Baadaye, Getamock

Jumamosi (Saturday) – 24/05/2014

For the last time ever, we made the trip from Getamock to Karatu (at least with just our backpacks). Hence, first we had to get to Endamarriek. Like most of the time, it was mister Ndetio who brought us on the pikipiki. This week, we really, really, really didn't want to miss the daladala (we never do, but still :p ). So we left extra early to make sure it wouldn't have left without us. When we arrived, there it was! We still had to wait for it to be full and then we could start on our way to Karatu.

Even though, it was our last weekend in Karatu, we didn't do things differently from usual. We went to drop of our stuff at the guesthouse and then.... To Happy Days! :) Since form 4 had examinations as well, there was no work left to do this time. The work would come on Monday from 11 am, when the students had to hand in their mathematics examinations, but right at that moment, there was nothing we needed to do, except relax. It felt nice. For the first time in weeks, we didn't have any pressuring work.

By the time the evening rolled around, we borrowed Happy's modem. We could access a new network and the internet was a lot faster. So we got an amazing idea. We watched Scheire en de Schepping. We laughed a lot and it felt nice to hear Dutch in another voice than our own. Unfortunately, one episode of Scheire en de Schepping takes exactly the amount of MB I had in my bundle for my phone. Therefore, when we wanted to look something up later, we were out of internet. That is good to know. :p

Jumapili (Sunday) – 25/05/2014

This time I was the first one to get in the shower and just like the week before there were two options: ice cold or excruciatingly hot. I went for option number two. If you don't stand right under the water, but just use the water to wash yourself, it's quite nice. It really was, until the heater stopped working and the water turned freezing cold again. So I just showered with the cold water. This is one of the few things, I'm not going to miss when I'm back in Belgium....

After Astrid had showered as well, we went to Happy Days. There we had to make a difficult decision. What were going to eat? Both of us were doubting between the pizza and the macaroni. So I took the macaroni, Astrid the pizza and we did fifty-fifty. After tasting them right next to each other, I've got to admit, I'm a fan of the macaroni. Don't get me wrong, I love the pizza, but that day the macaroni tasted better.

When lunch was over, we went to the market. On top of the usual, we bought a lot of potatoes. These were for Friday. Then we will hold a small goodbye party for all the teachers and their families. We're going to make Belgian chips for everyone! We had three very heavy boxes and when somebody saw me struggling to carry two of them, he spontaneously offered to help. When we got to the guesthouse, the guy handed us our third box and after thanking him profusely, we parted ways.

We picked up our backpacks and then we made our way to the busstand with the three very heavy boxes. Thankfully, mister One Eye's daladala was still there and there was still room enough for us, our bags and our boxes :)

Before making Belgian chips that night, we took a look at the pictures of the past couple of months together with Costa and Johnny. It resulted in a lot laughter, blushing and do-you-remember-whens. I'm going to miss those boys!

Jumatatu (Monday) – 26/05/2014

On Monday, the examinations started. All of them, even form 4, would start with mathematics. After that form 4 still had English and all the other civics. When the first examination was over, I already could start correcting. I think I was more nervous about the results than our students themselves. They had worked so hard the past couple of weeks and I really hoped it had made a difference.

In the afternoon both Astrid and I had to supervise in form 4. I would supervise form 4 A and she would supervise B. Ever since the mock examinations form 4 is split up in two groups and I've got to say, it is a lot easier to watch 25 students instead of 50. During the supervision I could already start correcting the first exams and the feeling I got was quite double. Yes, the students had scored a lot better on the topics that we revised, especially logarithms. Nevertheless, the questions that came from topics that weren't revised still led to a lot of problems. I already marked the exercises, but the mark for the entire examination was something I had decided to keep for the end.

Jumanne (Tuesday) – 27/05/2014

The next morning we had to supervise again, this time I had form 4 B. Again, I corrected some examinations while our students were working very hard. I really mean very hard. They were extremely concentrated and it was obvious: form 4 students are the ones that takes exams the most serious. This makes a lot sense, since they're also the ones that have national exams this year (together with form 2).

When we talk to our students about the examinations now, their response is entirely different from the one we got during the mid-term examinations. Then their answer to the question: “Who were your exams,” was almost always: “Nice.” Now they were honest and admitted when there had been difficulties. They trusted us now and that felt amazing.

Jumatano (Wednesday) – 28/05/2014

On Wednesday morning we spent some time washing clothes. This was a necessary activity, since we were running out of clean ones and after the holidays started we still had close to a week left.

When we were on our way to school for some chapatis, mister Mbwala invited us for dinner that night. We told him we already agreed to have dinner at Paulina's place and he said that it was no problem and that we could come over Thursday night :)

In the afternoon we had to supervise again. This time I was in form 1. I prefer supervising in the other years because form 1 has a lot of difficulties understanding English and they are still learning to express themselves coherently in English. Nevertheless, the supervision passed without any problems and after the exam, I was done with correcting the form 3 examinations of mathematics.

Right after supervising we had to make our way to Paulina's. We were supposed to be there at 5 already. Paulina and her sister Selina had made us fried bananas. Some were in the form of actual chips and others were whole bananas. They were a lot like chips, but then with banana taste. Right before we went back to our house, Paulina handed us something: a kanga! It was the perfect gift and I was extremely thankful for the dinner and the kanga :)

Alhamisi (Thursday) – 29/05/2014

On Thursday morning Paul handed me the examinations of form 2 to correct the last couple of exercises. Thus, when the teachers of the nursing department of Thomas More arrived at 10 I was in full on correction mode. We showed the teachers around the school grounds. Unfortunately, they could only stay for an hour. Before they left though, they gave each of us a Thomas More t-shirt and also aprons that my parents had given them.

Now that we had the aprons, we made our way to the kitchen and gave one to mama Regina and the other one to baba mpishi. They were ecstatic! They had been asking for aprons for a while and we were happy that we could give them those.

In the afternoon, I had to supervise form 2 B (they are split up as well) and during the examination I noticed Thomas, one of the students, had a little cloth around his foot and his foot was entirely swollen. I was happy he was one of the last ones to hand in his exam and I asked him right then and there if I could check his foot. He spoke very quietly but let me do so. When I took the cloth of, I saw the wounds on his foot were black. I immediately asked him if I could take him to the dispensary. I know some of the students are apprehensive about it and believe in the local medicines. Therefore, I was relieved when he told me I could.

I quickly made my way to Astrid, who was still supervising, to let her know I would be gone for a little while and to give her the key for the house. While doing so, I noticed one of the teachers walking around with a cane. He didn't hit any of the students, but that was only because they jumped out of the way in time.

I went looking for one of the teachers who has a pikipiki and asked him to take me and Thomas to the dispensary. When we arrived there one of the nurses asked whether I was the one who had tried to close the wounds. Close the wounds? Somebody had tried to smoulder them. They had put a cooking pot on the fire and then used the bottom of it to do so. Since this is very unhygienic the wounds were now infected. The black part of the wound was burned skin and the swelling was the infection. Thomas got an injection against tetanus and they cleaned out the open parts of the wounds. Some parts also had to be 'opened' again. I felt really sorry for him and I wished I could take some of his pain while they were doing so. I paid for the care they provided and the nurse told me, he would have to come back the next day for the wounds and that in exactly one month he would need to get a second injection against tetanus.

In the evening, right after I finished correcting the exams of form 2, we went over to mister Mbwala's place. Even though, he didn't want to tell us beforehand what he would be making, I was ecstatic with the menu for that night! :) He had made chips mayai. I had told Astrid the day before, that I really wanted to eat it once more before we left. These chips mayai were really fancy though. Next to chips and eggs, there were also vegetables. It was delicious! :)

Ijumaa (Friday) – 30/05/2014

On Friday, we didn't have to supervise. Most of our day would be spent cleaning potatoes, cutting potatoes and baking chips. We spent most of our morning cleaning potatoes. When our hands started to hurt (because we're wusses, just like all of you ;) ), we went to the school to eat some chapatis.

Upon arriving at the school grounds, we saw the form 4 students working. We had noticed in the morning that they were not wearing their school uniforms and now we knew why. They had to work. The student yelled: “Welcome, madam,” which meant they were telling we should come and check it out. I'm still not entirely sure what they were doing, but we helped them anyways. What I do know though, is that there was a lot of dust and our hands were dirty. We had to push beans around on a special table which had gaze over it. I think we were cleaning the beans, but I can't tell you for sure.

Right in between the two exams, I took Thomas back to the dispensary. There was a different nurse and she told me Thomas would have to come back every two days until the wounds had healed. Everything was covered by what I had paid the day before though, so that was good. I told Thomas several times that he HAD to go back to the dispensary and that he didn't have to pay for it.

In the afternoon, after the students' final exam, we handed out the examinations of civics and mathematics to form 3. Some of the students were ecstatic with their mark for mathematics and others, well, not so much. In the entire country, mathematics is thé subject on which most students fail. We asked all of the students to gather in front of the flag. The form 4 students were missing and I can remember clearly what happened when we saw them walking towards us slowly: I yell 'Haraka, haraka' (Hurry up!) and for the last time the students laugh at one of my attempts at Kiswahili and for the last time I look at their faces and cherish their beautiful smiles. I knew these were the last moments I would ever spent with them, so I enjoyed them with everything I had and left the sad part for later.

We followed our students to the play ground and took a couple more pictures, but then we had to go back home. It wouldn't be long before our goodbye party for the teachers was supposed to start. A couple of hours later it turned we could have spent a lot more time with our students still. The first teachers showed up two hours late and a couple didn't show up at all. We had fun though! :) Some of the students were invited as well, more specifically Costa, Issack, Johnny and Selina. They live with the teachers and it would be stupid if they still had to make dinner just for themselves. The head boy was staying with Issack for a couple of days and Thomas would be staying with mama and baba Leonie for a while. He is a nephew of mama Leonie and because of the injuries he has on his foot, he can't walk all the way home. Consequently, both of them were there as well. It was a nice surprise. :) The students were the ones who stayed the longest and they were playing drafts. I don't think they know how to count the points though :p

After they left, we packed the last of our stuff and then we went to sleep in Getamock for the very last time.....

To my students, I will never forget you. Not a single one of you. I might have been the teacher but you taught me more than you can ever imagine. Thank you for teaching me. I believe in you. Whatever your dreams are, fight for them. You're stronger than you think you are.

This is not 'kwaheri Getamock'. It's 'baadaye'.

xxx

Laura