The End

On Saturday, we flew to Cape Town. On Sunday, we toured Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. Although it was my second time visiting the island, I was still moved by the horrific conditions of the prisoners and their resiliency. Our tour guide, Jama, said Robben Island was known as "the university" because it is where they learned from books and from others. Mandela wrote his autobiography--Long Walk to Freedom--while in prison. Up until 1978, the prisoners slept on mats. They got 2 mats and 5 blankets. In 1978, with the help of the International Red Cross, the prisoners received cots. In 1978, the prisoners went on a hunger strike to protest the food rations. They were divided into different groups that were identified by letter. Group D, for example, could write one letter per month and get one visitor per month. Group A could write four letters and get four visitors per month. One of the tour guides noted that the dog kennels for the dogs who worked with the guards on the island were bigger than the prisoners' cells. Prisoners worked in the rock quarry for 8 hours per day. Because of this, the dust did damage to their eyes.

The quote on one of the buses was thought provoking--The journey's never long when freedom is the destination. Jama said that the prisoners wanted Robben Island to be a place of hope and triumph. As I took the bus tour, I questioned how that hope and triumph happens. Certainly, Mandela's life speaks to that. But, what is the hope and triumph for South Africa? Former Model C Schools are still schools for white students. They are still better. The living conditions of most of our students was beyond impoverished. It makes me angry to know that there are such deplorable living conditions in a democratic country. What is the promise of democracy if it cannot ensure that everyone has access to a basic standard of living? Our visit to Kama Primary ended with a small group of students singing a song that, perhaps, captures the hope of South Africa. To see the students singing, click on: Kama Primary: Never Give Up

On Sunday evening, we had dinner at the State House in Cape Town with South African First Lady, Bongi Ngema-Zuma. Though we did not talk at any length about the economic and social problems of South Africa, she did mention them. She clearly understands what they are. Eating dinner with her stood in stark contrast to the lunches we shared with our students at Emafini, many of whom ate soup from the soup kitchen at school. On Tuesday, we flew home. It was bittersweet. Yes, we wanted to come home, but we also found ourselves tied to South Africa. It is a country that draws one in and makes one want to stay awhile.

Prefect Training

This week I have been doing prefect training for the class leaders. Chris Blake has helped tremendously...including finding a digital projector at the school (which was hidden away in the school's safe and, apparently, not used much). We were told that we would have 14 prefects (2 for each seventh grade class). We have ended up with 27. Mr. January joked that some of them were self appointed class leaders. I think that some of them were just interested in what we are doing. Our training has centered on the characteristics of good leaders, goal setting, and decision-making. Tomorrow I am going to have them choose a class project for the year and then design a plan to implement that project. Today we also attended a ceremony sponsored by the GM Foundation for teachers and schools involved in their Teacher Learner Care Program. Four of our teachers from Emafini won awards at the program.

This past Thursday, we took a break from school and visited Grey Junior, Kama Primary, and the Ubomi Obutsha Center--this is a center that offers youth programs and has a preschool for kids that range in age from 2-6. The Grey website is located at http://www.greyjunior.co.za/

They are a public school, but their students pay school fees. It's an all boys school that goes up to grade 7. The difference between Grey and Emafini is striking. The headmaster, Mr. Pearson, talked very openly and honestly about the differences in his school and a school like Emafini. The empty classroom in the photo above is part of a new addition to the building.

At Kama, we met with principal  Olafante. She says that she is going to retire next year. If she does, her leadership will be missed. She has been working steadily to get new computers, desks, and chairs for her  students.

Game Time

Our students are busy teaching while the Emafini teachers grade exams. Students are typically in classes from 8:00-11:15. Then, they all break for lunch at 11:15. Some classes go out for recess prior to lunch. We then have classes from 12-1 (prior to exams, classes lasted until 2:00 pm). In this hour after lunch, our UNCW interns have started doing review/enrichment games with the students. This actually has helped their English language skills. Attached is a video of Maria Johnson and Gareth Hoernel leading their 2nd graders in the Hokey Pokey. They are trying to help them differentiate between right and left. As you will see....they still have a ways to go:-)

Teaching, teaching, teaching

Lindsey Deans does a game with her 3rd grade students.

Mary Fincannon passes out name cards to her 4th grade students.

Emily Farmer explains a concept to her 3rd grade students.

Ashley Flynn assists her 4th grade students.

This week is our first post-exam week. Some of the students did not come to school today and Mr. January says that others will not come next week because they think school is over after exams. This meant that the interns had smaller classes today (e.g. 30 instead of 40). The team teaching is going well since most students are still learning English. Our interns are learning how to explain and demonstrate in multiple ways so that the students understand what is being asked of them. Today Chris Blake and I met with representatives from the Calabash Trust. They do work with 10 schools in Port Elizabeth (Emafini is one of those schools). We discussed ways that we might be able to collaborate, particularly as it relates to my research on public education in democratic nations.

Addo National Elephant Park

 

Yesterday we spent the day at Addo National Elephant Park. We saw four of the Big Five. The Big Five are the five animals that hunters say are the hardest to hunt on foot. These include lions, rhino, buffalo, leopards, and elephants. We did not see any leopard because our guide said they stay in the mountains and they avoid human contact because they have been hunted so much. Our guide was Mike and he was fantastic! Going to Addo always reminds me of how beautiful South Africa is...the landscape is breathtaking. Perhaps it is this contrast in the beauty of the landscape and the destitution of townships that represents the ultimate contradiction in South Africa.

Update

A lot has happened since my last post. On Friday, we visited with the District Director of Education for Port Elizabeth, Dr. Ntsiko. He actually has a master's degree from Ohio State University. He welcomed us to Port Elizabeth and praised Mr. January and the teachers at Emafini. We then went to visit an ex Model C school. These were the schools that were only for white children during apartheid. Today, they are still typically the schools with greater resources whose families can afford the tuition. They are still overwhelmingly comprised of white children and the few children of color who attend come from families who can afford to send them there. After we visited the former Model C school, we went to visit some of the homes where the children from Emafini live. Their housing is inadequate, often they only have two or three rooms for the entire family. Many families pay for electricity that is illegally wired. So there is a constant threat of electrical fires. Despite their extremely impoverished circumstances, the families welcomed us into their homes.

We left the homes visits and went to Red Location Museum, a museum that tells stories of apartheid and resistance (http://www.freewebs.com/redlocationmuseum/). There, we learned about the Langa Massacre (http://nelsonmandelabay.gov.za/Content.aspx?objID=498), the murder of 20 people who were protesting apartheid on March 21, 1985. Using photo exhibits, audio, and text, the museum captures the pain and resilience of those who fought to dismantle apartheid. In so many ways, the location of the museum illustrates the contradiction of South Africa. The museum is beautifully constructed yet sits in the middle of a township marked by abject poverty. This is the reality of South Africa. After we visited Red Location museum, we had a few hours to rest and then Mr. January and some of the teachers from Emafini picked us up to go to a barbecue at Mr. January's house. It was amazing. They grilled lamb chops and chicken, made potato salad and a bean and rice dish. They played South African music and we all danced! At the end Mr. January gave a speech and asked me to say a few words. I thanked them for embracing us and making us feel at home. The Xhosa people have a collective warmth that is beautiful and incredibly welcoming. Even though we are so different in many ways, they are taking such good care of us!