Latest from Zambia

This is my family friend's blog again. This time, our pastor sent along the link to her blog: storeso-lets.html>

I am so used to a somewhat instantaneous, resourceful lifestyle. If I
want to learn about a subject all I have to do is jump on the internet,
go to the library or even a bookstore, then print off the website or
copy the pages and I can take them home with me. I am pretty used to
having the resources to find the information I want at my fingertips, so
it is a hard task for me to teach others without having a bounty of
resources and technological devices to gather and produce information.
Rox and I just completed our first full week of teaching after observing
the classrooms last week. It went rather well, although I am utterly
exhausted and didn't realize all the work that would come of teaching.
From our observations of the first week we realized how much time the
students spent copying down passages and homework exercises from one
textbook, because there weren't enough textbooks for everyone; even if
there were enough textbooks students are not allowed to take them home
in fear of them not returning. As our first task of teaching we decided
to make booklets of exercises for the students to take home so they
wouldn't have to spend time writing them down and could therefore focus
more on solving the problem rather than having the problem written and
in their possession. I believe in this solution, yet it takes a lot of
energy to make several handouts for each student everyday, nonetheless
create a lesson plan, homework exercises, and in-class exercises for the
students to work on. It has been a challenge for me not to be selfish
this week when I come home from a long day because I want nothing more
than to rest, but I know that I need to make worksheets for the students
for the next day. On top of this work we are faced with the challenge of
teaching concepts to students whose first language is not English. The
students have been able to understand our teachings for the most part,
yet there isn't a lot of feedback in English from them, but speaking
another language is definitely more challenging than listening to it and
understanding it. The students also range in academic levels and it's
been a challenge for us to know how to help each student. My way of
living has been challenged as now I can only address one issue at a
time, with the limited resources that there are. Instead of having the
now luxury of a computer and printer, or a copy machine, I simply have
to kick my selfish desires and work towards the goal I fully believe in:
to give these students the opportunity to learn and advance so they can
improve their quality of life and face the difficulties in Zambia.
Please continue to pray for our strength and humility as we fight our
selfish desires in order to put the needs of the students above our own.
God's Blessings, Amanda.

As Amanda and I experienced much of the same work these past two weeks,
I can echo that I'm exhausted at the end of this week. Neither of us is
trained in teaching whatsoever, we are in a different culture where the
structure of learning is different from what we experienced in the
United States, and there is a language barrier that challenges us to
break down material and explain it in a much more creative way than we
would with people who speak English as a first language. So we can't
just step in here and do what we know. Every detail of everyday has
something new and different that we've never experienced before. That
being said, I'm re-learning how to rely on God through all of this. At
home I can get used to new things pretty quickly and eventually think I
can do it pretty much on my own. But here, each day is new. There is no
other way but to take each day as it comes, and all I can do is ask God
to give me the patience, openness, and care to make that day count.

Just a few of the differences I have seen between school back in the
States and school here:

1. In the first two weeks, I've witnessed two classes that have
talked extensively about HIV/AIDS. In addition, we went to the HIV/AIDS
Club last week. It's an afterschool program that teaches the students
about HIV/AIDS and how to encourage their peers to avoid it. I have
heard of many different school clubs in theU.S. from art to French, but
never is there such a concern over HIV/AIDS.
2. The first day, Teacher Juliet noticed a boy in her class who was
burning up with a fever in the midst of nearly 50 other children in the
classroom. She forced him to go home. Never have I witnessed a teacher
in the U.S. have a classroom of 50 children and discover just one that
was sick, and never have I witnessed a child so sick who didn't say
anything to the teacher until he was discovered sick.
3. An entire unit for science was focused on contaminated water and
its effects for the 7 thgraders. Another unit for 5 thgraders is focused
on specific types of malnutrition that can be visibly seen everyday.
While students in the U.S. study the distant solar system and the
physics of a rollercoaster, students here study these everyday concerns
prevalent in their society.
4. The headmaster of the school, Teacher Ngoma, was talking to
Amanda and I the other day about our class. He said one of the girls,
Jane, was privileged because she's at the orphanage and they have books
there to enhance her learning over the other children in the class. Most
of them don't have books at home. I've never heard of a child in the
U.S. who has lost both parents and must live in an orphanage be
described as "privileged" over other children who live at home with
parents. That's just a sign of the concerns in Zambia but also the great
work being done through Hope Fellowship with the orphanage and school.

This is just a taste of what's been happening here. For these reasons, I
believe in this school and the work it is doing. I am inspired by the
teachers who do this day in and day out, and I'm exhausted after only a
week. Through it all, I'm learning about the perseverance and joy of the
people here. What we see as limited resources, they see as a blessing
and are grateful for what they have. They have a spirit that I hope to
continue learning from and adopt myself. Thanks for all the continued
support! Rox

Reed dance is "sexist, outdated"

The Zulu Reed Dance is a tradition, known as Umhlanga which is based on preparing girls and young women for maturity, sex and marriage. It takes place every year in September, when thousands of traditionally dressed virgins dance with reeds for the Zulu King Shaka. The sexist debate continues between the Young Communist League and the traditionalists of the culture. Africa’s Young Communist League spokesman Castro Ngobese, said the cultural practice in honor of the Zulu King Shaka makes women "chained prisoners of backwards traditions". The traditionalists say the annual ceremony gives dignity to participants.
Mr. Ngobese called on all young people to mark 2008's Heritage Day in protest against the reed dance practice saying that young girls were being unconsciously coerced to expose or display their genitals under the pretext of promoting outdated cultures. Arguing it was sexist, he explained: "It is extremely biased against the female child, whereas male children and teenagers are not subjected to such practices." The ruling African National Congress president Jacob Zuma, who attended the Zulu celebrations, commended King Zwelithini for reviving the culture which he sees as part of nation building.

The hard part about making a stop to this tradition, is that the Zulu Reed Dance has been a part of their culture for a very long time. As we know, its almost impossible to make a change to someone’s culture, viewing it as an outsider. Change to this celebration would have to take place from the surrounding community and King Shaka. What makes it right for young female girls to be dancing around displaying their genitals at such a young age, where they may not even understand what the concept of sex is? Don’t you think this is extremely biased against young females and their bodies? I find it interesting that only young girls participate in this tradition, as the young boys get to just sit back and watch. How can the King/government prevent rape from happening at these traditional ceremonies in the future?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7635543.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7635543.stm

Education: Irritating to us, Improvement for them

Everyday in America, kids whine and moan and complain as they trudge across campus in the class. Everyone has an excuse. "It's so nice outside, maybe I'll skip class to play on the quad." Or how about the ever popular, "Rain?! Nobody will be at class anyways, it's too wet and nasty to be outside."

It's unfortunate that we have this attitude, especially given the fact that we are privileged to have the opportunity to further our education. Many young people across the globe aren't able to get any education, let alone a degree from an institution of higher learning.

This is true in a variety of countries, including some parts of Sudan. Residents of the Nuba Mountains look upon the very idea of education as the path to a better, brighter future for their nation. Please read the article below and explain how, despite our freedom and ability to attend school we still have the audacity to breed negativity toward the notion of increasing our intelligence.

http://www.newsfromafrica.org/newsfromafrica/articles/art_11243.html

Cara B.

Another Blog

Hello All!

A family friend of mine is currently doing mission work in Zambia. She has a blog that she posts to periodically, and I thought it would be fun to read. She is 22 and graduated from college last year, so she is close to all of our ages and her experiences might be easy to relate to as she adjusts to life in Zambia. Below is her first post.

Muli shani (Hello)!

I have been here in Zambia for just over a week now. Even
though I have been here the same amount of time as before,
it already feels different. The Zambians and I know that I will
be here for a long time. So instead of the emotional high often
felt on short trips to places like this, I already feel at home here
and everyday is more and more normal. The first week was
filled with welcomes and adjustments, and now it is time to be
a real part of the community I will be working in.

The simplicity of life here has taken me already. Washing clothes
by hand, bathing by pouring a pitcher of manually heated water over
one's head, and not having such luxuries like high-speed internet
access and microwave cooked meals is humbling. Everything takes
more time here. It's not about how much you get done in a certain
amount of time. It's simply about doing what needs to get done
when you can, and focusing on the relationships around you in the
meantime.

Amanda and I sat in on the classes last week. They said we would
"observe," which really means to just get up and do it in Zambian
culture. The students have been a little bit shy, not really knowing
what to do with English-speaking msungu (white people). They are
getting used to us, though, as we are to them. They are excited and
curious, just a little timid. For now, Amanda and I will be working
with the seventh graders. There are about eight students in the
class, and they know enough English to understand us. Seventh
graders are required to take a written exam in November in order to
pass on to the next level, which is government school. If they fail, they
will repeat seventh grade again at the community school we are at. So
our goal is to help prepare them as much as possible these next couple
of months.

We are just getting into actual lesson plans with the students, and it has
been fun so far. It's nice to be able to play a game or bring some other
activity into the lesson to break the ice and build some relationships with
the students. They are very bright but a little bit behind, only because
they have not had access to a good education their entire lives. The
community school we are at was created specifically for children in the
village of Twapia who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend regular
government school. It is funded by a church organization here in Zambia,
but there are still limited resources, teachers, and space compared to
government schools. That being said, the students and teachers are doing
a wonderful job. Math and English are our main focus for these seventh
graders.

I'm beginning to realize how difficult it is to plan lessons for a class that
doesn't speak fluent English and has limited resources as someone who
has absolutely no training in teaching. However, I am encouraged by the
other teachers who teach everyday and hardly have education past seventh
grade themselves, and I realize the goals and expectations I might have
back in the U.S. cannot all be applied here. Life must be lived day by day,
and to teach these kids that they are valued in this world and can be
somebody someday is far more important than making sure they perfect
the multiplication table. Things here are different. I have never heard of
an HIV/AIDS Club back in the U.S., but there's one here at the school. In
the first few days I was at the school, there were two separate occassions
that HIV was discussed in depth. I never had an entire lesson about
contaminated water, waterborne illnesses, and purifying techniques in the
U.S., but here it's normal. I have also never witnessed a teacher discover a
7 year-old sick boy burning up in the midst of a class with 50 other children,
forcing him to go home. Usually in the U.S. a child immediately mentions
when he doesn't feel well to the teacher, and the teacher must persuade them
to see how they feel in a little bit before sending them hom. But these are all
valuable lessons for me. The head teacher said something pretty profound in
class the other day that really struck me. He told the students they must be
special because friends from far across the ocean came just to teach them,
even when there are many children in the U.S. who need help--but
we chose to come here, and that makes it clear that they are special. Those are
the lessons these students need to hear--not that they come from a poor
background and will live a stereotypical backward life in Africa.

I am excited to be a part of the church here too. The people are so
passionate about the time they gather on Sunday mornings. It
typically lasts from 10-2. The church is truly seeking the kingdom
here in Zambia by planting itself in one of the poorest villages in Ndola, building
a new orphanage and school, and basing it all on the unity of the church playing
its role. There is a lot of dancing and singing and general celebration everytime
it gathers. I know I will learn as much from the people here as they learn from
me, if not more. My host family is wonderful too. It has been nice to come back
and stay with them again. They take care of all of our needs and more, and it's
nice to be able to come home and discuss situations I came across that day. I
have learned a lot already just through conversations with my family.

AG: Don't Deport Genital Mutilation Victim

This article, tucked away in the Africa section of the World CNN website, appeared after the United States Attorney General stepped in on an immigration case. A twenty-eight-year-old Mali woman had been subjected to genital mutilation, a common practice among her tribe and others across Africa and Asia, but had been granted asylum in the United States. However, the woman had undergone surgery to repair the damage and U.S. immigration was ready to send her back to her native country on the basis that since she had already been abused in that manner it would not happen again.

Attorney General Mukasey argued in her favor saying there is no reason this horrendous act would not be committed against her again and in fact their have been cases of women suffering genital mutilation more than once in their life. The Mali woman says she still lives in fear for her own life and well being and that of any child she may have if she were to go back.

This case can raise a lot of human rights issues, as well as many women's rights issues. Women are being physically abused and very often die from a social practice with no concrete benefits. Hundreds of millions of women, young girls, and even newborn babies are subjected to this barbaric practice every year. Cases of genital mutilation are not uncommon in African and other Arab countries, but does that make it acceptable? I understand looking at these issues with a cultural reletivity perspective rather than comparing it to my own culture is important but just because a tradition has existed for so long does it mean that it should be ignored? Many organizations, including WHO, UNICEF, and even the United Nations have started to give more attention to the issue, but what is really being done for women's rights in developing nations?

Check it out:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/09/22/genital.mutiliation.immigrant/index.html

~ Sarah Mosberg

The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace

Ever since the ethnically-charged election last year, there has been extreme violence throughout Africa inflicted on its citizens.   Throughout the turmoil, the Catholic Church has remained a solid resource for guidance and protection.  This article makes it clear that they are a very influential place for the swaying of the governments wrongdoings.  They have a good reputation among all people of any religious affiliation around Africa.  So what the article mentions is that this would be a good place to start influencing the government to provide protection of the most innocent groups within the country.  

It mentions the churches throughout Africa to be great places not only for protection, but on peace education as well.  Certain diocese even provided food and clothing to these IDPs.  They aim to put an end to tribalism and a false perception of ethnicity.  I thought it was an interesting article, in that, these IDPs have a relief from the violence.  Although it is a crazy time throughout the country, there is a mini-safeguard from harm.  Isn't it sad that the only place some desperate people may go for relief is the church, because the government cannot provide adequate protection and aid?  Do you ever find yourself wishing our government did a little more for you?  I know I do, but this puts everything in perspective and made me realize that we don't have it anywhere near as bad as we could.  

Pregnant Kenyan Women Crave Stones?!?

Well, I was trying to find a serious news story in Africa, but then I came across this bizarre story, and I just had to post it. The article is about pregnant women in Kenya who are having the taste to eat “odowa,” or soft stones. Now, I have heard of some pretty weird things that pregnant women crave, but I have never heard of someone wanting non-food items.

A nutritionist that the article’s reporter consulted said that the stones are like “like eating flour,” and eating the stones can only be dangerous if the person does not consume enough water, otherwise they can suffer from severe constipation.

Apparently eating non-food items is very common in pregnant African women because the University of Nigeria did a study and they found that eating stones or soil was very common among pregnant women. Doctors say that craving stones or soil may be an indication of a “deficiency of vital minerals, like calcium.” Although there doesn’t seem to be any serious hard to eating stones, doctors still say pregnant women should stick to a balanced, healthy food diet.

So has anyone ever heard of this outside of Africa? This just seems so strange and interesting to me, so I was just wondering if it is only pregnant women in Africa or other place in the world too.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7596067.stm

Nigeria shuts TV over hoax report

A BBC article writes of four Nigerian journalists arrested for contributing a faux report regarding the health of the country's leader. The source of the report was the News Agency of Nigeria, which emailed the story to serveral media outlets. One of these outlets was Channels TV, who aired the report before it was discredited by the news agency.In response to the report, the Nigerian security service shut down Channels TV. Several news agencies came to the aid of the station, including the Commitee to Protect Journalists (link to the report is below). The suspension was lifted after three days and the detainees were freeed, but the were the journalists at fault for telling the truth? Why or why not? In terms of government reporting, what crosses the line between reportable and unreportable? The Commitee to Protect Journalists offers one opinion, what would the Nigerian government say in repsonse to the CPJ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7620729.stm

http://www.cpj.org/news/2008/africa/nigeria18sep08na.html

Aid Ban Lifted in Zimbabwe

The New York Times article is about a ban that has been recently lifted on aid groups in Zimbabwe.  The ban was originally imposed because the government claimed that some groups were backing the opposition during the election.  It is also believed that it was imposed to prevent aid workers from going to rural areas and witnessing the worst state-sponsored violence against the opposition.  Twenty metric tons of food donated from the United States was meant for schoolchildren, orphans, and elderly, but it ended up being handed out at a ruling political party rally.  Even though the ban was lifted, it is still having horrible effects.  What other alternatives are there to get food to these people? Do you think there is anything that other countries that donate food can do to help? Economists blame the government's policies.  How can the government be prevented from imposing these bans?

Also, the following video isn't specifically about Africa, but about developing countries in general.  I thought I would share it - it is an interesting way to look at the problems in these countries.

www.girleffect.org/#/splash/

Life in Somalia’s Pirate Town

BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7623329.stm

Hijackings and piracy off the coast of Somalia have been described as epidemic. Pirates seem to have everything under their control, including a safe town to lodge hostages and ties to governments. This problem is only increasing as pirates make more money, recruit more people and scare off more opponents. The article states that even the French government would not go to Eyl to rescue hostages. Another thing that surprises me is how many different country’s ships have been attacked. I wonder what, if anything, would provoke a serious reaction from foreign powers. It is scary the weapons and resources that these pirates have. I think the end of the article illustrates how awful these attacks could become. With pirates targeting oil tankers, a whole new set of potential consequences arises. Do you foresee pirates having the means to hijack an oil tanker? Can anything be done to prevent that from happening? What can be done to make sure that aid ships reach Somalia and aren’t hijacked? Would another method of transporting aid be safer?

P.S. On Tuesday, Stephen Colbert had Rick Reilly as a guest on The Colbert Report to talk about Nothing But Nets. Below is the link to the video.

http://www.nothingbutnets.net/blogs/rick-and-stephen-under-the-net.html

Cell phones promise fairer elections in Africa

This article addresses how African countries are hoping the increasing use of cell phones in Africa will help to progress toward creating a fairer environment when it comes to government elections. It goes on to say that cell phones have become helpful in putting a more immediate stop to some cheating and illegal activity that has been occurring throughout the elections. They also hope that this growth of communication technologies could lead to more improvements for Africa in the future. After reading the article, do you think this increase in cell phone usage is as powerful of a tool in improving their election system as some are suggesting? I tend to think that while cell phones may not necessarily have an enormous impact on the election system, hopefully it can lead to further communication advancements for African countries. Or do you think this technology use could have the potential to do more harm for the system than good? And are these types of communication technologies, such as cell phones and the Internet, imperative for Africa to make positive developments?

Cell phones promise fairer elections in Africa -  CNN.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/25/Cellphonedemocracy/index.html

A different kind of arranged marriage...

Citizens of the northern Nigerian state, Bauchi, are taking the battle against AIDs into their own hands. After reading the article, a few questions popped into my head. Even though participants can still say "yes" or "no" to a suitor, is this practice still fair? Yes, everyone has the chance to decide if they want to marry another participant, but who's to say they couldn't find a partner outside of those who have HIV (and then practice safe sex)?. Secondly, is this going to be a safe approach to stopping/slowing HIV for all involved? Lastly, UNAIDs is supporting the use of condoms. However, this area in Nigeria operates under Islamic law, and condom use is looked down upon. So, what happens when these couples (both having HIV) give birth to a child. Is there a good chance that the child will have HIV as well? If so, this may not be the best way to go about solving the HIV crisis in Nigeria.

BBC News
Nigeria Arranges HIV marriages
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7598308.stm

CFA 300: African Globalization

CFA 300: African Globalization
Blog Address: http://africanglobalization.blogspot.com/

Why are we doing this? African Globalization is a blog created to promote the exchange of ideas. Students don’t read and talk enough about class topics in class, much less outside of class. Free access to all kinds of content is available. We want to encourage you to read, share and comment about stories of interest to other students in class. Articles you read, post and comment about should deal with African Globalization issues—ranging from development topics, press/media issues to current opportunities for global growth. Look online for articles…think about what you may read or hear reported. Major newspapers are great sources for articles…try: The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Members of class will contribute to the site. We’ll run this like a typical blog—and the content will be open to anyone to read. Students will be responsible for acting as lead bloggers, discussion leaders, and respondents throughout the semester. The leaders will be responsible for getting the conversation started online and helping to lead discussions in class. Students will be graded both as a leader and as a participant.

Lead Bloggers (50%): Each week, two/three students will act as both lead bloggers and discussion leaders. “Lead blogger” students will start a discussion on a relevant topic and post a link to a relevant article. Students should serve as lead bloggers with a minimum of one entry during two separate weeks of the semester.

The lead bloggers must post their comments by noon on Monday. Class members will have until noon on the following Sunday to post their responses.

In-Class Discussion Leaders (10%): In class, the discussion leaders will be expected to contribute to discussions by sharing the gist of the blog postings for the week. Discussion leaders should be ready to talk about the postings in class on Wednesday. The comments should be a means to encourage classmate reading of the blog information.

Grading: Students will be graded based on the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of both their online and in-class contributions.
“A” performance will fully address the goal of the assignment—thoughtful comments, of merit to readers.
-Shows creativity and risk in topic selection
-Shows substantial depth, fullness and complexity of thought
-Demonstrates clear, focused, unified and coherent organization
-Is developed and detailed
-Shows a superior use of language…few grammatical, spelling or organizational errors.
“B” performance clearly addresses the goal of the assignment and explores the issues.
-Shows some creativity and risk in topic selection
-Shows some depth and complexity of thought
-Is effectively organized
-Is well developed
-Shows a strong use of language; few grammatical, spelling or organizational errors
“C” performance:
-Adequately addresses the goal of the assignment and explores the issues.
-Lacks creativity in topic selection and commentary

Blog Discussion Participants (40%): All class members are expected to participate fully in the online discussions. Students will be responsible for posting a response to comments made by either the lead bloggers or their classmates. The entry itself should discuss the issue at hand. Out of the 15 weeks of the semester, all students must participate in at least three discussions, (this is in addition to your times as a lead blogger). Participants will have until noon on Sunday to post their responses. Students will be graded on the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of their online postings. Keep in mind that doing the minimum (one response in 3 of 15 weeks) will earn you a “C” for minimum performance.

Important Note: This project is a discussion; your responses should actively engage the topic, the readings, and the other participants. As we record scores, we’ll ask myself if you’ve done this. Failure to do so will impact your grade (as either a leader or participant). This blog is a PUBLIC forum; people outside of this class will have access to this blog. Encourage your classmates to read the posts.