The Volunteers: Kateri

Kateri is from Kentucky although you might not know it from talking to her.  She does, however, let her Kentucky accent slip out from time to time which I always enjoy.  As far as I am concerned, she doesn't let Kentucky-teri out enough.  Anywho, Kateri had the unique experience of being raised on a wildlife reserve, of which, her parents were the caretakers.  She was even born at their previous home on Pumpkin Run Road and weighed on a fish scale borrowed from a neighbor.  She went to college in Minnesota and has a bachelor's degree in sciences.  She also knows a bit about nutrition and health as she plans on going to medical school when she gets back.  All of Kateri's technical knowledge, experience, and understanding must be the driving motivation for her being assigned to teach, that's right, you guessed it, Typing and English for Business Communications...what?!  Yeah, we really don't understand it either but that's the way things are in the world of African volunteer work (confusing and illogical).  She does get to treat any sports injuries of the students, and she volunteers at the local hospital on Saturday's so she can use at least some of her talents.  Apart from classes she is in charge of volleyball for the college and P.E. for secondary.  Kateri also has the distinction of the being the resident vegeterian which we don't understand nor does her family back home.  It works out well here though, since beans are the usually the main coarse, The Beef and Mbuzi (goat meat) isn't always that appetizing for some meat eaters.  Not me of course, I am maintaining my reputation of being able to eat almost anything.  Kateri is well suited for volunteer work since her desire to help people is second only to her love of ice cream, chocolate, and swimming.  Okay, maybe it's forth, but that is still pretty high.

House calls

From time to time, the volunteers and the Sisters try and visit the houses of some of our students that are Dayscholars.  This allows us to meet their family, find out what their situaiton is like, and to build the relationship with the community, etc.  This Sunday, we went to visit a student's family that lives a few Kilometers away.  It was pretty typical meeting.  We were introduced to her parents, and her five other siblings filed through shaking each or our hands.  We talked about the parent's jobs, where the other kids are going to school, and anything else that came up.  Afterwards she went with us to visit her uncle just down the road.  I am not sure why, but we were there and she asked if we wanted to, so we did.  We met more of the family and sat around talking for a little while.  He was a teacher at the local primary school and showed us a big hole punch that was given as a gift from the Canadian government to all the primary schools in Malawi.  They use it for the school books that are falling apart to tie them together with string.  The best part was when we were leaving and they decided to give us a gift for the visit.  He sent his kids to catch one of the chickens in the yard.  They spent the next five minutes or so running around the yard with the dogs trying to catch one.  They finally caught one, tied its legs together, and put it in the back seat.

Chicken Update

The chicken made it home safetly.  It is currently tied to a string in our backyard a snacks on the termites.  Since the watchdogs are let out at night we let it into our back work area at night.  There was a close encounter when the dogs were let out earlier than expected, but it escaped only losing a few feathers.

Term Exams

The second term exams are approaching rapidly, and of course, I have waited until the last minute to finish things like grading homework assignments...and writing my second term exams.  So the next few weeks are starting to look pretty busy.  If I neglet to post anything or am slow to answer email for awhile that is why.  But I could continue procrastinating in which case you might see many more posts as a result although I am hoping to actually get some work done.  We just had Sports day here at Bakhita which was a good time so I'll try and write about it as soon as I can.

Whispering

Someone is whispering.  I can never tell who it is but I can always hear it.  I'll tell everyone to pay attention in the hope that it will stop and I'll see a head turn so I can tell who the whisperer is, but it never works.  The whispering continues from seemingly all directions without a definite source.  I'm clinging to the idea that it is just my teacher skills needing development and not voices in my head.

Bakhita Complex

Bakhita Complex, originally uploaded by aniemerg.

This is the Bakhita Complex as seen from the water tower. I'm not sure we are allowed to climb it, but we do and will probably continue even if we are told not to. It is an excellent place for sunsets. The closest buildings are the library and secondary classrooms. The two big buildings in the middle are the Dinning Hall and Multi-Purpose Hall. Unseen on the other side are college classrooms similar to the secondary and the Boarding.

Political Science 101

A few weeks ago, we invited Sister Louisa and Father Gamba to our house for dinner.  Sister Louisa just celebrated 30 years in Malawi and Father Gamba has been here for 27 years so we thought they would be able to provide some useful backround information.  Sister Louisa is a Canossian originally from Italy.  She lives at the primary school, but she teaches a class here at the college.  Her main job is working at the Montfort Media printing press run by the Montfort Fathers editing Chichewa.  She was our Chichewa teacher for the first month, but since school began we haven't had any lessons.  Father Gamba is a Montfort Father also from Italy (Italians are everywhere down here).  He runs Monfort media and he is also involved in the the prison fellowship.  Sr. Louisa reminded us that even though Fr. Gamba is her boss that doesn't mean he always gets to tell her what to do.  30 years of experience comes with a certain authority even if you aren't the boss.  We talked mostly about politics since they were here for most of the time while President Banda was in power.  He took office shortly after Malawi was freed from being an English colony.  He gradually eliminated rival political parties and made himself president for life.  The missionaries were still allowed in the country, but they were cautious about following the rules.  The church became a vocal opposition to the government which led to the dissappearance of a few bishops and priests.  In 1990, the bishops wrote a letter calling for the end of Banda's control which was printed here in Balaka by our good friend Fr. Gamba.  Some say that there was a plan to eliminate the bishops after this, but the letter was sent to the BBC so the international attention prevented it.  There was, however, an attempt to burn down the printing press.  Louisa thinks they hoped Fr. Gamba would be inside, but they failed.  President Banda then allowed the people to vote on a referendum to decide between the single party or a multi-party system thinking that most people would vote for him or not vote at all.  The voting opened at 6 am and there was a line already at 4 am.  He lost and the next year they held a national election for a new president.  Now everything is stable, as much as politics can be anyways, and The Monfort Fathers still have a few political connections.  Gamba has even interviewed the current president a couple times.

And the grade is...

Book Summary of the much abridged version of Pride of Predjudice, originally by Jane Austen.

 

This book tell us more about the Bennet family, in this family they are 5 doughters, Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet. This Book Explain more about each one, or this family his or her weakness. But to say the fact the Parents of this children does not behave well like Mrs Bennet want his children to be married with rich man so for their five girls behave like prostitutes.

 

I should start with Elizabeth, Elizabent has got a strong mind because at first she fall in love with Mr Collins and her Parents was forcing her to be married with him but she refused, but her parents was not happy with her then Elizabeth fall in love with Mr Wickham she really love him but he didn't know his behaviour before, then what happened is that at first Mr Darcy wish to marry Elizabeth then while they are in love Mr Wickham also wish to marry her then he told Elizabeth all about the bad things of Mr Darcy, for that reason Elizabeth stop loving him, then he fall in love with Mr Wickham but although he speaks the bad things of Mr Dacy he also have bad behaviour "I might have prevented it! if I had only explained his nature to my family. But it is all too late now" this is what Elizabeth said when she heard that Mr Wickham is in love with her real sister Lidia and he want to marry her and he spent a day with her and Mr Darcy was the one who tell Elizabeth then Elizabeth feel sorry with that and he didn't eccept that. thereafter she started loving Mr Darcy. she tell her Parents about that also her sister Jane, but she tell her that she start loving Mr Darcy when she see his house but her father at first ask her why are you accepting this man then congratulate her for accepting Mr Darcy to be her husband.

 

For Jane, one day Mr Bennet heard that in Netherfield Park a certain man will be coming to stary there when Mr Bennet heard this he was very happy, because that man was rich so he was saying that he will marry his daughter. The name of that man was Mr Bingley when he heard that Mr Bingley has arrive Mr Bennet organise a party to eat with him so that he could see his daughters that he can marry one of them. So Mr Bingley choose Jane to stay with him in Netherfield Park and Jane stay with him and at the end Jane married with Mr Bingley.

 

Out of five daughters of Mr and Mrs Bennet three daughters get married, Elizabeth (Lizzy), Jane and Lydia, when Mr Bennet realise that he told his daughter Elizabeth that "If any young men come for Mary or Ketty, send them in. I'm not busy." It shows that this family especially the parents does not care about his/her daughters, because a wise parent does not force his/her child to marry with rich husband or to lood or choose husband for them.

 

*** A note from the typist (Kateri) - You may think that the punctuation keys are not working properly, but I assure you that they are. While a few errors may possibly be my own, this passage is straight out of a second year secretarial student's notebook. What grade should she get?

The Legend Continues

Something I find amusing at this school which I'm sure is common to most schools is the number of keys and rooms you need to go through to get anything done.  For instance, Gary has the key for his computer lab, but the circuit breaker for the lab is in the typing room.  So when the breaker trips which it frequently does, he needs to find Kateri who is charge of the typing classes to find the key for the typing room so that he can turn the breaker back on so he can continue class.  Something similar happened when the breaker tripped for the science room and I need to go through three or four sets of keys to get find the room with the right circuit panel.  In order to get into the staff room after hours, I need the key to the college offices which thankfully also has the key to Sister Evelyn's office where I can get the key to the Administration Office where I can find the key to the Staff Room.  Then the way out involves going back through all of those rooms to return the keys before I leave.  I'm reminded of the Legend of Zelda everytime it happens.  Now if I can only find the potion to help me speak Chichewa and the magic flute that will do all of my grading for me.