You Can Take the Girl Out of America, But You Can't Take America Out of the Girl

Or you can send one of the greatest symbols of America to Tanzania, rather.

Since my return to Tanzania, Stella Maris has hosted several groups of ROTC cadets who have come to Tanzania for three weeks through the Army’s CULP: Cultural Understanding and Language Program.  The last type of visitor I thought I would encounter at Stella Maris was an American solider (in training), but isn't that how life goes?

It has been a great couple of weeks with the different groups of cadets who have come.  During their stay, cadets spend one week in three different parts of the country.  One week they stay at the Tanzanian Military Academy (TMA) not too far from Mailisita.   During this week, they are paired with a soldier from the Tanzanian army and endure the same physical training that the local militia goes through.  From the stories the cadets have shared, TMA is absolutely no joke.  For the other two weeks, cadets volunteer, one week in Dar es Salaam and one week here in Mailisita.  

I 100% admit that my exposure to anything American army has been very limited until lately, but I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that the army had such a program to which young cadets throughout the country can apply.  Pretty narrow-mindedly, I only thought of the army entering countries for the purpose of war, not to expose kids to different cultures.  Way to go, Uncle Sam. 

My opinion of the army has definitely changed for the better because of my knowledge of this program.  And, my opinion of the army has also changed because of the great kids (well, they are still in college, so they are kids to me J) that I have had the chance to work with over the last few weeks.  We have some remarkable young people choosing to serve their country in the very near future. 

Originally, the plan for the CULP groups to stay at the hotel during their time in Mailisita and to travel each day to a high school nearby and volunteer there.  Unfortunately, the high school they were supposed to work with has turned out to not be the most organized and the ROTC kids were not really benefiting, or actually helping, during the time they would spend there each day.  For example, the high school they were scheduled to work with is actually on holiday right now, and so some days there were only six students who showed up for the eight cadets to work with.  So, after one of the earlier groups experienced this, the soldier overseeing all of the groups asked me one night at dinner if I could create a schedule for the cadets to work at Stella Maris for the remaining weeks.  

Of course, they can.  

It has been a lot of fun (and logistical planning J) to create a strong, sound schedule for 8 – 14 cadets which is beneficial both to the volunteers and our Stella Maris school kids (and teachers alike).  The cadets mainly have been teaching English and math to grades P2 – P6 during their stay.  I have been impressed with how they really jumped right into the role of being a teacher and owning the learning of their students.  One day, the pair of cadets that I assigned to work with P5 stayed in the P5 classroom from 8:40am to 12:20pm (when they were supposed to be done teaching at 10:30) because the kids were really struggling with fractions and they were not willing to move on until all kids understood the challenging concept.  The cadets also have been popping into their peers’ classrooms and helping out when other students have been struggling with a concept (like P3’s struggle with long division and P4’s struggle with solving for perimeter of squares and rectangles) to increase the amount of one-on-one support that students can receive.  In addition to classroom teaching, the cadets have been monumentally helpful in going through all of the donations we have received in the last two years and reorganizing the library as a result.  Earlier this week, the cadets spent all of their down time, organizing, grouping similar items, cleaning, etc, the library, which is has been completely ‘updated’ because of their assistance – something which would have taken me as an individual at least a month to do.  

This last group has been particularly special, though.  

Firstly, they have an awesome leader.  MasSar (as they call him – short for Master Sargent) has reminded me of many of the most important parts of being a successful, motivating, fair and kind leader in the week he has been at Stella Maris .  It has been awesome to simply watch him interact with his group, somewhat as an outsider, but as someone who has spent enough time with the group that I have learned a lot of the dynamics and such.  MasSar never proclaims he is the leader.  The cadets respect him because of how he operates, how he treats them and because has been all over the world with the army (he and his family have been living in Italy for the last two years, after spending six years in Germany).  MasSar also is completely ‘in’ with the group, meaning that he is a hands on leader: he eats with them, he comes to school and pitches in where he can, he laughs with them, jokes with them and they joke with him.  God sure sent me a great blessing in allowing me the chance to observe MasSar with his cadets this week.

In addition to MasSar (and not a bigger shocker, since leadership trickles down), this group of cadets has been an additional blessing in my life.  For the last week, they have welcomed me into their family with open arms.  We have eaten all of our meals together, learned about each other, joked together AND every night after dinner, played my most favorite game from college, MAFIA.  Mafia in Tanzania - who would have thought?!  Enjoying dinner, having great conversation and ending the night with a few games of Mafia this week has made this week so fun - definitely one of the highlights on my time so far.  

There is a cadet here who is studying to be a nurse who has a great balance of humor, leadership and drive.  People enjoy being around him because he has a great outlook and makes the most of all situations.  There is another cadet who is always seeking to help out, asking what else needs to be done when others are taking a (deserved) break.  There is yet another cadet who is hoping to become an army chaplain who a heart that is so sweet and kind and accepting that she reminds me of a younger version of my sainted godmother.  I could rave about each of them. 

In my work with younger generations, I have found that that they often have a harder time connecting with people and being in the 'present moment' because there has been technology and instantaneous everything for every moment they have been breathing.  These cadets, a group of college kids who did not know each other a week ago and who are from all over the country, have so greatly impressed me, an almost-out-of-my-twenties-old-fart, and defied all of the stereotypes of college kids who ‘don’t care’ or are ‘obsessed with technology’.  If you had told me before they arrived that I would have developed such a soft spot for this group of college kids in a week, I probably would have laughed out loud.  But, it is funny how you can feel connected to a group of people over a short period of time – when that group is full of dynamic, enthusiastic, kind, hard-working, funny and honest people.  I know I am better for having spent almost every waking hour with these cadets, and I hope that they, too, have benefited from their time at Stella Maris. 

Returning to Tanzania

I have been back in Tanzania for almost a week now (!!) and throughout this first week, many thoughts, reflections and emotions have (naturally) surfaced.  Struggling to capture it all, I decided to make my first post consist of two ‘top six lists’.

Top Six Things that Have Changed (in no particular order)

6. School Faces.  Not a shocker that faces have come and gone in two years. Madam Gonda, such a sweet lady and the first teacher who really welcomed me at the school, has retired.  Madam Jennifer, who joined the teaching staff just a few months before I left, is now married and a ‘veteran’ teacher.  And, there are two new males teachers on staff, Mr. Raymond and Mr. D.

5. Hotel faces.  Like with teacher faces, some people who I used to see everyday are not longer and new folks have been added.  The very kind Eunice has developed cancer and can no longer work.  L  The dining room staff has hired two new, young men, Lucas and Z.  Lucas is full of energy and a goof ball and Z is very reserved, polite and very helpful.  And, in addition to the Stella Maris staff family, Inno Mkubwa and his wife Glory now has his own young baby!

4. The school library.  While I was here last time, the oldest children and I worked hard on the library  to make it a special place. We made our own (OLD SCHOOL) ‘color’ coded filing system for each book in the library – by simply coloring small 1 in x 1 in squares of white paper six different colors based on the levl of difficulty of the book and taping those 'codes' on the spine of books  –  so that we could arrange them like a real library.  We numbered each puzzle within the library, and the corresponding pieces to each puzzle, so that they could be kept intact over time.  We sorted and stored the rest of the donations so that items were easy to access and so that we always knew how many we had of each item.  And, while I was here, the library was open twice a day EACH day, on a weekly schedule so that each grade got to visit twice per week, so that children could come a read, color, play with puzzles, PlayDough, etc.  It was my worry that when I left, the library would ‘shut down’ and the organization that we worked so hard to make happen would fall by the waste side.  I tried my best to seek the assistance of one of the younger teachers before I left to ‘run the library’ while I was away - but I learned from both the children and Teddy that the library is rarely opened, and I saw with my own eyes that the library has become more of a massive storage closet than a joyful place for children to visit.  This is not too surprising, though, as running or monitoring a library is beyond the ‘usual’ Tanzanian teacher responsibilities, so teachers would a) not be used to this additional task b) are less willing to understand the 'need' for the library to be open each day.  It was still disappointing to learn, nevertheless.  It is my personal mission while I am here this time to really buy Mama Shayo in the benefits of keeping the library open regularly so that it can continue when I head back to the States in August.  I’ll need any and all prayers on this matter. J

3. Stella Maris’s ‘run’ of the land in Mailisita.  Not only has the P7 classroom – the last classroom –  been built, making the school larger, but Stella Maris also has begun to rent the quite large ‘hotel/bar’  and accompanying outdoor space next door!  This acquisition means even more room for guests = more revenue = more resources available for the school and the children.  Today, Teddy and I went over to check on the progress of the repairs, and it was so cool to see the expansion of Stella Maris happening right before my eyes.  More to come about this later, too. 

2. Shamila.  My goddaughter who was just a mere 6 months when I left is now walking, talking and is gigantic – for a two year old!  Inno was so kind to bring her with him to the airport to pick me up, and although she had absolutely no clue who I was – understandably so, it was still so touching to see her in my first few minutes on Tanzanian soil.  She let me hold her while Inno loaded my bags in the car, sat in my lap for the entire ride from the airport to Stella Maris AND even fell asleep in my arms – suffice to say, my heart was overflowingly full. 

1. The children.  They are so big.  They are taller.  The boys look like young men and the girls are filling out into young women. They are becoming young adults.   Secondary school, here we come!

Top Six Things that Have Stayed the Same ( in no particular order)

6. Tanzanian time.  Today, I went to visit a scholar’s family and home (more coming soon about this visit), and I was told that I would be picked up at 5pm to go back to Stella Maris.  At 6pm, I was not yet worried, but figured I maybe should call to check in on things – but, since I have not yet set up my Tanzanian phone, I was out of luck.  Thankfully, at 6:27, Schola and Inno arrived with groceries from town.  J

5. Kili.  She , I like to call the mountain a she, is just as stunning as ever.  Although she has been hiding in the clouds recently, it has been so beautiful and calming to wake up to her for the few mornings she has been visible and watch her disappear as the sun sets.

4. Hearing Swahili around me.  I just love it!  It makes me want to learn more and more and more – while simultaneously making me feel like I know nothing at all. J

3. Mama Shayo and the teaching style.  She is still tough as nails.  She still scares all of the children and most adults.  She still is ‘saving’ donations so that if they ever stop coming – which they won’t- there will still be many things for the children to enjoy.  She still demands I take tea each morning.  She still calls me her daughter.  And, she still is open to this mzungu’s crazy, American ideas about teaching, the library, etc, which is saying quite a lot since the Tanzanian teaching style has not changed from 1950’s Catholic school approach to teaching in the two years since I have been here. 

2. Teddy.  Her smile, her laugh, her jokes.  She is still so sweet and so welcoming to all guests.  While her daughters are growing like weeds, she has lovingly taken in another child that did not have a home.  She is what makes Stella Maris come alive – what gives us the special ‘feel’ that cannot be beat. 

1. The children.  Their politeness, their graciousness, their work ethic, their appreciation of the smallest gesture, their sweet hearts, their resilience – all still 100% intact.

I found it almost poetic that both my lists naturally ended with the children, for they are why I am back and what makes this work worth it.