Teaching in Uganda
Trip Start
Jun 22, 2008
1
29
36
Trip End
Jul 31, 2008
Gulu,
Uganda
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Adam captured the whole process on film (for all you cynics out there). Students participated, laughed and cried during their forty minutes of greatness. I didn't tell you why they cried. In your minds you are envisioning tears of elation and joy. In fact, the tears were part of a ploy to ensure our partnership continued in the summer of '09. Onions were placed strategically under every third student's desk. They were unaware of why they were crying, but crying nonetheless.
(Side note: The previous three lines were written for those of you who hate redundancy)
If not for the poor lighting and conditions our pictures could be found in the next edition of National Geographic. Oh well. For now they will become part of a "Teacher Exchange Scrapbook" and dynamic website documenting the summer program.
After class I ventured to town with several objectives in mind. I had but three days left to complete James' (a student- teacher) report on poultry production, one day left to finish putting together Opira's binder, and merely an hour left to feed my famished stomach. Two of the three I fulfilled at Kope Café. In my newfound loft I cranked out pages upon pages of report while sipping a Fanta and nibbling at my Avocado Vignerette. It was blissful. I worked like a prized thoroughbred in his last leg of the Kentucky Derby.
I was two hours ahead of schedule. This afforded me additional time to check e-mail and surf the web. It's funny which stories receive coverage in the United States. Here Sudan is risking anarchy with the ICC arrest of their mass murdering dictator, and Yahoo's home page read "Dark Night Unsuitable for Children." So guess which article I chose to read? In my defense, if the main character of the new Batman movie was anyone but Christian Bale I swear I would care more about Sudan. Good times.
After indulging in American Culture I caught a boda back to Pope Paul VI.
I hoped the librarian made a dent in organizing the library. I read somewhere that laziness was a disease. Much like depression or paranoia, if left unchecked, it could spiral out of control. It started out innocent enough. One decided he/ she would rather sit on the couch than fulfill daily obligations. The couch vegging soon led to a nap which eventually gave way to a deep sleep of which only a blaring house party could remedy. The librarian at Pope Paul suffered from this degenerative disease. He had become so preconditioned to sitting down before completing work, that he ended up doing nothing all day. Why was I surprised then to enter the library at 3 p.m. and find that nothing was done? I was determined to get him off of his fat ass. After a pep talk, some motivation and a forecast of "what the library will be in the future" he was resolved to at least weed through the endless stack of books. While our new partnership was not the famed tag team partnership of Opira and "Okello", it had potential. Motivation was the antidote for laziness. When infused into a victim, they showed notable signs of improvement. The librarian in this case began to smile, move quickly and think more than he had in the past. I was grateful. The transformation of the library was not a task to take on alone.
An hour later, the library was the new staff lounge. Teachers from every subject occupied its space. The sight was beautiful. Every teacher was lost in a book. The practical ones chose textbooks while imaginative dreamers chose mystery novels or historical fiction. I was overcome with emotion. This was what learning looked like! With such interest in learning, teachers could pull Pope Paul out of the "dark ages" of chalk and talk it had grown so accustomed to. Bloom's taxonomy took on a whole new meaning as well. The teachers were now the ones who would acquire knowledge so that once transferred to students, it could become the building block of political, social and economic change. This of course was only going on in my head. To them, they were merely indulging in topics of which they were always interested. They were re-igniting their passion. Again, I hate to sound redundant, but it was beautiful!!
On the way home I reflected on my experience. Teachers like students needed mentors. More importantly, they needed people to believe in them. They work in a thankless profession. These Ugandan teachers receive little money, resources and support from the government and surrounding community. At one time, their youthful passion could conquer these negativities. But like straw that broke the camel's back, they could simply not cope with any more obstacles. I hoped this small gesture of organizing a library could re- inspire them to earlier days.
Back at Christ the King I became lost in my imagination. Finding a comfortable position in bad, I sang and drummed away to all kinds of music. I envisioned myself at a Tool concert, filling in for an ill Danny Carrey. Matching complex rhythm patterns and changes, I became the star of the show. Cheering fans applauded my salvation of the concert. Tool opened for Radiohead in this imaginative concert. So after my drumming exhibition for Tool, I grabbed a mike and sang in front of an even larger Radiohead audience. I mimicked Tom York's inflections- managing to be slightly off the note but still in tune.
Two hours later I awoke from my trance to the smell of warm Chipote, rice and beans. I was now ready to socialize. I had taken part in the escape I longed for. Reality was now acceptable.
Must reality stand in such contrast to one's imagination? I hope to "live out my dream" in the remaining days to come.
