Manzini Blog 2010

Sawubona! (hello!)

This is just a short little blog about the adventure of the Ka Bhudla girls, the twists and turns of our trip together and the things we learnt, living within the local community and being a Tenteleni volunteer. So from me (Sophie) and the other girls Marina and Catriona, Ngiyabonga and I hope you enjoy my ramblings!

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Arriving, Language training and a sexy, sexy pig.

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So we arrive in Manzini full of nerves and anticipation, its very beautiful here in a muddy red rusty way. Me and all the other volunteers pile into a taxi and head for Caritas (it is only on our last week that we discover that we had paid 5x times the local rate for our taxi).

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The weeks training goes really well, lots of language training and trying to memorise class room phrases and get the pronunciation just right – ‘thulani’ (be quiet) is a very useful one!! The group bonded really well through games and discussion, its good to get out all of our different ideas. We even got to see our group leader do a sexy pig impression, which I think made us appreciate him on a whole new level.

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The most inspirational part of the training was the visit from the NGO’s SWAGAA and FLAS, as it opened our eyes to a lot of issues in Swaziland, it was a sad but amazing day leaving us all very excited to go to our schools!

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Our first week in our Homestead

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There were several surprises when we reached the house. We had a toilet inside (HOORAY!) and a HUGE picture of Micheal Jackson in our kitchen to look over us for the next two months.

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Our first day at school was observations. It was really interesting to see how the classroom looked and how the classes were taught. We were slightly caught off guard when our head teacher Mr.Gama said he would collect us at 8 and then knocked on the door at 7, so we all walked up to cool dripping wet and looking very strange, I suppose that was just a little indication of what Swaziland time is – unpredictable.

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Our first day of teaching was very full on, we were greeted in the mornings assembly by the amazing singing of the children. Then grade 1 and 2 teachers were all off as they had a meeting, so we had to cover their lessons. I don’t think I have ever done so much singing in my life! That night I went to bed with “head, shoulders, knees and toes” circling around my head.

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All the teachers are very sweet and worried about what we are eating and asking why aren’t we wearing more clothes- the weather is like a British summer yet all the teachers are freezing and wrapped up in big fur coats! At the end of the week we had a working together workshop with the staff at Ka Bhudla which was really helpful – especially that I learnt that I need to speak a lot slower! Some teachers do use corporal punishment in their classes, it seems odd as the teachers are so lovely and yet will twist a childs ear if they are bad. I think you just have to accept that it is a very different culture in that regard.

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Organisations SWAGAA and FLAS and teaching

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Teaching is so much fun but the language barrier is the biggest issue especially as the kids, when they don’t understand, just say yes. You can ask them ANYTHING and they will say yes, often very convincingly too. It was fun organizing SWAGAA and FLAS to come to our school, both NGO’s were very welcoming and helpful, and I know that the kids enjoyed the talks too! One thing I should warn about this, is the kids love touching your hair especially during netball practice, sneaky fingers are always trying to tug at it and then run away as soon as I turn around. This week we also went to a cultural dance competition where schools compete, one of our schools was there and it was fantastic to see all the dancing and costumes!

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When FLAS came and spoke to the children it really felt that we had accomplished something, as the kids seemed to enjoy all the talks and activities they did, and it might have also had something to do with the interesting pictures in the leaflets, but it was really nice to see the children engaging in the talk and taking things away from it. Marina, Catriona and myself have also tried to set up a library in the school starting with grade 7 using it first. There were already books and a room for it but no real system, so its really nice to see the grade 7 using it and looking like they are enjoying reading. Hopefully after we leave it will continue to be used and spread through out the school.

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The Gama Family and something to remember us by

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As we are part of the first homestay in Swaziland this year, it meant that we got to know Mr. Gama (the head teacher) and his family really well. It was so nice to feel included in their family life and they always made us feel so welcome. I feel that we have had the chance to learn things about Swazi culture that we may have not have if we weren’t part of a home stay. We still have gone on plenty adventures with the other volunteers such as checking out the amazing Mentenga falls where apparently a 7 headed snake lives, but we also got to be apart of the Gama family and spend time in their home, taste authentic Swazi home cooking and even see some people speaking in tongues in their church!

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Before we left, we went into Manzini and asked local shops for donations of paint and we all painted a mural on the school gates for them to remember us by. My time in Swaziland has been amazing and I feel so lucky to have been part of this trip.

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There is so much more to talk about and to say about our adventures in Swaziland, our weekends away to safari parks and amazing games of cards but I suppose that its really up to you to go and experience it yourself, I couldn’t recommend it enough.

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Sophie Tebbetts

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August 14, 2010 at 11:02 pm | Projects, Swaziland | No comment