Going Green

Since returning to Kemps in July, I have grown green fingers and begun planting a garden.  Teachers and pupils are astonished that I know how to use a hoe and that I would want to get my hands dirty if I didn't have to.  But they are excited to see things grow and the pupils particularly have started to help me plant seeds. Once or twice their enthusiasm to help resulted in the drowning of the seedlings - but they are learning! 

A small patch on one sunny side of my house, my garden currently includes, lettuce, eggplant, nyanya mshumaa, green pepper, mchiche (spinach), one zucchini plant and hopefully some green beans and peas if my seeds grow.  So far, I have harvested 6 eggplants, lettuce, one lovely looking pepper and many nyanya mshumaa (these are mini green eggplants - I don't know what they are called in English!).  Although a New Yorker who has never grown vegetables before, I must confess that there is nothing quite so satisfying as eating vegetables that you have grown yourself.

Nyanya mshumaa ready for harvesting.

Ma Esther, an older woman who helps around the house twice a week, has noticed my interest in gardening.  As we were watering some newly planted seeds Thursday, she announced that she thought I should dig up the patch of ground on the other side and the back of my house, and that she would help me plant beans and potatoes.  A very talkative woman, she then proceeded to tell me about past gardens at KEMPS by various teachers and many other related stories that got lost as I tried to understand her rapid Kiswahili.

Since I have begun planting, other teachers have also renewed their interest in gardening.  Sister Fraisca and I enjoying walking to examine each other's gardens, and she even has a lettuce plant of mine.  Teacher Joyce has also started a very large garden and is the source of my zucchini plant, and 3 tomato plants if the cuttings take root.  She even has strawberries.  Just thinking about them makes my mouth water!   Gardening has become a communal interest.

Along with the gardening have come some culinary adventures.  Sweet potato and onion quiche, fajitas with homemade tortillas, guacamole and mango salsa, lemon cake with lemon glaze, dahl and saag aloo, and pineapple upside down cake.  Yes, life in Tanzania is hard! 

Sitting down to a decadent meal of fajitas after a long afternoon walk.

A Year in Review

The second semester is now fully underway.  It has been wonderfully easy to return to the routine of life at KEMPS.  Teachers, students and matrons are all busy and I feel more a part of the community here than ever before.  Since returning from the United States for the June holiday, relationships with teachers and matrons have grown and blossomed, and living with the students is as engaging and busy as ever.  Not an evening goes by without knocks on my door as pupils ask "Please, Teacher, may I have a tennis (ball)?" or "May I have a rope?"  I have spent evenings jump roping with the kids, teaching Standard 7 girls how to make cakes, and evenings sitting on mats with teachers and matrons practicing my Kiswahili and enjoying the view of the Lake. 

In the classroom Standard 5 has been observing water samples from around Bukoba under the microscope and applying their knowledge of the carbon cycle to the current debate about global warming and the greenhouse effect. 

Standard 4 has moved on from one point perspective and is now learning about George Seurat and the patience required to do a drawing entirely in dots - I hope to get some of their work up as soon as they finish the project.

Standard 1 and 2 continue to be curious in French class.  We have been working on several simple phrases of which the most popular is "Je suis fatigé" because pupils get to stretch and do very exaggerated yawns.

It is unbelievable that a year has come and gone since I first arrived at KEMPS to be greeted by these seemingly shy children.  This past year has truly been a most challenging and rewarding experience, and I have the pupils and the staff at KEMPS to thank.  I am looking forward to my next year here.

Cityscapes

Standard 4 has been looking at one point perspective, vanishing points and horizon lines in Vocational Skills.  By drawing a vanishing point on their paper and adding squares that they made 3D going back to the vanishing point, they built cities that were completely in one point perspective.  After outlining their buildings and street, they added their own details, naming the buildings after stores and banks that they see around town - Fido Dido is the only western supermarket in town.

By Anita

By Debora

By Godson

By Jordan

By Augustino

Thanks to  www.mrsbrownart.com for help with this lesson.