We had scheduled a meeting with Moses for 9 am and this went smoothly, positively and amicably through till break time at 11. We stopped then and gave the teachers a packet of Friday biscuits and resumed at 11.30, through till gone 1pm. We covered the management and progress of the Upper Basic School, reviewing and updating the school time table, checking that all teachers in posts of responsibility were fulfilling their roles, sorting out the nightwatchman’s duties; establishing a policy for increasing the production of the garden and planning our direction and involvement during our visit. The biggest news was that the extra children are now gone. We are all so relieved that Moses was able to report this.
Tony’s main job this visit will be to train Modou Lamin (bursar) to use Quicken and then Moses will have daily access to the accounts. Mine will be to continue with analysing exercise books as a way to check on how work is progressing and teaching is taking place in each Primary classroom. I also want to focus particularly on basic Maths and install a policy of thorough practice in the basics of arithmetic.
The afternoon was spent sorting out the Tonka Kunda cupboard and checking on the school accounts to the background of ladies cooking excitedly in preparation for tomorrow’s feast at the Independence Nursery Schools parade. This is an annual event and held in a different school in the region each year. Our Nursery 4 children dress in their best uniform and ALL the staff – both Nursery and Primary – plus head teacher, nursery mother and caretakers – dress in brand new Asobi. This is a traditional custom that for all important celebrations such as naming ceremonies, weddings, funerals, religious festivals, a family, or compound or team from school, even an entire congregation in church, buy the same material and each person chooses a tailor who makes up a garment to suit the individual. Each year the extra stitching and exotic colours become richer. The Independence Parade is both an historic celebration and a chance to show the Early Childhood Development world of schools, teachers and the press, how highly you are regarded by your sponsors. GamBLE pays for the Asobi and we are happy to do this within limits of cost. The garments then become the school uniform for the year since teachers wear their Asobi with pride for months to come.
I ended the day making several simple maths games from a store of second hand books that a UK school have passed on in favour of computer programmes and white boards. Some excellent ideas and I will use these to train the teachers as a group, then support them in putting the games into their respective classrooms. After supper Tony and I trialled my game of SNAP with numbers up to 10 and the aim was to spot the 2 numbers that totalled 10. It seemed to work well in the dark so I guess it can only improve in daylight! Gradually I have managed to empty the cupboard of materials sent from UK and either sent them to the school store now that Abi guards that (art materials, spare paper and uniform) or directed them to the classrooms with a training package attached. We are now left with the essentials that we need from day to day – mostly stationery and reference guides.
We had cold beer at sundown as Tony had found some ice earlier in the day (MUCH nicer drink than warm) and this gave me the courage to take a cold shower. We supped of local aubergine, okra and onion sauce with local pasta spirals. It was difficult to sleep as the chatter and laughter from the ladies still cooking went on till gone midnight. The time and ritual surrounding preparation for a special event is always an opportunity for relaxing, plaiting hair and immersing the whole self in anticipation and social gathering. The expectation of delicious food in a community that rarely eat anything extra than fish, rice and vegetables, fires the excitement.
Oh but I have refrained from saying what they are preparing to eat……….. we have had 4 goats for well over a year now and they were donated to the school to benefit the poorer families. We have had three kids born to two nannies but sadly all died. So the next step is to sell a male goat (castrated to prevent roaming but thereby, no longer for reproduction) and the teachers had already enquired, with their price, if they could have one of the school goats. All parties are satisfied: the school has the funds expected from the goats, the teachers have a feast and the nannies remain to produce further goats to replace the ones that we sell. Feeding them during the dry season is expensive and although the garden is now fenced with corrugate panels, the goats frequently stray in to munch on seedlings.
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