At the
end of November Zambia
celebrated Independence Day and this year it was forty nine years. In this
important time we had off days and we decided to see Livingstone city with the
nature around including the Victoria
waterfalls. Exactly in Independence Day – 24Th November we did the
trip to the Falls. My company wished to swim in devil pool on the top of the waterfall
and see the big water falling from height. I hesitated about it, but finally I
joined my friends – two Irish people. In the national park we met with other
members our expedition – the American family and young American couple, and as
well as our guide. He took us through dry river really close to the point when
the river starts falling down the side during the rain season. We walked until
Livingstone island, where we took off our clothes and only in our swimming suit
we continue our adventure. We swam until small rock´s island next to the main
stream of Victoria waterfalls and in this stream we saw the devil pool. When I
saw the small pond finishing with rocky wall and the big canyon behind this I
was sure I will not go swim there. But faith thought something different and
finally I went in and I even looked from the wall down on the waterfall. For me
it was one from the biggest experiences in my life.
After a wonderful time in
Livingstone we come back to Lusaka
and here was waiting for us really hard week. Immediately on Monday I learned
the teacher from Grade one will not come anymore, she found another job, and
now I will teach grade one alone. I couldn´t do anything only to go to grade
one and start. There already was my colleague which was reading something from
leaf of paper. Children had the same papers and they had to fill in everything
by his instructions. I started walking around the classroom to see exactly what
the children were doing – by the way - this activity African´s teachers never
do. I found out the children were writing exams. Although they can´t read,
write and count, madam teacher prepared the tests for them, because this week
all classes are doing tests. My colleague was reading the questions and the
answers – structured a) b) and c), but my children don´r recognize any letters.
Pupils were circling everything - the
capital letters of words, all three possibility or the word, which they knew.
I decided not to continue with these
exams and I prepared for children lots of activities with letters and numbers. The next day my colleague came to my class with
more tests. I tried to explain to her, the children can´t write exams they
don´t understand, but she assured me she will help them in their language. Other
than it was not helping so much and finally I went to speak with head teacher
sr. Prisca. I showed her the tests and told her, the children can not write
exams – they don´t understand. She answered me with a smile, they have to –
because we want to see what the children know. I wanted to roar, but with a gentle
smile I answered her it would be enough to ask me – they don´t know anything.
And finally I was right, because this test still laying on my desk – it´s nobody
who will correct it.
Time between tests I should have
filled up with some activities, but the children were making terrible noises
and they didn´t want to listen to me, because they don´t speak English. And
when I succeeded to keep them quiet for a while, somebody came to my class and
asked me about key from some room, or photocopy something. Finally I went to
sister Prisca to tell her I could not be secretary and teacher together it´s
not working very well and also I need somebody to help me to translate to the
children. She answered me really baldy – don´t worry on Monday new teacher
coming to teach this class. And on Monday the new teacher really came and she
is nice. First think she has done – she has changed positions of desk in
classroom – children are sitting in small groups around the class. They can
share books, pencils, sharpeners and eraser. Also she started to teach them
reading. And the most important thing – during lessons she can keep quiet!
Funny thing on this story is,
exactly on the same Monday like my old teacher left I met at home my Irish
flatmate, she was really tired and told me, her colleague physiotherapist just
left the clinic in Chilanga and Mairead stayed there alone to help people which
could not speak any English. It is probably normal here.
As well as being a physiotherapist in Chilanga
clinic Mairead helps twice a week in a clinic in Linda. There she does
everything what is necessary to do and her story from the medical surroundings
are unbelievable and sad. For example doctors didn´t take care about a two
month old baby with wrong heart and with high temperature because it was 4 p.m.
and at this time they finish, or wrong storage of vaccine and they use it. And
about people with AHV who don´t tell true about their situation to their wife
and mistresses I will not write more, everybody know story like this. These
stories make me sure the people in Africa need
to improve they educational system. To be a teacher in Zambia its enough to take a six
week course in Zambian university.
