March 31, 2007
Look what I found! An attempt at a blog entry (see below). Well.. it’s only been a week since I started (but didn’t finish) that. It feels like such a long time. You know the scene in the movies where the pages fly from the calendar to indicate the passing of time? That’s been my March. And so here I am at home in the aqua house post-national training, slightly remorseful that it’s over. It was such a wonderful albeit exhausting experience. Last night I was out with Tanya et al. but got up to catch the 9am bus to Kisumu with many of the other western participants. (Cute text at 7:13 am “Hey busy bea you do well to have you phone on and be here for breakfast”) I am so glad I did. It was wonderful to spend time with them all the way home. I thought I would write to try and process all the things I have learned this week.
Training adults is great. Especially when they are dedicated and knowledgeable as this group was. I really gained as much as I imparted… maybe I need to back up to the beginning of the week?
So Sunday, after a moderately late night or early morning depending on how you look at it (I finally went to Carnivore for dinner and then to Zoho's in westland for dancing), I got up and went into VSO to finish gathering paperwork and go to Nakumart for last minute supplies. We arrived at the hotel in Kassarani and did a little set up. Monday we talked about communication. All day we discussed what speech, language and communication is and the typically expected developmental milestones. This was a really hands on workshop, so much of the information was generated from the crowd, and we merely molded and responded to what they gave us. We did Jeopardy in the afternoon and it was a pretty good first day. I can’t seem to recall who did our opening remarks- oh yes I can! Anne Musalia from the Ministry of Education and she actually attended the conference all week and was fairly fabulous. When you start the workshop, after giving god his due (?) credit for his role in the organization of it all you assign roles and responsibilities. Can I tell you.. people took these very very seriously. Wellington (my good colleague from Vihiga ~ 45 minutes north of Kisumu) was chairman and took to the job with relish and much formality. He also started calling me Madame Bea (I must tell Esme). I pointed out that perhaps the title was a bit unnecessary to which he replied “but it’s a sign of respect Madame.” Alright then. Martin (one of my very favorite colleagues – of the rehab playgroup fame- from Mumias ~ 2 hours north of Kisumu) was the Welfare officer and it was ridiculous the things people came to him about. Apparently many many partipants were constipated because of eating too much protein (our meals were all buffet). Now, I think even if I was going to die from poo related issues, pretty much NOTHING could make me tell a colleague about it. Nothing! And if I did, I would expect them to say, why don’t you stop eating that mountain of meat then and eat some fruit? People came to Martin for things big and small. Apparently this is a job not to be overlooked. Maybe people just like going to someone to fix their problems??
Just to add.. in case I haven’t mentioned it before.. In addition to my own facilitation, Claire, Mike, Tanya and Sarah (all Nairobi based VSO volunteers who work in disability) came to help with small and large group work and to lead sessions. It was great to have such a competent group to do team teaching. It also made it much more fun (for me) and I think for the participants.
So Tuesday we talked about assessment all day. Doing assessments, setting goals and creating IEPs. Wednesday – Speech and language disorders, picture communication, specific diagnoses.. Thursday – my favorite.. creating learning environments + activities (a little Bev Bos action) and Friday they worked on and presented case studies and we had the rigmarole of scheduling district training rollouts and the closing ceremony. People had infinite patience.
So.. some favorite parts..
* The prayer people were Lilian (Christian) and Dima (Muslim) and they did really a really nice job of it (Can you say that?) I loved to watch Lilian lead the prayer because it was such an earnest imploring of god.. like watching a serious conversation with a good friend. Also.. the choral songs that she kicked off the morning with. My all time favorite actually had the words “Satan you are a loser, loser, Satan you are a loser forever.” Jesus of course is a winner. I liked Dima’s prayers because it was a new experience to hear someone talk to Allah. I felt well looked after spiritually. Someone put on the course evaluation that morning prayers were their least favorite part of the conference, I suspect they are not actually an optional part of the workshop structure. Not having them would be like canning the opening and closing ceremonies (lip service to the ministry, VSO and anyone else)
* Listening to conversations between participants about love and marriage. I am floored by the difference in expectations. Today someone was talking about going to work in Southern Sudan or America as it pays more than Kenya and I said “well what about your wife and children?” (I am so niave) and the response was “no I am done with them now, I will go and work so I can support their education”.. I did point out that his youngest was actually only 2! And this is someone who works with and appears to enjoy children. Semi related.. Tanya has also gotten some really great texts from Kenyan men that go something like this:
T: Thats fine, but I am not having sex with you you know
KM: No, of course not I am saved.. unless you want to
or.. T: Alright, but you do know we are not going to have sex
KM2: No, I didn't think that. We're just friends. But it's not a bad idea
Ha.
* Being quoted by Silas, Wellington and Martin! These three are really my closest and dearest colleagues and it was lovely to have them there. They are so supportive. If I was explaining something or someone was talking about something.. one of them might chime in, “you know one time I was working with Bea and she said..” It was so funny to me and yet such a show of solidarity I thought.
* The excitement about making collages even though there was a whole roomful of other fun activities.. they couldn’t be dragged away! I have uploaded some of the pictures.
* The ridiculous team building evening. Mingle, mingle, mingle…
* This one scrumptious fish dish
* Making a classbook.. the participants all had to give me a one page picture or story about their families. I was interested in the commonality of the things people shared, as well as some of the things it would have never occurred to me to include (“I am married to two wives who I dully paid dowry for”). I took some story dictation as well and I got a really nice little bit of insight into their lives.
* Getting to know people. Someone asked me about being far away from my parents and I explained that dad was fairly unhappy about me being in Kenya, mainly I thought because he had fears about my wellbeing and it was like a light bulb went off for this man. “Oh so your parents worry about you, like we worry about our children? They want their children nearby and safe too.”
I am just so overwhelmed by the dedication and potential of a project like this. 20 districts are now training 20 teachers each. Each of those 400 teachers have at least 10 (sometimes up to 120) children in their class… if they only do one tiny thing differently… it’s staggering.
Perry announced he is leaving Leap this week and the girls called me up to tell me the news and see informally if I would even consider coming back early and helping with the transition, but honestly.. I have never been so happy with my work. Also, if I am going to be considered for upper management in Leap eventually, I will be so so so much more useful to them with this project experience than without. I did agree to attend a meeting while I am in town though and I am sure I am going to love being back there for a couple of weeks.
I really need to get these district roll out training and participant manuals done though so everyone here can start preparing. May, June and July I am going to be on the road constantly. It will be exhausting, but I am so excited.
What else.. I also had the pleasure of meeting Grace Macharia, a smart and attractive woman who I just know is going to start Kenya’s first speech and language program. She is being sponsored (and bonded) by the Ministry of Education to go to the University of Reading and become a speech therapist. Hooray. The Kenya Institute of Education (KISE) are threatening to start a speech and language specialization next year and Grace already works within KISE so it could actually all happen within the decade.
So here I am. Me, my computer and the arse dent in the sofa. I have a mosquito coil along for company but maybe it’s just poisoning my air intake?? I am so glad to be home though between now and my flight to Heathrow I have to do a home visit, spend a day doing evaluations at “Russian” the district hospital, train 20 distance learners up in Vihiga and get organized for the start of next term. I also need to cook some healthy meals and sleep many many hours. More soon. Love, love. B xx
p.s. I will upload the pictures I took..
p.p.s. Some of you have asked about what to donate, I asked the districts to put down anything they would like and so here you have the wishlist. Not unlike things I had previously listed. I have removed things like tape, reams of paper and other general supplies I know can be bought here for the price of postage! For anything else, I can bring things back in April from the States/England and also there are speechies coming out mid June, July and August. Do let me know if you are sending any of these items.
District Wishlists…
- Toy cars
- children’s scissors
- toys (in Kenya they are really expensive and pretty rubbish. If you buy toys please remove them from their packaging. Choose simple toys that don’t require batteries.)
- crayons
- Markers
- 1 otoscope (I have ordered these from amazon.com before)
- handouts on drooling, cerebral palsy, autism
March 24, 2007
It’s been an exhausting week. I feel ill. It’s Saturday and I am not where I should be (the Special Education Professionals get-together). Instead I am sitting here eating dengue, chapatti and githeri in Kassarani wondering at which point I became the proverbial child in the candy store? When did my inability to decide become merely not deciding and choosing all that’s offered? This week I needed a good dose of “but no I need some sleep.”
I’ve been in Nairobi staying at the dry and morally superior Methodist guest house. The latter coming from the troops of American missionaries that are in the business of saving souls and here I wish to digress for just a moment.
The Democrats in the last US election were accused of being scattered. They didn’t come together on any one point, whereas the Republicans could and did and were victorious. In development, I think NGO’s are the Democrats and missionaries the Republicans. Not because of the obvious religious right connection but because the missionaries are all united in purpose. The missionaries are successful because all of them have a common focus, whereas with NGO’s some care about water, some women and children, some HIV, some abstinence.. whatever it is, it disperses the general efficacy of any one group I think. But there’s so many issues what do you choose? See.. leading the lost to the door of the lord it an obvious victor.
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