Monday Evening, 28 September
That word means "tomorrow." And ketosha kutwa 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.
What timing! The electricity just went out.
Friday, October 2, 2009
TD!
Written Sunday Evening, 27 September.
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 mtu ahara hana furaha. 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."
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 mtu ahara hana furaha. 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."
Niliwaona Wanyama Wengi
Written Sunday, 27 September
I saw lots of animals. Niliwaona tembo, twiga, punda milia, na wengine wengi; lakini silimwona simba. 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 kinakunya kahawa 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 to Mikumi 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 (majani marefu -- 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 sooooo fortunate," 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.
I saw lots of animals. Niliwaona tembo, twiga, punda milia, na wengine wengi; lakini silimwona simba. 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 kinakunya kahawa 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 to Mikumi 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 (majani marefu -- 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 sooooo fortunate," 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.
A Reading Test
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."
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."
Relevant Stories in the News
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!)
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!)
Not "To Have"
No internet has meant more reading, which is a good thing. I've been reading some essays in a book entitled Creativity and Cultural Improvisation, a book that I've had for over a year. I'd read some essays but not all of them.
One of the general themes is the growth in the emphasis on the individual in the modern era, especially "Lockean" individualism, with its stress on ownership.
What has this to do with a blog about living and learning in Tanzania? Everything. You see, Swahili has no verb "to have." That's right. You cannot say, for instance, "Tomorrow, I will have a chair." Instead you say, "I will be with a chair" -- Kesho nitakawa na kiti.
In some ways a challenge to some of the notions in late modern industrial society about what it means, how one is, human.
Look for a bevy of posts in the next days -- everyone is asleep right now, so I'm able to get a bit of an internet fix tonight. I have been writing posts, as mentioned earlier; I'll see about getting them up on this site in the coming days, day. (That word kesho above -- tomorrow -- is the favorite answer to questions like "when will the fundi --repair person [actually a billion occupations are covered by the term] fix the computer Internet connection?")
One of the general themes is the growth in the emphasis on the individual in the modern era, especially "Lockean" individualism, with its stress on ownership.
What has this to do with a blog about living and learning in Tanzania? Everything. You see, Swahili has no verb "to have." That's right. You cannot say, for instance, "Tomorrow, I will have a chair." Instead you say, "I will be with a chair" -- Kesho nitakawa na kiti.
In some ways a challenge to some of the notions in late modern industrial society about what it means, how one is, human.
Look for a bevy of posts in the next days -- everyone is asleep right now, so I'm able to get a bit of an internet fix tonight. I have been writing posts, as mentioned earlier; I'll see about getting them up on this site in the coming days, day. (That word kesho above -- tomorrow -- is the favorite answer to questions like "when will the fundi --repair person [actually a billion occupations are covered by the term] fix the computer Internet connection?")
More Posts Coming
The internet has been down here for over a week. I have been writing posts and when things are in better shape (only one computer with connection because wireless is still not working), I'll post them all -- including the post in which I talk about learning patience. I've learned it, now I'm ready to have the Internet working!
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