The Hunger Season

Second installment.

It has come to my attention that it may be unclear as to what exactly I am doing here in Malawi. Welcome to the club. As far as I understand: I am working with an organization called H.E.L.P. Malawi which stands for Hope, Education, Love, Protect (feel free to pull over a trashcan and vomit at any point) which is working to build a model of a "sustainable" primary school (i.e. a school that can financially sustain itself through projects such as subsistence agriculture, marketing projects, and volun-tourism). They also recruit international "teachers" ("" is to say that I am not exactly qualified) to come and teach regular school and also supplemental classes which the organization deems necessary such as HIV/AIDS education, women's life skills and, alarmingly, sewing class.

My day begins foggily at around 4:30AM with roosters crying and children squawking. I lay in bed for half an hour, wrestle with my mosquito net for approx. 15min and then am up at 5:30 at which point I attempt to start the fire for breakfast. Due to bad charcoal (and incompetence, I'm afraid) it can take up to 6 tries to get the coals hot enough to cook the oats.

6:30AM Students clean the school. Sweeping the grounds, washing the bathrooms, mopping the floors, cleaning chalkboards. Imagine this in the U.S.

7:00AM Morning Assembly. The day begins with a rousing (read: absolutely pathetic) rendition of the Malawian national anthem made especially paltry by the fact that the students use the sun to tell them when to start heading to school and since its the rainy season the skies are sometimes overcast so students will show up basically whenever during the day.

7:30AM Class Begins. Usually. Sort of around this time. If the teachers haven't decided on an impromptu meeting or coffee break or who really knows what.

I am teaching Standard 7 which is likened to 7th grade though really it means nothing as I have 70 students with ages ranging from 10 to 21. The classroom is quite a different atmosphere than I am accustomed to or, really, comfortable with. When students answer a question they do it ONLY AFTER they have been called upon and stand next to their desk until I tell them they may be seated again. We have only 4 books for the entire class so we split into groups and everyone huddles around or any exercise or story to be read must be written on the chalkboard for everyone to read. If a student wishes to approach me for any reason (a question or a request to leave the classroom) they must do so on their knees. Its quite disconcerting to have 6 or 10 sixteen year olds crawling towards you on their knees thrusting papers into your hands to correct their grammar.

9:15-9:30AM First Break. During which time teachers disappear and students commence their favorite game called Beating on Each other.

After school hours are filled with domestic chores such as stomping on clothes in water (washing them), drawing water (trying to balance what feels like the liquid weight of the world on your head amidst a gaggle of giggling children demanding money), killing scorpions and/or snakes, and making peanutbutter.

This post, I'm afraid, is less than entertaining, but I'm feeling that it may be time to lower the standard. I am learning quite a lot about that - the term just ended and I am proud to announce that out of 70 students, 9 have passed their exams.

In other news the rainy season has begun which means the roads are nearly impassable so there is a great shortage of food and we have to resort to okra (warmed snot), dried okra (like eating chalk), and rice. And for others it is much worse. The Hunger Season.