A Little More on My Site!

Well it looks like I have a little bit more time in the office than I had expected. I suppose I’ll take a few moments to write a bit more about my site.

As I said I’ll be moving into my own house in Ntchisi District once training is over on December 9th. My house has three bedrooms and a sitting room, with an outdoor kitchen area and bathroom. It’s made of brick with a solid tin roof which will be very fortunate to have once the rains come. My house is located right between the primary and secondary schools in my area. I’ll be teaching at Gwangwa Community Day Secondary School. From what I’ve gathered from my headmaster, I will be teaching physical science to forms one and three (freshman and juniors), biology to form three, and Life Skills to forms one through four It’s a hefty class load, but I’m really looking forward to it, especially Life Skills.

My school is amazing. It’s been rebuilt with aid from the African Development Fund and has impressive facilities for a Malawian CDSS including a lab with chemicals and equipment, space for a library and a few books to fill it, four new classrooms, a computer, and a printer/copy machine. I’m very excited to have been placed here because none of the teachers at my school previously have known how to use many of these things. The lab has been untouched, the chemicals are in boxes. The study space in the library, again has ever been used. So all in all, I think my school has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to assisting the teachers and students as best I can.

Last year my school served 260 students, with the majority of them in forms one and two. Last year there were seven teachers on staff, all male. I’ll therefore be the first female secondary teacher they have seen. The old classroom buildings are still standing on the school grounds and are currently being used by female students as hostels. It’s a good thing that they are kept safe on the school grounds and do not have to commute long distances each day, but the conditions in which they are staying are certainly not the best. When I have more time I’ll elaborate on what I’ve learned about the problems facing women in education in Malawi. It’s all quite interesting and I can’t do it justice here with what little time I have.

The area in which my school is located is very poor. The people live in very modest houses made of mud and straw. There are many, many children about generally barefoot and working in the farms. I was only at my site for a few days and am sure I have much to learn about the area and its people. The area itself is beautiful. More gorgeous than any place I’ve ever been or seen in pictures. The trees and landscapes are amazing. I’ll post pictures and more details as soon as I am able.

That’s all for now! My computer time is up, no time to even proofread this! Sorry for any errors!

Love and Good Thoughts,
Kelly