Update #42

My mom asked me to forward her next few updates:

#42

Kay and Junior picked us up at 8 amand soon we were surrounded by nearly 500 students and 9 teachers...do the math...that's over 50 students per teacher!  We presented them with the computer and printer...telling them it comes with love from our church and with the expectation that they will work hard in school.  After they were back in class, we visited each classroom.  K -3 was in a large shipping container with a fence covered by cardboard dividing the rooms.  Kids sat on the floor squished like sardines...most trying to hear the teacher who had only a Masonite board to teach from.  Kids copied lessons in notebooks...lots of repeat after me...which really means shout after me.  Chaotic!!  Many parents just hung about outside the classrooms.  A few sat close to the door or fence where their child sat so they could help them out.  At noon the kids just ran about or sat under have trees.  No one brought lunch.  A few kids bought some snack foods that vendors nearby were selling.  We nibbled on peanuts and the cook brought us two cold Pepsis....we slugged them down in spite of my Diet Coke preference.  After lunch, the younger kids just sat under a tree as their class was over but they were waiting for older siblings to finish.  The 3 -6 kids wee in a newer and nicer building.  One class had desk...3 kids in each.  Rog taught an English lesson to the 5 th and I taught the 6 th. After the kids left, we sat with the teachers talking teacher talk.  Earlier in the day, we'd met the husband of the founder of Tembari.  He did not know when we were to arrive and was surprised we'd purchased stuff already. He implied he should have been informed.  Teachers said he probably would not have let them get the needed supplies.  They were worried he'd return the computer & printer and get the money to use in the feeding program...which feeds many kids around 4 p.m.  So even here...teachers vs. administration problems. 

  Kay picked us up at 3:30 & dropped us at the mall for dinner before taking us to our room.  

  Some things we learned today:  

-Only 3 of the 45 kids I worked with today had books at home...one had one book and the other two had two books.

-Many students here are orphans that just wander about looking for places to sleep.

-The oldest teacher here is about 70, has taught 38 years and walks 3 hours one way to/from school.  

-Ants can get into ziplock bags.