students.  Each district is putting together a team to compete in soccer, netball, volleyball, track, discus, javelin, and shotput.  Well, Kafule School is on top of a mountain, so making room for all of these fields was a lot of work!! We spent the day on Monday digging out parts of the mountain, moving dirt all around, and trying our best to extend the fields without causing landslides. 

But we got it done and Tuesday the games began.  We had a few other schools from our district come for tryouts and the DEO came to supervise.  Unfortunately it rained for the first half of the day.  But don’t worry, that didn’t stop the festivities, it just meant that the track winners were the ones with the best balance through the mud and not necessarily the fastest runners at the school. In the boys 400 meter race (by the way all of the distance runs were eyeballed for length of the track) 5 boys lined up.  The whistle blew and the boys took off, all except Ibrihimu, one of the form II boys here.  He lightly jogged the start, got the whole school laughing, waited for the 4 boys ahead of him to slip and fall and then took off to win the race.  On to the regional games he goes!

The games went all day and Kafule won every event except shotput.  Unfortunately the national tournament isn’t until June so I won’t be in the country for it, but I am so glad that I got to see the preliminary rounds!

The One With The Essay Contest Winners (4/12/2013)

Dahlia and I recently chose the winners for the essay contest.  So a few days ago, at afternoon assembly, we called up all of the participants, gave each of then a pen, and then announced the winners to whom we gave additional school supplies.  Roda and Lamson tied for overall winners of the contest and were announced amidst cheers and whistles as well as boys shouting, “the professor”, which is evidently Lamson’s nickname.  I love being in a place where studying and working hard is what makes a student popular.

There are times when students will climb over each other to get in a picture.  But for some reason if you ask them to pose for a picture, especially in front of other people, you might as well have asked them to stand up in front of the school in their underwear.  Anyway, this was Dahlia and my attempt to get all of the contestants together and at least looking at the camera.  

The One With Joyas (4/11/2013)

Joyas is a boy in one of my form III classes. When I first started teaching here he consistently scored between 10% and 20% percent on all of his math assignments (lower than the average for sure, but he was not alone in these scores).  But no matter what he scored he would come and find me after class, point proudly to the parts he got correct, and ask to go over the parts he missed.  He has been coming for help after almost every class.  When midterms came around I knew he had been studying for weeks.  I had told the students that is they scored 70% or higher they would get a pen (a lofty goal and a coveted prize, keep in mind).  Joyas scored a 76%.  There have been few times in my life when I have seen a smile as big as the one he had when I handed him his exam and pen.  It is moments like that which make me realize how much I am going to miss teaching here.  

The One With The Contest Entry: Josphat, Form IV

A doctor is a person who treats disease when the people are suffering from any disease in their bodies.  Every people needs treatments in their body when is suffer in order to serve their life.   When I will complete my studies and to pass I will prefer to be a doctor due to the following reason.

To educate the people about uses of balanced diet.  Balanced diet refer to the general nutrients which are needed in the body.  Come diseases like Beriberi, palagra and other they occur because of lacking of balanced diet.  Therefore through my education and knowledge I will educate the people about importance of balanced diet to their bodies.

To education people people about cleaning their environments because the diseases like cholera occur when the environment which people lives are very dirty.  In order to escape from these diseases I will give an advice to the people that they should be to every one to clean their environment for every day and it will difficult to occur some disease.  Apart from cleaning their environment also I will give an advice for everyone to cut the grass that surrounds them.

To educate the people about importance of good health.  Good health is the physical, mental and emotional well of an individual or whole community.  I will educate the people that people with good health can make their right and convert decision and people with good health can work effectively and efficiently.

To give an advice to the people about preventing some diseases which can occur again in their bodies.  I will give alternative ways of possible solutions to the diseases like cholera by keeping food and water supplies, to use the toilet and to wash their hands frequently especially before eating is required.

Apart from my explanations for a doctor which influence me to be a doctor.  He/she should be stable and biological, should be educated, and then should be emotional with good behavior.

The One With The Contest Entry: Adi, Form III

My name is Adi.  I am form III A. After completing form four I like to be a businessman before our results is given out.  I think my God can help me in my studies and of when I will pass the exam I like to study more because education is the key of life now.

Education help us to fight with our enemies like poverty, ignorance and disease.  For now without education there is no life.  A person who have education know how to avoid spread of disease like AIDS/HIV, while people which lack education and engage in dangerous actions like prostitution which lead to the spread of disease and it is harmful in their live.  Also lack of education led to poverty because they could not employed any where and some people decide to employ in agriculture which they get low food which used to feed in their family.

Also the food which get are of poor quality due to the use of simple tools, no fertilizer and chemical in order to control pests and diseases.  Then this is because of lack of technology about agriculture.

At the end I like all students in my class to pass in order to avoid these calamities which can occur due to lack of education.

The One With The Contest Entry: Okolewo, Form IV

After graduation from form four I want to be a teacher.  I was to be a teacher because of the following points.

To begin with, when I graduating form four I want to be a teacher because I want to taught the students to leave in proper behavior which is acceptable to the societies.  So I want to encourage students to follow all good things.

In addition, if I will become a teacher I want to eliminate our society on their effect of bad tradition practices like food taboos, early marriage, and inheritance of widow, bad tradition like food taboos prohibit women to don’t eat nutrient foods like eggs when become pregnant.

Furthermore, if I will become a teacher I want to helps old, sick and disable people. I would like to become a teacher after graduating form four because many people in our village suffer from malaria because were living in poor climate condition.  So I would like to educate people about that disease, and old I will give money also disable people.

Then I want to be a teacher because, if I will become a teacher I would helps to remove ignorance in our society.  Educated women helps to remove ignorance in the society because women is a good advisor to their people so I want to be an example.

Also, I want to be a teacher in order to taught the students about the effect of engaging in prostitution and drunkardness.  There are some students who were engaging in prostitution and drunkardness because were don’t know the effects of doing that activities.

Then, I want to become a teacher because I want to taught the society on the importance of environmental preservation: in our societies we see many people who were destroying environment because were don’t know the effect of doing that.

All explanation above is my ambition after graduating form four. I want to be a teacher because of the explanation above.  So in any society without teachers is equal to zero, I want to be a teacher in order to implement all explanation above. 

The One With The Contest Entry: Fai, Form IV

After completing my studies I would like to be the president due to the following reasons which influencing to be the president which as follows:

President is the head of the State and its chief executive.  The president has all the executive power.  Also the president is the member of the parliament not member of nation assembly.  According to the meaning of president the following are the importance of role of president which as follows. 

First of all he is the head of ruling party, this due president is the ruling party all party of Tanzania like C.C.M. Chadema CUF and other all are under president so the president direct and to give the member of party ideas on how to control and to improve the party.

Next is the head of country.  So the president is the head of country and receive ambassadors from other countries.

Also, is the head of the government, this due the president is the head of government and is the chairman of the cabinet also appoint members of various commission eg permanent commissions of equality electoral commission.

Furthermore, as a head of the public services, the president is a head of public services.  Also appoints the Attorney General the director of public prosecution and the judge of the high courts of law.

Last, he is the head of civil servant. So civil servant means that is the part of government which crimes out, the orders given by the ministry and the president also the top of the civil servant is the chief secretary who is chief executive official.  He is appointed by the president.  Example of civil servant are skill, experience, efficiency, honesty, secrecy and responsible.

Therefore according to the explanation above the role of president, the following are the my opinions/contribution then I would become the president which is as follows:

To begin with I would control problem of neo-colonialism.  This due out country the problem of neo-colonialism is very big problem because the country is get independence it means that they country is free from foreign domination.  But still now under foreign domination.

Next, I would control problem of corruption, simply because in our country the problem of corruption is very terrible.  Corruption it means that is the process of using public offices for person gain.  This situation I will stop or abolish if I would come a president. 

Also, I would control the problem of exploitation of Tanzania natural resources, this due to the problem of exploitation of Tanzania natural resources is very big problem because some of leasers of Tanzania they involve in exploitation for their profit.  Also they involve with foreign people to exploit natural resources like minerals, gold, ivory, diamond, copper, and other resources.

Not only, I would improving good transportation and communication.  This due when I would be the I would improve good transportation and communication in those which transportation and communication are bad like out interior Ileje the infrastructure are very bad and other parts of Tanzania.

Furthermore, I would improving and provide good social structures in the society.  In the society there are poor social services like schools, hospitals, electricity, water supply, and other services which needed by the society.

More over, I would solve the political conflict in the country.  This due in the country there are political conflicts this situation can led to occurrence of civil war example of political conflicts is like CCM and Chadema.  So when I become president I will abolish.

Another, I would know different place in the world, this due when a would come a president I will travelling in different place for instance from Tanzania to USA, also India, Kenya, China and other places.  Simply because I would travelling to discuss programme of country it can be on how to runs the country and other necessary things. 

In addition, I would increase employment to opportunity in the country, this is simply because many people they are street children.  But they studied since primary school up to the university but yet to employed due to the few of opportunity of employment but when I will be a president I will open different opportunity of employment so as to give the people who reach university and who need to employed through on that I will prevent a problem of street children and crimes. 

Last, I would improving living standard of life, through the acquire money when I would be a president I would improving living standard of people because I would get a lot of money which can enable to build a food house and all those needs which needed in the life.

Therefore according to the explanation the importance of president this work is need to be care and to tolerant.  So in order to acquire this work I would be care in the subjects like civics, geography history and English. 

The One With The Temporary Teachers (4/3/2013)

For the last few months I have been told that “any day now” Kafule would be hiring temporary teachers to help out our staff.  Here in Tanzania, once a student finishes form 6 they have to wait 6 months to a year before they can start university.  Many of them, if they are planning on going into education, take this time to get some classroom experience working as temporary teachers (similar to student teachers in the States). 

Well Kafule finally hired 4 temporary teachers, two of whom are teaching mathematics! Which means that I am only teaching form 3 (as well as helping out the temporary teachers). It’s quite different teaching 90 students instead of 500 but I am thankful for the extra time to prepare and for a more relaxed last month of teaching!  

The One With The Contest Entry: Ferida, Form II

My name is Ferida Mlungu. I am come from Banji village is the student of form two.  I like education of development.  The education is the importance of the like of the people.  Because education is the control problem of engorance of the people of the societies.  Education is the source of life in the family.  The people without education is not control egnorance.

After finishing my studies I like work of the nurse because nurse it help to the people is the hospital and help to control diseases of the societies.  The nurse is the important of hospital because hospital without nurse it cause problem in societies.  Nurse is the person who help sick people of the hospital.

After finishing my studies I like good of life.  It provide the problem in the life or to control egnorance the family of father and mother in Tanzania large percentage of people is not like education it cause to egnorance the societies of Tanzania.

After finishing my studies I like to control engorance in the Banji village and country.

After finishing my studies I like to control egnorance the Kafule Secondary School

Thank you teachers to cooperation with me.