Settling In (Part 1)

Pam, Barbara and I, 3/4^th of the original IFESH Nigerian team, had little idea of what to expect for lodging during our tenure.  Descriptions of their own housing situation by returning volunteers was varied.  I guess the most sage advice I heard was “Make sure you check everything out before you are left in the place where you’re to live—check water, fridge, generator, cabinets to make sure everything is in working order.”

 Our country rep was familiar with the housing on the college campus where the IFESH office was housed, but had not seen the places where Barbara and I were to reside.  The house in Kano  is a somewhat rambling structure where volunteers from several different programs live.  It was said that the house was the former residence of the Provost.  Someone speculated that he must not have lived there for a very long time.  The house had also been used as a demo house for students in the Home Economics Department according to one of the volunteers who had been there for a while.

The three of us shared two bedrooms during our four-day orientation.  I tried to settle into the rhythm of the place—the generator schedule,  the processes of filling the water tubs in the bathrooms and kitchen when the water was running, lighting the stove with just one match and more importantly remembering to turn the gas tank off when I finished using it! (Admittedly I never learned how to start the generator because Tim, vol from another program, was always around to turn it on around 6 pm and off at 10pm.) I learned to keep my flashlight nearby.

Most food scraps are thrown in the back yard for the chickens who wandered through the compound. Other trash is dumped into a sunken tub like structure for burning from time to time, plastic and glass  bottles were put in a box outside the front door for disposal (recycling?) by the guards or drivers.  (Guards are around 24/7 and the compound is used to park some of the vehicles that belong to the college.)

On Tuesday of the first week, we traveled to Wudill, about a 40 minute drive from Kano, to the College of Science and Technology where Barbara is assigned.  After meeting the college representatives we went to survey Barbara’s housing assignment, and were forewarned that it would not be ready for here occupancy until later in the week, probably Thursday.  We were pleasantly surprised at the newly constructed “duplex’ where she was to live.  Guest lectures reside upstairs and had a separate entrance. Barbara would live downstairs with her own kitchen bedroom and living room.

I thought to myself, “I’d be very happy with housing somewhere in between the house in Kano and the one in Wudill.”  The field trip to drop me off at my assignment in Bauchi was scheduled for  Thursday (10/14). The plan—The Kano staff and us volunteers would all make the four hour trip to Bauchi;  they would  drop Barbara off on the way back to Kano.  The driver  who had transported the group earlier in the week had taken the bus to the garage in anticipation of our journey.



Our official photo at the College of Science and Technology, Wudill.
Provost and dignitaries from the college, Mambouray from IFESH.
Front row: Safiya, Barbara, Nafisa, our country rep, Pam and me

With  a/c blasting, we pulled onto the road outside the gates of the college just after eight. There were plenty of refreshments and spirited conversation all around.  About a quarter of a mile down the road the bus stalled out. Restarted after a very short time, it was eventually decided that it would be better to turn the air off and reduce the strain on the engine ( we stalled two more times). The weather was pleasant so we enjoyed the ride.  The countryside was interesting –towns, villages, marketplaces and faces of the people of the North.

As we crossed into Bauchi state, the landscape became more lush and green with fields of corn, sugar can mango trees baobab tress and others I couldn’t identify. Large domed hills pushed up in the distance on both sides of the road.

Once we reached the city of Bauchi, our country rep call NEI for directions to the office.   A rendezvous point was arranged—the Zaranda Hotel. From there we were led less than half a mile to the office complex.

 Nestled within the concrete walled, metal gated compound was a series of new, single story structures, each housing a different component of the Northern Nigeria Education Initiative project.   We were greeted by the assistant director (titled Deputy Chief of Party) and some of his senior staff,  took a moment to refresh ourselves (at the insistence of our country rep) and began our meeting and personnel hand off. After photos and a brief tour and introductions, we were directed back to the Zaranda Hotel to deposit my belongings!

 What a blessing and pleasant surprise! A least for a few days I was going to be able to enjoy regular air conditioning, regular back up power and, oh joy wireless Internet access!

After a shower and a little rest, I started working around 4 that afternoon and stayed in the office until sometime after 8.  So much for sucking up a/c!

The Bon Voyage

My gratitude to Didi and Carolyn for pulling together the Bon Voyage affair @ the 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant.  Thanks to all, for your prayers and well wishes, whether you were able to attend or not.  Since I learned that very day that I was to travel the next day, it was particularly memorable for me!

(Originally posted with captions, but power on...)

Road to Sokoto

(Original post 10/16/10)On Saturday I was advised that I would be traveling to Sokoto to meet program staff with whom I will be working and to sit in on a workshop to adapt the Early Grades Reading Assessment into Hausa, the predominant language in Nigeria and many parts of West Africa.

Ten of us loaded into a van provided by a local college of education. All are local stakeholders committed to the process of improving instruction and performance in literacy and numeracy in grades K-6. Packed in, shoulder to shoulder were reps from the College of Education(COE), Local Government Ed. Assn (LGEA), State Universal Education Boards (SUBEB), Ministry of Education (MOE).
Women in the back (three of us), men in the front. All from Bauchu State, committed to working with their couterparts from Sokoto State to ensure the success of this project.

We left Bauchi at approximately 8:45 Sunday morning on the 9 hour trek to Sokoto. While the commoraderie was great, the diversity of the countryside as fascinating as the cities towns and villages through which we traveled, this will be my last resort for future trips! (pictures later, unable to upload)


Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Visits to Target Schools in Kano

Monday, after our arrival we accompanied the IFESH Director of International Relations to a series of meetings with the

 Provost of  our host institution --Sa'daata Rimi College of Education, members of SUBEBs (State Universal Basic Education Boards), school administrators, and visits to our 5 target schools.

Our hosts received us in a most gracious manner.  (I'll write more about the warmth of Nigerian hospitality later). Mr. Mambouray expressed gratitude and gave congratulations to each school for it's accomplishments and addressed plans to continue to increase literacy rates, provide books, organize libraries and conduct teacher inservice training.

All of the schools had computer centers compliments of Intel.  The enthusiasm of the students for learning in conditions that would be more than alarming in the US was amazing.  Classrooms with 60, 70 80 students were not uncommon. In a classroom at one girl's school, about 60 students knelt or sat on the concrete floor during instruction.
We were somewhat a distraction wherever we went, drawing stares, smiles and excitement each time we aimed our cameras.


Personally I was most impressed by the Islamyia school whose foundation is Koranic studies. Their students have won national awards.

Quitting for the evening...two outages while trying to compose this. More later

Smooth Arrival..No Pictures


Miami-Atlanta-Amsterdam-Kano. After less than 24-hours notice, I hop-scotched my way to Kano, Nigeria. Two members of the team from the US west coast were already in Amsterdam when I arrived. and we were each a little anxious about the impending 10-hour journey to Kano. Tales of intimidation and demands for $$ had been related to each of us from independent sources.

Well, we learned to judge each experience on its own merits rather than by what may be stories of isolated challenging experiences. (Though there might be more to it as I remember an editorial cartoon about the extensive and intrusive search of a Nigerian woman entering the U.S.)

 Our arrival went smoothly, after a wait for our luggage, we were warmly greeted by the immigration and customs officials.  Were it not for my one bag which was not transferred in Amsterdam, we would have been at our residence within 11/2 hour of arrival.  I had to go to an office to complete a lost bag report.  The agent located it and told me to com back two days later when the next flight was scheduled.

It was one of the smoothest foreign arrival experiences I have ever had, thanks to the work done by our country representative.

There are no pictures to share of our arrival in Kano, however.  Signs posted throughout the airport warned--NO PHOTOS!

Power On! Power Off! Power On! Power Off! Power On...

Since I have arrived in Nigeria, once of the constants I have discovered is regular power outages. The power system is overwhelmed.  Everyone has a generator (and lots of flashlights), but that doesn't help when you're in the middle of something.

 So I must practicing putting my thoughts and experiences down in short succinct sentences before..oops!

I have arrived in Kano

After about 24 hours of continuous travel, we arrived in the Kano airport last night at about 10:30 pm. I am sitting here in the home of our country representative as part of our informal orientation.  We are getting information on our schedule.  Since I have to share this aircard with my teammates, I will write more later about my 24 hour trip and first night in Kano, Nigeria

My Visa Came and So did the Itinerary!

The sound of those big box trucks, like the ones used by UPS and FedEx is unmistakable when they roll down my street.  So yesterday, when I heard the familiar rumble, I jumped up and ran to the window.  Before I could get there, a knock on the front door caused me to change directions and I sprinted towards the stairs.  "Coming!" I called, wanting to make sure the driver didn't walk away before I could get down to the door.  Looking down the stairwell, I could see the overnight envelope sticking through the mail slot.  My visa and other documents had arrive!

I welled up with emotion.  Finally some movement in this lengthy process.  The jangled nervousness I felt when my visa arrived didn't compare to the shear panic in which I was gripped when I checked my email in the afternoon and discovered I was scheduled to depart the next day--today, Friday!!! I needed at least one more day.  I started another list. Could I enjoy my bon voyage gathering, pack, finish packing up my house, do banking, shopping, utilities transfers, etc... and be at the airport by early afternoon? We'll see!

My Visa Is on Its Way!

The subject of the email read:

Passport/Visa Request--Documents Processed and Shipped!

Last night I received an email message from the IFESH travel agent.  Hooray! A FedEx tracking number was provided so that I can check the progress of the return of my passport (which has been out of my possession for about two months)!

Originally our team was scheduled to depart October 8th. While I anxiously await actual receipt of my visa, getting the itinerary will  certainly put this process on a different level.

I'm repacking for the the third time and still shoving things into storage. More about packing up my house later!

The Nigerian Team

I think I'll refer to our team as "The Baby Boomer Bunch"! We gelled as if we had known each other for years!
Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Orientation in the Desert

In August, fifty volunteers of the International Educators for Africa (IEFA) program 2010 spent a week in Arizona. For a week we discussed education reform and sustainable development in Africa.

Here I was able to put faces and names together of people with whom I had communicated since April! This was a gathering of both new and returning volunteers. It was a chance to learn more about IFESH, the work that needs to be done to meet its goals.
There were people from all over the US -the young as well as the more mature, couples, singles, an ex-marine, retired administrators, college students and educators on sabbatical! An energetic and diverse group.

This year IFESH is working in nine African nations. Some participants received their travel documents on the last day of orientation, but not the Nigerian Team. We were told "soon come"...and so we wait!

Sent from my HTC Tilt™ 2, a Windows® phone from AT&T

IFESH

Rev. Leon Sullivan founder of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers (OIC) in the 60's expanded the concept to international arenas. In 1981 he organized The International Foundation for Education and Self-Help. The concept was to provide trainin to the poor to encompas a strong emphasis on self-reliance and "encouraging indigenous mechanisms for resource and growth.

Rev. Sullivan was a trailblazer. He was the first Africian American appointed to the Board of Directors of a Fortune 500 Company. While on the Board of GM he lauched an international campaign to dismantle apartheid in South Africa.

Dr. Julie Sullivan, daughter of Rev Sullivan is CEO of IFESH. For 22 years she has employed the self-help model of her father and expanded efforts to strengthen private-public sector support of education projects in sub-saharan Africa. (I'll write about my concerns over this 'geographic' designation later)

Each year IFESH field a group of about 50 educators to implement literacy projects, pre- and inservice teacher training, curriculum development and evaluation.

For additional information on IFESH and its programs, go to: www.ifesh.org

The Need for a New Direction

Change, positive change, has been the mantra of many for some time now. My personal desire for change in my professional life lept boldly forward earlier this year. I began to explore several possibilities. Seeking a position in a high school and working abroad were the top two items on my list. Hmm, which path should I explore??

 A cousin who is ex-military followed up on a previous conversation and sent me a list of companies that were hiring internationally, some with positions in my area of expertise. Conversations with people who have lived and worked abroad were informative. But, it was the discussions with the woman who coordinated our trip to Ghana in July that opened up this current opportunity for me. 

Barbara, a middle school educator from New York, had been a volunteer with the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) a few years before. She worked at a teacher training college in Ghana located just outside Accra. During the trip, we met one of her students and assistants as we were on our way to Cape Coast.

By this time I had applied and was quickly accepted as an International Educator for Africa. Of course I would have loved to have been assigned to Ghana, however assignments were based on need,not personal preference. So, my country assignment is Nigeria. I will be working as a consultant for curriculum development and teacher training in the northern state of Bauchi.  Wow, Nigeria, the largest and most affluent nation on the continent!   My family seem less enthused than I. I'm ready to do this!