I’ve been reading more of the writings on education of Mwalimu (Teacher) Julius Nyerere, Baba wa Taifa (Father of the Nation). I wrote about my initial reading of him some months ago. I continue to be moved by what he wrote and continue to think that what he wrote about education (formed in great part by his Catholic faith and his devotion to the social teachings of the Church) should inform what we do at OLQP. The words of Pedro Arrupe, a beloved former superior general of the Society of Jesus who died in 1991, echo through the halls of Jesuit schools. He counseled the alumni of our schools to be “men and women for others,” thus urging our schools to be places of formation of young people to be such. Nyerere had the same vision (though as president of Tanzania Nyerere could not complete Arrupe’s thought: “Be men and women for others modeled after the man for others, Jesus Christ).
An English poet, Hillaire Belloc, expressing the power of the colonizer against the powerlessness of the victim penned the couplet: “Whatever happens we have got/The maxim gun, and they have not."
The maxim gun or its modern equivalent will still be used by those who have it against those who do not; and some of those who do not have it will try to acquire it. But increasingly most nations will tend to leave the competition in acquiring the maxim guns to the very rich or to the very foolish. The instrument of domination of the future is going to be education. Fortunately, in the acquisition of that instrument, we can compete and all win with honour.
If, therefore, we do not want to be the permanent source of the hewers of wood and drawers of water for the educated of this world, we must seriously enter this honourable competition for knowledge. So I want to use this opportunity to stress once again, a few points about our education generally…
First our education should be universal…
Secondly our education should be of good quality…
Thirdly, our education should be relevant…
Finally our education should be socially responsible. Education for Self-Reliance is not education for selfishness. Yes it is also for the Self-Reliance of our country. I believe that the community has a responsibility to educate its members. But a poor country like Tanzania cannot afford to educate the selfish. It invests in the education in a belief that such investment is good for both the individual concerned and for the community as a whole. In the language of yesterday: Education for Self-Reliance should be Education for Service.
Not all of us will have the same concept of community, but all of us have a need to belong. However socially insensitive we may be, we have a need to belong to a community of fellow human beings. No human being can make it alone.
The causal factors between education and development are not clear – and even questioned among many very reputable scholars. I think maybe Nyerere gives us a way out so that we aren’t too frustrated in this country when the effects of education are not seen immediately re: development. The first step is to provide an education for a greater measure of self-determination.
However many characteristics of Jesuit education that we list, one is always featured among our graduates: “The Jesuits taught me how to think; how to argue, and how to see the holes in other people’s arguments.” This very sort of education will provide great benefit to the citizens of this great country. We will be educating men and women for others; our graduates will apply their sharp analysis to the problems and proposals faced in this country. Our prayer and expectation is that they will do so not so much simply to benefit themselves, but for the common good of all.
That isn’t the only important characteristic of Jesuit education, of course. We want to form our students not only to be keen analysts of social situations able to act prudently on their analysis for the benefit of the least among us but also to be beholders of the grace of God.
Folks have asked me about mail. I’ve hesitated to answer until I had a better sense.
What follows is what I’ve come to understand, both from others and from reading.
My friend Nancy Brewer sent me some CDs of the talks she went to at Chautauqua this summer, and they reached me in ten days time from Los Angeles (thanks, Nancy!).
The mail service in Tanzania is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. I mentioned how quickly mail arrived from Los Angeles, but from what I understand it can take a bit longer from here to the US.
People have asked in particular about sending care packages. From what I understand, such can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to not infrequent theft and heavy customs taxes. So please, don’t send any costly items through the mail.
I understand that packages sent in padded envelopes do better than boxes.
I apologize for this long post. Folks might appreciate reading some of the items from the Synod on Africa, just coming to a close in Rome. Here is a link to the full text (still in draft form).
I: LOOKING AT AFRICA TODAY
Rich in human and natural resources, many of [Africa's] people are still left to wallow in poverty and misery, wars and conflicts, crisis and chaos. ... [These] are largely due to human decisions and activities by people who have no regard for the common good and this often through a tragic complicity and criminal conspiracy of local leaders and foreign interests.
There is much good news in many parts of Africa. But the modern media often tend to emphasize bad news and thus seem to focus more on our woes and defects than on the positive efforts that we are making. ... Signals abound of many initiatives seeking to bring effective solutions to our problems.
II: IN THE LIGHT OF FAITH
True pardon promotes the justice of repentance and reparation, leading to a peace that goes to the roots of conflict, making friends, brothers and sisters out of former victims and enemies. Since it is God who makes this kind of reconciliation possible, we must give adequate place for prayer and the sacraments in this ministry, especially the Sacrament of Penance".
III: TO THE WORLD CHURCH
The Church in Africa thanks God for many of her sons and daughters who are missionaries on other continents. ... Special thanks go to those who have remained with their people even in times of war and grave crisis. Some have even paid for their fidelity with their very lives.
IV: THE CHURCH IN AFRICA
We are convinced that the first and most specific contribution of the Church to the people of Africa is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. ... In this regard, all members of the Church, clergy, religious and lay faithful, must be mobilised to work together in the unity that brings strength.
As bishops, we challenge ourselves to work in unity in our various Episcopal Conferences. ... The unity of the episcopacy is a source of great strength, while its absence wastes energies, frustrates efforts and gives room for the enemies of the Church to neutralise our witness. An important area where such national cooperation and cohesion is very useful is in the media and social communications.
Each bishop ... should ensure the establishment of a Justice and Peace Commission at all levels. We should continue to work hard on forming consciences and changing hearts, through effective catechesis at all levels.
Our dioceses must be models of good governance, transparency and good financial management. We have to continue to do our best to tackle poverty, which is a major obstacle to peace and reconciliation. Here suggestions for micro-finance schemes deserve careful attention.
In this Year for Priests, dear brothers in the priesthood, we address you in particular, who occupy a key position in the apostolate of the diocese. ... Catechesis, formation of the laity, the pastoral care of people in high office; none of these will go far without your full commitment in your parishes and different places of assignment. ... Your fidelity to the priestly commitment, particularly to a life of celibacy in chastity, as well as detachment from material things is an eloquent witness to the People of God.
Africa in recent years has also become very fertile ground for religious vocations: priests, brothers and sisters. We thank God for this great blessing. ... In particular, the Synod congratulates you, women religious, for your dedication and zeal in your apostolate of health, education and other areas of human development.
This Synod turns with deep affection to the lay faithful of Africa. You are the Church of God out in the market places of society. It is in and through you that the life and witness of the Church are made visible to the world. ... Allow your Christian faith to permeate every aspect and facet of your lives; in the family, at work, in the professions, in politics and public life. This is no easy task. That is why you must assiduously access the means of grace, through prayer and the Sacraments.
The Synod has a very important and special message for you, our dear African Catholics in public life. We commend the many of you who, not minding all the dangers and uncertainties of politics in Africa, have generously offered yourselves for the public service of your people, as an apostolate to promote the common good and God's kingdom. ... Africa needs saints in high political office: saintly politicians who will clean the continent of corruption, work for the good of the people, and know how to galvanize other men and women of good will from outside the Church to join hands against the common evils that beset our nations. ... Many Catholics in high office have fallen woefully short in their performance in office. The Synod calls on such people to repent, or quit the public arena and stop causing havoc to the people and giving the Catholic Church a bad name.
Dear Catholic families of Africa, we congratulate you for doggedly remaining true to the ideals of the Christian family and retaining the best values of our African family. We alert you to be on your guard against some virulent ideological poisons from abroad, claiming to be "modern" culture. You should continue to welcome children as gift from God, and train them in the knowledge and fear of God, to be people of reconciliation, justice and peace in future. ... Poverty often makes parents unable to take good care of their children, with disastrous consequence. ... Most families are asking for just what is enough for survival. They have a right to live.
The specific contribution of women, not only in the home as wife and mother but also in the social sphere should be more generally acknowledged and promoted. The Synod recommends to our local Churches to go beyond the general statement of EIA, and put in place concrete structures to ensure real participation of women "at appropriate levels".
We feel the need to pay particular attention to you, young adults. You are often neglected, left adrift as targets for all kinds of ideologies and sects. You are the ones most often recruited and used for violence. We urge all the local Churches to consider the apostolate to the youth a high priority.
V: AN APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
To the great powers of this world, we plead: treat Africa with respect and dignity. Africa has been calling for a change in the world economic order, with unjust structures piled heavily against her. Recent turmoil in the financial world shows the need for a radical change of rules. But it would be a tragedy if adjustments are made only in the interest of the rich and again at the expense of the poor. Many of the conflicts, wars and poverty of Africa derive mainly from these unjust structures.
A change is called for with regard to the debts burden against poor nations, which literally kills children. Multinationals have to stop their criminal devastation of the environment in their greedy exploitation of natural resources. It is short-sighted policy to foment wars in order to make fast gains from chaos, at the cost of human lives and blood. Is there no one out there able and willing to stop all these crimes against humanity?
VI: AFRICA, RISE UP!
We commend the efforts to liberate Africa from cultural alienation and political bondage. ... On the economic front, Africa has tried to fashion for herself a strategic framework for development called NEPAD, New Economic Partnership for African Development. ... The Synod commends these efforts, because these programmes clearly link economic emancipation of Africa with the installation of good governance. Here, unfortunately, is the sticking point. For most African nations the beautiful documents of NEPAD are still a dead letter.
The Synod happily congratulates the few countries in Africa which have started on the route of genuine democracy. ... The Synod is sad to note that the situation in many countries is a great shame. We think in particular about the ... situation in Somalia, ... in Northern Uganda, South Sudan, Darfur, Guinea Conakry and other places. ... Whatever may be the responsibility of foreign interests, there is always the shameful and tragic collusion of the local leaders: politicians who betray and sell out their nations.
VII: JOINING OUR SPIRITUAL FORCES
The Synod calls for ever greater ecumenical collaboration with our brothers and sisters of other Christian traditions. We also look forward to more dialogue and cooperation with Muslims, the adherents of African Traditional Religion (ATR) and people of other faiths. Religious fanaticism is ... causing havoc in many parts of Africa. From our traditional religious culture, Africans have imbibed a deep sense of God, the Creator. ... When this religious fervour is misdirected by fanatics or manipulated by politicians, conflicts are provoked that tend to engulf everyone.
The Synod heard the testimony of many Synod Fathers who have successfully walked the road of dialogue with Muslims. ... The issues of reconciliation, justice and peace generally are concerns for entire communities, irrespective of creed. Working on the many shared values between the two faiths, Christians and Muslims can contribute greatly towards restoring peace and reconciliation in our nations.
Freedom of religion includes also freedom to share one's faith, to propose, not impose it, to accept and welcome converts. Those nations which by law forbid their citizens from embracing the Christian faith are depriving their own citizens of their fundamental human right to freely decide on the creed to embrace. ... This Synod warns that such restriction of freedom subverts sincere dialogue and frustrates genuine collaboration. Since Christians who decide to change their religion are welcomed into the Muslim fold, there ought to be reciprocity in this matter. Mutual respect is the way forward.
I finally saw a lion yesterday. I was with three Jesuit companions, and we went to the watering hole where I'd been told they can be found, and sure enough there was a lioness with a recent kill -- what looked to be a baby zebra (pole sana, mtoto wa punda milia).
Look closely at the trunk of the tree; the lion is resting after having gorged herself. We were, I'm guessing, 30 feet from her -- in the car, of course.
The scene reminded me of Tennyson:
Who trusted God was love indeed And love Creation's final law Tho' Nature, red in tooth and claw With ravine, shriek'd against his creed
What excited me about the trip to Dodoma and the chance to meet with Sossy and Orobator about OLQP was Orobator's obvious excitement. He embodies the Ignatian value of magis, desire for more, discontent with mediocrity. His challenge to us -- in particular as we envisage the post-secondary education phases -- is to think big. What will distinguish the teachers college? he wants to know -- distinguish us not only nationally but also regionally and globally.
The visit to Dodoma gave me a chance to meet the newest member of the parish community, Fr. Joseph Kiarie, SJ, who was recently ordained after finishing his theological studies in Manila. I look forward to his companionship.
The trip was not without some excitement: we had a tire blow out on Bart Murphy's car en route. I felt like a worthless fool as I stood around and a 70+-year-old man and a provincial superior changed the tire. I offered them some water to wash their hands, so wasn't totally useless -- only mostly.
(This reminds me of an incident about 18 or so months ago. I was visiting Cleveland and Toledo some days after my friend Fr. Tim Kesicki, SJ, had been named the provincial superior of the Detroit Province. I was in Toledo and a horrible snow storm came through. A few hours after it passed, I decided to head to Cleveland. Everything was perfect regarding my timing -- the plows were always ahead of me. Until I exited the freeway -- I got stuck in a huge drift a block away from St. Ignatius High School. Tim and a then-candidate (now novice), Bryan Norton, dug me out as I stood there, helpless. I told Tim, "This is a perfect tableau to capture how a provincial spends much of his timing -- digging people out of the messes they get themselves into!)
Here's a picture of Sossy (left) and the provincial at the construction site.
I just got back from a quick trip to Dodoma. I went with Bart Murphy, SJ, and the provincial superior of the Eastern Africa Province, SJ: Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ.
I had my annual conference with Orobator on Sunday (we Jesuits call it the manifestation of conscience). On Monday Bart Murphy kindly schlepped me and the provincial to Dodoma, where I had a chance to visit with the community members and to meet together with Sossy and Orobator, ending with a site meeting at OLQP.
I'm beat, so I'll write more about the inspiring days later.
Sossy just arrived for a brief visit en route from Dodoma to Dar es Salaam. It was good to see him, if only briefly.
But I'll see him again soon, for I'm headed to Dodoma on Monday for one evening. I'll be accompanying the provincial of Eastern Africa, Fr. Orobator, who'll be in Morogo on Sunday to meet with me and Bart Murphy.
Bart suggested we save the provincial from having to take the bus to Dodoma by driving him there and staying the night. This will also give Sossy and me a chance together to speak with him about OLQP.
Sossy threw a curve ball to me as he was getting in his car to head to Dodoma: "Marty, you're scheduled to be the presider at the 6:30 a.m. Mass on Tuesday morning. We'll be there with you on the altar." I've moved pretty quickly from saying a part of the Eucharistic Prayer on Sunday to presiding!
I received this announcement this past week: Multilingualism and Education: Global Practices, Challenges and the Way Forward;Conference co-hosted by Kenyatta University and the University of
Pennsylvania
The conference is intended to bring together researchers, professionals, classroom practitioners, policy makers, and language specialists interested in issues that relate to multilingualism, education and linguistic diversity as global phenomena. Papers at the conference are expected to range from presentation of research findings to analysis of practice.
I have had the opportunity to participate in the social in the Common Room here at the language school for over a month now. The room truly is common – a place for students and teachers to both relax and work. Our teachers – assistant teachers – are all young people (mostly men) who have to pass one or more national exams before going on to university.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that the teachers take advantage of the presence of native American English speakers in the common room re: English language questions. However, unlike questions elsewhere (“Am I in the road or on the road?”), questions in the common room are more likely to be about register: “How would I say baadaye (later) in American slang?”
A lot more to think about -- and talk about with the teachers; but I think I just may have a paper to present (and it will get me to Nairobi!).
I read on Facebook today that Sr. Peg Dolan, RSHM, died (a horrible way to learn it; but I went there before reading my email at lmu.edu). May she rest in peace.
Peg Dolan was a legend at LMU. Unlike many legends she was the real deal. She took the time to know people and she was generous with her time. She cared about the people who were in her life, really cared – and there was always room for more people in her life.
I value the memory of our many conversations about the Jesuit/Marymount character of Loyola Marymount University these last years and am thankful for her encouragement to “keep at it” (as she so often said to me). I’m no less committed to LMU now than I was when I was there – it is, after all, an important apostolate of the Society of Jesus. Now, I and so many others who care about the university can entrust its future to her intercession, even as we pray for her peace.
I realized something about us as humans this evening, something I knew intellectually from my research on human interaction these last years but now appreciate in a way I hadn’t previously.
The power went out again tonight. This happens twice, maybe three times, a week. Usually we have no power for some minutes; sometimes it’s an hour. Two days ago it was almost ten hours without electricity. It’s very hot here this evening, so I thought I’d go out and take a little walk to get some air. I put on my “head-mounted” flashlight and headed out; at one point the flashlight started flickering a little, so I stopped and took it off to see if the battery case was closed properly.
Something didn’t seem right with me. It wasn’t vertigo, but I felt slightly unsettled, disoriented, slightly out of it the moment I was in the dark (though there’s a pretty nice moon that’s beginning to wane). I stood there for a moment trying to figure out what it was that I was feeling, for it was something I didn’t recall feeling before.
And then I realized: I was feeling out of sorts because it is a different night sky here – or at least I’m oriented differently to the sky (cue “Starry Night”). It is a beautiful sky, but one I’m unfamiliar with.
What amazes me is that even though I don’t take intentional notice of the night sky –impossible for me to take much notice, in fact, after I moved from Montecito to Los Angeles in 2004 – I do notice it on a realm of consciousness (was going to write “level,” but I think “realm” is better) that is not easily articulable. This perception of such subtlety, I’m certain, is what helps us be he social animals that we are. And I can’t help but think that this faculty – so often unrecognized – plays a huge part in our spiritual life. In fact, it was this insight that was St. Ignatius Loyola’s gift to the Church.
I thought I’d share with readers some of the words of Benedict XVI on the occasion of the opening of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops, which will be held in the Vatican's Synod Hall until 25 October, any make some comments in light of my very limited experience.
In his homily, the Holy Father noted that "Africa is the repository of an inestimable treasure for the whole world: its deep sense of God.” He went on to note, “When we speak of the treasures of Africa, our thoughts immediately turn to the resources its land is rich in and that, unfortunately, have become and often continue to be a reason for exploitation, conflict and corruption. The Word of God, instead, makes us look at another inheritance: the spiritual and cultural inheritance, of which humanity has even greater need than it does of raw materials".
“Africa,” the Pope went on to say, "represents an enormous spiritual 'lung' for a humanity that appears to be in a crisis of faith and hope. But this 'lung' can take ill as well. And, at the moment, at least two dangerous pathologies are attacking it: firstly, an illness that is already widespread in the West, that is, practical materialism, combined with relativist and nihilist thinking".
"There is", he went continued, "absolutely no doubt that the so-called First World has exported and continues to export its spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents, in particular those of Africa. In this sense, colonialism which is over at a political level, has never really entirely come to an end".
The "second 'virus' that could hit Africa", he said, "is religious fundamentalism, mixed with political and economic interests. Groups who follow various religious creeds are spreading throughout the continent of Africa: they do so in God's name, but following a logic that is opposed to divine logic, that is, teaching and practicing not love and respect for freedom, but intolerance and violence".
About the first “virus” let me say that I have been intrigued by what is exported here on television. There is a nighttime soap opera that’s shown here, Desire. I’d never seen it before. It combines bad writing, bad plot, and bad sets with the worst depiction of America life one can imagine. It is amazing the image folks here have of the USA. It’s unfair to them re: limiting their choices concerning what is shown – that is, I’m not suggesting morality police. At the same time, the only sensitivity to choices made seems to be the market; and that’s insufficient.
About the second, let me say that it would be a mistake to think that the pope is speaking only about Islam. There are a number of people from independent evangelical churches who’ve come to Africa in the same way that they arrived in South America 10+ years ago. I’ve come to know a Lutheran pastor here quite well. Herb’s ministry is mostly among the Maasai. He’s dealing a lot with small, independent evangelical groups who are going into villages that have been Christian for at least a generation. They tell the villagers that they’re all headed to hell unless they receive a real baptism, disregarding the notion that Christians believe in one baptism. Further, they preach a version of the prosperity gospel, a form of extreme Calvinism, that equates divine favor with economic success (check this and this out)– this economic success mostly trickles up as the poor give the little they have and the evangelists enrich themselves.
If you want to know more about what is happening at the synod, you can check out the page devoted to reports on its progress.
That's "boiled brain." The last two days have been spent doing simple math and telling time. I feel like a five/six-year-old child all over again. With time, not only is it necessary to remember the numbers but that Kiswahili time is told differently -- and more logically, actually (but only if you live near the equator). Given that it begins to get light here at 6 a.m., that means the first hour of light is 7, which makes it 7:00 a.m. saa moja,"time one o'clock." This means that until you get used to the convention for telling time, you need constantly to subtract six.
And simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division! I can only imagine how I'd fail at the quadratic equation -- given I never succeeded with it in English (y = mx + b was higher math for me).
Folks have been clamoring for more pictures -- not so many more from the time in Mikumi (did you notice how very dry it is there?), but I'll try to get some more picture of the folks around these parts. Some marvelous teachers and fellow students here.
Today it was 37 degrees, celsius; that's about 99 degrees farenheit -- another reason my brain was boiled, I guess.
I've noticed there are a number of new readers here. If you have the time, reading my initial post might provide some light regarding more recent posts.
I wrote about Omega a couple of times. Here's a picture of him and Mama Sinok (the immigration officer made an unfortunate mistake when she moved from South Korea to USA -- she became Sin Ok, not such a great name for a very fervent evangelical!)
Did you have to memorize prepositions in grade school? We did with Mrs. Gorman at Blessed Sacrament in Toledo. I love grammar. (My former students at SIHS, Cleveland, will remember my daily refrain: "I LUUUUUV words!")
In any case, today I learned (was taught is probably the better term) juu ya, on top off, on, upon, over. Omega, my teacher this week (more about him in a moment) and I got distracted because we started talking about prepositions in our languages. There was in our book a depiction of a child up in a tree. In Kiswahili, one uses juu ya -- on a tree. In English this would mean plastered on the trunk after an accident or standing on the tip top branch. Then "What about the road?" Omega asked. "'In the road' or 'on the road'?" It really got me thinking about these things, how remarkable language is -- and so much meaning in tiny crevices like prepositions.
Incidentally, Omega's brothers' names? Alpha, Delta, Epsilon.... I'm not joking. And, no, he doesn't call his father's mother Gamma (cue the rim shot).
Monday Evening, 28 September That word means "tomorrow." And ketoshakutwa means "day after tomorrow." It's been five days without Internet here, and everyday the fundi (a word that covers everything from an automobile mechanic to a computer technician) is expected to solve the problem -- and then we hear ketosha. I'd expected to chat on Skype with my sister Toni and friend Bill over the weekend, and I couldn't even them it wasn't going to happen. I tried to text, but from some reason SMS don't go through to some numbers.
The experience is bringing me back to a lesson I learned when I was a scholastic studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. I worked ten hours a week working among gang members in Chicago Housing Authority buildings, mostly at the Henry Horner Homes on the near-west side of town, in St. Malachi parish, which was the base of operations. It was there that it occurred to me that one of the things that mark the lives of poor people is waiting: for buses, for bureaucrats, for a paycheck because the live from one to the next, etc. To be poor is to wait in ways that those with more money don't have to.
There was a popular song in the US, a female singer (haven't a clue who); one line from the song was "I know what I want, and I want it now" -- or something like that. This in fact is very much how I've lived my life -- treating instantaneity as a cardinal virtue. (A friend told me last fall in the run-up to the US presidential election, "Um, Marty, in case you didn't realize that news website refreshes itself; you don't have to click "reload" every minute to see if there's more recent news.") Maybe my time here will teach me a new way of being,
In the midst of this, I did receive an encouraging SMS from my friend Fr. Karl Kiser, SJ, the successful president at U of Detroit Jesuit. It occurred to me that things have changed relative to communication since he did his regency in Peru in the early 1990s, when there were not SMS, no emails, no blogs, etc. I have a lot to be thankful for re: the ability to keep more immediately in contact with people, and not having that ability for a time is helping me to appreciate that even more.
No, that doesn't stand for touchdown but rather traveler's diarrhea. It's not necessary for me to share the details with you other than to say that for a total of close to two months here in Tanzania (including stay in May/June), I was spared.
Do you know about the Jewish berakoth? The Jews have a great tradition of having blessing prayers for just about every occasion in life; all the berakoth (note that President Obama's first name and this word both come from the Semitic root for "bless") begin with the same formula: "Blessed are you, O LORD, our God, ruler of the universe, for you..." My prayer when I was struck was such a prayer: "Blessed are you, O LORD, our God, ruler of the universe, for you give us the medications cipro and lomotil, the first to restore us to health and the second to treat the symptoms in the meantime."
It did give me a chance to practice the language: Kama mtuaharahanafuraha. If a person has diarrhea, he or she doesn't have happiness.
It was also the occasion for some wisdom from Omega, one of the teachers here, who himself has not been feeling well: "Illness is part of our life."
I saw lots of animals. Niliwaonatembo, twiga, pundamilia, nawenginewengi; lakinisilimwonasimba. I saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many others; but I didn't see a lion.
I know you're impressed -- Kiswahili speakers be kind! (Incidentally, for some reason I've had mixed up synapses and have until recently confused the verbs "to see" and "to eat" -- happy not to have confused them in this instance lest game wardens come after me for eating bush meat.) [My most embarrassing mistake so far? Not pronouncing the "w" in the verb kunywa -- the difference between saying kinakunyakahawa and ninakunywa is the difference between ends of the alimentary system -- the latter with the "w" translates "I am drinking coffee"; the former you can figure out by the process of elimination (so to speak; pardon the pun).
On Saturday we went toMikumi National Park, located about ninety minutes from here. It's not the largest or best known, but it was a spectacular introduction to the wildlife for a kid from Toledo, Ohio.
Even before arriving at the park proper, we came upon giraffes, elephants, antelope, gazelles, etc. As we got closer, there were wildebeests and zebras (which travel together --the one with great noses; the other with great ears). Once we were in the park, we saw many more of those animals along with groups of elephants. We left the school a bit after six in the morning with hopes of arriving at the park early enough to see the lions at the water hole -- before they slipped into the tall grass (majanimarefu -- have to show off when I can, folks!) for the day. All we saw at the hole was one lone hippo.
We did see a jackal, and our guide tried to console our sorry selves who hadn't seen a lion by telling us how rare such a sighting is. "You are sooooofortunate," he said. It was a nice try, but we wanted to see lions.
On our way back we saw a family of elephants along side the road (when my own computer works with the Internet I'll post a picture). Our driver kindly stopped -- until we were "mock charged." (I'm used to signs that warn drivers that deer are known to cross the highway at this point -- not so used to similar signs re: elephants crossing.)
Speaking of animals: Tonight after dinner I heard footsteps of a critter on the roof of the walkway from the dining hall. I walked out onto the lawn and looked up to see a creature I hadn't seen before. A bit of squirrel (obviously arboreal) with a bit of cat and a touch of lemur (found only on Madagascar, if I remember my National Geographic info from my youth).
2 days later: Having had the chance to consult a field guide to the larger mammals of Africa, my guess is that what I was was a genet, of the same family as civets and mongooses: a small, long-bodied and short-legged animal with annulated tail carried straight out behind when on the move; terrestrial and arboreal with retractile claws.
Sunday Afternoon, 27 September -- just posting now because of Internet problems
That is, a test in reading Kiswahili aloud. I concelebrated the Mass this morning at the Salvatorian Institute -- a 40-minute walk from here. Last week I did the same, but this week was different: I was actually given a part of the Second Eucharistic Prayer to pray aloud. I practiced a lot since Friday, listening to a recording of Abraham, a teacher here.
Fr. Kapinga, the Benedictine formator here, who had invited me last week to pray aloud the concelebrant's "part," kindly complimented me on my clarity -- and told me they'd have me reading the gospel before I left in December! Yikes.
I must say, it is slow going relative to my speaking off-the-cuff. I'm gaining pretty good passive knowledge of the language so far -- that is, I'm happy with my ability to read the language. What isn't coming so quickly is more active knowledge (after being here for about 1/4 of my expected time) -- the ability to recall and use words in regular conversation.
The dictionary that I have is only partly helpful. Let me give an example. The word for "to eat" is kula ("ku" signals the infinitive form). The dictionary entry is "-la"; this makes sense because otherwise the "K" section would be "crazy long." But say you're a beginner in the language and come across the word asile. That is a form of kula -- third person singular, negative subjunctive: It is better that he/she not eat. It takes some getting used to -- and the occasional smack to the forehead accompanied by "duh."
My computer is not working with the Internet, so I am retyping what I've written there. No line for the one computer today -- most everyone has gone for a hike, which I cannot go on because I have an appointment this afternoon that conflicts.
Written on Sunday, 27 September
The Daily News is a national English-language newspaper here. There were a number of stories in yesterday's edition that are relevant to the OLQP project.
The first story was on the front page; its headline: "Orphan Numbers Billed to Increase to 4 Million." The story goes on to explain that UNICEF has estimated that this will be the number of orphans and "vulnerable children" next year -- ten percent of all the children under 18 in this country! The UNICEF report states that "Despite numerous campaigns and advocacy activities in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention, the impact of the pandemic will continue to be highly significant for at least two generations after HIV prevalence." It goes on to state that due to the absence of parents and the inability of extended families to care for these affected children, they are vulnerable to exploitation: "These children are more likely to be exploited by substitute caretakers, forced into domestic labor or to working or living on the streets." (Think of Oliver Twist or Slumdog.)
It is hard for me to grasp that 10 percent of the children are so affected, so vulnerable. I pray that the high school will be able to help many of these children who have the academic qualifications to attend -- help them not only by providing them an education but also a home.
The second story's headline reads, "Shortage of Teachers Impediment to Tanzanian Quality Education." The story notes than in addition to a shortage of teachers, abject poverty and a shortage of hostels for girls in rural secondary schools are among those things that adversely affect both attempts to increase the percentage of students attending secondary school and the quality of education for those who actually make it to such a school.
I know from reading the website of a great NGO, HakiElimu (Justice-Education), that there was in the earlier part of this decade a push for universal primary education. The result of this push was a 41.5 percent increase in primary school attendance -- from 59 to 90.5 percent. There has been for the last four years a similar push re: secondary schooling. Though the number of buildings has increased, this increase has not been matched with a similar increase in the percentage of young people attending secondary schools. Many of the newly built schools are shells: no teachers, furniture, desks -- or students.
The UNICEF report notes that the present primary pupil/teacher ratio is 53/1. You can imagine how difficult it is to teach and to learn in such circumstances -- and why rote memorization remains a common pedagogical style.
St. Peter Claver HS at OLQP is being opened to address just such needs. We expect there will be about 35 students per section. (Can't help but remember the complaints when an occasional section at UDJHSA or SIHS would hit 32!)
It was the case until recently that there was no free public education. Families were required to pay for examinations, uniforms, and school meals, to rent a desk, and to contribute funds for building maintenance. Despite the fact that these fees have been abolished, the UNICEF report notes that there remain many direct and indirect costs of schooling and that this is a manor discouragement for families to enroll their children in school. Given that St. Peter Claver will be a boarding school means not only tuition and fees but also room and boarding expenses. (The total for tuition, fees room, and board we estimate will be about $1,400 per year based on an informal survey of religiously sponsored boarding schools in the country.) The school is being built with especially the poor of the Dodoma region in mind (that's a majority of the population, in fact). The help of generous folks from all over the world will help in this regard.
The story also mentioned the absence of boarding for girls in rural areas as a factor relative to school attendance. I met a girl in Form One here at the Lutheran secondary school. Sarah stayed here on campus while many others went home for a week's break between the third and final quarters -- the school year in Tanzania ends in early December and begins six weeks later (with another six week break between quarters 2 and 4). She comes from the far west and could not afford to go home. This young lady was not upset about not having the chance to go home, as much as she misses her family, because she realizes what an opportunity she has in studying here. Without such a chance, she's uncertain about just what she'd be up to because there are no realistic possibilities for studying near her village.
I have to admit that when I first heard that St. Peter Claver HS was going to be a boarding school I gasped. My enthusiasm for the project returned when Sossy explained just why it was important that it be a boarding school: many school-aged children, especially girls, miss out on education because of a lack of such schools.
There's another reason why boarding is especially important for girls. The education of girls at day schools is frequently compromised because of the expectations that they do domestic work upon their return from school -- fetch water and wood for the next day, tend to younger siblings, grind millet, etc. This work leaves them no time for study.
The responsibilities of running a boarding school still terrify me (terrify is not too strong a word -- people who know me from my days as principal at U of Detroit Jesuit HS and Academy will remember how I lived in dread of the "911 moment," and now Ill have that dread 24 hours a day), but knowing the reason for the school's establishment as a boarding school gives me some measure of comfort in the midst of the terror. (Donations of razor wire and stadium-style lighting for the area between the boys' and girls' dormitories gladly accepted!)
