Darasa la Afya

Today was awesome. It was so exciting. Refreshing, invigorating and validating in ways I haven't felt here before. Oh yes: it was the first day of Sex Ed. at Gyetighi Primary School.

Bill and I have been entrusted with the task of educating the Standards 3 through 7 on the topic human growth & development. We got word of the news last Sunday when we returned from our time in Arusha. The first person we saw when we returned to RVCV was Teller. She coordinates everything involving volunteers from RVCV working at Gyetighi--our connection to her--and is the backbone of much of the progress that has taken place at that school. The woman is an asset to both institutions. Anyway, Teller brightened our week by telling us that while we were gone, our resumes were pulled up and looked at, that they made an impression, and that there were going to be changes in the volunteer schedules that play to our strengths: Bill going to be heading up the Roots & Shoots programme at Gyetighi, and I, like I said, am developing (under supervision) and teaching the Sexual Health Education.

We got word a few days ago on Friday of our new schedules. Lots of changes for some of us. Good ones, I think. Bill and I will clearly be very busy for the rest of our time here. There simply aren't enough hours in the day, but I don't mind it that way. I like not having time to sit around for multiple hours a day. Not here, at least, where there's so much to be done. Some other volunteers have been given some more responsibilities as well. Johnson, the newest long-term arrival, is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and will be implementing some of her related skills into a martial arts after-school activity plan of sorts. Additionally, she will also be leading a girls' dance club and working with Teller in Little Girl's Club, whenever that one starts. Johnson seems devoted to her responsibilities here and has a way with dealing with the kids that is refreshing.

Our Sex Ed classes started today and will take place on Mondays and Fridays. On Mondays, we have Standards 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B. On Fridays, Standards 5, 6 A&B, and 7. That's four periods on each of the days. We had very minimal planning for today's lessons because the weekend didn't grant us much time to get something together. Bill and I scoured the RVCV library in search of any literature on human reproduction to no avail. It wasn't so bad a situation, however, I think in all cases today, the class was a success. Human Sexuality being very much my thing, Bill let me take the lead for much of the lecturing, and in the afternoon, I had to field one period without him completely. The basic layout for each lecture was the same: I introduced myself, welcomed the students to Afya class, told them why I was there and what we were going to teach, gave them license to giggle from time to time, and asked them to begin the process by letting me know what they already knew, or "knew". I had a blast, all day. Our first period was one of the Standard 3 classes, where Bill and I learned of the common belief held by these children that babies live in their mother's stomaches, got there from her eating food, and bursts out of her stomach Alien-style when ready. We also learned about the kids' curiosities involving male nipples. The question popped up again in my second Standard 3 class. Standards 4 A & B were much more aware of the differences between male and female bodies, although there were some cute, misguided beliefs about some things (eg, women have wide hips because that's how God likes it).

I wonder if so many children believe that babies break out of their mothers' stomaches because of some unusually high rate of Cesarean births here, or if it's simply a matter of not knowing where the exit could possibly be.

To help us (greatly) with the language barrier Teller,  is having the RVCV nurse, Neema, translate for us in class. Even in one day, I saw what I believe is growth on her part. I think for the most part, the people at least in this area of Tanzania are very conservative about sexual education. In fact, I know it based on the fact that there has been no Sex Ed. anywhere to be found here. This morning, in our first class, Neema seemed somewhat uncomfortable with having to say to the children what I was presenting to the class, and a mix of discomfort with the topic and appreciation of the innocence in the students' responses. By the afternoon classes, she was encouraging with the students and no longer looked to me with that bit of panic in her eyes. It could have been that in the morning she was just nervous about working with me or something. I don't know. The important thing is the perceivable progress made in just a matter of periods in one school day.

....Yay!

These changes represent more than Bill and I expected to be doing while here, but closer to what we thought would be happening before arriving. Now that Teller and Penn have reworked the volunteer schedules, Bill and I (and we imagine at least a couple others) feel as though our strengths are actually being played to; that we're not just babysitters anymore. It's just a shame that it took almost two months for things to be coordinated in such a successful way. On top of Bill's charisma with almost every kid here, his experience with and vast knowledge regarding science makes him an asset to this place, and his involvement with implementing the Roots & Shoots programme is perfectly time (except for the fact that we only have three months left, which leaves us very few lesson periods before we leave).

On top of the awesome changes, Superman, a friend we made in Arusha showed up today. He is a doctor, a surgeon, actually, and will be training Nurse Neema to more adequately treat the Rift Valley, et. al. He will be here, doing that, for about a week. That is exciting. He is also just a really bloody cool person with whom Bill and I feel lucky to have crossed paths (we watched The Boondock Saints together in Arusha). Things are improving, which is a great state for things to be in. I mean, I actually had Ren & Stimpy's "Happy Happy, Joy Joy" song stuck in my head today during my shower after school.

Also, I got told I look like I'm losing weight, while we're on the I-feel-good train...

More later.