Happy Mata Day!

Today is Mata Day, not to be confused (by dint of the Ugandan accent) with Mother’s Day, which is what I initially thought!  Mata Day is a holiday to remember the martyrs killed when Christianity was first introduced into Uganda .  Many Ugandans make a pilgrimage to a church in Kampala which serves as a memorial for the martyrs.  Often they walk vast distances from their home cities to celebrate the holiday.  We passed many of these travelers throughout our few days in Kampala.  Today, we took the holiday to make our own trek across the country to Kasese.  

Two of us (Bri is taking the picture) with our drivers (L-R) Ben
and Edson, and our supervisor Enoch (and our car!).  Don't let
their faces fool you, these men are the sweetest, most caring
guides we could ask for-and we couldn't ask for better entertainment!

 We arrived in Kasese after six hours of driving plus two flat tires and several close calls with cows crossing over the road-when the road was drivable, by the way, which was about 75% of the time.  But we have made it and have begun to settle into our new home for summer!  The guest house is a spacious, airy, cement-floored structure with a walled-in yard-I will take you on a tour in just a bit.  We feel very safe, if a little unsettled after spending our last four days getting to know Kampala.  And get to know it we did, although, as Enoch said, we still have much to learn about Uganda. 

Kampala-Wednesday

In Kampala we were swept from one place to another to meet people and view important landmarks.  On Wednesday, we met Dr. Gillian of Makerere University.  A professor of education, Gillian was able to fill us in on the education system of Uganda-more on this to come…  We then visited the Uganda Museum to learn about the history and culture.  After a quick lunch back at the hostel, we toured a few of the important sites of Kampala.  We stopped at two beautiful churches, built on opposite hills from one another when tensions were high between the Catholic and Anglican churches.   In fact, the Anglican church we visited is the very one the pilgrims met at today to celebrate Mata Day!  We then had the opportunity to watch Ben use his not inconsiderable driving skills as he brought us through the center of Kampala to get to a market.  As we drove around looking for parking, we spent around 25 minutes trying to go two blocks-the traffic congestion is terrible, combined with pedestrians moving through in every direction and motorcycles weaving their way between and around the cars and people.  In Uganda, intersections are almost never controlled and speed limits are a suggestion at best.   We were thankful for our experienced and collected driver.  We ended our day by attending a performance of Ugandan dances at a nearby outdoor theatre.  It was really fantastic, and the charismatic host kept us laughing and even got us out of our seats to practice our own dance moves at the end! 

This is the Church!

Kampala-Thursday

After such a full day, we slept well and were ready to visit our first school on Thursday.  We arrived at Kampala Quality Primary School on Thursday morning.  After meeting the director and visiting several classes, we each went to a different class to spend some time observing.  I went to a grade three class in which the students were learning about weather.  Here comes the school discussion, so if you are in this for the events, you may wish to skip ahead. 

School Stuff

Uganda’s school system is reminiscent of what ours was a few decades ago.  The students are expected to sit and pass exams at the end of each year to determine whether they may pass to the next grade.  The packed curriculum is nation-wide, and the exams are based on exact definitions and details laid out in the curriculum.  For example, in the grade three (P 3 as it is known here, for “primary”) classroom which I visited, the students were learning about weather, specifically, the water cycle.  The teacher explained that they would be learning about the two processes of the water cycle: evaporation, and transpiration.  Throughout the next 20 minutes, he explained what each of these terms meant, finally finishing with two definitions which the students were expected to memorize.  Correct memorization is important because this will allow students to be most successful when sitting their exams at the end of the term. 

Now, while the system of Ugandan education does not sit well with me because, as Dr. Gillian said, it develops students who “need to be told” what to do, and not students who are skilled at transferring information and thinking critically, I was quite impressed with the teacher I was observing.  In a class with something like 60 students (I only counted the boys, but there were 32 of them, and the class had a close to even number of girls as well) he maintained an atmosphere of student involvement, calling on the excited students to share what they learned.  He also took the students outside to demonstrate the process of transpiration by tying a plastic bag around the branch of a tree.  He designated one student to check on the branch and tell the class what had happened later that day (water would condense on the inside of the bag, showing that plants expel water –transpiration).  When I spoke with him during break time I asked him about this, and he said he felt it was easier for students to remember what they learn when they see it.  We talked about the difference between understanding and memorizing, and he believed it was important for students to understand as it would help them to remember when they are sitting their exams. 

The teachers at KQPS are clearly skilled at managing overcrowded classrooms and curriculum.  After visiting the school and talking with Gillian, it seems that the education system in Uganda is struggling because of the high pressure of exams which test on so much material that it makes it difficult to take the time to teach a subject so that all students can really grasp it.  While many teachers are fighting valiantly with the resources they have, teachers are also paid poorly, and are required to have little education.  This is a combination which, as one teacher at the school put it to me, turns out “unmotivated” and undereducated teachers.  Our challenge, I think, will be in working with the teachers at Rwentutu Community School to develop lessons which engage students in active learning, finding ways to help students make meaningful connections and build a deep understanding of the topics they are to be tested on, while providing them with all of the necessary terms and definitions they will need to know for the exams.  This will be difficult as the curriculum is incredibly rigid and specific, and incredibly full, and exams determine whether a student will fail or be able to move on in school.  Whoo, no pressure! 

The teachers we have spoken with are so excited to have us here and learn from us.  It is incredibly humbling to be a new college graduate and know that I have something to offer these seasoned teachers-and also that they have plenty to offer back to me.  I am looking forward to starting work at Rwentutu Christian Community School on Monday!!

Back to the Schedule...

After school, we had lunch on the university campus.  As we munched our rice and beans, we noticed a man wearing a red shirt, and, sure enough, it had the Wisconsin W on it!  After hovering creepily for a bit, trying to decide whether we ought to say hello, I ventured to ask him whether he was actually from UW Madison.  Next thing we knew, we were invited to a party with a group of UW Madison Public Health and Physical Therapy students, just finishing up their work in Uganda!  We joined them for the evening and spent our last night in Kampala with our new friends, a wonderful reminder of home.  

Now, if you have made it this far, I will take you on a quick tour of our home!

A view of the house from our front yard.

A view of the front yard from our house-I like the porch J

Some views of our kitchen, including the stovetop on which we will boil water each evening for consumption the next day-much better than buying plastic water bottles like we did in Kampala.

  

The living room-there is Jessica and our new friend and guide to all things Kasese, Joy. 

There is Bri at the table also situated in the living area.  

This is our room!  My bed is all the way to the left.  There are few things in
this world more comforting to me than sleeping in mosquito netting. J