October has started and nature is more parched than has
been, everything is waiting for the rain season, when the nature will be green
and dust will not fly through the landscape. Slowly I become accustomed to Africa and life here. I´m stopping to be wound up at many
things which work differently here. Maybe
it is because I have a new flat mate from Ireland who is sharing all my troubles and she is obliging me
to do some crazy trips.
On Monday I came to school as every
day, I unlocked the classrooms and sat down in my office to wait for teachers
who are coming to pick up keys from theirs departments. After I went to grade
one, but there was not anybody, except pupils. After some time Sr. Prisca came to
tell me madam teacher will not come today and I should teach grade one this
day. Why exactly madam was missing I don´t know, but she missed two days and I
wished that she would miss two weeks. Although I felt like commander of army at
war and coming every day to enemy area to speak about terms of peace, I was
happy.
I spent so much energy to keep the
children quiet “don´t shout out, don´t walk around classroom”, to work with
copy of materials and mainly to hold back many fights. During these fights I
realized how much children here are hard on each other. During one month here I
saw children cry only twice but they are beating and kicking each other every
day. Children from Europe would be hysterically
crying in this situation, because they know teachers or parents will help them.
Children here know if they will not help themselves nobody will help them.
Unfortunately this hardness and obstinacy they use against teachers. Sometimes
I had to strain my muscles to move children to stay in corner or go out from
class. The biggest fight I experienced was when I wanted the children to finish work before they will go for break.
Finally I took a ball and wanted to go to play football. I´m not sure now, I
will have courage again to do this, If I would know how much energy will take
me to move my pupils to school play ground. I tried to line up in pairs of 40
children almost twenty minutes, but finally I gave up my effort and I let
children go in one long line, they copy soldiers but unfortunately they roar
some march song.
On Wednesday madam come to school
again and I had to see how my effort to teach children discipline and work is
going out the window. When I saw Madame handle almost fiveteen phone calls
in first two hours, I left the classroom.
On Thursday was for pupil nice day,
they can wear to school normal clothes and left uniforms at home and they
learnt on Friday would be day off. Because teachers will celebrate word
teachers day, but I think 5.10. is teachers day only in Africa.
Teachers invited us volunteers too.
They told us many things we can see on this day in nature reservation – white lions, which you can stroke, swimming
pool and president of Zambia,
which will have speech there. Speeches we hear a lot of, but no from president,
lions, zebras and giraffes run away far from the big noise of party for almost
twenty primary and secondary schools in Lusaka.
Finally we have only swimming pool, grilling, drums, dance and beers it equals
a nice day. And also one of the teachers offered me to marry her son – doctor
24 years old, I can say I enjoyed this day.
Evening we went to bed early, we
were tired from the day. Saturday we woke up at 8 a.m. for trip to Linda
village with one of the teachers, who lives there. He invited us to see a
mountain and a river there. Mountain was hill, but there was nice view and a river
only stream, but trip was amazing. Possibly only for the happiness of local
children when could see 8 muzungu – white peoples in their village. I tried to
image 8 black people in local dress in some small village in Czech – I think it
will be the same excitement.
But me, I felt I was in the real
Africa - clay houses, straw fence,
children, hens, cows and dogs altogether in one stack, small stands, satellites
and of course Coca-cola. J
