Dear Family and Friends,
With an 8 AM - 8 PM schedule Mon-Thurs, participants and facilitators are usually tired by Thursday evening. But Friday brings renewed vigor and more options for learning. From its inception in 1996, Mwangaza has been committed to educating Tanzanians of all ages, in particular to assist them in gaining the information and insights needed to live healthier lives in families, schools, and other "communities". One part of that process is education in the areas of Life Skills & Decision Making, both in relation to HIV/AIDS and to other life issues. John and Salome have developed 2 power points filled with questions which direct ones thinking to his/her individual life circumstances, past, current, and future. The questions do not dictate values but lead each person toward considering his/her values as implied by his/her actions, then to weighing the options/methods for making different decisions and living by different standards/values.
After that morning session, the seminar heads into the meaningful activities, the fulfillment (we hope) of the week's work, by focusing on the presentations of 5 teachers. Until this moment, each must assume s/he might be one of the teachers presenting and be, therefore, fully prepared. The schedule on the left shows lesson plan presentations beginning just after morning chai. In the middle, John is handing out the lottery tickets, with each handful containing one Yes for each of the content groups.
DeoGratias is certainly hoping he will not be "lucky" enough to get the Yes, and got his wish. However, Sharon noted how well each winners' content mates helped set up for his/her class and were very good students during that presentation. Zephania, a young English teacher at Enaboishu, began the presentations just as Mike had to leave to join Allen in going to Kili to greet and welcome Carolyn & Pastor Merlyn Seitz, arriving from Ohio. Carolyn will join we other facilitators for planning and leading the next seminar, June 27 - July 1.
Was very nice to end our day/week with all gathering on Mwangaza's front steps for a picture. We heard a few days ago that Chiti, the young man in center front, met with his Headmaster after returning to his school in northeast TZ, telling him that he learned a lot and would be happy to show other teachers what he had learned. He's one of the men who had never worked on a computer before and spent extra hours with Mike to learn more about Googling to find resources, evaluating them, and choosing & saving the ones which would help to teach his curriculum. Looking forward to staying connected to him when we return home.
Some other friends stopped by in recent days, so will send stories and pix soon. Will be attending a First Communion of Salome's daughter tomorrow early afternoon, then returning to welcome the seminar participants as they arrive early evening and get settled in for the week.
Peace and love,
Mike and Sharon
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