Programming Part VI: Faraja Support

The Program

Faraja Trust Fund is a major partner of ours in Morogoro (our office is in their office) and we do a lot of work with them. The idea of this program was for us to provide support in several capacities to Faraja. There were several tasks that we were to be asked to do: 1) help with updating their website; 2) Help with creating and editing an English newsletter; 3) Help with finished a project that was started in the last phase that revolved around students taking pictures and writing stories to go along with them); 4) Doing general office work.

My Job

Before I even left Canada, I was asked if I was able to help with the website. Though my skills are somewhat basic (just take a look at Michael Without Borders), I offered to help in any way I could. I was also asked to help out with office work. The other two projects have yet to start (and since it’s our last week here, I doubt they will).

Challenges and Successes

This program has been pretty much non-existent. We never got a response from the previous web developer so I was unable to even try to help with updating their website. The English newsletter never materialized, and the stories were all in Swahili and not yet translated so we couldn’t do anything with them. On two occasions I completed some office work (and Nicole helped out as well), but that was more than a month ago. Since then, all three of us have asked repeatedly if there is work for us to do and every time we get told to “Come back next week.” So that’s where we stand.

Though this program is far from glamorous, it was something that I was in a small way looking forward to. It was something tangible that I could help out with. I’m a little disappointed that we were unable to do the work, but on the flip side, I don’t think it’s the end of the world.

Programming Part V: HIV/AIDS Outreach

The Program

With a local drama group, YCI puts on three different types of outreach programs to educate about HIV/AIDS. The three types of events are: Rural Presentations (within an hour and a half drive from Morogoro), Secondary School Presentations, and Talent Shows (usually around Morogoro). At these presentations the drama group along with YCI presents a lot of information, entertains the crowd (with lots of interaction) and often demonstrates how to put on a condom (if the community or school allows it, and obviously with a banana).

My Job

Since most of the presentations are in Swahili, my involvement has been minimal. Our biggest task is to do pre and post surveys to compare the knowledge of the audience before and after the presentation. We also help out in various ways during the presentations including: being in the skits, holding signs, speaking about HIV/AIDS in Canada (with a translator) and generally offering up advice when necessary. Another important job we did was to do the condom demonstrations. We also attend a drama club practice once a week to liase with them and to practice any skits we might be doing that week.

Challenges and Successes

Generally, this program is the one that reaches the most people, so it is pretty successful right there. We have, however, had many challenges with this program. At various times we have had problems with: getting a power generator, a truck driver backing out at the last minute, the DJ being late, the music not working, schools switching the date on us at the last minute and just general confusion.

That being said, at the end of the day during each of the presentations we did, everyone was happy and all the information we wanted to deliver was delivered. Despite the problems we were successful and made things work the best way we could. The YCI staff are very experienced here and would not take no for an answer (with all of the above problems). Also, on almost every question we asked during the presentations we saw an increase in correct responses from the pre test to the post test. There were still some questions that the audiences had trouble with, though a lot of that might have had to do with shyness or feeling uncomfortable with speaking about these things.

All in all, though it was frustrating at times, these were very good programs which are attempting to help educate over a thousand people a month about HIV/AIDS.

Pictures: 1) The drama group getting ready for one of their skits at the first rural outreach in Kiloka. 2) Some girls dancing at the first talent show in Mazimbu. 3) Nicole performing with the drama group in Mazimbu. 4) Godfrey and Makho playing a game with students at the first secondary school presentation at Mgulasi School. 5) A female student rapping at the second secondary school presentation at Nanenane School. 6) The crowds at our second rural outreach in Dumila. 7) Someone performing a comedy routine in Dumila. 8) Some of the drama group members singing at our second talent show in Mafisa.

Another Set of Pictures

Here is another grab bag of pictures from my stay here. 1) I thought some people might find this funny (you know who you are). 2) It's blurry because the light was fading and I didn't want to use a flash, but this is a very large load of baskets balanced on a bicycle. This is typical of how people transport things around here. 3) Gasto with his Hallowe'en costume and "candy." 4) Melissa with some children (at playday). 5) Ilimara (a girl who lives in my house) showing us here dance moves. She likes the camera a lot. 6) Mee-gook lang-gwi-chi seu-kool (hahaha). I have seen many bags with Korean writing on them. I think the green bins go directly here. This one was from one of our Outreach events. 7) Pouring rain at the Faraja office. 8) My street at night. This picture was the best one, but it doesn't do the view justice. 9) Nicole and Melissa doing Good Governance (actually this was us waiting to meet with the Headmaster of the school - this was before all the problems we had with starting this program).

Programming Part IV: Good Governance

The Program

YCI has developed 7 modules to train students in good governance. The modules deal with many different topics, including what good governance is and some problems that can affect a nations ability to be governed well. About 30 students are offered the chance to go through our training (which in this case is about 5-6 sessions and potentially one or two field trips) to get a certificate of attendance.

My Job

My job is twofold. Along with Melissa, I helped prepare a pre and post questionnaire, implement it and mark it to check if students learned a lot from our course. Luckily for us, previous volunteers with YCI had already done this and minimal modifications were made.

The second part of our job is to help teach the class. Godfrey is always present and offers help with translating when necessary, but many of the students speak English quite well and we have so far been able to understand most of what is being said. Our job is to deliver some information and lead the students through activities which will hopefully generate meaningful discussions and allow students to gain the confidence needed to actively participate in the way their town and country are run.

Challenges and Successes

The biggest challenge to this program was just getting permission to start it. Originally Godfrey had confirmed everything with the headmaster of the school. When we went after exams were finished to double check that the times were ok, we were sent to two other teachers who were very skeptical of our project and made us come back several times to make sure that we weren’t going to teach any bad things to their students. Eventually, though, they saw the modules we were going to be presenting and were very pleased with the material. I’m glad that this worked out and we were able to start, but it is a good example of how difficult it can be sometimes to do things here in Morogoro.

When we did start, the class went fairly well, if a bit rushed due to us starting late. Some of the students were very involved and loved to speak a lot. It’s nice to be able to discuss things like governance with young people who are willing and eager to participate in public discourse.

One challenge we came up against was that a lot of students recognized the problems their communities are facing, but many didn’t feel like they could do something about them now. When we asked what they could do many of the responses we got were about what they would do when they were older. I’d like to think that by the end of this class we will inspire a few of them to take action on issues that are important to them and to give them the confidence to feel like they can make a difference.

Below are pictures of the students performing skits.

Programming Part III: Street Side School English Class

The Program

Four days a week, Gasto teaches English at a school to help students catch up to their peers. It allows them to condense four years into two. Gasto teaches with very little resources, often just a chalkboard and chalk. The students range in age from about 10 to 16 or 17. Many are poor and often miss class because their parents need them to work to make money. Of about 45 students enrolled in the class, only 15-20 show up on a regular basis.

My Job

Since this is a long term project, my job (along with Nicole) is to assist Gasto in any way we can. We observe him in class twice a week and offer suggestions as to how to be a more effective teacher. We also spend some time talking to Gasto about his plans for teaching as well as help him make tests to give to the students. We are also going to be helping Gasto write a report for this project, which is essentially his and not ours.

Challenges and Successes

There have been many challenges facing Gasto and the class, besides the ones mentioned above. Gasto, though a very willing and enthusiastic volunteer has never been given the chance to learn from any teachers, thus he has a lot he can improve upon. He has, however, taken many of my suggestions and has even said that he feels like he is improving. Gasto has the right attitude and the patience to be a very good teacher. I hope that I am able to give

him a little push in the right direction.

A wide range of abilities of the students is also a big issue. Some students are able to read well, while others cannot read at all. Gasto has been working very hard with the whole class to improve these abilities.

We have noticed a large change in the classroom from day one, though there are still many ways in which things can go smoother. I hope that I am able to share with Gasto some of the things I have learned in my few short years of teaching. I also hope to learn from him, since I am a firm believer that everyone has something to offer (at least in the field of teaching) and that even the students often teach the teachers.

Programming Part II: Play Day

The Program
Once a month, Faraja Trust Fund runs a play day at their Home Based Care Center for youth living with HIV. About 50-60 children come for a stigma-free play environment as well as a cooked meal and some supplies to bring home. Older children are also given a chance to discuss HIV and learn about their disease. One goal of the program is to help inform the young adults and to help their confidence. We also took them swimming in a mountain river to give them a chance for a social outing.

My Job
For our time here, October 31st was the only Play Day that would be happening. Since we do not plan the day, our job is basically to act as support for the kids. YCI provides some toys to play with and people to play with the children. We also went to the river (The Rock Garden) with the older children and swam with them for a bit.

Challenges and Successes
By far the biggest challenge is playing with children who, according to my assumptions, have done nothing to deserve living with HIV/AIDS. Even just thinking about children with serious diseases makes me angry and upset so I was a bit worried about my emotions during the day. Most of the time I was able to just absorb myself in the games and to play with the children. When I wasn’t playing, however, I often thought about the challenges facing these children and it made me sad. I’m glad though, that I got a chance to make their lives a little more enjoyable. It’s easier for me to deal with it by thinking that it’s about quality of life, not quantity.

I had also been worried that I might be afraid to play with the children or that a freak accident would end up with me getting infected. I don’t feel happy that I felt that, but I am being honest (maybe something I shouldn’t be doing in a blog). Those worries quickly disappeared when it came time to play though. I took several pictures of the children (though not so many of them swimming since, being poor, many were not wearing more than their birthday suits) playing which are here below.

Pictures: 1) Micah (YCI Country Manager) helping some children skip rope. 2) Me and some children relaxing for a bit. 3) Gasto and Godfrey leading the older children in a team-building activity (I think it was the human knot). 4) Several children colouring and playing on the mat. You can see some of the caregivers in the back. 5) Some children I was throwing a ball with. They really like the camera. 6) Godfrey talking to the older children. 7) Some of the children with the sodas we provided. 8) The pools where some of the children swam and played.

Programming Part I: English and Computer Class

The Program

Twice a week for two hours, vulnerable and unemployed youth are offered free English and Computer classes. Currently we have two classes. The first has already had a 13-course session to learn basic computer functions and the second is a brand new class, many of whom have never had the chance to even touch a computer. Each class gets one hour for English and one hour for Computers

My Job

Along with Nicole, I am responsible for teaching the computers section of this class. We have used the previous volunteers’ reports to prepare curriculum and we have a translator (Gasto) to help us when language becomes a difficulty. Our main goal has been to have our students become familiar with computers and for them to learn a few things that they can do with them.

Challenges and Successes

The biggest challenge we face is that the students have next to no knowledge about computers. Some have had a little experience, but most are starting from scratch. We wanted to be able to teach the students many different things about computers and have the practice as much as they can. We are finding, however, that due to lack of familiarity with computers, it takes a long time to do simple tasks. Typing speed is the biggest issue and that is compounded by language difficulties (i.e. they need to look at every letter on the board or a handout and then find each letter on the keyboard). We have taken a few steps to help our students become more familiar with the keyboard (we have copies of the keyboard on paper and have had them “type” with them) and we have seen some improvement. Despite the slowness, just the opportunity to even try to type is a huge step for many of these people.

Another challenge (and you, the reader, COULD do something about this) is that we do not have many computers. The most we’ve had in one session was four, but we usually have at least 10-15 students per class. At times, because of battery depletion, we have had one operating computer in the classroom. If you know of anyone who can donate laptops, please contact YCI and they will gladly help you. Even if it were a gift of money to help buy one used computer, it would still do more benefit to the people here than you could imagine. We are also looking to get a projector for the future which would make teaching computers much, much easier since we would be able to show everyone in the class without having to have the huddle around one small screen.

All in all, though we are facing challenges, we have definitely seen an improvement in several of our students. They are more confident using the computers and are able to complete the tasks we give them more quickly than before. I was told that two previous students in these classes have found jobs. Since that is the goal of this project (to help people develop employable skills), I hope that this type of success can continue.

Karibu Morogoro!

Written: October 3rd, 2009

Before I begin, I should note that free time is at a premium here, and often I have other things I need to do to stay sane, so I am sorry in advance if I miss some time. I will do my best to keep people up to date, but if my schedule this first week is indicative of my future schedule, the entries may be less than stellar. I will try my best though.

I guess it has been a while since I last wrote (not including the previous entry which I probably posted at the same time as this one. A lot has happened since then. To keep things interesting, I will use this post as an overview and then go through one by one the major things about my life here.

We (assume I mean Nicole, Melissa and I, the three YCI volunteers here) arrived in Morogoro on Wednesday night and were brought to our homestays. I will be as honest as I can. My first impression was not one of being happy about my situation. I'd be lying if I said this was the worst place I've stayed, but it is definitely the worst place I've stayed more than a few days. The house is basic, though we do have electricity (when there is not an outage), running water (sometimes, I think only in the mornings, but I have not asked). I have a bed and a lock on my door. I also have a fan (not the first night) to keep me cool while I sleep. The Hilton it is not, but I should be able to survive here for the next 7 weeks (me having already completed my first week... well almost). The facilities (i.e. the washroom) are not what one would hope for, but I will say that it's suprising what can seem normal when you don't really have a choice.

The family I am staying with is very nice, though basic English is a bit of stretch. Still, I am learning a bit of Swahili and we understand each other mostly (my Swahili-English dictionary comes in handy often). The food they make me is edible and tastes good. I probably won't be seeking it out often when I return, but I am pleased. There is a strong emphasis on white bread and white rice, but surprisingly I am feeling mostly healthy and energetic (this might be the multivitamins at work).

Mosquitoes are numerous (I've killed 7 today... I really should have started with a tally), but they don't seem to bite me. One of the other volunteers (not sure who) has a theory that the malaria pills make me less enticing. Any medical professionals (or soon to be medical professionals – I know I should have both reading this) want to comment? I've been bitten a few times, but so far I have had no signs of malaria, yellow fever or Japanese encephalitis (or any other mosquite-borne bugs).

Morogoro is definitely very different from any other city I've lived in (since I get this question a lot, you'd think I'd have an easy time explaining things, but I don't, so specifics will have to come in bits and pieces over time). Some big things that are noticeable: 1) No traffic signs (rules?): for those of you who live(d) in Korea, this place makes Seoul look like a well ordered city when it comes to traffic. And they drive on the left, so I'm always forgetting which way to look for traffic. Hahaha. It's all ok though. 2) Buildings are very basic. This is hard to elaborate, but as I post pictures, you will see over time. 3) There is sand/dust everywhere. I have to clean my feet when I come home. 4) People talk to/greet each other much more often than those in any city I've lived in. Honestly, there are more differences to list and I could probably write a blog post on all of them (maybe I will if I have time, tough I think that is unlikely.

As for what I did the first few days in Morogoro. Orientation and tours of where we will do our projects was the first order of business. Things are coming into focus and I've actually been assigned some of the projects. The only ones I'm not doing (see the post about the projects) are the Secondary School HIV/AIDS club and working with the older PLHIV kids (though I probably will help with them). I will be busy planning I think, but it does look like I will have a good time and be able to use my skills to help people. There will likely be much more (perhaps I'll do a very in-depth post on each project I am working on) at a later date here.

We have met many people here (I have forgotten most of their names) but as time goes by, I'll probabl do formal introductions of all the important people in my life here.

As for now though, this post is getting way too long (congratulations if you managed to get this far). Sorry, but I don't have many pictures of Morogoro now (you'd understand why if you were here – more on that later), but I will try to get some shortly (the post after this will have some). Thanks for reading and keep on keeping on!

Tutaonana! (See you later – yes, I am a language snob, get used to it).

"So what exactly will you be doing in Tanzania?"

The title of this post has perhaps been the question I've been asked most frequently in the last month (and probably a few months before that). Until very recently, I have not really been able to give a concrete answer. Well now I can answer in depth (though I'm sure in the coming week my knowledge of my work will be greatly improved).

I've been given a detailed list of 7 projects that I (along with the other two volunteers in Morogoro) could potentially be working on. Many of these are with a local partner organization: Faraja Trust Fund. Here are the projects I could be working on:

1. Computer, English, Business Communication Course: Since May of this year volunteers with YCI have offered courses for vulnerable youth to develop computer skills and basic English skills. There have been two cycles of the course so far, so my group will be providing three levels of instruction for a total of five classes a week.
2. Secondary School HIV/AIDS Club: Since May of this year YCI volunteers have provided support to an HIV/AIDS club at a local Secondary School. The plan during my trip is to extend this support to a second school. The idea is to help the clubs, but not so that they rely on our support.
3. Good Governance Education for Active Student Youth and Future Leaders: This has been going on since February. We will be working at one school, once a week to increase the knowledge of 25-30 participants in principles of good governance and opportunities for involvement in local government.
4. English Class for Street Side School: My role as a volunteer will be more of a support role with the teacher of the class. Given my background, this should be great experience for any future jobs.
5. HIV/AIDS Outreach: This particular project has a lot of different facets, including but not limited to School Presentations, Talent Shows and other Community Outreach Events. This seems like one of the bigger projects I will be working on since the goal is to reach 600 community members.
6. Social Support for Youth PLHIV (People Living with HIV?): This will involve working with people affected by HIV, including both teens (14-18) as well as younger children. One activity will be to have stigma-free play days with younger children.
7. Communication and Development Support for Faraja: This will basically involve helping with their website as well as data entry and other office duties.

So there you have it. The best answer I can give at this time. I believe that some of the YCI staff may be reading my blog so if I'm wrong on some points, maybe they can correct me. I'm not sure, but I think I will only be working on some of these. I guess time will tell. I will update my status and the status of my work as time goes on.

Look for a detailed trip itinerary from me as well as final thoughts before departure in the next couple of days.

T-minus 50 hours and 38 minutes until my plane takes off....