Things seem to be looking up here in Kampala. They've arrested three people for the bombings, and the city is working to regain some kind of normalcy. Unfortunately, there are still news stories every day about people who can't find their loved ones' bodies because the hospitals and morgues are so chaotic. One woman saw her dead husband's bloody face on the cover of a newspaper on Monday, and still cannot locate him. When I told some of my friends here that back home in the US we don't publish victims' faces in newspapers, they were surprised. Once they heard that woman's story, however, I think they understood why.
Teaching this week was exhausting to say the least. I was in three secondary schools, and one university. Yesterday I was at The Mengo Secondary School, which is one of the richest schools in the city. There are nearly 3500 students, and the classes are extremely crowded. I taught two classes there--S2 which is the equivalent of seventh grade, and S5 which is more like juniors and seniors--and the S2 class had over 120 students! When I walked into the room, I was overcome with the sheer energy of all those 12 and 13 year-olds. Though they were polite and respectful throughout the lesson, it was a huge challenge to simply keep up with them. I had to speak so loudly, move around constantly, and use gestures so over-the-top, I felt like I was putting on a Broadway show. Also, the classes are 80 minutes long, so it was especially difficult to keep them all engaged for that amount of time. Let's hope at least a few of them actually learned something.
I also got to teach at St. Janan, the first school I visited on my journey. Many of my acrobat friends are or were students there, and I already knew the director and head teacher, so it felt like coming home. Their classes are also large, but a little more manageable than those at Mengo. Since St. Janan is so poor, the students seemed much more excited to have a visitor. After my lesson with a group of S3s (eight-graders), one girl gave me a bracelet she had made and asked me when I could come back. I think I'm teaching there again next week, and I can't wait. I've even considered asking the director if I could teach an entire term next summer.
At Kampala University, I had the pleasure of working with Andreas Frowein, a German-born film maker turned teacher. Not only does he run the only film program in Uganda, but his methods are very progressive. Most of the instructors here--whether primary, secondary, or college--use stale, archaic modes of teaching. They either dictate from a book or simply lecture every day and then administer tests. The prevailing view here is that the student is supposed to be a passive recipient of knowledge, and the teacher is the almighty giver of that knowledge. Needless to say, this is not my style at all, so it's been tough for me to conform while still being myself. Andreas, however, has a very hands-on approach, requiring his students to work together on sophisticated projects. He focuses less on tests and more on the process and the product. The students typically make documentaries, since that's what Andreas specialized in before becoming a teacher, and they have a wonderful channel on Youtube if you're interested: www.youtube.com/kufilmclass. Many of his students struggle with writing, so we did some grammar and writing exercises and then they all critiqued each other. It was very productive, and I feel like I really helped them grow. I'm looking forward to my next visit, at which I'll be discussing "The Hero's Journey". Since Andreas's specialty is documentaries, he wanted me to talk to them a little about fiction writing for film. Once again, I'm not sure I'm qualified or prepared, but I'll certainly do my best.
Bonfire was also a real treat this week. It was Hip Hop night, so they had break dancers and MCs performing until midnight. Patrick did a rap in his native language about his tragic experiences in the North. He translated it after he was finished, and again, I cried. He has seen so many of his people slaughtered and mutilated front of their families, and it was inspiring to watch him so eloquently detail these attacks. Also, some people had composed raps about the bombings that occurred on Sunday.
This weekend, I'm to embark on my first natural adventure on the Nile River. Two days of kayaking, rafting, and hanging out at a backpacker's hostel should leave me pretty wiped out, but I can't wait to share my experience with all of you!
Much Love,
T
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