 |  |  |
Today was a busy day! We started out the morning by visiting the Big Tree School, a small primary school for young children learning to read and write. There, we toured the small cement and corrugated iron roof school building, visiting the classrooms of the three grade levels at the school. We met some of the students (ages 4-6) and talked to the founder of the school. He told us that he was formerly a teacher in another school, but decided to open his own school because of his passion for helping children. Because the school is run for the community, school fees are very small (only 10,000 TSH, or under $5, per student per year). Due to this, the school has limited supplies, and paper and pencils must be conserved. However, the school has grown considerably, and they are planning to build a larger school building to move into. After this tour, the group went outside to a small open field in the back to play with the students of the school. We spent time entertaining the children with bubbles and soccer, and despite the language barrier (the children spoke Swahili only), we managed to have a lot of fun!
Our next stop was at the Tanwir Islamic Seminary school, a green striped gated campus with many open air classroom buildings spread out across a wide area After seeing the library and resource center, we went on a brief tour of many classrooms. In each one, the students stopped their lessons to welcome us with songs and counting as we leaned through the windows and waved. In return, several students serenaded some of the classes with a harmonious rendition of "Over the Rainbow".
We then were greeted with a large assembly on the open field. As we entered, a body of students sang a welcome song waving American flags and holding a poster of an American child. We were given coconuts to drink from and lychee and bananas to eat, and were seated in rows of desks at the front of the crowd. The students then performed for us songs and feats of gymnastics (some of the older students did flips and back handsprings!). Lyra, Wilson and Sarah then performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" once again, and we ended the visit with a rendition of "The Cup Song".
However, our visit was not quite over. At the insistence of the headmaster, we drove a distance down bumpy dirt roads to reach a secondary school connected to Tanwir (both were founded by the same person). As we arrived, a torrential downpour began, and we raced inside dodging fat raindrops already flooding the ground. While inside, we briefly visited several classrooms with young students... The teachers seemed very happy to welcome us, and even pushed small children right into our arms! When the rain stopped, we took a picture with some school administrators and left.
After a brief return to the hotel, we headed out again to visit a Madrassa, a school for children's religious education in Islam. Here, the girls covered their hair to enter, and Fatma taught us how to tuck the scarves in just right! We then entered and sat on mats with the children at the school- boys were dressed in the traditional knee-length button-up dress with brimless hats, and girls wore long skirts and covered their hair. Here, we had a discussion about Islam and American perceptions of the religion. They demonstrated to us that, in the Madrassa, children learn Koran so thoroughly that they can remember any passage, and 8 year old girl was asked to identify passages read by Fatma from the Koran. She got almost all of them! They were also very passionate in telling us that Islam is a religion of peace (the name itself originates from the word salaam, or peace) and that those who commit terror in the name of Islam are not Muslim. They also asked us what religion we observed, and were surprised when we told them that among us we observed many different religions. Later, the discussion leader said that in this, we were an example of coexistence, and perhaps in this way already embodying some of the values of Islam. Finally, we heard a teenage boy recite the call to prayer, in a beautiful song repeating the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is great). As a final show of goodwill, the school then shared with us cookies and orange soda, as in Islam it is important to share with neighbors and visitors.
Then we headed back to the hotel, just in time for Ms. Knightly and I to get ready for a wedding party Fatma had invited us to! We both got changed promptly and went down to wait in the lobby. Poor Ms Knightly was burning up in her layered blue dress made specially for the occasion. 6 o'clock passed, 7 o'clock passed, when finally Fatma found us waiting expectantly. She laughed, telling us that when an African says to meet at 7, they will arrive at 8!
Finally, Fatma's mother (and a carload of her aunts) arrives, and we piled in. Then her mother handed me a beautiful turquoise dress and told me I would have to get changed in the car. We stopped in the darkened street behind the venue, and the women formed a guard outside as I clumsily pulled on the sequinned dress. Then both Ms Knightly and I donned bright red lipstick and headed inside.
The inside of the venue was blindingly bright, with flashing white fairy lights draped across the walls and crystal chandeliers refracting light in every direction. Every woman there (the party was only for women) wore a dress made from the same floral green or blue fabric, and many had on neon orange, green or blue hijabs to match. We sat at a table in the back with Fatma's mother and aunts, watching as women danced up to the front of the room where a singer was serenading the crowd. As the women danced, they waves 1,000 TSH bills in their hands playfully before pressing them onto the foreheads of their friends. The bills would ultimately be danced up to the front of the crowd and given to the wedding singer. We joined in the dances for several songs, swaying along to the upbeat and soulful music, the lyrics telling of love and devotion to God and family (Fatma's mother would enthusiastically lean across the table and whisper a translation of the words after each song).
After many rounds of dancing and music, the wedding singer announced the entrance of the bride-to-be. We all turned excitedly to the back of the room, where the doors were thrown open and a crowd entered, the bride at the centre of the commotion. She was wearing a sparkling red dress, and a gold beaded mask hung over her face and covered her nose and mouth.
She proceeded across the room to the white couch at the front, and had hundreds of photos taken in different poses by the hired photographers. Meanwhile, the guests were slathered in several perfumes and oils, and served a dinner of chicken and french fries. After the meal, the evening gradually came to an end. A procession of guests carried/dragged their gifts to the bride (including a wooden shelf already filled with shoes, a coat rack, and a deep fryer!) and took photos with her on the couch. We said our goodbyes and rode back to our hotel with Fatma's mother and aunts (who insisted upon walking us the 20 feet to our door for safety) and retired after the long day to bed.
Our next stop was at the Tanwir Islamic Seminary school, a green striped gated campus with many open air classroom buildings spread out across a wide area After seeing the library and resource center, we went on a brief tour of many classrooms. In each one, the students stopped their lessons to welcome us with songs and counting as we leaned through the windows and waved. In return, several students serenaded some of the classes with a harmonious rendition of "Over the Rainbow".
We then were greeted with a large assembly on the open field. As we entered, a body of students sang a welcome song waving American flags and holding a poster of an American child. We were given coconuts to drink from and lychee and bananas to eat, and were seated in rows of desks at the front of the crowd. The students then performed for us songs and feats of gymnastics (some of the older students did flips and back handsprings!). Lyra, Wilson and Sarah then performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" once again, and we ended the visit with a rendition of "The Cup Song".
However, our visit was not quite over. At the insistence of the headmaster, we drove a distance down bumpy dirt roads to reach a secondary school connected to Tanwir (both were founded by the same person). As we arrived, a torrential downpour began, and we raced inside dodging fat raindrops already flooding the ground. While inside, we briefly visited several classrooms with young students... The teachers seemed very happy to welcome us, and even pushed small children right into our arms! When the rain stopped, we took a picture with some school administrators and left.
After a brief return to the hotel, we headed out again to visit a Madrassa, a school for children's religious education in Islam. Here, the girls covered their hair to enter, and Fatma taught us how to tuck the scarves in just right! We then entered and sat on mats with the children at the school- boys were dressed in the traditional knee-length button-up dress with brimless hats, and girls wore long skirts and covered their hair. Here, we had a discussion about Islam and American perceptions of the religion. They demonstrated to us that, in the Madrassa, children learn Koran so thoroughly that they can remember any passage, and 8 year old girl was asked to identify passages read by Fatma from the Koran. She got almost all of them! They were also very passionate in telling us that Islam is a religion of peace (the name itself originates from the word salaam, or peace) and that those who commit terror in the name of Islam are not Muslim. They also asked us what religion we observed, and were surprised when we told them that among us we observed many different religions. Later, the discussion leader said that in this, we were an example of coexistence, and perhaps in this way already embodying some of the values of Islam. Finally, we heard a teenage boy recite the call to prayer, in a beautiful song repeating the phrase Allahu Akbar (God is great). As a final show of goodwill, the school then shared with us cookies and orange soda, as in Islam it is important to share with neighbors and visitors.
Then we headed back to the hotel, just in time for Ms. Knightly and I to get ready for a wedding party Fatma had invited us to! We both got changed promptly and went down to wait in the lobby. Poor Ms Knightly was burning up in her layered blue dress made specially for the occasion. 6 o'clock passed, 7 o'clock passed, when finally Fatma found us waiting expectantly. She laughed, telling us that when an African says to meet at 7, they will arrive at 8!
Finally, Fatma's mother (and a carload of her aunts) arrives, and we piled in. Then her mother handed me a beautiful turquoise dress and told me I would have to get changed in the car. We stopped in the darkened street behind the venue, and the women formed a guard outside as I clumsily pulled on the sequinned dress. Then both Ms Knightly and I donned bright red lipstick and headed inside.
The inside of the venue was blindingly bright, with flashing white fairy lights draped across the walls and crystal chandeliers refracting light in every direction. Every woman there (the party was only for women) wore a dress made from the same floral green or blue fabric, and many had on neon orange, green or blue hijabs to match. We sat at a table in the back with Fatma's mother and aunts, watching as women danced up to the front of the room where a singer was serenading the crowd. As the women danced, they waves 1,000 TSH bills in their hands playfully before pressing them onto the foreheads of their friends. The bills would ultimately be danced up to the front of the crowd and given to the wedding singer. We joined in the dances for several songs, swaying along to the upbeat and soulful music, the lyrics telling of love and devotion to God and family (Fatma's mother would enthusiastically lean across the table and whisper a translation of the words after each song).
After many rounds of dancing and music, the wedding singer announced the entrance of the bride-to-be. We all turned excitedly to the back of the room, where the doors were thrown open and a crowd entered, the bride at the centre of the commotion. She was wearing a sparkling red dress, and a gold beaded mask hung over her face and covered her nose and mouth.
She proceeded across the room to the white couch at the front, and had hundreds of photos taken in different poses by the hired photographers. Meanwhile, the guests were slathered in several perfumes and oils, and served a dinner of chicken and french fries. After the meal, the evening gradually came to an end. A procession of guests carried/dragged their gifts to the bride (including a wooden shelf already filled with shoes, a coat rack, and a deep fryer!) and took photos with her on the couch. We said our goodbyes and rode back to our hotel with Fatma's mother and aunts (who insisted upon walking us the 20 feet to our door for safety) and retired after the long day to bed.
 |  |  |