May, 2018.
My last days in the school, are frustrated by a few things. I am already afraid for the students about the examination because they simply use the same questions as other school and not elaborate the questions about what actually their student are learning. It does not matter if we use the same books, the way the teachers explain is totally different and we do not know for sure if they are using exactly all the same subjects. Then when I read the questions I am fearing even more for the kids: first because the questions are way too hard for their level; second because they are horrible questions; and for last because there are so many mistakes.
While some students are still finishing, I am taking a look in the the ones I have got it already, and the result terrifies me. I mean, of course they have some correct answers but those that they wrote it wrong are too much. And of course I also realize how smart and intelligent they are but in some exercises they are just betrayed for the questions or for vocabulary. When I am looking outside and thinking about how I wish to be able to fix that (if I could teach them, or any student, how I could teach appropriately and really make they learn…) I got shocked again: all the rubbish from the classrooms’ bins are being throw it away just on the back of the school. How can I teach them to keep their city clean, keep their Environment safe if there is no place in the countryside where they can throw the rubbish appropriately?
One of the students is having some big trouble to finish his examination. You see, things started wrong when we started the examination at 10 o’clock, time which the kids usually have their tea with bread. But teacher T. decided that they would just go to eat after they finish. So, it is almost midday and this one student has not eaten anything and is still finishing his exam. When he decides to simply give her without finishing, she slaps him in the face. He starts to cry. What a bitch! I think. Who she thinks she is to do that? She is not even his teacher to know if he had the opportunity to learn that or not. And at the end of course it does not matter: there is not fucking reason which justify to beat a kid / student.
I decide to sit with him and start to help. She comes and says she would do that. I just ask her not beat him again. Her excuse it is: “I got too angry!”. Beat yourself then, not him.
Another thing that shocked me that day is when S. brings a huge knife to school and tell everybody she will stab anyone who bothers her in the back. What? Yeah. She is just seven years old.
Back at home, of course I tell everything to Mr. P. and I was hoping things could change. He gives me the “culture thing” speech and say that there is nothing he can do. Well, actually there is. Send this “culture thing” to hell and do not allow any teachers to beat the students. If they do so, fire them. That is what you can and should do if you truly know that beating students and kids it is NEVER a good thing.
In my last day, when I arrive at school, the kids are extremely quiet. They are all apart of each other and making no move or sound. When I see that C. is crying, I ask her what happened. S. tells me that teacher T. had used the stick in everyone of them because they were making noise. I look at their hands and I am horrified: a big and red line it is all over one of their hands. Absurd! In Tanzania is very common and allowed to punish the kids with the stick. Everyone thinks it is OK and not a problem. Barbarians is what they are. Ignorant people who are still leaving in the Medieval times. How they want to become a better and developed country if they still keep doing such a horrible thing? It makes me sick.
I could not even look her in the face so I decide do not talk to her. But I talk with the kids and explain to them how wrong that was it. I also ask them to tell their parents about it. If it would change something, I do not know, but I hoped so.
After lunch, I paint some kids’ nails (including some boys) and I show them some pictures in my computer. I knew they would be very happy and would want to see more and more but I did not bring it before because I do not like the idea of make the kids be so dependent of technology nowadays.
Some of them walk with me part of the way back home, asking some questions. We say goodbye with one big hug and I leave. I do not say goodbye to the teachers.
My last night was full of gifts from Mr. P. and Madam A.. They give me a dress, a pin with the flag of Tanzania and a certificate of my time at school. I feel a little bad for not be able to give them anything apart of the stuff I bought to the kids but there is nothing I could do. I hope they understand.
Next morning we leave the house before eleven in the morning because Mr. P. tells me will be easier to get dala-dalas. I should had followed my instincts and left earlier. We suffer the same nightmare as the other day when we went to the hospital early in the morning. At least this time I am strong enough to stand for my a place for my backpack. I have just decided to call her The Hulk because she is green.
To make it shorter: after four dala-dalas. Four! And four hours and a half, we arrive at Maria Therese’s job. If I had walked from the house to there I would have arrived at the same time without spending one single Xeling. Where the hell were we for four hours? Walking in circles for sure. Is the only answer! How could? I am so upset. I try my best to not make Mr. P. feel bad but it is hard. And of course I am miserable without any food or water since morning and under a pretty hot weather.
Anyway, we finally find the place and met Maria Theresa. She is quite worried already because I told her I would arrive around eleven o’clock. Pff! After saying goodbye to Mr. P., she drives me to her house.