Conversations with Barnabas #4

Welcome back to Conversations with Barnabas Bear. A couple of items up front, the conversation is fictional (hopefully that was obvious) but are pulled from some of my conversations and observations during my time here in Tanzania.  The main purpose of these is to help everyone get to know the people in Tanzania a little bit better while having a little bit of fun.  I would love some feedback on these so I know if I should continue and if so what types of conversations Barnabas needs to be having.  The stories are told from Barnaba’s point of view and because of that they are in English though I try to reflect some of the problems with the English translation.

This time we are talking with (from right to left):  Jeremiah, Abraham, John and Maria.  Abraham and John are both Form 1 in Secondary school though they are old enough to be in Form 3 but were not able to attend back when they had to pay the school fees.  Jeremiah is moving up to in Standard 4 and Maria is in Standard 1 in Primary school.   They are from the same family  and were hanging out at the bridge one afternoon as Dad and I were walking.

After our initial introductions for the ones we had not meet yet I ended up sitting in Maria's lap as she played with the items in my backpack (for those that don't know I actually have a small Bible that features one verse from every book of the Bible and a rain poncho inside my backpack).  I had met Jeremiah and Maria before.  In fact it took most of last year while Maria was at our Pre-school to get her not to run away when I tried to talk to her.

B:  "So Abraham how are you and John doing in Secondary school?"

A: "Not well, we are struggling since the teachers use some English and some Swahili, but we really don't know any English yet.  I have fallen behind in Math and Science.  I got less than 10% on my exams last week.  But only about 5% of Form 1 passed this year.  There are a lot of us who were out of school for at least a year."

J:  "It is so boring, they just keep writing on the blackboard.  I don't understand the science experiments they talk about.  Wish we would just do some of them."

B:  "Why don't they?"

A:  "We are a poor school district.  We don't have any electricity because it is not available but also most of the families held back their kids when they had to pay school fees even when we had money to pay it because they did not see a lot of reason to pay for it.  So we can barely even see what is on the blackboard they are in such bad shape.  Only the teacher's have books to use."  

B:  "That does sound boring, no interactive learning about your subjects.  How about you Jeremiah?"

Jere:  "Boring as well except when we work on the teacher's  garden or fetch water for them."

A:  "Jeremiah spends more type getting beaten than he does studying."

B:  "By the other kids, you are being bullied?"

Jere:  "No the teachers.  I get whipped with a stick about twice a month.  Typically for falling asleep in class, but it is hot and like I said it is boring when they just talk."

B:  "Have all of you been whipped by a teacher?"

A:  "The boys all have been,  typically they only hit the younger kids like Maria once with a switch."

Fortunately Dad was off talking with their parents right now.  He seems to enjoy hitting adults that hit kids, not sure how he would feel about this.

B:  "Does this really help any with discipline?"

A:  "I can't see it.  You get switched at home, you get switched at school.  It is just going to happen.  Might as well have it happen for something worth it instead of just falling asleep."

He elbowed his  younger brother.

M:  "Barnabas, can we talk about something else?"

B:  "What would you like to talk about Maria?"

M:  "The fact we get a month off of school.  I am going to help mother fix food everyday since all the boys will be with dad in the field.  Fortunately she does not have to go out there all day like a lot of the moms so we will be able to stay around the house.  Though I got to do the cattle everyday.  You can come by and we can play"

B:  "That sounds fun."

Abraham snickered, "Yea fun, she plans to dress you up and pretend you are her little sister she is taking care of."

All the boys laughed and Maria swatted at her big brother who acted like he did not feel it.

B:  "Maybe I can pretend to be your little brother instead"

M:  "Nope I want a little sister, I am tired of playing all their games."

A:  "What games, we just run around."

M:  "Oh I thought we were trying to catch one of you."

Dad finished up his conversation.  They are always short because he runs out of Swahili or they switch to a version of the local dialect to make fun of him.  I got back in backpack so we could finish his walk.