Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

So my life this past month is pretty much consumed by the 900 girls at the school.  And I love them!  I think they like me too because whenever I walk by they scream NIKKI MINAJ!!!! and when I wave back they all scream.  Yes I have a Lango name but they would rather refer to me as minaj... which is fine by me!  They even write it on their exercise books for my classes.

Aside from teaching them, I frequently go after classes to play sports with the girls.  Me and the gym teacher have struck up a friendship so I go and help him and pretend to still have some athletic ability left in me.  I play soccer, volleyball and they are trying to teach me how to play netball which I still don't understand.  I refuse to join in on rugby haha.  I'm more of a distraction to them than I help sometimes but it's fun.  The girls have their district tournament for soccer this weekend so I'm excited to see how they do!

I held my reproductive health session a few weeks back and it went really well!  Thankyou Stacey ;)  The ridiculous part was I was suppossed to be the adult and even I couldn't help giggling when the girls kept repeating the word vagina... I blame it on the lack of sleep.  So in the future when I hold these myself I will need to gain some maturity.  So the most interesting part was at the end of the session when we had the question and answer part.  We passed around a bag so that they could submit questions anonymously.  Most I expected, a lot about candida, virginity, safe sex, etc. but just as it did when we did the "best response" game awhile back some of the questions were really disheartening.  Mostly because its a shock that they would have such extreme misconceptions.  These girls don't know who to turn to sometimes and  In light of this I have decided that I am doing counseling at the school, hopefully starting next term.  The staff has asked me multiple times and I have put it off because I am so busy, but I can't in good conscience do it anymore.  So I guess I'll be putting that psyc degree to some use as well!   Although I don't know how much help I can be when it comes to anything outside female issues and minor dilemmas.  Some of the girls have approached me with some extremely disturbing information and most of the time all I can do is listen and offer my support.

Moving on to less depressing things, the school recently just held their student elections which were really interesting to see.  Each candidate gave a 2 minute speech and then there was 1 minute for someone in the audience to ask a question.  WELL... if you couldn't get your question or comment in these girls said all they needed to with their signs!  Some of them were kind of mean, for example, "Your Not Fit, Try Fishing or Marriage" and some were funny "You wan't another rap? yes NYABO!" (that one is from museveni's latest presidential campaign.)  If it were me there is  no way I would run for an office unless I was sure I was loved, but in general they had fun and it was good to see the girls involved.  Then I went to help pass out ballots in one of my S2 classes... they were obviously stoked when they found out it was me and so I stuck around and talked with them about the elections for awhile after they were over.

I gave a test this past week to my math classes, and since there was only 10 minutes left in class by the time they completed, I opted for the previously popular game of "ASK ME ANYTHING" that I did back at Kajjansi.  The questions were mostly the same... what's your family like? where in america do you come from? How does school work there?  It made me appreciate being with all ladies because they were WAY MORE appropriate then they were back at my school based training where the school was mixed.  But the most popular question..... "Are you married?"  Everytime I answer NO they are really surprised.  Than I say single and in unison they all correct me "SEARCHING!"  They really don't understand how a woman could just be happily alone... your body will expire though yes madame? Then they follow it up with you marry a ugandan! Lastly when I tell them okay one more question... I hear someone say "madame you sample for us a song" and then the shouting begins again.  I have not submitted to the request although I am asked constantly.  I'm running out of excuses but it will be a miracle if I leave this school after two years without belting out a few notes no matter how horrible.  Hell I already gave into the dancing why do I have to sing!

The last thing on my agenda is to get something done about the caning at my school.  I finally witnessed it... I guess they had been doing it at night, but the other day I guess some girls were forging permission slips so they had a public beating at assembly...  I had to run home I thought I was going to lose it because I knew I couldn't of said anything, it wouldn't have helped.  So now I'm working on setting up a workshop on positive discipline for the faculty.  I pray that it works.

In conclusion, these girls are the reason I'm here... to be their teacher and their friend.  I couldn't of asked for better I learn more from them than I could ever teach.

Two of the senior girls trying to show me how to do this dance.... which I epically failed at

The girls all circled around talking Stacey and I into dancing

Girls making re-usable menstrual pads

Girls holding up signs of support or disapproval during their student elections

 

All Work and No Play

So the last time I wrote anything I was getting bored of having the same routine everyday.... WELL I WANT THAT ROUTINE BACK! Okay not really... I'm happy to finally be working but where before I was trying to find interesting tasks to fill my day with, I now am trying to find time to just sit down!

So I am sharing four streams of S2 Math with another teacher and the S5 Chemistry with a different teacher.  We each teach different topics, which honestly doesn't make much sense to me, but hey one ground breaking idea at a time! My first amazing idea was to train the faculty at the school to actually use the 60 computers they have at their disposal.  This task was ill planned at first because now I am being commandeered to teach individual lessons, and this is not helping in finding a little me time.  So instead of being pulled into the lab every time I try to leave school I  have been slaving away making training manuals that involve teaching typing, word, excel and powerpoint, for the teachers to work on in their own time.  I am going to be setting up two sessions a week after school to have instructed teaching with the faculty that are interested.  I am then going to have these worksheets available in hard copies and on the hard drive for them to use in their free time.  My next problem is finding a way to teach all the girls.  The thing with them is.... some are interested and some could care less.  Right now they are all timetabled to come in as classes but it is kind of a waste to just lecture to them (and I had to say NO for the first time this year when the head of the department asked me to teach all 900 girls!) So I am thinking of actually starting a computer club instead (wow I never thought I would say that in my life!)  My idea for garnering interest in this is to include a typing competition where I will provide a prize at the end of the year (I'm thinking a chicken??? I don't know but I'll think of something awesome!)  The issue with all this computer nonsense is most of the people here have never even used a computer.  So when you think about it, if you had never seen a computer would you know how to turn it on?? Would you know how to use a mouse?? Would you even know what the desktop was??  These are my challenges but I have already decided that I'm only going to put in as much effort as they do.  I have quickly learned I can't take on too much and finding a balance is going to be the most difficult thing.

Classes are going well so far, this is the first week I have been teaching.  My S2 girls are fun. They make fun of my accent sometimes though answering back in an equally high pitched voice "yesss madame".  I just shoot them a look and ask them if they want more dorm work so they giggle, say no and quit it until the next class haha.

Funny story (well to me at least) I was doing a little math competition at the end of class today in teams. I'm watching the girls at the board seeing how they are doing when I feel like something is pulling on my hair.... I turn around and two girls run away laughing.  Yes they were feeling up my precious locks! The girls are just fascinated by my hair (how is it so long? you get it wet! you wash it everyday?)

The S5 class is my favorite... I know it's not nice to say that... but hey there are FIVE of them!  That is much better then a class of 50-60 girls like my others.  The reason I like it better is because I can make photo copies of the notes before class and hand them out for them to read over. (They do not always have books for certain subjects so students here really rely on EXACTLY what you tell them).  This way they are somewhat familiar with the material and we can spend our 80 minutes a week actually going through problems and trying to understand the concepts as opposed to memorizing information.  And its OCHEM! Yeah okay I give in I'm a nerd at heart....

Lastly on my plate is I am doing a Re-Useable Menstrual Pads Session with about 100-150 girls next weekend S1-S2.  This program was started by a volunteer that just closed her service and I think it is one of the most useful and sustainable programs I have heard of.  Sanitary pads are expensive here and not always available out in the village.  Girls miss classes when they have their periods because of this.  In addition there are a lot of misconceptions about reproductive health and safety, and in the class we talk about all of this too.  In all, it involves a talk about reproductive health, a question and answer session, the making of the re-useable pads (made from school uniform material, cotton towel inserts, needle, thread and a button!) and directions on sanitation and cleaning.  Another volunteer who has taken the lead here in country is coming to perform this first session with me and my counterpart.  After that I am hoping to write a small grant so that I can hold sessions for the rest of the school and the community next term.

So that is what I have been up to... work work work.  Thankfully I am getting to see some friends this weekend... I am a bit overdo for some crazy company with my favs who I miss so much!

That's all from The Bush this week!

Nik