Meandering Thoughts…. No Real Focus

It’s been a week since I’ve posted anything and honestly, without the daily emails from my mom asking what’s going on, I’ve been a little lax… I guess that’s what happens when your largest reading population goes on vacation to the beach!

All has been… well, been, in South Africa this week. Team USA caught the plague and took turns fighting the stuffy nose, nausea, fever flu. Sanford has basically had a ‘cold’ since Amanda got here, but has finally decided to get some good old American prescription drugs sent over. I started feeling the cold portion over the weekend, which then moved into the nausea, feverish portion by Monday morning. Consequently, I missed the first day of Winter School, but they survived without me. Ryan was feeling sick Monday, as well, but managed to fight the good fight and make it to Winter School. He punked out Tuesday (just kidding, really, in the year that I’ve known Ryan, I haven’t seen him look this green or smile this little). We are finally starting to feel a little better, which was clearly indicated in the epic Cities & Knights battle which took place yesterday afternoon. The Argue Blue came through in a stunning victory, leaving the Lewis Red and Johnson Green speechless. (Oh Yeah, Baby!)

Moving on… Winter School is a program being put on by the SAEP High School Program. Ryan and Sanford were deep in the planning, etc., but I was recruited solely as a teacher (thank goodness). So the last week I’ve been teaching twelfth grade economics. It has been both rewarding and terrifying. The rewarding part is that high school students, unlike elementary school students, can carry on a far more interesting conversation about the world. It also feels pretty damn good to have a high school student come up after class, admit that they need a little more review, and then get it. The personal feeling of accomplishment is a bit bigger when you are explaining more difficult topics, I’ve found. The terrifying part is seeing just how far behind some of the students are. I found myself explaining a topic this morning that was early fourth grade math curriculum… My take home message from the experience is that it is absolutely critical that the cycle of non-education. How can these students possibly pass, much less get ahead, if their teachers aren’t much more educated than they are? I don’t know a whole lot about Sanford’s Teach South Africa project, but I can vouch firsthand how important it is.

An update on my project: Going great! I’ve interviewed half of my principals and I feel really good about the progress that I’m making and the information that I’m collecting. I confess that the task seemed daunting at first, to be doing on my own, but hey, look at me, I’m making it happen! I guess I’ve learned something the last year! I’ve been really impressed with the thoughtfulness of many of our crèche principals. These certainly are not women that just opened their crèches on a whim or to create a job for themselves. Many have much grander visions and it is so inspiring to hear them talk about those visions. The favorite message that I’ve heard isn’t something that I can quantify for my evaluation, but is nonetheless as important in the larger community development role of the crèches: several of the principals that I have interviewed have expressed pride and self-confidence in themselves and what they can accomplish. This is good for their crèches, but even better for the community. Empowerment. It starts with a voice.

And as a last note for Russ: Boots is doing well and has made herself securely at home. So much so, that she has special spots that she likes to sleep now… my face, Ryan’s backpack, my face, under the covers, my face, on my computer, and did I mention, the cat likes to sleep right on my FACE?! Yeah, she’s a fantastically cuddly cat. If I could bring her home, I would.

Always,

Sarah