In the Crosshairs of Providence

What a Day!

2012-01-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

I went with Fr. Sossy today to begin the process of buying a small dairy herd (7 cows). We travelled to the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute in Mpwapwa, which is about 100 kilometres away. Mpwapwa is known for a certain breed of cattle developed their -- called, well, the Mpwapwa breed. After some discussion we were discouraged from buying them because we expect greater milk production -- closer to 20 litres per day than 10. We were cool with that, because we'd planned on buying the Boran-Friesian mix. The National Ranch Company (NARCO), we were told, has such a mix (though not necessarily F1) -- and we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble by stopping there, saving ourselves 40 kilometres since it is that much closer to Dodoma.
All was not lost, however. The researchers we met were very helpful, including giving us some good advice re: goats, pigs, and chickens.
We left the office happy until we saw the land cruiser with a flat tire. A young worker was called over to assist us, and we were soon on our way to get the puncture repaired. We arrived at the repair shop only to find there was no electricity. Ugh. We finally found a repair shop that could manage without electricity and soon we were on the road to Kongwa to visit our friend Sr. Immaculata, SCIC, and deliver some things to her from Dodoma. Between Mpwapwa and Kongwa (a 40 kilometre distance), we hit a bump and the pick-up just petered out. Sossy thought the fuel guage might be broken and that we were out of fuel. After over an hour, Immaculata came to our rescue with a mechanic who diagnosed the problem immediately, made a temporary fix to get us to Kongwa, and then did a more thorough repair.
We left a 11 in the morning and returned at 7:40 p.m. I have a sunburned left side as a souvenir -- and another story to tell about adventures in TZ!
Video to follow when I have enough 3G umph to upload it.

Gratitude

2012-01-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

I just opened a card written by one of our students. Her name is spelled Brighter (and she is!), but it is pronounced "Bridget."

Brighter comes from a poor neighborhood here in Dodoma. As a student at the Jesuit primary school she excelled in every way -- academics, performing arts, and being a wonderful person. Here at St. Peter Claver she receives a 65% reduction in her school fees.

Her card was a thank you note. She begins with "The Lord be with you" -- which I think might be a little joke because I catch her smiling at morning Mass as we struggle with the proper responses at or English-language Masses using the new translation. After her thanks she writes, "May the Lord accept the sacrifice at my hands. Thank you for helping me attend your school."

I am touched that she has connected what happens at the Eucharist with the generosity of people who have donated funds to help her with her study. As with the bread and wine, she is now taking up these gifts and offering them to the Lord in her studies. Pretty sophisticated thinking, if you ask me!

Tanzania Nakupenda

2012-01-28T00:13:00.000-08:00

Tanzania, I love you.

“Our vocation is to travel throughout the world and to live in any part of it wheresoever there is hope of the greater service of God and the good of souls.” Inspired by those words of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, I made my way here to Dodoma, Tanzania, in 2009. My first task was to assist in the founding of St. Peter Claver High School and then the plan was to do the same for Loyola Teachers Training College.

SPCHS is up and running. I think I have provided some little bit of help in putting into place the structures and practices which will serve the school well as it continues. However, plans for LTTC are presently on hold. Having accomplished the first part of my mission and not having the second part – the teachers college – to move on to, I will be heading back to the United States in April.

These three years in Tanzania have been remarkable, and I count it as a gift from God to have lived and served among so many wonderful people.

I will have a chance to reflect on my experience during a sabbatical that will end in December 2012. You can be certain that you’ll be included on these reflections right here at CHoP. (And soon the school’s website will be up and running and you will be able to keep up with the day-to-day school news at that site and at the school’s Facebook page, which we promise to maintain better.) I will start a new apostolic assignment in the United States in January 2013; what exactly that will be is yet to be determined -- I am hoping that it will be an assignment that provides some flexibility to allow some trips annually to Dodoma (and maybe some $ for that travel, too!).

They (I'd ding my English students for using an indefinite they!) -- they say that people tend to donate to people and not to causes. I hope that isn’t the case, because SPCHS will continue to need the support of my family and friends. I myself am only leaving the place physically; I have every intention to continue to support the mission in every way possible and hope whatever my next apostolic assignment is will provide me the flexibility (and maybe the financial means) to return to the school a couple of times each year.

I have told Father Sossy that I prefer not to have any farewell celebration – just a small ceremony with our students, teachers, and other workers on the day of my departure (12 April) will be sufficient.

However, I would like to have something tangible at the school by which the generations of students that come here will know of the support of people thousands of miles away.

What I am thinking of are some vibanda where our students can gather in small groups for studying. The singular is kibanda. A kibanda is a simple structure, a shelter or hut. Our study huts will have open sides – just a concrete floor, low walls to accommodate built-in benches, and a roof for protection from the sun and rain. We will decorate them with inspirational quotations (like this one from St. Ignatius Loyola: “You can do nothing more pleasing to God at this time in your life than to devote yourself totally to study.) And of course, there will be a notation that these vibanda are gifts of friends from the United States who are invested in the futures of children who are meant "to learn, to love, to serve."

If interested, you can use the link on the right of this page. Where you are given the opportunity to make a comment, you can mention “kibanda at Dodoma” so the gift is properly directed.

I am so thankful to so many for such generosity, interest, and support over these three years. As I wrote earlier, my own support for this project will not fade; I hope yours won’t either.

Let me close by sharing the words of a patriotic song that is very much on my mind:

Tanzania Tanzania
Nakupenda kwa moyo wote
Nchi yangu Tanzania
Jina lako ni tamu sana
Nilalapo nakuota wewe
Niamkapo ni heri mama wee
Tanzania Tanzania
Nakupenda kwa moyo wote

A rough translation:

Tanzania Tanzania
I love you with all my heart
My country Tanzania
Your name is very sweet
When I sleep I dream of you
When I wake to you, Mother, I am happy
Tanzania Tanzania
I love you with all my heart

The Nest

2012-01-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

My mother used to use a French phrase regarding the patience needed while working on a project:

petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid. Little by little the bird makes its nest.

Indeed that can be said for this project. We did reach an important milestone in December when we received our school registration number from the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. On Thursday Madam Lydia, the new assistant headmaster for academic affairs and government relations, and I stopped by some of the government offices -- the municipal office of secondary education and the zonal chief inspector's office. In neither place did we have to wait, which was a gift. After these visits, I spent yesterday preparing a report which will serve as the first step to get the school registered to be a site for form two national examinations. Slowly but surely.

As I write this our students are scurrying about the campus doing their weekly chores. Some are hoeing in the school garden, others are watering trees, still others are cleaning the dormitories, the classrooms, and the multipurpose hall. One group was transported to the village of Ihumwa, where they are helping with a building project at the Catholic parish. Our students embrace work with joy -- it is great to hear all the chatter as they set about doing what needs doing. You give them some general direction and they figure out the rest for themselves -- usually doing a very good job (though I always thing the classroom building could be just a little smarter!).

Last night I wanted to go out for a bite to eat with Kizito. There is a new restaurant not so far away, 4 Points, and I wanted to try it. Well, in order to get to that restaurant, we had to pass the new hotel of the parents of one of our Form I students, the Mushi family. They saw us stop to ask some folks walking for directions and waved us in to their parking lot. It wasn't the evening I expected, but it was a very nice evening nevertheless. I explained to our hosts that we were there as customers but looked forward to being a guest in their home some day. (They were relieved, I think that we were willing to pay for our meal -- although they have been successful in business, owning two well-regarded clothes shops, I think they've been stretched a bit financially by the opening of this hotel/restaurant).

On Monday I head to Mpwapwa with Sossy to begin the process of purchasing some cows -- the famous Boran-Friesian mix (the Boran is an indigenous breed that has more sweat glands, making it suitable for the heat; the Friesian, related to the American Holstein is a good dual purpose breed). That same day work on the cow shed will begin. The picture is of a pure Boran. Again, I can't help but be amazed that a kid from Anderson Parkway, Toledo, Ohio, is thinking about Boran-Friesian mixes and other such things! It does tap into my Connell family roots though -- my father grew up on a farm.

You can expect more news later today.

The Steady Trickle

2012-01-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

237 families showed their intention to have their child joing Form I by placing a deposit. I knew that not all of those families would show up, but I had expected at least 210 students -- the number for which we budgeted -- to show up. Imagine my disappointment when only 180+ students showed up!

I have spent the last two weeks contacting possible candidates, following up with folks whom we offered spaces but whom we didn't hear from, testing potential candidates, etc. (I use "I" very loosely -- my secretary did much of this work. Thank you, Redempta!) Well, I am happy to report that we are now just a couple of students shy of 210. And we didn't compromise on qualifications to get there (I chose not to accept a number of students who did not meet our admissions criteria).

We can all breathe a sigh of relief.

This morning our students have their first work assignments. They're all about the campus doing various chores -- it is very nice to see their commitment to maintaining their school, their home.

As promised, pictures to follow at some point.

Because of the generosity of Rotary International, Toledo, OH; The Loyola Foundation; the school communities of Fairfield Prep, St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati, and Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC; and the Jesuit Community of Scranton, PA, we now have a second school bus. The first, purchased last year, was donated by the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Jesuits. The buses are used for the transportation of employees and also for the transportation of our students to their service sites.

FYI, still not feeling well but I'm trying to be strong like the people here are. You charge on with life despite illness, which is just part of living.

Update: Not as strong as I thought! I was back in bed for most of Sunday. But now it's Monday morning, and I am feeling as if I have the energy to get through the day.

Malaria II

2012-01-20T05:38:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time -- the first full week of classes -- I was diagnosed with malaria. It began with vertigo and progressed to achy joints, a headache, etc. For the past few days I have not felt well. The symptoms just described haven't been present but I have experienced extreme lethargy and a general feeling of, well, ickiness. Yesterday I also developed a skin infection, so off to the doctor I went.

My doctor is a Benedictine monk who practices at a small Catholic hospital just north of Dodoma. I was surprised that he was not so concerned about the skin infection, but he sent me immediately to the laboratory for tests for a number of things.

Yep. I have malaria. I'm also hosting some parasite. Both easily treated -- but I've been put on 3-days bed rest, too, which isn't so easy for me. I'm staying in bed today, but I'll try to venture for a few hours to my office tomorrow -- if only to save me back.

I always feel like a baby when I get sick here. Most folks just charge on. As a friend in Morogoro once told me, "Sickness is a big part of our life here." One of the few parts I'm not ready to embrace.

Mwanzo ni Mgumu II

2012-01-16T06:45:00.000-08:00

The Start is Difficult II. Almost all our students have arrived -- some stragglers, however. The start this year is smoother than last, but there have been some small difficulties to contend with. It was an unnecessary rush to get things completed at the last minute. Thank God for Kizito, SJ, who really pushed the contractor's workers to get the job done.

Our new faculty members have arrived -- I think we'll have some stellar teachers among them.
The laboratories are almost complete -- I think they'll be the envy of many schools.
Our chapel is not any further along than it was 3 months ago -- I think its' unfortunate that a chapel that was originally to be dedicated June 2011 and then September 2011 will probably not be completed for Easter 2012.

What are the bright lights these days? First have to be our extraordinary volunteers (and I'm not writing that just because their parents read this blog!). I can always depend on Sean and Laura, and sometimes I take their generosity for granted. They've been so helpful. Cristina, the other American volunteer from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, is digging right in. And Roland, our Jesuit Missionary Volunteer from England, provided a great service by setting up a scheduling program. In fact I downloaded the same program from the Internet but didn't have a clue what to do with it -- he managed to make it work for us.

Another light is the rain -- if that isn't a contradiction. The rain has come right on time each time things begin to dry out. Last night's started with a huge downpour and moved to a gentle, soaking rain. Keep it coming, God -- and the nighttime storms suit us just fine, too. As we say here, mvua ni baraka. Rain is a blessing. As we are wont to say here: Mungu ni mwema: Kila wakati! God is good: All the time!

It was the Tuesday of the first week of class last year that I came down with malaria. Let's hope I stay healthy during these coming weeks.

Pictures later, I hope. (Laura's camera broke, so I'm letting her use my not-used-enough camera with the understanding that she shares snaps with me). Among the pictures I hope to share is one of a dead cobra -- a huge one has been seen around (I tried unsuccessfully to run over it with the car at night last week) and Victor, SJ, killed a small one (in our courtyard!) last weekend.

That's the news that's fit to print.

Sad Happy New Year

2012-01-01T06:03:00.000-08:00

Today we bade farewell to Sr. Immaculata, SCIC, our school nurse who will leave tomorrow morning for her new assignment as director of the Catholic dispensary in Kongwa, a village just under 70 kilometres from us.

I can't imagine anyone doing as good a job as Immaculata did in establishing our school nurse's office. To those who needed comforting, she provided it. To those who feigned illness to get attention, she managed to give them attention and yet help them get beyond "faking it" to get such attention.

When we Jesuits (Kizito, Soreng, Waweru, and I) lived above the school offices in the first days of the school, Imma would often stop by at the end of the day and visit for a few minutes before walking back to the convent. Those moments were marked by joy.

The celebration today was wonderful. We went to the sisters' house for the noon meal. They had prepared a feast. We began with a prayer led by Sossy, and then the sisters sang a great version of Psalm 133. This was followed by the feast (kiti moto (pork), pizza, pasta, fries, and ndizi mzuzu (fried bananas) -- get what I've been saying about loads of carbs?!)

After dinner we had some fruit and then the cutting of the cake. This is always done with great ceremony, and today was no exception. One of our scholastics, Anthony Ochen, was given the honour of carrying (balancing) the cake atop his head following a line of dancing sisters. He was given this honour principally because of his name -- the foundress of the Ivrea Sisters was Blessed Antonia Maria Verna. Upon arriving to Imma, he knelt and folks followed the custom of singing the words Kata keki, tule! (Cut the cake; let's eat!) while Sossy, Sr. Imma, Sr. Maria (the superior and director of boarding) and I cut the cake.

After enjoying the cake Sossy, Sr. Maria, and I all spoke of Imma's joy, generosity, and competence before she said a few words of farewell.

Indeed, a sad happy new year.

Home Again, Home Again

2011-12-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

I arrived home last evening after the twelve hour bus ride from Moshi. The ride yesterday was difficult because the leg room was so little for my long legs. I manage to get my left leg out in the aisle for most of the trip, but my right knee suffered, jammed against the seat ahead of me as it was.

I did manage to finish two books. The first is an incredible history of the colonization of Congo by King Leopold II -- King Leopold's Ghost. I realize I am behind the times regarding this book -- it was written over a decade ago. To quote Joseph Conrad's account of this same time in his Heart of Darkness (which I must now reread after last reading it for a Conrad seminar as an undergraduate at Loyola University Chicago): "The horror! The horror!" I can't begin to describe just how horrible it was; however the horror is matched by incredible courage, too. This is a book worth reading -- an example of a wonderfully written history.

I also read cover-to-cover Teach Like a Champion, a book sent to me by my friend MB -- meant to assist me in assisting our teachers to improve their practice. And it comes with a DVD chock full of examples! I can't wait to present some of the skills/strategies when our teachers return after our annual break.

I returned to find that the rains continued during my absence -- our verdant campus was a welcome sight, believe me. And just to assure me that this was no mere vision it poured last night, POURED.

Speaking of....I don't know why the flood in Dar es Salaam did not get reported in the western press. It has devastated that city, especially the poor, and it will have affect the rest of the country adversely as well. Take a look at this blog to see the devastation.

Incidentally, though rain is a blessing in areas like ours, it can at the same time be incredibly destructive. Many, many people lose their homes because they are constructed of mud. The "foundation" "melts" after too much rain and the house comes tumbling down.
Many people are left homeless -- of course, here that does not mean "on the streets" or in a shelter because folks tend to look after one another.

My next days will be spent on reports and scheduling (which I've delayed but can no longer put off.)

Merry Christmas!

Update: Here is a story about loss of homes nearby. The official quoted is a friend of mine (the author must come from a people without the letter "r" because my friend's name is actually Buretta, not Buleta!)

5:14 AM

2011-12-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

Am in Moshi, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, on my way to Nairobi.

Yesterday's trip from Dodoma was 11 hours; today's to Nairobi will be about 5.

The last days have been a bit difficult.

The cold I caught in Toledo remained for some time, sapping me of a lot of energy.

One wing of our dispensary was to have been completed during my time away, providing us a place to move the school's administrative offices. That was not done. We moved on Monday with so much still needing to be done -- and the work that was done is of poor quality (e.g., tiles not properly sloped, creating pools of water when it rains).

I have grade reports to complete and a school to schedule.

There are bright spots, thankfully. Like students thanking me for a great year as they went on their annual leave. And the rains have arrived. October's rain was a teaser; this is the real thing -- heavy rains almost every day.

Reading Suggestion

2011-12-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a good book about post-colonial Africa, I can suggest Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles. I just finished it -- and wish I'd known about it two years ago.

Here's a review.

Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire

2011-12-06T04:12:00.000-08:00

One of the disconcerting things I face occurs at this time of the year. Folks love to play Christmas carols. Some are religious and others are the seasonal secular songs about sleigh rides, city sidewalks, jingling bells, white Christmases, etc.

It will be a busy time leading up to Christmas and the days following. In the next month, I have to organize the academic reports for this year, schedule the school for next year (a more difficult task than last because we have more streams to schedule), and the orientation of teachers and students to worry about.

In some ways, I shouldn't worry so much. I spend a lot of energy, for instance, going through the logistics of the arrival of our incoming students. Where will they first report? What business should happen where? All of these things are things I catch myself thinking about when I wake up at 2:00 a.m. in the morning. But I shouldn't worry so much because people are patient and are, frankly, accustomed to less than organized affairs like arrivals. I shouldn't worry so much, but I cannot help myself.

The scheduling as difficult as it is has always provided me some measure of enjoyment. I first did school scheduling at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio. I learned from Rich Clark, the principal who got me started in school administration. Scheduling is, in fact, a puzzle -- one that can be solved. And after the hair pulling and head banging are finished, the scheduler can take great comfort in seeing the beauty of solution.

There are those times when that beauty masks some difficulties. Like the time when a missing period in a program meant that a whole group of seniors weren't scheduled for a science lab period. That presents a puzzle within a puzzle -- How to correct their schedule without having to re-schedule the whole school? (Incidentally, the problem would be easily handled here -- you'd either just inform the students and the teacher that the lab will be held on Saturday or you'd do a simple switch with another class and be done with it.)

Back to the Christmas carols. Those secular ones are meant to tug on heart strings -- even if they're not meant to, they do. There is a tug on my heart strings right now, but it doesn't come from carols but from reviewing the year. I recently had occasion to review a video of our students from their first week here. How they have grown! But not only how they have grown, how we have all progressed along the road. It has been in many ways a difficult road filled with obstacles but none has been insurmountable. What we have all (students, faculty, staff) put up with! But nevertheless, we continued. And here we find ourselves at a signpost pointing the direction for the future.

So even as I wilt at all the tasks ahead of me, I couldn't be more satisfied with what we've been able to accomplish with our own hard work and with so many friends. And of course with the grace of God, always already there for us.

Here It Is Decmber.

2011-12-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

So many connectivity problems -- that combined with a cold that has kept me down for weeks (until the wonders of z-pack!) and so many things at the end of the year and in preparation for next.

Many folks review their charitable giving as the year comes to a close. Please remember us as you do so! We're certainly appreciative of any assistance. (You'll find the link in the right side of this page.)

Prayers for Advent blessings.

The Music of the Wagogo

2011-11-20T06:18:00.001-08:00

Among my small frustrations is that our students are not so interested in the traditions of their ancestors. You cannot make someone to be interested in such, but you can encourage (and be filled with disappointment knowing that in 20 years they'll wish they'd listened!).

Here you can see how beautiful the local music is. Only rarely do I have the chance to hear it -- and I must prefer the traditional music at Mass, too -- instead of blaring organ music.

Rose Muhando

2011-11-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

From the moment the buildings first started rising from the ground, we have had a frequent visitor to the school concerned about securing a place for her child, who in fact did well on our entrance examination

Her name is Rose Muhando, which meant nothing to me. But to Tanzanians hers is a well-known name because Rose is the leading gospel singer. A brush with celebrity!

Ee Mungu Wangu, Unifundishe...

2011-11-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

"Oh my God, teach me..." or "Lord, teach me..."

These are the first words of a prayer commonly said by students at Jesuit schools throughout the world -- St. Ignatius' "Prayer for Generosity."

Our students wanted to do something special for our friends at Walsh Jesuit High School; they chose to sing the prayer for generosity for them.

As at any high school, there are varying degrees of enthusiasm for singing. It's a great song, with a wonderful tune that stays in my mind the whole day. Incidentally, our students sing the Suscipe, another prayer of St. Ignatius, at the preparation of the gifts at Mass. (Unlike the dirge so popular in the United States, our version is a march.)

TravellingI

2011-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

This evening I'm in Dar es Salaam. Tomorrow I fly the London and then continue my journey west over the Atlantic.

Our students wished me safe travels this morning.

Network Problems

2011-10-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm having horrible network problems, so I can only manage to have Internet access when I get into town and have the time.

It's 8:45 here and I've just had dinner out with two friends and I'm in the car near the restaurant posting the entries below. The inconvenience pales compared to missionaries in earlier ages, of course!

Catching Up -- Our Statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace

2011-10-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine in California, a woman whose faith is matched by her generosity, donated funds for this amazing statue that greets visitors. You'll see the crucifix soon, too.

Catching Up -- Second Admissions Test

2011-10-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

Heri ya Sikukuu ya Baba Wa Taifa, Servant of God Julius Kambarage Nyerere

2011-10-14T04:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Holiday (Feastday) of Julius Nyerere, Father of the Country.

Today we thank God for the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, the Father of Tanzania. He didn't get everything right, but his intentions were always right: the common good. The influence of Catholic social teaching is obvious in his policies. Today on the twelfth anniversary of his death we pray in a particular way:

O God our Father, you have created us so that we may know, serve, and love you and love our fellow sisters and brothers.

We thank you, O God our Creator, for the gift of your servant, Julius Kambarage Nyerere – a faithful layman and a father of a family – who led your people of Tanzania as true father and teacher.

Our Father, your servant gave himself up completely for your people with love that knew no boundaries, building tirelessly unity and solidarity among all Children of God. He cared for the poor. He uplifted the downtrodden. He consoled orphans. He welcomed and fed refugees.

O God, your servant, being faithful to you and to your Church – has become for us a true example of deep faith and genuine piety. He cherished a great love and respect for the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. He dedicated the People of Tanzania to Our Lady so that they may live peacefully under her maternal protection.

O God, your servant Julius Kambarage Nyerere showed great zeal in teaching everyone to know and honour you. He defended justice and fought relentlessly against oppression and discrimination of any kind.

His humble service for all people remains for all generations an example to imitate on their way to you. Almighty Father, grant us by his intercession and according to your will, the grace we implore. May his holiness become evident to all the people of God so that he may soon be numbered among your Saints.

Amen

Deo Gratias!

2011-10-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is raining -- and a month earlier than usual.

May the rains continue.

You Are a Patient Lot

2011-10-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

I promised to post pictures from our entrance day test and haven't -- and other than that day, I've generally been remiss re: picture-taking. They'll be posted some day soon.

In the meantime, you can take comfort (as I have) that the workers discovered the den of the HUGE cobra and took care of it. I'm sure it's not the end, but I'll sleep better knowing that the monster-sized snake (its head said to be at the level of the head of a four-year-old child when it raised its head) is gone.

Once upon a time...

2011-10-04T00:47:00.000-07:00

...I was an assistant professor of education at Loyola Marymount University.

I was reminded of that fact yesterday when I received an email from the Taylor & Francis Group at Routledge. The email informed me that an article I wrote that was published in 2010 "was the most downloaded article published in Pedagogies last year."

The research I do (did, I guess) is time consuming. It involves analyzing video data of social interaction in teacher education classrooms at a very fine level. The article was based on data that were collected in preparation for my doctoral dissertation (but not the actual data analyzed for the dissertation I wrote). I cannot tell you how many hundreds of hours were spent just on the analysis of a ten minute strip of video data. This is all to say that I am pleased that a product of my hard work is actually being accessed by others -- and I hope they find it somehow useful for their own work.

One of the benefits of this distinction re: being the most downloaded article last year is that the article is now available for free. So, if you need a soporific, here it is.

Catching Up

2011-09-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

These are busy days here at St. Peter Claver High School.

We had 330 students test for 210 spaces and accepted 110 boys and 93 girls. As you can see, that brings us only to 203 students. There are some students on a "second selection" list, and we're having a second test on 22 October. This means that I'm spending time composing a second examination. It also means that I'm spending a lot of time talking to folks whose children weren't chosen ("hakuchaguliwa" is what the sorry news they receive -- "he/she was not chosen"). This is a tough part of the job, for there are stories that tug on the heart.

Preparing for next year's class means hiring teachers, and I've begun reviewing CVs to begin interviews in the next week.

As well, I'm busy reviewing our contract and our compensation package. We want to retain good teachers and have discovered our remuneration and benefits are not as competitive as we thought, so we're trying to address that -- and keep our school fees affordable.

Of course we also face the ongoing challenge of trying to keep at the construction in the face of an outfit that seems to have lost interest, really.

I'm working under a deadline because I head back to the States 8-27 November.

In other news, last evening workers tried to kill a HUGE cobra -- and only managed to wound it. Not only that, we've been seeing and hearing hyenas. So now we have poisonous snakes, genets, mongooses, hyenas, vervets, and baboons -- a veritable wild game park!

Lost Parents

2011-09-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

Some of the parents whose children sat for exams on Monday are finding their way to this personal blog instead of using the url address that was given on the directions every student received upon arrival on Monday.

If you wish to know the results for your child, you can find them at the proper website here.

Quod Scripsi Scripsi

2011-09-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

On Monday we had 333 candidates sit for our entrance examination -- 210 seats available. We accepted 203 students. We didn't make our target -- in fact we know that not all of the 203 accepted will register. We have put some students on a waiting list and will accept them as space is available on 14 October. We will also have another testing date on 22 October.

My concern most especially is the number of girls -- both testing and passing. We'll try doubly hard to get them to sit for the next exam. This is not only a matter of making sure that they get every opportunity but also a practical problem for us -- the school will reach a point when the boys' dorm is full and the girls' half empty.

So today, I will clean my office and try to avoid parents of candidates who were rejected. This all brings back memories of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. Jane McManamon (may she rest in peace) and Sandra Reid were excellent in protecting Rich Clark, the principal, and me, the assistant principal for academics, at the time of the publication of admissions decisions.

Regarding the publication of results, I take Pilate's words as my own: Quod scripsi scripsi -- What I have written, I have written.

Incidentally, all the decisions were made blind -- according to candidate numbers alone. Once they were published I did look at some names. Disappointed that the children of some friends did not make it (and happy that the children of some power folks did!). I am accustomed to standing firm, and this would be no exception -- our "anti-courruption curriculum" is best taught with our own actions.

It'd Be Funny...

2011-09-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

...if it weren't so sad.

Have you seen sneakers that have velcro instead of laces? I have. I like velcro -- even some of my REI safari shirts have velcro on the pockets. It was a great invention.

It isn't so great for hanging school signs, though. Today I arrived at our classroom building to discover the "C" in "School" missing -- we became "St. Peter Claver High S hool." When I went to investigate, I discovered that our contractor had used velcro to affix the signs to our classroom building. Incredible. As my friend Martin Waweru, sj, would say if he witnessed this "These people!"

We're really struggling now to keep our contractors serious about their work. They seem to be losing interest -- and seem to be losing some pride and professionalism, too. So pray for them that they get a second wind in order to finish a quality classroom building originally scheduled to be completed in January 2010. The magis -- not just for Jesuits, their colleagues and their students!

In the Crosshairs of Providence, Indeed

2011-09-12T00:15:00.001-07:00

Thirty years ago today I entered to Society of Jesus with 14 others. Eight of us remain. I am so thankful to God for calling me into the Company of his Son.

Some Humour for a Monday

2011-09-11T23:51:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of proofreading mid-term examinations. Teachers hand in hand-written copies which my secretary types.

Well....one of the questions for the civics exams asks the students to define dual citizenship. However the civics teacher's handwriting isn't so great, and the woman who is acting as a temporary secretary in the absence of the full-time secretary does not know English well. That combination explains how you end up with a question which asks students to define anal citizenship!

Health Workers Index

2011-09-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

Save the Children has just published this report regarding health care. Tanzania ranks 135th out of 161 on the health worker index.

The index includes three indicators:
1. a measure of health worker density;
2. the percentage of children receiving three doses of the vaccine for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus; and
3. skilled birth attendance rate.

161 countries, those with accurate data available, are included in the index.
Countries with a population of less than 500,000 were not included.

Our hope here at Our Lady Queen of Peace Educational Centre is that our dispensary will soon serve Ihumwa, the local village, in addition to its service to our students. If you want to help change Tanzania's standing on the index (and more importantly change the welfare of an entire village!), please consider helping us open the dispensary to the community by clicking on the appropriate link in the "You Can Help" section to the right.

The Quality of Mercy

2011-09-04T00:44:00.000-07:00

Portia's soliloquy in Act IV of The Merchant of Venice has always been among my favourites from among the soliloquies of Shakespeare's plays.

The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God's
When mercy seasons justice.

I have had to concern myself with issues of justice and mercy these days. Last evening the boys for the upteenth time were late for a regularly schedule school event, the evening meal. Not only were most of them late, they were only beginning to think about getting ready for dinner when I went to their dormitory at 6:45 p.m. How to handle this?

I told them to go to their rooms and wait for me. I then went to the multi-purpose hall and got those few what had reported on time (20 or so) settled and eating. I then returned to the boys' dorm, told them they would eat their meal and then would report immediately back to the dormitory, which they would clean "like it had never been cleaned before" followed by early lights out for them. While they did that, the rest of the students enjoyed watching the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first half of which had been very popular.

I had received a report yesterday that some of the students had been in the teacher work room without accompaniment or permission -- and using the computer! This morning I gathered the nine of them, and soon discovered one had entered the room and immediately left and that two others similarly left soon after realizing that there was no teacher in the room and that they probably shouldn't be there.

I told the remaining students that in many schools such behaviour would be cause for immediate expulsion but that I had decided that this time it did not rise to that level but that they would all be suspended from classes this next week. What will they be doing instead? Clearing rocks and stones from a piece of land which will become our community garden. Additionally, they have to write letters home informing their parents (to be accompanies by my own letter) and also write letters to the teachers apologizing.

One of the things that I always tell teachers is that student mischief is always an opportunity to teach them about the mission of the school. I hope these events and my response to them help form these students into the sorts of leaders that will make us proud to count them as alumni someday.

Id al Fitr

2011-08-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

The feast of Id al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadhan, is celebrated tomorrow after the new moon is sighted tonight.

I have to be sincere: I don't quite understand the workings of Islam when it comes to these lunar feasts. The Golden Age of Islam -- in the medieval period -- was marked by amazing advances in astronomy. What I can't figure out is why folks have to wait to find out on which day the holiday will be celebrated. Surely this can be figured out scientifically.

I myself have made it clear to our employees that the day as it appears in our student handbook is the day on which we will celebrate this national holiday -- despite when it actually lands. It is hard to run a school when everyone is trying to figure out just what day will be the holiday. In fact what most often happens is that people simply make it a two-day holiday.

In any case, to all my Muslim readers: عيد مبارك

Discernment of Spirits

2011-08-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. (Mark 6:20)

I customarily do not post explicitly spiritual reflections here. However at this morning’s Mass with our students (the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist), it occurred to me to me that Herod could have profited from Ignatius of Loyola’s “discernment of sprits.” What does it mean to discern spirits? It means to take account of the “motions of the soul.” As the helpful folks as Loyola Press note,

These interior movements consist of thoughts, imaginings, emotions, inclinations, desires, feelings, repulsions, and attractions. Spiritual discernment of spirits involves becoming sensitive to these movements, reflecting on them, and understanding where they come from and where they lead us.

What we see in today’s gospel for the Feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist is that Herod took no such account. On the one hand he liked to listen to John the Baptist, and on the other hand what he heard perplexed him. If only he’d taken a few minutes to take account of what was going on spiritually, maybe he would have found a way to withstand Salome’s request!

Rivalry

2011-08-25T00:04:00.000-07:00

Well, Virgina, we had our own earthquake last night. Having lived so many years in California, I am accustomed to them -- and attuned to them.

Ours came at 1:55 a.m. It woke me up. In the first instance, I thought a truck had hit the building, but within a nanosecond I realized just what it was -- I realized this when the jolt was followed by about 3 seconds of rolling. The rolling stopped before I could get out of bed, and I fell back to sleep.

I inspected our buildings this morning and I see no signs of damage. I asked after Mass if others felt it, and I would judge that maybe 15% of our school population woke up. When I myself woke up this morning I found myself wondering how I would say, "Did you feel the earthquake last night." I must say I was proud to find out that I was correct -- here one does not "feel" an earthquake but rather "hears" one: Je, umesikia tetemeko usiku? Did you hear the earthquake last night. (Okay, I admit this is entirely unfair and entirely English-language-centric because the fact is that the Swahili verb kusikia covers more senses than just hearing.)

In any case, glad the damage was slight -- both here and the Mid-Atlantic States.

Thanks

2011-08-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

I write this as I look out onto our campus from my bedroom window. Sooner or later I'll post a picture of this wonderful vista of our campus.

The campus is extraordinary really, and yesterday's visit of our families was a great reminder of just how extraordinary it is. They continue to be overwhelmed by the scope and beauty of the facilities. Not only the Jesuits but also our students and their families are so thankful to our partners, the Our Lady Queen of Peace foundation. It is a heartfelt appreciation that move me.

The present phases of construction are winding up. I suspect that by the early part of next year things on this part of the campus will have quieted a bit. What I am most eager for is the completion of the school's chapel. Like the other buildings, it has been built for full capacity of 1,200 students, which will mean that during these first years our students will get lost in the large building, but even with so few it will be an inspiring place to offer praise and thanksgiving to God.

Parent Visitation

2011-08-21T01:39:00.000-07:00

Today is our third day dedicated to hosting families of our students. It is always a mixed day for me. The excitement of so many students anticipating the arrival of their families is wonderful, but there are also students whose families do not visit because of the distance such a visit would entail. It is a rather sad sight to see them moping around.

There are some families who have noticed this and have sought to include these students in their own activities. Seeing this has been edifying.

Today we inaugurate our parent association. I have asked four parents from Dodoma to serve as the first officers of the club. In the future the parents can elect their officers, but for the time being, I thought it would be good for me to choose so that we can get things off to a good start. I chose well! Last week I met with them along with Kizito. They are very keen on supporting the school -- not afraid to share concerns that will help us grow, but genuinely supportive of the school. I am looking forward to the meeting with the parents.

Families are also receiving progress reports. I worked most of last week on them, using Excel and doing a merge in the Word. It all worked well, and I printed the reports on Friday. As I was stuffing envelopes yesterday (which brought me back to my first job, stuffing envelopes at ABC Mailing, my Uncle Joe's bulk mailing business in Toledo, Ohio), I realized there was something wrong with the biology grade, so I had to do some sleuthing, correcting, and reprinting.

I also figured out too late that one of our teachers does not know the meaning of "commendable". Our teachers use coded comments, and this teacher wrote the code for "attitude, effort, and achievement in this course are commendable" for those students doing remarkably poorly. Oh, well. Maybe it will encourage them.

Sometimes I Wonder...

2011-08-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

You'll see on the right side-bar that there is a visitor "tracker."

Don't be frightened, but I know who some of you are (like families of volunteers!). But others, I haven't a clue -- but I'd love to know, if you'll let me.

So if you care to, send me an email introducing your self. (The address can be found in my introduction on the right.)

Here's to U of D High School

2011-08-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

I was principal at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the new century.

As I watched this video of the school, I couldn't help but be proud AND be hopeful that we here at St. Peter Claver High School might enjoy some measure of the success of U of D High.

Fixed an Important Link

2011-08-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

But it still needs to be oiled.

I just tried the link to the Chicago-Detroit Jesuits under the "You Can Help" section to your right. It was broken, so I repaired it. It needs a little oil, however.

An Important Interactive Map

2011-08-15T06:41:00.001-07:00

Please click here to see a very interesting interactive map regarding spending on food.

A one dollar bag of rice in the U.S. is not the same as a one dollar bag of rice in Indonesia. For an American, who, on average, devotes about seven percent of his or her spending to food, it won’t matter that much if the price of rice doubles to two dollars. An American can likely take the money that would have gone to a “non-essential” item and put it towards food instead. But for an Indonesian, who devotes 43 percent of his/her spending to food, it could mean less to eat.

Tanzania is not listed, but I can tell you that nourishment is what most people spend most of their money on.

EE-I-EE-I-O

2011-08-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

My sister Toni along with some great friends in Toledo had a fundraiser last night for us. It was held at one of the great watering holes in greater Toledo -- Dale's Bar and Grill in Maumee, OH (thanks to Bill and Liz Anderson, owners, for hosting the event). The goal was to raise funds for our agricultural project.

Initial reports are that we'll have a few moo-moos here, baa-baas there -- here a cluck, there a quack, etc. My friend Mary Russell (buy her book!) donated enough money for 4 milk cows with the provision that we name them -- Mary, Donna, Jessie, Danielle. Happy to do such (it is less attractive to name animals raised for slaughter, though!).

I just completed a call with my oldest friend in the world, Rob Loeb, who co-chaired the event with Toni. He reports that folks had a marvelous time.

If you weren't at the event and would like to help, feel free to head over to Chicago-Detroit Province of the Jesuits site here, and donate what you can. Please choose "Eastern Africa" as your designation, and write "OLQP farm" in the comment section of the on-line donation form.

Thanks to all for your continued support!

*****UPDATE*****
I just heard from Toni that $8,455.00 has been raised so far. Can you help us hit $10,000.00? You can click on the link above.

A Sad Day

2011-08-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Scholastic Martin Waweru's last day among us. He'll be leaving to make his annual retreat and then heading to Kenya to visit his family before starting a program in educational leadership at the University of London.

Martin has been a great companion, and I shall miss his presence here in Dodoma immensely. Last year at this time I was having a particularly tough go of it, and he was there accompanying me every step of the way through that dark valley. And before that when there was a bit of tension in our community it was he, so much junior in this Jesuit life, who called his elders to face the issue and to forge a way through the difficulty.

In late December I discovered a teacher whom I'd employed was not going to show up, so I had to re-arrange the schedule. I asked him if he would be available to teach mathematics because he is trained as a maths teacher, and he agreed on the spot.

And what a maths teacher he's been. Recently a visitor asked five students who their favourite teachers were, and 4/5 mentioned him (and the fifth had a different teacher for mathematics). He exhibits just what you want to see in a good teacher: very high expectations and a willingness to support students in every way possible to help them meet those expectations.

Just two hours ago at our weekly baraza, I announced his departure, and along with Mwalimu David and the Headboy and Headgirl bade him farewell. Oh the tears among the students! -- and a few discreet ones among some school employees, too. His own words of farewell to our students were spot on, encouraging them to shoot for the stars.

In a couple of hours the Ivrea sisters will join us SJs for dinner to bid Martin farewell, and later some of the lay teachers living on campus will join us to lift a glass or two; and then tomorrow he departs.

We humans are not the only creatures who will miss him, either -- Chui our cat prefers Martin to everyone else.

Fortunately, I will have a chance to visit him in London when I pass through in November! Already I'm saving my shillings so that I can take him to a nice place.

Karibu tena, Waweru!

Home Again

2011-08-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

I just returned home about one half hour ago.

I was so happy to be greeted by our students returning from an outing to the NaneNane grounds (tomorrow, after all, is nane nane or 8/8, the national holiday honouring farmers). They raced up the road to greet me and refused to let me carry my own luggage (I had taken the bus, the driver of which kindly dropped me off at our corner rather than making me go all the way into town to the depot.)

I enjoyed my holidays immensely (and in many ways wish the time could have been longer), but I am indeed happy to be back home.

A highlight yesterday was the chance to spend time with my friend Veronica Sarungi and her parents, the Honourable Professor Sarungi, retired member of parliament, and Mama Sarungi. It really was a delightful time. Veronica was concerned that I had been taken hostage by her father because of the two hours I spent with him. For me it was fascinating -- he was TZ's first orthopaedic surgeon; served as the defense minister, the education minister, and the minister of health; and has countless stories about Nyerere, my hero.

Time to Think

2011-08-05T02:50:00.000-07:00

These days at the beach have been restful, even retreat-like. I've managed to read a lot, to sleep a little more than usual. But they have also provided me a chance to really think about some short-term and long-term issues facing SPCHS and OLQP.

I have been thinking in particular about Loyola Teachers College and just what a difference this could make for the TZ. I'm very thankful to my friend Professor Vicki Graf (who recently visited us) for an an article she sent me that confirms not only my concerns about the present state of things here but also some of my initial thoughts about what's to be done relative to teacher education.

But I've also spent time thinking about how it is I can help our present teachers imagine different ways of being in the classroom, imagine different ways for their students to be in the classroom. That is a more immediate and more pressing concern -- and not an easy one. I think having teachers here who could model different possibilities would be a tremendous help, and I'm hoping the imminent arrival of a volunteer professionally trained as a mathematics teacher might be a good start. I'm also thankful for the kind offer of JP Morrison, the headmaster of St. Ignatius College, Enfield, London, UK, to have some of his best teachers come during the time the students from his school are here so that they could provide demonstration lessons.

It is hard for people to change without models for such. As I used to tell folks in my leadership classes, change for teachers is analogous to 19th century America -- no settler would leave the comforts of, say, Albany to settle in the West until the trailblazers had trailblazed and the pioneers had pioneered and a certain number of trustworthy settlers had settled and had written accounts assuring those they'd left behind in Albany that it was all worth the risk. I have to figure out a way to do this for our teachers, who for the most part are content with providing instruction the way it is customarily done here. And what does a typical classroom presently look like in TZ? According to a recent UNICEF study, something like this:

Teacher-directed activities (explaining, question and answer, writing on the chalk board, reading to the class, asking pupils to read, lesson summary) took up over half (55%) of the lesson time. Individual seatwork, where pupils worked on exercises from the chalkboard or textbooks and teachers marked the exercises, accounted for 25% of the lesson time. More pupil-centred forms of learning (i.e. paired or group work, pupil demonstration) accounted for just 14% of the lesson time, with paired/group work making up 6% of the lesson time. Non-curricular activities (i.e. administration, no teaching activity taking place) took up a further 6% of the time.

Obviously something must be done.

Gone Fishin'

2011-07-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

I left Dodoma for Morogoro on Friday afternoon with our friends from St. Ignatius College, Enfield, London, UK. This group of students and teachers makes their annual trip to Dodoma in the second half of July. The students spend most of their time at St. Ignatius Preparatory and Primary School, teaching some lessons to the students and generally playing the role of older brothers (who speak good English, providing the students a chance to hone their own English skills). The students are hosted by families, which provides them some insight into living in TZ.

The gift for me is not only to meet some very committed young men but to meet their equally committed teachers as well. The trip has been organized by Fr. Tim Byron, sj, a Jesuit's Jesuit.

We spent Saturday reflecting on their experience in Dodoma, and tomorrow we'll head to Mikumi National Park, hoping to see lions among other animals. (I earnestly hope we do, for I have counselled the group that there is no need to leave here earlier than 6:00 a.m. in order to have a chance to see the lion.) After the trip to Mikumi we'll all head to Dar es Salaam. It is there that our paths will diverge. They'll spend one day in the city proper, and I will head to Kipepeo Beach for some r 'n r.

Quite frankly, I'm exhausted and need this time to re-energize. I've brought my Kindle and some books with me to read, some movies (if the power outages permit), and paper for some brainstorming/planning for the next steps for SPCHS and OLQP.

I might even manage to catch up on some more entries here!

What a Summer!

2011-07-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

I am headed to the beach for a few days of rest. The summer (no corrections, please, about season given my living south of the equator, etc.) has been an absolutely exhausting one. But it's been exhilarating, too.

The meeting of educators from Jesuit schools in Tanzania, Kenya, and USA was amazing. It took a lot of work, but it was all work that was well worth it. And we could not have had better guests. The folks from the US were "go with the flow" types -- and that's exactly what is needed even on good days here (and a grace that I'm short of at times, I confess). Our residence was still very "rough," but they acted as if it were a palace.

And how open they were to the various experiences that I'd designed for them! I'm not a big fan of immersion programs when they are conceived of as "sink or swim," preferring instead to let people put their big toe in the water to test it first, wade a bit, and then dive in when they are ready. I think it was a profitable time for the participants from the States, a chance to see that there is more to Africa than pictures of children with distended bellies. They did see the hope, but they saw the misery, too.

I posted some days ago the results of our hard thinking. I am so proud of what we managed as a group, of how we took what has been given and made it our own.

My hope is that this experience my serve as a model for others who want to do something other than just talk at teachers about what it means to be at a Jesuit school.

Thanks Be to God!

2011-07-27T04:49:00.003-07:00

My internet problem has been fixed. Now it's just a matter of the time-management problem!

What Does It Mean to Be a Jesuit School?

2011-07-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

Companions in Mission

International Meeting of Ignatian Educators

St. Peter Claver High School, Dodoma, Tanzania

11-15 July 2011

What follows is the result of the reflection on the experiences of educators from schools representing Jesuit schools of the Chicago-Detroit Province and Eastern Africa Province.

One simple description for justice is right relationships. As we spent the morning of our fourth day together at Upendo (“love” in Swahili) a home for the elderly and the disabled run by Mother Theresa’s Missionary of Charity Brothers, the conversations and emotions among the 20-plus educators from Jesuit schools gathered in Dodoma, Tanzania, felt like right companionship. This is important for us educators from Jesuit schools because the first Jesuits referred to themselves as “companions in the Lord.” One principal question we have asked ourselves in this regard during these days together in Dodoma has been “How are we educators who are working in very different situations both within countries and among different countries companions in the common work of Jesuit/Ignatian education?”

Near the close of our time together, we took the opportunity to begin to craft this document meant to serve as a sort of textual artifact to represent the spirit-filled activities of the previous days. What you will find below represents the fruits of communal reflection based on our experiences at our home schools, our experience of discussing foundational documents relative to Jesuit education, and other experiences. The points form a sort of constellation: We realize there are other schools that espouse many of the same values that we do, and yet we recognize a certain pattern, a certain arrangement of these characteristics that makes our schools what they are.

We realize the incomplete nature of what follows; please help us by adding your thoughts no matter where in the world you find yourself, no matter your circumstances.

Here are some things that we think mark Jesuit schools:

Christo-Centric

Jesuit schools are Christ-centered communities that form members to praise, reverence, and serve God. To love as Jesus did – unconditionally – is the challenge set before Ignatian educators. Such love demands a certain authenticity and depth. Jesus Christ is the model for everything we do in our schools. For those who do not profess Jesus Christ as Lord, we ask that they commit themselves to the Way of God, to the Truth, and to Life-giving values.

Classrooms as Communities

Jesuit schools are committed to creating communities of learners where the duty of the teacher is not simply to talk and the duty of students to listen and repeat. As a community of learners/leaders, the classroom in a Jesuit school encourages a certain freedom and dialogue. Classrooms are meant to serve as learning environments for the sake of preparing competent leaders for tomorrow’s world.

Cura Personalis

All employees at Jesuit schools dedicate themselves to caring for each student as an individual in his/her particular life situation. It is easy to love in the abstract, but St. Ignatius counsels us to love in the most concrete situations in which we find our students – as Jesus does; in this regard cura personalis is intimately related both to the Christo-centric nature of our schools and to the commitment to creating community among our students. In this regard, Ignatian educators commit themselves to special care for those in our school communities who are at the margins, and they take measures to ensure the inclusion of all in the benefits of community.

Magis

Ignatius insisted on the pursuit of excellence, and for Jesuits and their colleagues the desire to achieve “great things” captures the ethos of Jesuit schools. The focus of this commitment to excellence is on different levels: We strive to do great things in the simplest, most local situations, but we also strive to do great things at the global level. Jesuit schools seek to offer students of diverse abilities opportunities to achieve excellence in various facets of life – not just the intellectual facet. In this regard, Jesuit education is committed to an integral formation of our students.

Reflective Learning

As part of their formation, our students learn to be on the lookout for God’s grace active in even the smallest events unfolding in the world. Analogously, even the chance offerings of the moment in classrooms serve as resources for learning if there are opportunities for reflection. Reflection here is not understood simply as a personal, self-centred exercise but also as a communal activity involving conversational narratives that serve as social ways of making meaning.

Justice-Based Service

At Jesuit schools, service is intimately connected to a commitment to justice – to right relationships. Service in Jesuit schools is not an end in itself; it has a formative function: Our students do service because they meet Christ in the poor and learn about Christ as they do what he does: offering themselves for the welfare of others. They also do service to see where the will of God is thwarted so that they might begin to consider ways to “right” the relationships that make the poor poor. Educating men and women for others means in part educating them to strive for justice at every level of life – from local to global. Jesuit schools can be understood as institutions that promote personal and institutional conversion towards the living God; being so disposed to conversion, they stand as institutions that meet the ever-changing challenges of their particular localities and the global community.

In Conclusion: A Global Network

We participants in this international meeting of Ignatian educators have come to an appreciation of the fact that we are part of an international Ignatian community united by the characteristics and values listed above. This gives us certain advantages. For instance, if taken seriously our international connections provide us with a resource to create an awareness of the world and an appreciation of the virtue of solidarity (the disposition to see the other as sister and brother and to see the interdependence of people and communities locally and globally). Such a commitment to fostering solidarity should issue forth in a desire among our students and graduates to act for change when they see injustice, see threats to human dignity, etc.

What would you and your colleagues add?

Apologies

2011-07-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

A lot of internet problems.

Have had some great, busy days. My friend Vicki Graf visited from LA -- what a great honour to host her. And now we have 12 American colleagues with us talking about what it means to be a Jesuit school. Great conversations.

Okay, gotta head back to Ihumwa from the city. Say a prayer the connectivity gets better.

Whew!

2011-06-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

The students have gone home for a three-week break -- it doesn't give us a break, but it does give us a bit of a breather.

I said goodbye to them last Saturday and immediately tested 16 candidates who want to join us for the second term (9 of them made it). I've also been working on some planning for next term, including trying to hire an agriculture teacher (part-time).

Today I toured the Jesuit residence with Sossy (I'm pushing for it to be named Fabre House, but we'll see what happens). It looks as if it will be completed in time to host our 12 guests from Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuit high schools and the 10 visitors from schools of the Eastern Africa Province. It will be tight, but we'll make it, I'm pretty sure.

As I said in the title: Whew!

Some More Wildlife

2011-06-30T05:17:00.000-07:00

I let Chui out last night because he was restless -- unusual for him. In any case, he ran up to our roof as soon as I let him out, and I thought nothing more of it.

An hour or so later I was in bed and I heard a cat fight. I thought maybe he found his sister, who ran away as soon as she arrived 4 months ago (and whom we see from time to time). It wasn't a long fight. I then heard something hit a rail and then silence. I went back to bed.

This morning I went looking for Chui and found a dead genet just outside our house. Chui took care of us -- but got beaten up. All day long he's been listless.

Here's the dead genet.

Language School

2011-06-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

We are running our own 3-week language school for students at SPCHS who are struggling with English. Our students are on break, but 7 of them (rather than the 15 expected) showed up this morning.

The morning is divided in thirds. The first third is grammar (taught by me); the second third is writing/speaking, and the last third of the day is reading. I taught all three parts today and most enjoyed the second part during which the students got into pairs and came up with 5 sentences to describe a photograph they were shown.

What struck me is how there is not a bit of a critical faculty that's been developed in these kids. Schooling here is all about memorizing things, about memorizing answers, etc. The idea of figuring out vocabulary from the context of reading -- and struggling to do that rather than simply being given a list to memorize -- is so foreign to these kids. I have to take deep breaths because I get so frustrated (not with them but with how they've been so poorly served).

I cannot wait for the teachers college to get up and running to start helping teachers to do something different in the classrooms.

Gotta Be Honest

2011-06-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

There are few things I don't like about TZ. But here's one of them: Disregard for traffic safety. And tonight I witnessed the aftermath of a fatal accident for the second time in as many years. I won't go into the gory details of what I saw along 200 meters of roadway except to say that it was a motorcyclist who lost his life.

There is such disregard for life among drivers -- including traveling at 100 kph on city streets, daring to pass with on-coming traffic. I have had enough of it. Really.

A Marvelous Night for a Moon Dance

2011-06-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

What a sight last night! The lunar eclipse. It took about an hour for the full moon to turn a dusty orange as the shadow swept across it. It was also interesting to see the stars come out as the moon got darker. Really, a beautiful sight to behold.

Obviously with the title you know I'm thinking of Van... (not the best version).

Wild Kingdom

2011-06-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

I won't bore you with another Chui story except to tell you that I was narrating to Sr. Maria Chui's latest kill (a rat that it brought to me for my approval before the coup de grace), when she got excited. "Oh, Father! I forgot to tell you the news of Miyuji" (an area on the northern edge of Dodoma -- rather like a mini-Vatican given all the religious institutions. We're on the southeastern edge.) The news? They shot a leopard (chui) at the Ivreas' novitiate!

A leopard (or any other big cat -- or big wild game of any sort) is very rarely seen in these parts. Two years ago, according to Sr. Maria, five elephants were seen just a few kilometres farther north than Miyuji. Now that's exciting.

The other wildness was the phenomenon of a kimbunga, a whirlwind. I heard the rustling of leaves and looked out my window to see it start under a nearby tree. Within five seconds this mini-tornado gathered strength, shaking loose the dead leaves of the tree, gathering the litter on the ground and heading right toward our building. It passed us and then continued on the field on the other side, moving very slowly and filling the sky with leaves and litter (cement bags from the construction site). All I could think of was the sad death of a Standard 8 boy at the Lutheran Junior Seminary where I studied Kiswahili. His mother had witnessed a kimbunga pass him, and 2 weeks later he died in a horrible accident. She was certain the whirlwind was composed of evil spirts. Having witnessed it, I can see why.

July

2011-06-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

It is closer than it appears on the calendar. Ours will be a full one.

First, we have visitors from the United States headed here to take part in a very interesting meeting. Teachers/administrators from various schools of the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Jesuits (12 of them) will join teachers from our school and other schools of the Eastern Africa Province of the SJ for a week to discuss what it means to teach at a Jesuit school. The goal is to give both a global perspective; a second goal is to help relatively young Jesuit schools hear from their "elders" about what it means to be a Jesuit school and then to figure out what that means in different situations.

Among the participants in this group are a number of friends. Its organizer is Fr. Martin Schreiber, SJ, who is pursuing is doctorate in education at Loyola U. Chicago. Fr. Michael Caruso, SJ, and I lived and worked together at Loyola Marymount U, Los Angeles. Mr. Kyle Chandler is the Dean of Students at U of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, where I was principal during his time there as a student. He's a good guy -- but I'm an even bigger fan of his mother, who went out of her way to support me and the school.

Our mornings will be filled with discussions about various aspects of Jesuit schooling; the afternoons will be an opportunity to do some service. The evenings will provide our visitors an opportunity to reflect on their experience.

We also have our friends from St. Ignatius College, Enfield, London, UK, headed this way. This is an annual trip of a group of students with 3-4 adults (including Fr. Tim Byron, SJ, school chaplain). This year they will be joined by Mr. J.P. Morris, the school's headmaster. These students spend their time at St. Ignatius Pre and Primary school, but we look forward to their coming to spend at least part of a day with our students. Just as with the program above, the older students from a long-established Jesuit school can provide the proverbial shoulders for our students to stand on.

There are many other "happenings" during that month, including an intensive English language course for our students who are struggling.

In the meantime, our students' noses are to the grindstone -- they're quite serious about preparing for their term examinations which begin next Monday.

Wageni Wengi

2011-06-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

Many visitors to my office these days, and it is affecting my efficiency. A lot of folks stopping by selling their various wares, now that they know we're up and running. Today: office furniture, brick facing, and representatives for Barclays.

We also have parents of potential students stopping by, t00 -- ready to transfer them here at the second term. In fact, we have 12 spaces available, so we might be able to take some of these students if they qualify. I wish more of them were girls so that we'd even out our numbers a bit.

More on the Dedication

2011-06-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'd hoped to share with you many pictures. I lent my camera to a student in the journalism club and she took a lot of pictures, but most of them are -- like the one below -- of her friends:

But she did manage to take some others as well. For instance, you can see how our multi-purpose hall was set up.I've written about how Hon. Dr. James Msekela the regional commissioner, who has helped us along the way (including fighting for the purchase of our school bus to be tax exempt), had indicated that he would not be present. He was, along with Hon. William Lukuvi, the former regional commissioner of Dodoma. You see them in the following picture, on the right. That's Fr. Chesco, the bishop's vicar general, blessing the memorial plaque. The student is Emmanuel Msussa, one of the nicest people you ever want to meet.

After the classroom building was blessed we processed to the other buildings:

The library among them:

I hope to share more in the coming days.

You Wanna be in Pictures?

2011-06-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Our journalism club needs cameras. Many folks have old digitals in the back of desk drawers, etc.

If you want to put them to good use, you could send them to us for use by our students. Email me, and I'll share with you an inexpensive way to get them here.

Dedication Day

2011-06-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

I don't yet have pictures to post (I lent my camera to our journalism club -- and hope they (1) took good pictures and (2) return the camera), but I can report the day was a success.
It's almost 11:00 pm as I write this, and I have spent most of the day standing and am a bit tired -- the kind of tired where your mind continues to race, but your body is feeling it.
In any case, it was a good day. We started by blessing the classroom building and then went around to the other buildings. This was followed by entertainment by our students, who did a very nice job.
The tradition is to do fundraising at such an event, and we followed the tradition, raising 22,000,000.00! That's Tsh, not dollars. It's a very nice thing, in fact, to know that families are so generous, donating money to ensure that students from poor families might attend our school.
Following the fundraising we enjoyed a very nice lunch and closed the program at almost 4:00 (my day started at 5:50 a.m. in my office).
That wasn't the end of the day, however, for we had the dedication of the new Jesuit residence soon after. Whew.
Pics to follow, I hope.

Humility

2011-06-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

A day doesn't go by when someone doesn't mention that ours is a school that already has a national stature -- and that is after not even five months. Such talk can go to a school's head!

We've met the antidote for pride! The VIP section for our dedication continues to dwindle. First the bishop discovered there was a more important event requiring his attendance; then the provincial informed us that he will be unable to attend because of more pressing matters in Nairobi.

The president's office has informed us that they have not received a single one of the three different invitations sent. The regional commissioner (rather like a governor, but appointed) will not be able to attend. I could go on.

It reminds me of something I heard once:

A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, 'Come, everything is now ready.' But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, 'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.' And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.' And another said, 'I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.'

The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.' The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.' The master then ordered the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'" (Lk 14:16-24)

Reflecting

2011-06-01T06:11:00.001-07:00

As I prepare for our dedication on Saturday, the images of so many people have come to mind.

We have so much to be thankful for -- and so many people to thank. The Our Lady Queen of Peace Foundation most certainly, because they have provided us with an amazing campus filled with opportunity. But there are so many others as well who have been so generous.

And I'm thankful for the colleagues God has sent our way. Chief among them are our sisters of the Sisters of Charity of the Immaculate Conception of Ivrea. Srs. Maria, Immaculata, and Beatrice have been such great companions; they have enriched the lives of the Jesuits here in Ihumwa.

Thankful for our lay colleagues without whose diligence nothing would happen.

And of course, I'm thankful to the One without whom nothing is or can be.

It's Not Too Late!

2011-06-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Our container has not left the port, so there's still time to send some school materials to St. Peter Claver High School.

We are having great difficulty procuring quality chalk erasers and sponges for cleaning, so those are two things that certainly would be put to good use.

Here are directions re: sending.

On a related matter: I no longer have any shame re: begging. Already our blackboards are falling apart. They are made by painting the wall with black paint. I would really love to have proper porcelain boards here -- that last forever, as my American readers know. If anyone knows anyone....

People Get Ready!

2011-06-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

The train's a-comin', yes; but that's not what I'm talking about.

Our dedication is just around the corner, and my days have been filled with preparations. And when not preparing for that, I've been writing a narrative for a grant for a sizeable chunk of change.

But I took a brief break from it this afternoon because I had to meet one of the e

ngineers at the classroom building. Today I remembered to bring my camera, so you can see our sign going up.

What? You say you've never heard of St. Peter Laver? He's the patron saint of launderers, of course.

Oh, and while I'm at it, here's some cuteness for you:

Falling Behind

2011-05-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yikes. I know I don't post as often as I used to, but I don't have the available time as I used to -- or the internet connection.

The second reason was taken care of today when I bought a new modem, my old one having given up its digital ghost. I had a number of rather important emails to get out this past week. Every time that I went into town to send them (using the connection at the parish), they had either Internet problems or no power.

Today I am connected. Alas, I have no time to do anything other than this brief, pathetic explanation. Expect more soon, however -- certainly details about our dedication, scheduled for 4 June.

Construction Update: Kama Kawa

2011-05-12T06:22:00.001-07:00

"Kama kawa" is slang for "as usual" (short for kama kawaida). We're behind schedule. The plan was to have the chapel and the Jesuit residence completed by 4 June, but that is clearly not going to happen.

I can report that there has been substantial progress in the last weeks. Our students will most likely be able to move to the other wing of the dorms. They'll be leaving rooms with rough cement floors and cabinets without shelves or locks. They'll now have tiled floors and very nicely made, lockable cabinets.

The classrooms are tiled and the poor-quality doors have been replaced. I need to find good quality porcelain chalk boards -- the black paint on the walls doesn't cut it with me.

The chapel will be basilica-size, and I think it will be a very nice space.

The Jesuit residence is far larger than we presently need, but I think it will suit us as we go forward.

The dispensary design was improved with the excellent suggestions of Sr. Immaculata, our school nurse.

The library will have an airy, spacious feel. Our students cannot wait for this facility to be completed. They love books -- and that makes me very happy.

The laboratory block is coming along nicely. Regular readers will recall how disappointed I was when I realized that our architect had designed our labs for 32 students -- and no teacher! The solution was to make those four labs (the fourth having been dedicated to agriculture) into 2 computer labs, a geography room, and a music room.

The administration block is off my radar screen -- I'm guessing nine months to a year before it is occupied.

Our playing fields/courts are on their way to completion.

And that's the quick rundown.

Apologies for the horrible format, but given that I am taking advantage of a few moments of adequate internet speed....

Chui

2011-05-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

That's the Swahili word for leopard. It is also used by many for tiger. And it is the name of my cat. I would have never thought that I would own a cat before a dog, but here I am with a lovely male kitten on the verge of maturity.

About one month ago, I received two kittens from my American friend, Andrea. One was gray in colour, so I gave him the name for smoke "Moshi." We had hoped that the two of them (brother and sister) would control the rats approaching our place from the bush that surrounds us. Within a day they ran away. Two days later Chui was found crying at the matron's house and we decided to bring him inside to get him used to us. It worked: He has made himself right at home.

Unfortunately Moshi has not returned, though there have been Moshi sightings on the campus.

Chui provides us hours of entertainment as he chases ping-pong balls, wrappers, and bags. But he is living up to his name -- he's a fierce predator. In addition to countless grasshoppers (very high in protein according to my Ugandan friend whose people eat them), he's caught three rats. I know PETA folks won't be happy to hear it, but he enjoys playing with his prey (of whatever sort) before finishing them off.

Who would have every guessed? As I wrote elsewhere, my mother would be appalled to think that I now own a cat, but I do! (Now for the dog!)

Meeting of Heads of Schools

2011-05-11T03:07:00.000-07:00

In my capacity as Assistant to the Provincial for Education, I convened a meeting of the heads of schools of the Eastern Africa Province of the Jesuits (that includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda -- and now we can say SOUTH Sudan).

The meeting exceeded my expectations. We enjoyed one another's company, profited from the experience of one another, and grew from the collegial encouragement.

I also had the opportunity to meet up with two Jesuit friends: Cyriac Francis Malasi, a scholastic who had worked on this pro now studying theology at Hekima College, Nairobi, and the rector of Hekima College Jesuit Community, Fr. Gabriel Mmassi.

Not only that, I also had a chance to see the school sponsored by our lay friends in the Christian Life Community, St. Aloysius High School, on the edge of the infamous Kibera Slum of Nairobi. I was very impressed by the students and staff of this high school.

It was a good trip, but I was away from school for some excitement that it would have been better if I had been present: We had a fire in the boys' dormitory. The cause of it remains uncertain. Damage was limited to one room. The good news is that the dormitory was empty AND that all our systems worked. The alarm went off, Sr. Maria (in charge of boarding) went to investigate and saw the black smoke rising; when she arrived, she found workers already extinguishing the fire. The whole incident (dealing with the immediate issues, police reports, contacting parents, etc.) was very ably handled by Fr. Kizito, who acts as my deputy in my absence.

Opportunities to Help

2011-05-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

Repeatedly, people ask if there are other ways of helping us than simply writing a check.

We'll have a partial of container of books coming this way very soon due to the generosity of a lot of great people who have contributed to Books for Africa, and I have recently been told that we can solicit some of our own material to be included along with the books provided by them. This came as welcome news.

If there are musical instruments in the corner of closets in your home, we could use them. If you have sports equipment no longer being used, we'd gladly take them off your hands. If you'd like to visit an art store and buy some art supplies for our art club, the students would rejoice. If you know of a school with microscopes or other equipment languishing in a store room, our science teachers will bubble over. No longer used digital cameras would be a great gift for our journalism club. Oh, and other "school supplies" we could use are clean (no viruses) usb flash drives, quality staplers, and other office "stuff". May of these things are available here, but their quality is low and their cost is exorbitant.

I have been told that the best way to send such items is pack them in a Rubbermade storage box and send it to
Books For Africa-Atlanta
2971 Olympic Industrial Drive SE, Suite C
Smyrna, GA 30080

The container should clearly state that the items are school supplies and for St. Peter Claver, Dodoma.

Thanks for whatever you can manage.

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

2011-05-02T05:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in Nairobi and have excellent Internet service. Why didn't I take some pictures to update my readers on our progress? A real missed opportunity.

I am here in Nairobi, wearing a different hate than usual. I'm here as the assistant for education for the Eastern Africa Province of the Jesuits. On Thursday evening we'll begin a two day seminar for the heads of Jesuit educational institutions -- looking at the characteristics of Jesuit education and how those get lived out in the day-to-day in different circumstances.

I had a twelve hour bus ride yesterday from Dodoma to Moshi.

View Larger Map

(Looking at the map, you may ask why I didn't just go straight north through Kondoa and Babati. The answer is simple: That more direct route is via the Cape-to-Cairo Road. It is also known and the Great North Road. The only thing great about it is its length -- it is unpaved most of the way, and given that we just finished the rainy season it is in horrible condition. You cannot get a direct bus by taking that route.)

I managed to start and finish a 400-page book that Waweru lent me -- better than looking at the road and all the near misses! I had a marvelous time with our two Jesuits in Moshi, Tony D'Souza and Edmund Mallya.

This morning I hopped on another bus at 6:30 a.m. and got to Nairobi eight hours later. Actually with the road between Arusha and Nairobi now mostly paved it could be a much quicker trip -- but the inefficiencies at the border slowed things down considerably.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that we're holding our students more accountable re: their behaviour. For the most part, they are responding well. We really do have good students -- but they are teenagers!

Why's TZ Poor?

2011-04-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

That was the title of an opinion piece published last Sunday. The article's thesis is that it is a crisis of leadership. A former student of mine who has expertise in these things notes that are other factors that must be kept in mind as well: "poorly-developed infrastructure (as the column says), bad deals with foreign powers; underdeveloped human capital."

The issue of infrastructure is being dealt with in very noticeable ways, especially regarding the development and improvement of roads. To think that just a few years ago the road between Dodoma and Dar es Salaam was not paved!

There is a real desire to capitalize on the riches of the country -- the flag of Tanzania is meant to reflect these riches: yellow representing gold and minerals; blue, the sea; green, agriculture. I am excited about our doing something regarding the "green" (though I'd like even more if we found a little something represented by yellow!). With the help of the many folks with whom I had a chance to share the story of St. Peter Claver High School and Our Lady Queen of Peace Educational Centre, we'll be starting our agricultural project shortly (we already have a crop of sunflowers doing well -- and our student agricultural club has planted mchicha --spinach -- and Chinese cabbage [in fact, they've sold their first harvest of mchicha to our kitchen].

We'd love to get a state-of-the-art vineyard started -- and in that regard we're right in line with the hopes for the Dodoma Region of people like the country's prime minister.

It is all very exciting.

Catching Up.

2011-04-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure where to begin, for it's been so long since I have written anything at CHoP.

Maybe it is best to work my way backwards over several posts.

Today was a busy, fruitful day. I met with Sossy about a number of things (including issues regarding the first steps for our agriculture project [exciting] and some issues regarding construction [a bit of frustration on this front these days]); I managed to confirm the plans of our students' Easter-break travel; I talked with our acting librarian about a recent exchange of books with our friends at the Poverty Eradication Network; and did some planning for a workshop I'll be presenting in a few weeks.

Our students enjoyed our Palm Sunday a lot -- we processed around the entire campus, waving our palms and singing songs. It was a great change to the regular order for them. Saturday morning was spent practicing.

The weekend was not all sweetness and light mind you. On Sunday about twenty students were late for lunch. I'm beginning to lose patience with the constant lateness for everything -- and they know it. I've told them that they will suffer natural consequences: Being late for a meal means simply missing the meal. Well, they missed one of the great meals (pilau [a special rice dish], meat, and salad. I made a stupid mistake regarding this punishment, though: I told the students who were on time that they could divide among themselves the food meant for the students who were now missing the meal. I have never seen such gluttony as I did among the boys. It was embarrassing and I'm glad we had no visitors to witness it.

I ended up racing around trying to save at least some of the rice because I decided to temper justice with mercy and allow the late students to eat a simple meal after the others were dismissed and then to clean the dining area and the outdoor dish-washing area.

Oh the glowers cast in my direction! I told them that except for the most serious offenses, my own approach was to move on from such unpleasantness ASAP and that I would encourage them to do the same. And we have.

On Saturday evening we watched Shrek, which gave me an opportunity to talk on Sunday about Prince Farquad and his search for riches, power, and glory as opposed to another sort of leadership marked by self-offering for the life of others. They really enjoyed the movie -- especially the slapstick parts of it. (I realized during the movie just how many allusions to popular American culture were not accessible to them -- and even so they enjoyed it.)

Last week was one of tightening screws. On the Friday our students' mid-term break, I met with the faculty to review the first quarter. There was general dissatisfaction among us with the behaviour of our students, especially respect and timeliness. It was an excellent meeting which bore many fruits. I had already determined upon my return here from my month away in the United States and Canada that there were issues in these areas, so I was glad that the teachers and I were of one mind.

We also talked about empowering student leadership. I have made some critical mistakes in this regard, and I was very happy to have the faculty suggest ways in which we could do better. We've elected a head boy and a head girl and will have elections for the other offices, too. I will meet with these officials more regularly than I have their appointed counterparts and will give them job descriptions to help.

I mentioned the mid-term break. Of course as with any school break it was a break for the students and in part for some of the faculty, but it was work for the office. It was rather productive given the fewer distractions.

More later -- and now with Internet limping back I might even manage a few photos, including photos of our students looking smart in their new school sweaters.

Apologies

2011-04-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

A lot to share but no Internet for two weeks, so I depend on trips to town, which are infrequent because of the cost of petrol and my time.

Sorry, but more when things are working properly.

Despair vs. Hope

2011-03-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in Africa,may I suggest that you take the time to read this excellent article. Indeed, it is a continent marked by hope.

What a Month!

2011-03-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Dar es Salaam late on Friday night -- and barely slept because of the heat (and it really is not that hot).

I'll drive our new (used) community car to Dodoma today (6-8 hour drive) and get ready to re-enter the life of the school tomorrow.

What a month away it was. I had a brief chance to visit with my family (wish I hadn't been so sick). I had a chance to catch up with good friends (ditto re: the sickness regarding some of those visits). And I had a chance to update friends of the high school on our progress and introduce the high school to some new friends. Folks have been generous in our regard, and for that I'm very thankful.

The Blade

2011-03-12T07:26:00.000-08:00

The Toledo Blade is my hometown newspaper. I was interviewed while I was visiting home, and this is the result.

Not everything is accurate, but what's not accurate makes a better story. (For instance, it was not the head of the order who called me at 6:00 a.m. but rather the man in charge of our little corner who was visiting Rome and called me).

"Our Vocation Is to Travel..."

2011-03-10T07:47:00.001-08:00

Those are words from the holy founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola. I'm glad there is more to the quotation: “Our vocation is to travel throughout the world and to live in any part of it wheresoever there is hope of the greater service of God and the good of souls.”

Why am I glad for the complete quotation? Because I'm not feeling as if my vocation is to travel. This trip has been grueling, never spending too much time in any one place, no opportunity to really visit. That said, I have so appreciated the opportunity to talk about SPCHS/OLQP and the response of the people who have been at the events. But it has been a whirlwind, starting with a wonderful evening at my friends Chip and Mary Jo's home, where I had the chance to catch up with some great folks from my time at U of D Jesuit HS; then on to Toledo where I had a chance to briefly visit with my family and had the opportunity to talk about our project with Toledoans (and get interviewed by columnists at the Toledo Blade and Catholic Chronicle).

The Toledo visit was followed by a stop in Cleveland, where I spoke at a luncheon (which gave me a nice chance to visit briefly with my dears friends Jerry and Sue Schroer and Linda Schlageter. I also had a wonderful opportunity to spend time with Barbara and John Schubert about their experiences at Loyola High School, Dar es Salaam. I arrived in New York last Friday. My friends Christopher and Rosario Baldwin could not have been kinder in my regard, hosting an amazing evening at Astor House, where they introduced me to 50+ friends of theirs and gave me a chance to talk about to Dodoma. It was a spectacular evening.

And here I am in Chicago, where I spent time with some teachers from the Chicago-Detroit Province who will be with us in Dodoma this summer. In a few minutes I'll be leaving for the Union League Club, where I'll speak to benefactors of the province.

And tomorrow I leave for LA. Whew!

Just Missed the Oscars!

2011-02-27T23:57:00.000-08:00

Jesuits in Eastern Africa - St. Peter Claver High School from Midwest Jesuits on Vimeo.

Snow

2011-02-25T05:41:00.000-08:00

It's snowing here in the D. School has been cancelled at U of D Jesuit.

It cannot be blamed on the snow, but I've already had a mishap with my rental car -- I managed to knock the mirror off the passenger-side of the car last night as I was parking it in the community parking lot. This is my first accident since I was 16 years old. Even with all the challenges of driving in TZ, I was accident free. Feeling foolish.

Upendo

2011-02-25T03:02:00.000-08:00

Love.

I arrived to Detroit last evening and have already had a bit of personal drama -- I managed to take off the rear-view mirror on the passenger side of a rental car. Coming into the parking lot of the the Jesuit residence at U of D Jesuit High School and Academy, I didn't see a protrusion from a pole at the gate. This was in part due to the exhaustion caused by such a long trip, I think.

My departure from the SPCHS was very moving -- you would have thought that I was going away forever and not for just a month! Sister Beatrice surprised me by serving for breakfast one of my favourite dishes (a favourite among the Wachaga -- a soup made with goat meat and banana); then the students at their morning assembly had a representative give a speech, and then they presented me with a thoughtful chess set and very kind card. I asked them to give me another "safari njema" gift: to sing one of their favourite songs, based on the "love is kind" passage in 1 Corinthians 13. Here is their version sung in honour of the Our Lady Queen of Peace Foundation; it was filmed on the third day of their orientation.

Date-Challenged

2011-02-22T01:57:00.000-08:00

Some weeks ago I received notification that my flight from Cleveland to New York was cancelled. My initial response to myself was, "How could that computer make such a silly mistake; I am meant to fly precisely one month from today." And then I got a sinking feeling. Yep, I had made all my domestic airline reservations for February instead of for March. Fortunately that one cancelled leg of many meant that I could cancel the entire ticket without penalty and rebook. Whew! That was close.

Last night I decided I probably should check exactly what time after midnight on Friday morning I am scheduled to leave Dar es Salaam. It was then that I discovered I leave at 12:45 a.m. on THURSDAY morning. I am so happy I checked. It has meant a busy day here today (I'm writing this at my desk during a brief lunch break).

Tomorrow morning I head to Dar es Salaam. I arrive in Detroit on this Thursday. I'll rent a car there and then head to Toledo on Sunday, where I'll be until Wednesday morning when I head to Cleveland. I leave from Cleveland for New York City on Friday afternoon, staying until Monday morning when I fly to Chicago, where I stay until flying to Los Angeles on the following Sunday. From there I fly to Calgary to celebrate St. Patrick's feast, leaving in time to arrive in London to celebrate St. Joseph's feast, returning to Dar es Salaam on Friday, 25 March.

It's a busy schedule, but I'm very much looking forward to sharing the good news about St. Peter Claver High School!

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?

2011-02-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

Now that's an allusion not everyone will get!

The answer is sporadic! My days are long and full, and I don't have time enough to write much here presently. Yesterday I treated myself and tried to sleep in until 5:50 a.m. I got to our multi-purpose hall at 6:30 when the day at school began. At 7:30, when the students begin to move to the classroom assembly area, it began to pour rain -- buckets. We waited until 7:50, when I told the students to make a dash for it.

They ran to the classrooms, and I ran to my office, which I left at 6:00 o'clock last night in order to return to the MPH, where I helped to prefect the dinner. I moved on to "preps" (study hall), until 7:30, when I headed home to dinner with Martin and Kizito. This was a pretty typical day -- what wasn't typical is that last night I didn't return to my office and went to bed instead!

All of us Jesuits are leading such lives right now. Sossy has to worry about things here and the parish. My companion Kizito is teaching a class for a teacher who has fallen ill plus taking care of things as my assistant (AND, poor Kizito, will have even more to deal with when I leave for the States in six days!), and Martin is teaching two mathematics classes plus helping with practical matters in the Jesuit community and dealing with issues as the "clerk of works" for the building.

It is an endurance test, which I hope we all manage to pass!

Some More Pictures

2011-02-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

These were taken by me -- or at least with my camera!

Geting Settled After Arrival

2011-02-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

More photos from 23 January.

2011-02-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

More pictures from the arrival day of our students.

Registration

2011-02-11T05:37:00.000-08:00

Finally, some photos of our opening -- some by me but most taken by Laura Heid.

Whew!

2011-02-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

A lot to catch you up on. Descriptions, photos, and video.

Alas, you'll have to continue to wait because my connection in Ihumwa is so poor. I'm in town now but haven't the time to upload things.

It's enough for you non-Face Book readers to know that during the first week of class I was diagnosed with malaria and spent much of the time from Tuesday-Friday in bed. I'm still easily exhausted now, but I don't have much other choice than to charge on.

The students are mostly wonderful, and as has been the case with my other times as a principal the most enjoyable part of the job is being with them -- even when they aren't so wonderful.

Oh, and if you thought the size of the cobra I posted over a year ago was spectacular, you should see the one that our workers killed just outside our dining hall -- the students now understand why I insist on their staying on paths.

More later.

First Day of Class

2011-01-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

I'll be heading over to the classrooms in a moment.

After a week's orientation, we're now ready to get down to business. I put the final touches on some things last night, managing to get a good night's sleep. And now a new chapter begins.

My only concern at this point is timing. No bell, no bell ringer sauf moi.

Other than that, all systems go (with the inevitable unknowns, of course).

Alas

2011-01-27T10:50:00.000-08:00

My internet connection here is soooooo sloooooow that I won't be able to post any pictures or video of our opening days until I (1) find the time to drive the 14 kilometres into town and (2) find the time to post them once there (the connection there is only slightly better).

Look for them!

In the meantime, I must say that these days have probably been among the most challenging in my life! At times I feel invigorated by the challenge and at other times -- to be honest -- I feel utterly overwhelmed. We are starting the school under-staffed which makes things more challenging than they should be. In part this is my fault, especially regards a secretary. I didn't want to hire a secretary when we were working out of the parish offices because there would have been no room -- and now I have to wait until February 13th!

I'm also struggling with being a boarding school. Who is responsible when for the children? I'm posting this now as a break. My day started at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for 6:30 a.m. Mass. I managed to eat lunch standing up and even managed a twenty minute nap and a twenty minute dinner, but other than that I have been busy with school business until 9:00 p.m. All the days have been like this -- and my companion Kizito has been just as busy and I know Sossy (who is splitting his time between duties here and at the parish) is equally busy. We pray that the pace changes before it kills us.

What is keeping me going is having met our students. What a wonderful group they are, full of promise. And how much I am enjoying being with these young people!

Today we chose student leaders, following a talk by me about leadership. I asked students to share examples of leaders who led with the interest of others in mind -- the answers were telling: Nelson Mandela; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Julius Nyerere; and Jesus Christ. After some talk about the characteristics that distinguished these leaders, I announced the dorm prefects and the classroom captains. Young Sixbert, who is not so confident with his English, came up to me with another student complaining of his unworthiness (and the other student was pushing his own candidate). I assured Sixbert that he was chosen because the obvious qualities of leadership were apparent and that he had the support of all the adults -- I added that the fact that he didn't feel up to the job was itself a commendation!

More stories to come. Thanks for all the support.

Mwanzo ni Mgumu

2011-01-24T10:42:00.000-08:00

The beginning might be difficult, but it is satisfying.

Today we began our week's orientation. I was up late last night waiting for power to return so I could get some important items taken care of -- it didn't return. Today I woke up a little after four, hoping it would be on, but it wasn't. That was the least of the snafus, but we managed to recover from all of them.

The students have been very patient, indeed -- and I hope to match their patience with my own understanding as they deal with starting their education at a school still underconstruction.

In any case, it is almost ten at night and I am very ready for bed. As difficult as the day was, it was satisfying. Will post pictures soon.

Sneaking Away

2011-01-23T01:48:00.001-08:00

Came to print something in anticipation of our students arriving in one hour. Ready or not (in some ways ready, in some ways NOT), here they come.

In fact, some have been waiting since ten this morning -- registration does not begin until 2.

That's the word from these parts.

Whew. Pictures to follow!

Nipo Ihumwa!

2011-01-21T07:42:00.002-08:00

I am now a resident of Ihumwa! We moved tonight. Mind you, I haven't moved all my things -- I packed as if I were going on a long business trip. There are books and clothing still remaining in town.

But here I am. When I arrived I raced around to all the workers, exclaiming to them in Kiswahili: "I am no longer a guest, I'm a citizen of this place!" (Sasa si mgeni; mimi ni mwenyeji)

It is very relaxing here right now as the sun sets. The birds are singing beautifully, and it is very peaceful. The only downside so far? Bad Internet -- we'll see if I can manage to post these words.

It's Looking Good

2011-01-20T09:13:00.001-08:00

Our friends the deputy chief zonal inspectors returned today -- at the request of the chief zonal inspector of schools. They themselves left content after their last visit, but the CZI was not entirely satisfied.

They returned today to find everything they had seen earlier but in better order (simply because we're that much closer to the commencement of school). They also saw a "Potemkin laboratory," set up with benches and stools and some chemicals in the preparation room. (The set will be struck tomorrow.)

Long story short: One inspector asked where he might acquire a nifty bunk-bed like ours and the other was absolutely giddy (her son will be a student). I'm hoping it is not another false start.

Falling...

2011-01-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

...into place, many things. As Sunday approaches, I am actually feeling more comfortable with our situation. Will everything be in place? Absolutely not. Will it be a dire situation, though? I don't expect so, and in fact I think generally we're on top of things -- or at least no most of what we're not on top of!

As I recall, there's a Donald Rumsfeld quotation about knowing what you don't know. I realize that the nature of a surprise is that it cannot be anticipated. At the same time, I think one of the things I do pretty well (at the expense of sleep) is to imagine various possible scenarios and design programs and structures to meet as many different eventualities as possible.

We've had meetings the last two days among Kizito Busobozi, SJ (have I mentioned his arrival? a great assignment by the provincial to our place for which I am very thankful), Sr. Maria, the director of boarding; and Sr. Beatrice, the matron -- and today we were joined by Sr. Immaculata, the nurse, and Mr. Thomas Warema, the patron. The meetings were meant to plan the arrival of the students on Sunday and then also the schedule of events during the following orientation week.

The arrival of Kizito and St. Maria, et al., poses one challenge for me, however. After working on so many things alone, I am out of practice re: delegating to others things to be done. I had to remind myself of that today and turn over the orientation week plans to the folks, who will plan it with the teachers and divvy up responsibilities.

Other good news is that the details of my trip to the US are coming together. So far, three different friends/family have agreed to host small gatherings of folks, which gatherings will provide me the chance to introduce/update folks about our project.

In other news, tomorrow night will be my first night at Ihumwa. Our provisional residence is not quite ready -- but given that there are so many here who have so much less, a few nights with just a bed and no other furniture should not be so very difficult to manage (I hope).

This Close

2011-01-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

We're $2,200.00 from having sufficient funds for another mess o' books for our library. Maybe you can help us reach our goal of $15,000.00. A hearty thanks again for all those folks who helped us to get this far.

There are many other things we need help with, of course. We could especially use help getting us off the ground with our agriculture project. We need to build animal sheds (for cows, chickens, goats, pigs, and rabbits) -- and assistance with the initial purchase of breeding livestock as well, need to install drip irrigation for our table vegetable gardens, and need to buy high quality seed.

Also, if anyone knows of folks who might be interested in helping us get a vineyard off the ground (we're in the "Napa Valley" of Tanzania -- I prefer to think of it as the "Paso Robles" of TZ, myself), give us a jingle.

I'm writing this entry as a distraction from what I should be doing, which is clerical work that desperately needs to be done in preparation for Sunday's arrival of our students. (Happily I think I finally have hired a competent secretary.)

So much to do before them -- and I'm a bit paralyzed by it all.

Signage

2011-01-14T10:12:00.001-08:00

Our sign arrived from Dar es Salaam this morning.

Some Photos of SPCHS @ OLQP

2011-01-14T09:26:00.001-08:00

The multi-purpose hall (a little out of focus)

The girls' dormitory with the matrons/patrons residence to the right.

In the foreground is the second classroom wing; behind it is the completed wing.

Staff housing; using TZ system: ground floor will be temporary administrative offices; first floor will be available to faculty; second floor will be temporary Jesuit community.

The library, recent work has been slow in order to concentrate on the other buildings so they can be ready to welcome students on 23 January -- (gulp) nine days away!

A Panoramic View

2011-01-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

I have so much to do to prepare; but even though I'm overwhelmed and burdened with majukumu I am so excited that I have to take the time to post these updates!

The Danger of What We're Doing

2011-01-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

When education is framed as the answer to all the ills of a country and the principal means for its development, the consequences can be devastating. This commentary on the recent riots in Tunisia and Algeria gets it just about right, I think.

Societies on both sides of the Mediterranean suffer from what one might call diplomatosis. This dangerous disease is caused by the assumption that, since a modern economy requires educated people, the more educated people it can call upon—as measured by the average number of years in school—the more productive that economy will be. On this view, education is in itself the motor of growth, and the demand for educated labor will automatically keep up with, if not outstrip, the supply.

The story of the young Tunisian Mohammed Bouazizi, whose suicidal self-immolation was the spark that set Tunisia aflame, is instructive. He was 26 and had a degree in computer science. Like 200,000 other university graduates in Tunisia (in a population of 10 million), he could not find a job. He then tried selling fruits and vegetables from a stall. However, he did not have bureaucratic permission to do this—such permission being bestowed by other university graduates, lucky or well-connected enough to have found jobs in the public-sector bureaucracy. The police constantly harassed him because he didn’t have the requisite licenses. It is said that he set fire to himself when a policeman spat in his face.

No policy could be more dangerous, more certain ultimately to produce a social explosion, than to educate young people for many years and deny them first the opportunity to earn a living that they believe is commensurate with their education, and then the opportunity to earn a living at all. But this is the policy that many countries persist in following on both sides of the Mediterranean.

Our hope is to frame the importance of education in more humanistic terms regarding the development of the person. I hope this will bear fruit re: integration rather than the alienation that is beginning to be apparent even here.