Si Visuri

Si visuri is the Swahili phrase for 'not fair'. It is one that I use often, and I think about even more frequently. 

Its not fair that when it pours with rain I am safe and dry in my house, when the power goes out I can light a candle and still have light and yet my next door neighbours are huddled in darkness in their leaky mud hut.


Its not fair that those lucky enough to have a job get paid around $4 per day for backbreaking work in the sun and yet that is below a quarter of the minimum HOURLY wage in Australia.

Its not fair that I can afford to go to the nearby town and buy anything I want in the supermarket and yet many of my neighbours and friends cannot afford to even supplement their ugali with a 6 cent avocado.

Its not fair that if I am sick I can get medicine, if it came to it I could get flown out of here and to first class medical services and yet for so many people here, getting sick means they just have to continue life as per normal and just hope to get better...a lad I had never seen before approached me after the Sunday service and limped 1km to my house with me explaining he wasn't feeling well and couldn't afford to go to the clinic, his English wasn't the best and at first all I could understand was he had a headache, but then he explained it started with his leg. I asked to see and when he pulled up his pant leg I was shocked and disgusted and so sorry all at once- A stick had pierced his shin (a week prior) leaving a huge deep hole which was now infected, swollen and causing him to limp, he had no money and no way to get help. I was his last resort.

Its not fair that my education was free, it was seen as a right. I didn't actually even want to go to uni and it was only because my brother convinced me to that I went (and I am so glad I did!). Yet here many students cannot afford fees for high school. They are forced to drop out so they can work and get money, sometimes not finishing until in their 20s or else just not getting an education and being caught in the vicious cycle of poverty.

Its not fair that last week when I went out to night time bible studies I put a jacket on because it was cold, I sat next to Tom and Edwin, two lads I know well and Edwin asked me if he could have my jacket. Tom indignantly replied 'no madam, he has a father. His father could buy him a jacket'. There was something about the phrase 'he has a father'... Toms dad died a few years ago, his mother is very poor and can't afford to support the family adequately. Tom has no-one who can buy him things. 

Its not fair that when I am in town I see street kids sniffing glue to ward off hunger. Food is all around them sold on street corners everywhere but 7 cents for a banana is out of their reach. 

It is not fair that for me growing up, death is something that happens to old people in the distant future and yet when I saw one of my students looking down the other day and asked what was wrong he explained 'I am sad because I just found out my brother is dead'. Not knowing how or why but just hearing that his brother is no more. His mother has already died and his brother had been supporting him through high school. I found him many times that week sitting by himself staring vacantly into the distance. When I asked him if there was anything I could do he replied in a whisper 'no madam,I think I will be okay'.

Why is it that the top 10% of the world own over 86% of its wealth and the bottom 50% have less than 1%? 
Why was I born in a country where wealth and luxury is the norm? Where everyone has enough to eat and is supported by the government? and yet people my age here are struggling with death, sickness, with not having enough food?

I have come to realise that it is useless to resent this fact. Its easy to get bogged down in it all and just want to scream 'SI VISURI' at the top of my lungs. However that doesn't help anyone. 
Maybe one of the reasons we see so much poverty is to teach us something. It is true that one person cannot change the world, but you can change the world for one person. 
I find everything I see here rings so true with this famous quote"He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him do likewise" Luke 3:11.

Helping out the people here actually does change their lives. One life at a time. To sponsor a kid through high school is $10 per week. Thats less than most of our phone bills. Less than a coffee each day. Around half an hours pay. Is it really that difficult for us to help out? I see it as really simple. They need money. We have money. Why don't we share a bit? 

What is it about teaching in Kenya?

Teaching in Kenya is quite different to Australia. 
Its hard to put my finger on what exactly it is, there are so many factors that are different...
...teaching from a very prescriptive curriculum
...trying to get to know my classes when they have between 34-45 students in them
...teaching students with English as their 3rd and weakest language
...teaching 40 minute timeslots and sometimes the same class multiple times in one day
...teaching subjects I have never taught before (English and Christian Religious Education)
...having exams as the only form of assessment
...the entire four years of high school building to one big exam period at the end in which everything is tested
So many things that are different. Yet I don't think its any of these things that really clinches it. 

The main difference really came to light at the end of the first term. Some misbehaviour by the entire form 3 class called for a staff meeting to discuss the consequences. It had been previously decided that form 1-2 students would finish at a set time and form 3-4 two weeks later. However at this meeting it was decided that seeing form 3 had behaved badly, as PUNISHMENT they would go home with the form 1-2s. 
On the other hand, form 4 had been behaving well and it was decided they would be rewarded with an extra week of school. I struggled to disguise my shock in the staff meeting. Who would've thought that 2 extra weeks of holidays would be punishment! That just epitomises what it is about teaching in Kenya.

The students want to learn.

They crave a good education, it is the way to get out of poverty. They know that school fees did not come easy. They are determined to do the best they possibly can. Such a contrast to some of the schooling I have seen and experienced in other places where students whinge about school, drag their feet and try to wag. One of my students here told me the other day that her worst thing was when she is sick and misses a day of school. 

This attitude of putting in 100% certainly makes teaching rewarding and motivates me to try to help my students to achieve the best they possibly can! 

Madam Librarian

It appears that a connection with libraries is in the blood- both mum and dad work or have worked in libraries  and when I arrived at school I was given the position of librarian without consultation...

The students at the school are issued government  authorised textbooks with the information they need to memorize for the exams. Any further research or resources are not provided or particularly advocated by the Kenyan system. Hence I have been super keen to provide other resources in order to broaden the horizons of the students a little!

The computer room/library contained a pile of mac computers donated by mac africa which lay mostly unused in a tangle of power plugs as not many students or teachers know how to operate them. The one bookshelf with lending books had been placed behind the door meaning students cannot browse or even really see what books are available.

When Jemima was visiting we spent a lot of time reorganising and setting up the library to be more user friendly. 10 computer stations with clear rules displayed, the books moved to a more accessible location, a simple index card system for borrowing records, purchase of a number of new books, cleaning the whole room and setting up mats and areas students can sit.

Our 'library' of borrowing books

From when I open the library at 7 until I send out the last students at 5 or 6 it is a hive of activity. Students borrow and return books in all their breaks, come for a chat or to ask a question and after school absolutely love coming to use the computers.
It's amazing how the room can fill up with over 30 students in a matter of minutes (3 per computer max for space sake).

Some days the power will go out which relieves me of the duty of kicking everyone out when I need to leave, but the majority of the time when I turn the lights off and say 'time to shut down everybody' the students are very good about it and are all out within a couple of minutes.

I would love to be able to expand the library's selection of books- a number of 'set books' are required for English and Kiswahili, which the students are supposed to purchase themselves, however at approximately 500 shillings (about $6)  per book this is well outside most students capacity. If they are fortunate enough to have parents and their parents are fortunate enough to have a job this is over 2 days pay, hence the majority go without and struggle to keep up when studying the book in class.

They also love novels, revision guides and story books- once again these range from 500- 2000 shillings ($5-$20), they would also love some Swahili bibles and resource books. If this is something you would like to help out with then shoot me an email tabithaverity@gmail.com.

Our lovely inspiration wall- posters donated by Meningie Community Library

Computer time after school

Joyful Widows :)

Being a widow in Kenya is an unenviable thing. No such thing as Centrelink benefits here and often a widow will have many children to provide for. One of my students explained that when her father died the in-laws came and took everything they had, leaving them without even a house to sleep in. Apparently this is a common thing here in Kenya and it certainly makes life very difficult for the widows!

The Agape in Action Widows program started in 2010 to help out some of the especially needy widows in the ecclesia. Last Saturday we were invited to be a part of one of the widows meetings in which over 30 widows gathered together at Lela (the AinA orphanage here). 

We all introduced ourselves, had a bible talk by Des and shared a meal of soft drink and mondazis (a common meal when feeding a crowd for a special event). This widows meeting was to distribute blankets, maize seed and fertilizer to some of the widows and then a brand new 'very smart' dress or skirt/top and a pair of shoes to everyone. 

The duty of distributing these items was given to us the muzungus as to the widows we represent every person who has ever donated to the program. As the lid of the case of clothes was flung open, the room of docile, shabbily dressed, mostly elderly women suddenly erupted! Everyone got to their feet and started loudly singing, stomping and dancing, we would yell out the name of the widow (written on the clothes) and this would be met with a loud cry of 'ayyyeee ayyyyeee ayyyyyee ayyyyeeee!!!!!" as the lady would dance her way towards us and then fling her arms around in a massive hug, multiple handshakes and 'asante sana's (thankyou very much), they would instantly throw the clothes on over whatever they were wearing and continue to dance around the room. There was something about the whole experience that is hard to describe, the excitement and joy in the room was so contagious I found by the end of the distribution I was exhausted from the sheer adrenaline of the dancing, singing, clapping and cheering. 
Watching the widows leave dressed in their lovely new clothes, new shoes on their feet and with sacks of grain on their heads I realised how much of a difference this program makes in their lives, they left with a full stomach, having been encouraged by the bible talk, a new set of clothes and also means to provide food for their families. 


“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27





Click on this link to find out more and contribute http://www.agapeinaction.com/project_current.html#widows 

Genuine living below the line.

Live below the line is a campaign I have been involved in for a number of years- only spending $2 per day on food for 5 days to raise money and awareness for those living in poverty. However, now I have faces and names and characters and people I love to put next to the phrase 'those living in poverty'- pretty much all my students! I decided to conduct an experiment to see how I would survive on the local fare here in Kenya. For one week I committed to lining up with the students and only eating what is provided by the school- well below $2 per day worth!

Breakfast- cup of tea, 

Morning tea- cup of tea, 
Lunch- beans and maize, 
Supper- ugali and skuma (boiled kale) 
Except for Wednesdays in which morning tea also includes a mondazi (fried dough) and lunch is rice and beans and Sundays in which dinner includes a mondazi and rice- and a small piece of meat (which being vego I avoided anyway).

For those that aren't familiar with it, ugali is made from maize flour and water, its basically like a bland stodgy pudding bread, it is eaten with your bare hands and moulded to pinch up the skuma. It takes quite a bit of getting used to! Some students can afford to buy avocados, bananas, extra mondazis, peanuts etc but for those who don't have pocket money they simply cannot have these extras. 


Myself and Elise (who bravely took on the challenge as well!) decided to take the role of one of these 'poorest' students and not supplement our food. Western style foods and delicacies such as butter, chocolate, chips and biscuits are readily available in big supermarkets, however the majority of Kenyans simply cannot afford them, many can't even afford the basic fare that is provided at the school! We decided no extra snacks, added flavourings to our food, morning coffee or cuppas before bed...

So what did I learn after a week of eating like a student? 
I lost 2.3 kg over the week and I discovered that hunger is no fun. Its hard to be positive and energetic when you are hungry. Not having a proper breakfast makes it hard to concentrate and it is exhausting. Having the same food day in day out and no fresh fruit or veg is difficult to adapt to, picking out rotten bits of food, maggots and bugs from lunch is time-consuming and appetite reducing, watching others who have extra food and yummy snacks is a great cause of jealousy and it is easy to feel indignant.

We are currently working on setting up a breakfast program for the school- so we can provide a nutritious alternative to a cup of sugary tea for ALL the students. Fresh fruit, wholemeal bread, nutrition drink, eggs... For approximately $0.26 per student per day we can set this up. If you want to help these students then every cent really counts!! Go to www.agapeinaction.com/breakfast program to donate.

Sponsorship- can you help?

Coming from a family living in extreme poverty is something that most of us can simply not truly understand because we have never experienced it.

Talking to my students I have heard many heart wrenching stories about what their backgrounds and lives outside of school are like. 

One of my brightest students explained to me that his parents simply do not have any money or employment and it is a struggle to find enough food to eat, he and his siblings often go hungry. His family will not be able to get enough money for his school fees.

Another student I often notice for her helpfulness and cheerful nature- she frequently mops the staffroom and helps out with odd jobs, recently I sat with her and she told me about her background- her father has died, her mother is remarried and she never sees her, she moved in with her grandmother but then her grandmother died so now she is with an uncle and his 12 children- needless to say money is a problem and any funds go straight to trying to provide food for the family, as she is not one of their children she often misses out.

Another lad is an orphan who lives with his 79 year old grandma and has been walking 18 km to school until he ended up moving in at the school- however he hasn't paid any fees and is worried about if he will be able to stay.

Unfortunately schools cannot run on no money. Fees are around equivalent to $240 per year or $400 for boarders. Compared to Australian prices this seems like nothing for full board, tuition, uniform and food, however it is still out of reach for many Kenyans. With the school Administrator I have discussed the situations of the most needy students and have identified 13 students for whom paying fees is an impossibility and the only way they can continue at school is if they receive sponsorship. 

For just $40 per month you could provide the necessary funds for these students to stay at school. I personally know all these needy students and some are the the cleverest and most helpful in my classes! Providing funds for their education will potentially help them to gain employment and break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. 

If you are in a position to be able to help any of these students then please send me an email (tabithaverity@gmail.com) and I can link you up- they are super excited at the thought of maybe getting sponsorship and being able to stay at school and I can testify that their need is very real!!!

Some of the 13 students urgently needing sponsorship:

Language!

Swahili and English are the official languages in Kenya, however each area also speaks their local dialect or 'mother tongue' here in Kamukuywa it is Kibukusu. So for many of the people (including my students) English is their third language. Considering the Kenyan national curriculum is in English this can cause lots of difficulty for learning!

I have been trying to pick up a bit of Swahili while I am here- early on in my trip I greeted the entire group of boarders (almost 200 students) at night time bible study by starting my talk with 'habari za asubuhi' I had thought this was 'good evening' but the uproar of laughter that followed didn't bode well...as it turns out it actually means 'good morning' it took a good few minutes to quieten everybody down! Once over the initial embarrassment I too found this hilarious and joked about it with the kids for a few days after.

I decided to make a pact with my year 9 class that they teach me a new word of their choice every lesson, my efforts at pronunciation cause them to explode in laughter. The other day I proudly said to them all what I thought was 'I don't speak much Swahili' but the resultant hilarity made me turn to the class prefect and ask what was wrong... Apparently I had just said 'I don't speak Swahili lakes!'
My novice struggles at Swahili have really showed me first-hand how difficult language is. I have a great deal of respect for all those multilinguals out there!

Walking down the streets many people call out 'how are you!' (pronounced howar) the appropriate answer to this is 'fine' and every child will call it out multiple times until you answer. Often this may be the only English they know and if you try to extend into a conversation it goes nowhere. Even when asking the same question back to the children they struggle to respond, I then try in Swahili which will sometimes get a response but more likely I'll need to say it in Kibukusu to get an answer. 'Fine' seems to be the appropriate response to just about any greeting  'good morning' ' how's it going', even 'hello' are all responded to with 'fine!'

In the street  it is a common occurrence for randoms to get excited at seeing a muzungu and run up and before I have a chance to really register their presence they loudly declare to me 'I am fine!!!'  I still find this hilarious and can't help but think ' I am SO glad to hear that!'

Funny Englishisms are everywhere, especially on menus- the local hotel has a lovely list of beaverages, and in a nearby town there is a lovely selection of 'bittings' including 'chicken naggats'.

Another one of my favourites I found when I was reading through an English teachers guide from the library and came across some helpful tips on how to deal with commonly 'missplet' words!