The Value of Genuine Love and Support

Since arriving in Uganda I have slowly integrated into my community, not only at site, but also with my host family, Peace Corps Staff and fellow volunteers, and the other teachers. For the last three months I have been trying to figure out what Ugandans really value in their children. In America, this is easy to see; We display school pictures or pictures from vacations on the walls in our houses and offices at work, we hang perfect quizzes and tests on the fridge, we put trophies on the bookshelf, and we talk incessantly about how amazing and talented our children are compares to their peers in class or on the soccer field. We even give them feedback on all that they do to show them how much we care about them and how proud we are, no matter what their latest test score is or how many points they scored in last night's game. In America, we show our endless love and support through hugs, kisses, talking around the dinner table, and even showing interest in other activities. I often wonder if we smother our children in America. Presently, all little league players, soccer players, etc receive trophies at the end of the season so we tell our kids that they are ALL winners no matter what. When they lose, do they lose too much of their self esteem? Some do, I'm sure. We tell our kids they are going to be President one day or be the next Einstein. For some kids, this is true, but certainly not all of them. I'm all for supporting each and every child, but sometimes it gets to be too much. There's got to be some balance and honesty thrown into the mix. Regardless, my stay in Uganda hasn't shown me that parents or even the communities truly value and hold pride for their children at all.

In my Homestay house there were only pictures of my host mother all over the walls. At my school, there are no displays of student work anywhere. Instead, they are told they are not "smart"--in Uganda this usually means well dressed, but can sometimes refer to intelligence-- if their school uniform is not perfectly clean or their hair is not completely shaved. Instead of a teacher calling a name of pupil for help, they simply yell "YOU!", clap a few times, and demand the pupil to fetch whatever it is they desire. Sometimes this even includes making the pupil leave school to go get fruit or a chapati in the town. Worst of all, there are parents who, instead of buying enough food to feed their children during the week, save their money to go to the clubs over the weekends. So I wonder, what gives? A prime example from this week goes as follows:

In my quest to create a successful and fun D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything and Read) at my school, I have given a complete rundown in a staff meeting about what it may look like. I have motivated my fellow teachers to create activities with each of their classes, which has been exciting because they have actually all been on board with putting a lot of work into their ideas and the ideas of their pupils (hallelujah!). Some classes are presenting stories written by pupils, some are doing plays from local stories they've read, and my own P4 colleagues have come up with the idea to do a "beauty contest" in which all of the contestants must read well and answer a few questions. I was thrilled to hear my counterpart tell me of the class plans for DEAR Day, I had visions of a panel of pupils to judge and ask their own questions, the contestants would answer and the talent portion would allow for reading, singing, or even rapping. However, my heart sank when I watched a run through of the skit this week.  They take the word "beauty" very seriously here in Uganda (at least at my school) and so the teachers only chose the "most pretty girls" in class. This was only the beginning. Next, the teachers chose the pupils to be the judges and instructed them to ask the question "Why are you here today?" If the contestants did not answer exactly, "My name is ______. I am here today to participate in the beauty contest", then they were 1) laughed at, 2) told to sit down, and 3) given a score of zero. Not one of the contestants had a chance to memorize the prompt, so all received scores of zero and laughed at as they took their seats. My frustration during this practice was building by the second. I had to excuse myself. In retrospect, maybe I should have added my input right away; told them that each contestant can have a correct answer even if it's not the exact one provided by the teacher. That, as a P4 group, we need to stick together and support one another.

I have since made my thoughts known and shown a lesson that proved it really possible to give positive feedback, control a class of 60+ pupils, and still keep the respect of my kids. After my lesson there was a time for the teachers who came to observe (all but two showed up! another score) to ask me questions or state what they had observed during my lesson. I was ecstatic when a few commented on how I never "turned color" when pupils weren't participated or gave a wrong answer, and I didn't put down those same wrong answers. They also noticed the amount of wait time I gave after asking questions...none of which were yes or no questions, but instead WHY questions. And one more, they noticed that I kept the pupils engaged for an entire hour without making them write down a single note (their minds were blown). While I'm happy for their positive feedback, I had to wonder if I was trying to encourage too much change. I talked of why I did these things in the way I did, including acknowledging all answers, right or wrong. I talked about encouraging students to think outside the box when answering questions and working TOGETHER with pupils, not just throwing out demands or insults because it will only make pupils cower and hesitate to raise their hand to answer their questions in the future.

But, am I disturbing their way of life and teaching? In a way I am, but the Peace Corps goals have us exchange and promote a better understanding of Americans on Host Country Nationals (HCNs), and to help promote a better understanding of the host country on the part of Americans. In my heart I know I am doing what's best for these kids. They need an adult on their side to advocate for their needs, not only in school, but at home as well. They are why I am here, and they are the reason I don't feel completely useless at the end of some days here. We have a long road ahead of us to create a positive school environment for these kids, but I'm determined and happy that most of the teachers at my school are wanting to make this big change too. Here's to creating new beginnings and making the changes to empower the children at St. Gregory Primary School, and throughout Uganda as well. It's their time.