Ilpo's Mwanza update

Less than 2 weeks remaining! Omg, time flies! There's still so much to do and so much to see! I guess we just have to make best out of every single day here and that is what we have been trying to do.
This week we visited 2 schools. On Tuesday and Wednesday we went to Mirongo and spent 2 quality days there. We attended classes, got to see their special education unit, had great conversations with the representatives of the administration, the teachers and the students. Kaisa and Ira again demonstrated some new teaching methods and again they were widely appreciated. Jasmine and me also got to attend a social skills class, which was quite an experience. The methods used in that class will definitely be something we will take home with us.
At the end of the second day we had a meeting with the teachers and got to exchange ideas about both teaching and councelling. We also left behind some ideas and suggestions and things that the teachers at Mirongo can talk and see if they want to use them in the future.
The people at Mirongo treated us really well, we were overwhelmed by the amount of their hospitality and their friendship. Mirongo is a new school in this project, but a really great addition. Personally, I was especially impressed by the special education unit, they do a lot of things that all teachers everywhere could learn from.
On Thursday and Friday we took a 50-minute drive to Sahwa school. Sahwa had a partner school at Tampere even before the Tampere-Mwanza -project in schools started, there were drawings on the wall from 2003, sent from Tampere.
Sahwa has been involved in this project before and it shows. You could easily tell that by for example some of the teaching methods that were used (including groupwork) and also the way that councelling was already being run in the school. Sahwa's location provides the school it's own challenges - but also some strenghts. We tried to build on the strengths and suggest some ideas on how to deal with the challenges.
Sahwa is very proud on being involved in this project - as they should be. They are are already doing a very good job, but they are also open to new ideas and that is how they really made us feel welcome. And it is not only about teaching and councelling, the school wants to develop the education and the environment together so they also put in a lot of work in environmental activities, especially composting.
We hope that the school can spread the word about the importance of a good education to the entire community just as they are spreading the word about the environmental issues.
Now it is weekend here and we have been invited to a local wedding! That will be another great experience. But again, every day seems go be full of great experiences here.

Text: Ilpo Rantanen

Thoughts and learning points

- I have learned so much just by observing these teachers in action. Too rarely we have that chance in Finland. Always in a hurry - or so goes my excuse (which is one other thing I have learned a thing or two about from these peolpe and this lifestyle..) Colleques are great teachers for teachers and learning while sitting seemingly passive in the back of the class instead of being on the lead your self is priceless! As an example of this, here is a pic of Mr Timothy and the pre schoolers practising vocals and numbers 1-3. There was nothing I could add (as teaching by doing/playing and student participation, using nature materials, body, movements ans singing), the way he was teaching was already all of those things. I wish I had seen this before i began to teach those same things to my own first graders!

- We got a chance to join the student parlament meeting. The participants are voted democratiaclly by their fellow students. In Finland we have a similar thing, our student committee, but this was taken many steps further! They have the prime minister, minister of defence, enviroment minister etc. The students can turn to these representatives if they have a problem, or an improvement in mind. The ministers had prepared notes from which they addressed the parlament on important issues, such as safety of the road to school (the minister of defence answared that one), more trees (minister of environment), safe drinking water for students, school library, student seaving school too early etc. Everyone spoke respectively and we got a feeling, that this is truly student's voice and active participation to their own life at school. Hope we can take this to Tampere and develope our students committee to this direction. Meanwhile they learn important ways of democratic influence making and giving speeches.

- The teachers in all schools we have visited, are willing to develop their teaching, open to new ideas and methods. I must confess, that sometimes I feel my concience pointing out, that I too have become too accustomed to my own ways and the practices I've always known and easily find my self resisting change before first trying to thing it through "from clear table".. It has been quite often in here, that I have found myself wondering my own habits and narrow paths of thinking. Here, I am forced to think again, with the lack of supplys (so plenty in Finland) and big class sizes up to 140 students (I have considered my 26 students a huge class, barely handlable!) and I must say it is a healthy thing, forcing me to learn things I never expected to learn. Attitudewice, methodwice etc... Hope I'll be able to give these people even a fracture of what I myself am getting from this experience!

 Text and pictures: Ira Sipponen

Interviewing young counselors in Igoma School

Interview of young counselors and young counselors asking the same questions from their class (6th grade) in Igoma school

Combination of answers:

What do you like best in school?                          

Learning to read, environment, studying, sports, math, english, teachers, becoming smart, being good at something, science, gaining profession

Why is studying important?

Key to good life, learn so much (some answers), hear stories, knowledge and skills (several), learn to think, meet friends, better future (several), get to know my talents, can escape bad things, express myself, know what’s right or wrong, remove ignorance, help having a family some day, reading and writing, to help my parents, get a job, help the poor, develop my country, new information, learn to respect others (several)

What are you good at?

Sports, studying, class work, singing, math, drawing, discipline, being smart, reading, respecting others, keeping environment green, being present, taking care of equipment, history, english, replying, cleanliness

Things you could do better at?

Sports, being first in class, math, drawing, geography, science, english, history 

Do you know how you could improve at those things?

Talk with friends, study hard, ask teachers

Which one of you doesn’t know what to do to improve?

Only a couple

Do your parents value the education?

Some do, some don’t. We also hear a story of one younger sister who couldn’t attend school because of father who didn’t care about education. Telling this story made her big sister cry.

How could the school be improved?

Start a library, IT- more computers, more sports, more teachers, more desks, basketball, food, more sport equipment, more books, water

Young councillors in Igoma School

Dream jobs?

Doctor (many!!!), lawyer (several), pilot (several), soldier (some), president (some), driver, teacher, councellor, vetenarian, reporter, policeman, professor, the Pope, engineer, historian, scientist, priest, mechanic, politician, businesswoman

Has anyone asked you this question before?

Teacher, mom, dad, grandparents, sisters, cousins, friends, a stranger on the street  

Who do you turn to in case you have problems?

Family (several), friends, counselor, teacher

Why is it difficult to talk about your problems?

Fearing the teacher, shame, if friends spread the rumours, lack of trust

Do you know the rules of the school?

Wearing the school uniform, not leaving the school area, not fighting, respecting adults, no eating in the classroom, being on time, only using swahili or english, no relationships, no foul language

What kind of punishments are there at the school?

Physical punishments, suspension, work

Which one do you prefer?

Physical punishments (several)

At this point we introduced other forms of punishment that we use in Finland. The majority preferred detention

Are you following the rules better after the punishment?

Short term- yes, long term - no

Do you know why it is important to have rules?

Yes

Do you know what punisment follows from certain violation?

No

 

After this we allowed students to ask questions from us. One of the question was that do we invite the students to Finland. We replied, ”If you study hard and work hard, you will find the way”.   

Text and photo by Jasmine Mustonen & Ilpo Rantanen

Happy Easter from Mwanza!

Yes, we do have a working internet connection in our own use now, so there are no more excuses. After today, we will update this blog regularly. Promise.

The only remaining problem is that we get to experience so much here every day, and we would love to share everything with you, that instead of a blog update we would love to write a book about each day. We have so many photos, so many notes, so many thoughts and memories already.

About this week:

On Monday we visited the 3 schools we hadn't visited yet. All those schools, Mirongo, Mabatini and Iseni, are newcomers in the project. We were warmly welcomed by the children everywhere we went and at times the students got so enthusiastic in the welcome ceremonies and handing out the presents that we had to skip a part of the ceremony before things got dangerous for the kids.

On Tuesday we had our first seminar day here. Over 50 people showed up, which was good because we were able to share ideas together and listen to the representatives of each school evaluate the current situation in their schools. The representavives of the project steering team were also present and the teachers from Mutimba teacher's college did a great job as translators in the groupwork stage. The group discussions were run in mixed groups and the groups completed a list of the things that they would like to see being improved. After presenting the results we had the people from each school get back together, discuss the main things that and choose 5 + 5 things from the lists - things that the schools want us to work on while we are here, and also in the future. Five things about teaching methods and techniques and 5 about guidance, councelling and student support.

On Wednesday we started our work at the lovely school of Igoma. We spent 2 days there attending classes, meeting students + staff and disussing the current situation in the school and their experiences with this project so far. The teachers, Ira and Kaisa, also demonstrated some teaching methods and gave some new ideas on how to teach students in large groups while also paying special attention to the children who have learning problems. Ira even had the teachers play bingo at our meeting as a demonstration of learning by playing -method and to show how a little game can also improve the focus and overall atmosphere in class even after a long day.

Ira and Kaisa introduced some methods they would like the teachers to consider in the future. They also included using students as assistant teachers, which they also demonstrated in a math groupwork. Jasmine and Ilpo came up with suggestions of their own, things they would like to see being improved or at least considered in the school. One of the main things was starting a school library, which a lot of students hoped to get. When we go back to Igoma in 2,5 weeks, we are planning to have a bunch of books with us and donate them to the representatives of the students.

We also learned a lot during those 2 days. For example, Igoma has done a great job involving the students in the decision-making and problem-solving processes inside the school. That is definitely something we are going to introduce in our schools when we get back.

After 2 wonderful days in Igoma we have had 3 days off. We have used those days getting to know the city better, and we like it more and more every day. We have also had valuable time to digest our experiences from week 1 and be fully prepared for what is to follow. Next week we'll go to the schools of Mirongo and Sahwa and will again spend 2 days in each school. We are already looking forward to it!

Text and photos by Ira sipponen & Ilpo Rantanen

Greetings from Serengeti, everyone!

We can't believe it has only been 3 days since we departed from Tampere, we have experienced so much already.
We got here on Thursday morning, settled down in a really nice house, got to meet the city director straight away and spend the first full day here visiting the lovely, friendly and absolutely beautiful schools of Igoma and Sahwa. Both schools are experienced partners of the project already, so we wanted to visit them first and be able to see the things that they have accomplished.
Now we are here in Serengeti, had a true adventure today driving around on  a safari and after that we have spent the evening planning next week's seminar and our visits to the 5 schools we are going to work with here.
We still don't have an internet connection in our own use, so we have not been able to update the blog as much as we would have liked to. We hope to get this changed soon, hopefully by next week.
In short: It's been an intense 3 days, we have been busy but we are overwhelmed with the hospitality of our hosts and looking forward to the rest of our stay here. 

Text and picture: Ilpo Rantanen

(n.b. The Serengeti trip is a self-paid weekend activity for the teachers and is not part of the project activities)