Katungu

Katungu

Friday 4 June 2010

We awoke early so we could leave Namwianga to reach Katungu in time for chapel at 7 a.m. Katungu is on the road to Kabanga, and once again, there is no road to Kabanga. I love this drive because of the scenery, but the road is covered with washboards due to all the heavy truck traffic. Last year's new construction was not done properly, so there are holes in the road large enough to hide an elephant. Ruhtt had to dip and dodge and even drive slowly, which is a challenge in and of itself.

When we arrived at Katungu, chapel was in session, and we were greeted warmly by Mr. Pirhi, the acting headmaster. He paraded us to the front of the church and introduced us after the last song. I was so happy to find two of the teachers I worked with last year still remaining. I was very anxious to see if any of the Animated Alphabet stuck, and if it was being used for the instruction of English sounds. There was a little confusion about who would partner with each teacher, but we finally got the details sorted out. Mary Beth went to 4th grade; Sherry went to 5th grade; and I visited the 3rd grade class. David's assignment was to roam and take pictures because he was not keen on teaching math and oral language games to children.

Each of us had a great day, but my day was incredible. I cannot imaging a more valuable experience for a teacher than to see her student truly learn the lesson and then, even teach it to someone else. Last year, I spent one week at Katungu teaching the primary teachers how to use the Animated Alphabet to teach English as a second language to their students. We all worked very hard, and I had no idea if this experiment would work. As an Instructional Coach, I am supposed to check back with the teachers who have worked with me to see how they are maintaining the changes they have made. To leave someone on their own for a whole year is taking a big risk. Here is what I found at Katungu. The 3rd grade students remembered some of the actions and sounds we learned together last year, even though the teacher they have now is new to the school. More importantly, when they talked to me in English, I could actually understand what they were saying. That is huge! But that is not the best part.

The teacher who taught Grade 3 and Grade 1 last year is now teaching preschool. She found me during the morning break and asked me to visit her class. You cannot imagine how thrilled I was to find the Animated Literacy instructor's manual on the front table in her classroom. She invited me to drill the children on the sounds and the actions. This is just the beginning of the second term, and these little children have had 3 months of instruction and then a month break before returning to school the first of May. These children did not miss a single action or a single sound! I was overcome with emotion and had to wipe tears of joy from my eyes. I felt so proud of that teacher, and I stuggled for words to make her understand what a powerful thing she had done. If I never get another chance to share an instructional practice, I can live the rest of my life thanking God for showing me the fruit of my labor at Katungu.

After morning break, Ruhtt and Oscar separated the "teens", Grades 7,8,9, into gender specific groups so David and Sherry could talk to them about sexual purity. Oscar translated for David when it was necessary. Ruhtt translated for Sherry -- that's good for a laugh. Ruhtt's English is so heavily accented with Peruvian Spanish that I have no idea how the locals understand her. Her translation consisted of stick figures, explicit language, and circles on the chalkboard as she explained that sex is meant for marriage. I listened through open windows to both David and Sherry, and I can report that they both did an excellent job with the lessons they presented.

After lunch break, some of the church members who had finished harvesting their maize, and the teachers who do not teach in the afternoon came to the church building to hear David present a lesson on the supremacy of God. Two women had prepared a special treat for us, and everyone got to drink chibwantu. David and Mary Beth thought it was okay; Sherry was not too sure; I had two cups of this drink that you chew.

The school day ended with the presentations of gifts to the teachers, but the excitement of the day was not over. We returned to Namwianga in time to witness the JETS competitions. I have no idea what that stands for, but it is some kind of science fair/academic jeopardy. Junior and Senior categories exist, and we saw the competition where 4 teams of competitors from 4 different schools were given oral questions on a variety of topics. Each team had 25 seconds to answer the question in order to earn points. Johnson Auditorium was filled with participants from each school who cheered for their respective teams. It wasn't quite as exciting as watching a Jayhawk basketball game, but it was easy to tell that winning really mattered to each school. Kalomo High School won the Senior category by a narrow margin. Sherry, Mary Beth and I sat side by side trying to answer the questions, and we decided that these are really smart kids because we were not successful every time. All togther we must not be smarter than a high school Zambian.

More fun remained for us, as Sue served a traditional meal for supper, and Richard made us eat it in the Zambian fashion sans cutlery. So, we learned to work the nshima with our hands and scoop the "relish", (what we know as collard greens), with the nshima before raising it to our lips. Locally grown chicken added to the feast, and we were all full and satisfied when the meal ended. Soon after dishes, the sponsor students poured in to sing with and for us. It was a precious time of praise and thanksgiving. In my opinion, the gift of singing God has given to these people is beyond description. You have to hear it to believe it, and you have to experience it and even participate in it to fully appreciate it. Even after chocolate cake, some of the students continued to sing, and when we came to the words, "I'm going to sing and never get tired", I thought to myself --- these people are already there.

The internet is not cooperating, so I am behind in posting the blog. I will keep trying, and hopefully be able to get caught up. So much happens each day that I cannot even share all my experiences, much less comment for three other people. So, thank you for reading when the stories get long. Thank you for praying for us, and for commenting and emailing. We are thrilled to have you on this adventure with us. ---- Martha

 

 

 

 

Ruhtt is playing volleyball with the kids from Katungu. 

 

 

 

This is the assembly hall at Katungu.  Each grade stands inside the designage half-circle.