Tag: Training

Lessons Learned – Marathon Journey

Chapter 2

Definite need to add Chapter 2 to my Marathon Journey. After the great success of my last blog – culminating in somewhere in the region of 1 comment (thanks Laura T !) I feel it is only fair to update you all . So as ever the whole reason for running the London Marathon is in memory of the amazing person that was Laura Stephenson. No amount of running could ever equal the strength and courage she showed throughout her illness. So every step of the way in races and the solitary running along the country lanes, avoiding dogs that snap at your heels, moving from one side of the lane when blind bends are encountered and waving politely at cars that zoom past within a few inches of me as I dive into the hedge, I know she is there saying – “Go on Dad, you can do this !” And for some reason every time I write that I have difficulty seeing – no idea why !!!

So running along the lanes listening to Frank Turner tunes, (that was the last gig we went to together), I decided really I should get another half marathon (for previous Half Marathon see Chapter 1) run to experience running with others as oppose to crawling along on my own etc. Enter The Big Half Marathon in London!

After carefully checking the temperature isn’t going to exceed 40 degrees and the percentages are there will be more of a certain age category running I decide to enter. Begin to slightly worry when I get an email from ‘The Big Half’ saying – “Great News; Mo Farah and Eilish McColgan are running with you in The Big Half ! Mmmmmmm don’t think they will be running “with” me but I get the gist !!

After my experience in the Richmond Park Half Marathon, I begin to think maybe I should change my diet of a coffee for breakfast and sometimes an evening meal when I feel hungry ! So a big change in diet with ‘Power Muesli’ for breakfast, ‘Can’t Beet Me Smoothie’, Warrior Drink and ‘Pesto Pasta with Sardines” I’m ready for the challenge.

Staying overnight in Stevenage, with Emily and Ben it’s an easy journey into London and Tower Bridge. Give myself plenty of time as occasionally, only very occasionally I’m a bit rushed – Not this time !!! A lift to the Station and I’m there standing on the platform at 7:50 waiting for the 08:05 direct train into London. Takes 20 minutes into London so plenty of time to hand my bag in and be at the there for a 10:10 start from just past Tower Bridge. At 08:05 an announcement over the tannoy, “The 08:05 train has been cancelled and due to delayed works on the line there will be no trains running until at least 09:00.

In the meantime, my family who are coming to support me and watch the event have travelled much later, gone a different route and at 09:20 are standing by Tower Bridge waiting to see me. At 09:25 Im still stood at Stevenage on Platform 3, dressed in my running kit, number on my vest, discussing the merits of British Rail with anyone who cares to listen ! Some 25 mins later, at 9:50 a train decides to pick up the prospective passengers off Platform 3. At Kings Cross I hop on the tube, totally relaxed ! I remove my tracksuit bottoms whilst travelling on the tube to Tower Bridge, totally oblivious to the looks I was getting from fellow passengers. Well to be honest not totally oblivious but by this time, I just didnt care ! Thankfully my ‘entourage’ met me at the exit of the tube station. Some 25 minutes after ‘all’, and I mean ‘ALL’ of the runners had started I discuss with the guy collecting the bags of the runners which way to go to the start. “Just go up round that bend, straight over Tower Bridge and the start is just down there !”

As I jog relatively quickly round the bend, I realise that his “just” and my “just” may not quite have the same meaning. I weave in and out of the crowds on Tower Bridge as they watch the whole posse of runners running across the Bridge. When I say the whole posse what I really mean is all but one ! I’m busy running in the opposite direction to try to find the start. The runners that I am now running past waving really politely at me as if to say – “Errrrr you’re running in the wrong direction !”

The runners after 6 miles ( I thought they’d just started !

This is what Tower Bridge looked like to me as I ran in the opposite direction ! I’m somewhere near the 3rd lampost on the left !!

A new definition of “just round the bend” is clearly now about a “mile down the road” ! So by the time I reach the Start arch, there are no competitors in sight just some pretty bored marshalls. At this point I just presumed i should keep running under the Start Arch and just keep running. I passed a marshall who was clearly important as he held a walkie talkie in his hand, I heard him say ” The last runner is just coming through, Number 10885 ! For some very strange reason I looked down at my chest and realised that the number was in fact mine !

I now know what Forrest Gump felt like. I just ran. No other runners in sight, just marshalls looking slightly bemused and smiling. Running along what is normally a very busy road in London totally on your own is quite an unnerving experience. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if they had opened the road! The slogan for the London Marathons, both the Big Half and The Full London Marathon is “We run as One” How did they know that I was !!! Just one runner !

A very busy underpass

Running along a road on your own is strange – running through a long underpass is just weird!!! I did resist the temptation to just shout “ECHO” at the top of my voice. Eventually I did actually catch up 2 other runners after about 2 or 3 miles. They too had been held up and together we ran the whole Half Marathon

For those teachers amongst you the two photo photos are great examples of compare and contrast experiences – On the left is mine and on the right is 14,000 other runners !

Eventually I managed to catch up on a few other runners and actually enjoyed the company of my two fellow runners.

After a somewhat strange start, the end was brilliant and overall it was a great experience. The encouragement from those who stayed was great. It did seem a long way and I did think to myself – “Can I really now run it all again – ie A Big Half x 2 !!!!! Scary – Time will tell very shortly !

But with you alongside me – Sunday here we come – and Chapter 3 – still time to donate

Thank you of course to all of you who have donated to such an amazing charity Your generosity is absolutely brilliant – Thank you so much

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Chance of a Lifetime -Last Chapter of Mikes Mad Malawian Idea

Twelve months of living in a totally different environment, culture, existence – you name it, it’s very different.  Those twelve months have come to an end. Just far far too many things to remember and experiences that have happened. But of course although the country may be beautiful it’s the people that make it.  And I have met some amazing people over the last twelve months.

Most of them belong to the “school environment” but there have been other chance encounters with others as I sit drinking in a bar or on a beach or even just walking down the road – the plumber, the builder, the mechanic, the fisherman.

 

 

 

All wanting to talk and make friends, – “Will you be my uncle?” “Can I be your friend” and of course the classic “Give me money”  But even this is not done in any aggressive way but more with a smile on the face and a cheeky grin.

 

I don’t believe they actually think you will give them money but its more a greeting than anything else. I often suggested that just this once…….  maybe ……… possibly ……… the Malawian could give the Mzungu some money for a change.  This generally brought great guffaws of laughter and a high five – which invariably I missed! and felt rather silly trying to do it 5 seconds after their hand had gone down !

Looking back through my blogs many of them centre around my journeys to and from places; to the schools of course; to trainings of teachers and Head Teachers, to beaches at the side of the lake, down paths that you really don’t think a motor bike should go let alone a car; up hills that are incredibly steep yet unbelievably people are pushing bikes that are over ladened with enormous bags of charcoal or wood; ladies walking absolutely upright carrying enormous loads of wood or straw on their heads, well over their actually height in length. ( Does that make sense – just very very long pieces of wood !)

Sweat pouring down their faces in the heat of the day.  They do this journey every day, either to sell at the local trading centre, or to their village, or just to sell anywhere!  And every single one of them has a smile on their face.  As you go past either on the bike or the car a raised hand to say hello and a smile always gets a hugely positive reply.

Occasionally and very occasionally you can be going along a path or track and there is no one around…… or so it seems!   But come off your bike ( accidentally) or have a puncture or get stuck in the mud with the car wheels spinning and suddenly when you look up there is a sea of faces!  Where they come from I have no idea. They just appear as if they have been waiting every day for me to come off !!!

 

They just appear from nowhere, and rather than stand and just look, they desperately want to help, to get you sorted in whatever way they can.  They appear magically with the right size spanner to take a wheel off to mend a puncture or straighten a stand.  I did say to one –

 

“Where did that spanner just come from?”  and they just laugh and wink And again always with a huge smile and a tremendous willingness to help.

For the last few days of course I have been visiting the schools, both to say goodbye as well as to check that they are all up and running with the technology and the software.

 

Just 3 of my schools

 

 

 

Despite going to these schools over and over again I always just stand in amazement at just how many Learners are at the schools,literally thousands ………. both inside the classrooms and outside. How few physical classrooms there are. How open the spaces are all around the school. How magnificent the scenery is. How welcoming everyone is to see you.

As you arrive at the school, if you are lucky its directly off “the tarmac”, but many of my schools are along very dusty/muddy (depending on season – wet or dry!) tracks.

Many of these paths go through small trading centres or villages, where everyone stops and watches as you go past.

 

Every time I went through here I just thought it was the set for a “Western” !  Sorry it’s just my strange thought processes

 

The ladies sit on the ground with their tomatoes neatly piled in pyramid shapes on a maize bag, potatoes neatly stacked in small metal buckets that are over flowing with a pyramid shape of potatoes, maize laid neatly like a white carpet drying off in the sun, wooden stalls where vegetables are on display. Women at the water pump which clearly is the meeting place to chat and talk about the recent happenings.  And the ever present shelter made from sticks and straw where the local males congregate to sit and chat, mending bicycles and playing Bao ( a great game played on a wooden board with large hard seeds amazing for maths which probably accounts for why Im rubbish at it ! ) . Everyone watches as you go past, many wave and smile. ……..  Id love to know if they are the same people I pass every time and they recognise me, saying – “Hello here he comes again! ”  ………..I kind of hope they do

You drive/ride into the school and never quite sure where to go as obviously there is no car park ! You just drive literally between the learners who again just stand very still and watch.  You drive close to one of the classrooms or the Learning Centre, hoping that the door and burglar bars that protect the centre are open.  Usually a good sign is if there is a chair outside with a bucket of water outside.
This is for the learners to wash their hands before entering the centre and using the iPads. As you walk into the centre the Learners are in rows sat on wicker mats.  Each one with their iPad and headphones, working through the Masamu (Maths) App or the Chichewa (Language) App.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The teacher walks around the Learners just observing, occasionally talking to a Learner what to do or what not to do.  When I say ‘talk’ thats really a euphemism for  “shout”.  Now thats in the nicest possible way. I’ve told all the teachers this and so its nothing they don’t know.  Malawian teachers are really good at shouting. Thats not shouting because they are cross or angry ( as in a UK teacher shouting at a child within 30 cms of their face, which would produce a crying child in no time at all) but in Malawi they do that to explain what the learner should be doing.  And amazingly the Learner sits …… listens …. and does exactly what they should do………. without batting an eyelid or showing any emotion at all ! I have a theory that they do this because of the class sizes of 200+ and this is really the only way to communicate.  I have tried to get them to just go up and explain in a quiet way what the learner should be doing, but it may last for 2 minutes and then reverts again to “the shout” However, both parties seem perfectly content with this arrangements and the Learners are queuing up at the door to have their go !

 

The Learners iPads are effectively controlled by the teachers iPad The Learners sit with a screen that displays a lock.  The teacher starts the session and the lock disappears and the Learners can begin the session. Usually after 20  minutes ( however long the teacher has set the session for ) the Learners iPad will again display a lock and their session is over.

 

 

 

 

 

Now for the majority of the Unlocking Talent project schools throughout Malawi, (some 130 at present)  the iPads are locked down to just Masamu and Chichewa, but not Mangochi District ………. mine !

 

 

Why because I like to make things difficult for myself as always !!!! Why I have no idea  I think its a self-destruct button The iPads being open also at the request of the Donor – Unicef – but nobody else did it ! See I just like to make things difficult  I must learn the words “No …… It’s too difficult”!

The reason for having an “open” iPad  is it gives the Learners( and Teachers)  the ability to use other Apps. ………provided they don’t need connectivity ! With the iPad being locked to just 1 App, however good the 1 App is and it is excellent for Maths and Language, we are only using a small fraction of the power of the iPad. My schools have used an English Grammar App that exactly mirrors the final exams that Standard 8 Learners have to take………  to great effect with some amazing results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve also added some Role Model Videos of Malawian Women who are working in important jobs despite many problems whilst growing up.  These videos can be watched by older girls to try to show them that Girls/Women can actually achieve great things through staying on at school.

The use of the Notes for Learners to use the keyboard …… something which they don’t encounter – punctuation, space bar, delete buttons all things they haven’t seen before. Insert images, video, text to be shared amongst the iPads

The Coordinators of each of the schools have learned the technicalities of the iPad and can transfer files, images and documents amongst the iPads to be viewed by the Learners. In this way not only are we giving Learners knowledge but also giving Teachers technological knowledge of the use of mobile devices.  Something which gives them huge enthusiasm and great excitement  …….. it does me as well They love learning how to use the technology. Ive trained, Teachers, Head Teachers, Inspectors, Advisers …… all of whom have shown a real enthusiasm for the tool and can see the huge potential – tip of the iceberg comes to mind.

The potential of the project Unlocking Talent is enormous.  Sadly sometimes the organisation and project management can hinder rather than advance the project.  But I guess that’s true of many projects.  Education Specialist Volunteers, like myself,  carry out many activities and supported by good organisational management the results are indeed amazing.  Of course there are frustrations, but then you have to continually remind yourself that you are working in an African Country that is one of the poorest in the world. And the vast majority of Malawians really want their country to achieve and improve ……… this is particularly true of the dedicated group of teachers and Head Teachers with whom I have been working.

I could go on and on about the special moments that I have enjoyed during the last 12 months  ……….. “No please don’t !” i hear you say and for those of you who have already stopped reading  ……… well you haven’t got this far anyway !   Amongst many of the images that I have in my head of my experiences, there are 2 that stand out.  One i have a photo of and the other I follow the advice of many people who say – put the mobile/camera away and just enjoy the experience …………

Ive mentioned about when you go into the Learning centres all the Learners are sat on mats with their iPads  If all is good the teacher is walking around checking that the iPads are working and the Learners aren’t stuck on something.  Sometimes because the App is an individualised program the Learners just work their way through the program with no need for help from the teacher (or at least that’s the perception of the teacher).  As a result the teacher sits down somewhere and has a rest or secretly goes on their mobile and sends texts ( shhhhhhhhhhh don’t tell anyone !)

But occasionally you witness something very special.  

I recently saw this teacher in the photograph get down to the Learner, who had special needs and spend at least 15 minutes on supporting him.  This would be impossible within the teachers classroom setting of 200+ learners in a pretty small classroom with very limited resources – certainly no time for 1:1

 

 

But here was the teacher spending time with an individual guiding them through the knowledge needed ………… nothing to do with technology but about advancing the Learners understanding of very simple basics of number.  In the classroom this Learner would have struggled.  The technology supported the learning of the child.  To those who say why use technology when the country needs so much else …………… this is why technology is so important …….. it literally empowers the learner – not technological empowerment but Knowledge and skills empowerment so important for individuals growing up as well as the future of Malawi.

The other image of course is related to a journey.  You wouldn’t expect anything else ! It was a Friday and the area I work in is mainly Muslim.  This particular Friday was Eid al-Fitr  All schools and public offices were closed.  It was a National Holiday.  But of course there were things I needed to do in a school so I arranged with the school, Mdinde school, to meet a teacher and adapt some iPads that weren’t particularly behaving. I visited the school, sorted out the iPads and commenced my return journey.  This journey took me on one of the most difficult tracks that i journey along – in the rainy season its just mud and extremely slippy and in the Dry season its just pure sand and extremely slippy.

 

Fortunately i was in my car as this is the track where on several occasions on my bike the ground has come up to meet me, and Malawians appear to assist.  As Im driving along the track taking care as even in a car the sand doesn’t make it easy to drive, I see ahead a large group of women coming towards me.  Effectively blocking the road, dancing and singing at the tops of their voices.  I slowed down and hadn’t got a clue what to do.  As they got to the car ……..  to use a biblical expression they parted like the waters of the Red Sea and just continued around the car.  I was surrounded by approximately 500 women just singing, dancing, smiling, waving, laughing …………. I just sat in the car inanely smiling back at them and returning their waves.  By this time I had completely stopped.  After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes, the whole entourage carried on its way down the track, singing, dancing, smiling, waving high fiving, waving flags whilst I sat now on my own in the car and just went

” Wow!” This was their way of celebrating Eid.  An amazing event.

I carried on along the track only to see in the distance another group of women from the next village.  This group seemed slightly larger than the last one.  Forewarned about what was to happen I pulled the car over to the side of the track and waited for the swarm to approach.  On they came all wearing amazingly bright coloured Chitenjes (rectangular cloth wrapped around their body ) singing, dancing, waving flags, laughing, smiling, waving flags.  As they surrounded the car yet again many clearly wanted to high five me as they went past.  I started to move a bit like “dad dancing” as I sat in the car.  Many of the women noticed and applauded – Im sure not for my dad dancing but for sort of joining in with their celebration.  At this point I think I must have been caught up in the moment and throwing all caution to the wind – as you do when faced with a situation such as this !  I opened my car door and joined them in their procession, singing, dancing smiling, and laughing.  There was I surrounded by more than 500 women in one of the most rural parts of Malawi, dancing ( well just jigging a bit if i was honest)  ……… well known for my previous dancing exploits and severely embarrassing my off spring on many occasions, “Dad,  just stop !”….

I put all they had taught me and “Dad danced” all the way down the track with more than 500 women. Huge howls of laughter went up, cheering and just sheer pleasure, from both 500 women and myself ………… is this a Guinness book of records – hahahah.

It was a moment that just didn’t warrant taking out my mobile to record ……. it was indeed a “just live for the moment” experience.  After a while they continued on their way and I had a long but fantastic walk back to my car. …….. still ‘Dad dancing’ !

As some would say “A Chance of a Lifetime”

Why did I get out of the car and join in …………  ” Carpe Diem ”

 

And while Ive been out here i have had so many “Chances of a Lifetime” Every moment, every chance  has been amazing.   ……………. But I couldn’t have done it and remained sane without my truly amazing family and friends who have kept in touch and given me so much encouragement over the last 12 months.  To all of you I say a huge

THANK YOU – THANK YOU SO SO MUCH

Zikomo kwambiri

Will this be the last blog ?

I’m back – but not for long ! Whats been happening ?

To be absolutely honest Im not sure how to start this blog and definitely don’t know how to end it !  The middle is looking a bit doubtful as well.  You’ve had a gap of almost 2 and a half months without having to put yourself through this drivel ( is that right or is it “drivle” or “dribble” or “dibble” – no definitely not that ‘cos he was an officer of the law – Officer Charlie Dibble, Top Cat, Spook, Benny the Ball, Choo Choo, The Brain, Spook, Fancy-Fancy – how sad am I   and I can picture them as well !!!!! !) Anyway I digress. Parts of this Im going to only touch on briefly and parts Im going to expand upon – I’ll probably get it the wrong way round but hey story of my life!

Some of you may wonder why I haven’t written this driv……. rubbish for such a while.  Well back in April I had to unexpectedly fly back home due to a health issue to Laura,  eldest daughter  or as they would say out here in Malawi – my first born !  This is the bit that Im going to briefly mention.  Suffice it to say that she is an amazing person and someone that I know all of us are truly truly proud of.  She is currently undergoing treatment and has such a positive spirit that it just blows us all away!

 

 

Love her  My first born with her third born – I think or it could be the second born by a couple of minutes !  Ill get it right which is which one day !

 

 

Anyway moving on swiftly ………… after lots of discussions I returned a couple of weeks ago to Malawi to see the rest of my time out and to complete all the necessary tasks that one has to do before leaving a country that they’ve lived in for 12 months -like selling a car ( now that really is a whole blog in itself and even I would fall asleep if I went through that one !; getting police clearance to leave; packing all the things that you left behind previously;  doing all the things that you had 12 months to do them in but for some reason you leave it till the last 2 weeks and then you can’t fit them all in; ( or is that just me and my procrastination – world champion at that for the last 20 years running !); and of course seeing all the people that have been so much a part of a very strange life for the last 12 months.

 

And return I did to complete my final 4 weeks in Malawi. I arrived to a much colder than I remembered Malawi and of course didn’t pack any jumpers as such – strange how you remember it being hot as its Africa when in reality its flipping cold in their winter – like now – particularly in the evenings.  But never mind Id soon be away from the coldness of the capital, Lilongwe to the warmer climes of Mangochi and the Lake.

Well I needn’t have worried about not packing a jumper as my bag didn’t arrive at the same time as I did. Readers of previous blogs know that this is becoming a habit of watching lots of brightly coloured bags going round and round until you’re just  left standing just watching a moving belt with just one pink bag that just keeps going round and round.  It’s not yours but you’re the only person standing watching it.  

Strangely I even took a photograph of my bag before I left the Uk – weird thing to do have a bag selfie ! but it came in very useful when trying to describe my bag to a Malawian official who was clearly at the end of his shift – I mean it wasn’t his fault ! and he didn’t speak much english – I mean why should he !  So with very small rucksack and just the clothes I travelled in I spend the next few days waiting patiently for the phone call – “Your bag has arrived” ! yeeeee ………….

On the getting to the warmer climate in Mangochi that didn’t go so well either as the powers that be found it difficult to arrange transport for me so that I could actually start doing what i was supposed to do ( my car having practically blown up on my journey to the airport in April – well nobody told me you had to put water in it ! )

Well after kicking my heels for a week in the capital, taking in a few “greens” and listening to some pretty cool jazz in a very un-Malawian bar , transport was finally arranged and I arrived to do what I had come to do but now all I had left was just under 3 weeks. So off I set ………

Up bright and early to get an early start.    Sit on the bike first thing in the morning (about 6:30) probably not quite awake and attempt to kick start it. Nothing happens. No life at all.  After many attempts still no life.  Then my friendly guard says,

” Petrol ?”

“Of course I’ve got p…….”  mmmm maybe not.  Shake the tank and not a lot of sloshing about of petrol !!!  Why dont Bikes have petrol gauges ???  Right so off I go with my empty plastic 2 litre Ginger beer bottle and start to walk to the garage but they call it a filling station which is probably more accurate description………’cos thats what they do ….. fill……. that is when they have petrol which isn’t always certain by any means. And to b e fair they always clean your windscreen as well.  Starting to walk to the filling station I spy a passing “Njinga” thats a bicycle taxi to you and me. ( I think thats how you spell it ) N is silent as the p in swimming – ( the old ones are the best !)

“Eeeway” I shout   ( and thats definitely not how you spell it but it could be sounded out properly by an average Yr1 pupil ready to do his/her Phonics test of made up words !)  Actually it’s “Ewa” A quick translation from the Chichewa is  “Oi You”  Often used to young Learners when they are maybe doing something they shouldn’t !   He stops of course and waits for me to catch him up.  “Filling station” I say He looks at me like Ive just asked him to be my get away driver from a bank robbery !   “Its that direction” I say  He replies with a nod.  On the back I get clutching my plastic 2Litre Ginger beer bottle.

 

Well its no longer rainy season but the dry season and what Ive noticed is that they attempt to fill all the ruts that have been made in the rainy season with sand so that it sort of smooths out the road

Which is all well and good if you’re walking, and even if you’re good bicycle rider on your own.  But given a novice rider with a passenger on the back ( clutching his 2Litre Plastic Ginger Beer bottle ) and it makes things very difficult. The first hint of this was when I sat on the back and the front wheel reared up like it was saying ” right lets go”  This brought wry smiles from other passing Jingas, and I wasn’t sure if it was my fault for sitting too far back or the novice Jinga cyclist for not putting down pressure on the handle bars.  Well off we set.   We made about 10 yards I would say before the bike sort of skids from side to side in the sand coming to a grinding halt. We both kept our footing but as my Jinga turned around  the look on his face sort of said ” well you get off and walk and I’ll push the bike”.  I dutifully did so. We walked about 50 yards together like this.  The thought did cross my mind that I was actually paying for walking alongside a bicycle that was meant to be giving me a lift – clever !

dav

After the 50 yards I mounted again and with a certain uncertainty we started off again , only to come to a halt some 50 yards further down the road.  The process repeated itself several times until we crossed the tarmac.  This was also done with a certain amount of trepidation as you can imagine.  Picture the scene over 100 bicycles coming along the road, both ways,  and you have to cross this road to get to the path on the other side.  In a car its difficult, on a motor bike its difficult, on a bicycle on your own its pretty difficult to judge it, but on a bicycle with a passenger on the back it take s a while to get up a head of steam, and by the time you start moving the gap you were aiming for has gone.   I was going to suggest that I got off and crossed the road on foot and met him on the other side, but as I had already walked half the distance I thought Id get my moneys worth. A couple of times his front wheel clipped passing Jingas who gave him looks which suggested ” Amateur or Novice” But eventually as we got to the other side my Jinga was heard to say in a very Malawian accent, ” Don’t worry about a thing”.  I did think he was going to burst into a Bob Marley number  but I merely responded with – “Me worried ; Nooooo” At this point he stopped, turned to me and said that we had run out of road.  What he meant was that he didn’t know the way.  So not only was I walking half the way I now how to direct him to the filling station.  Mission accomplished and now a full 2Litre plastic Ginger Beer bottle filled with petrol …… what do you mean unsafe ……… noooooo 😉

Hurriedly putting the petrol into the bike as by this time I WAS LATE  – I know thats difficult to uinderstand of me but occasionally it happens !  Bike starts beautifully once it has petrol.

Now the sharp eyed amongst you will have noticed that on my motor bike there are two stands for two wing mirrors but only one wing mirror.  This is because when the dirt tracks and myself meet, the wing mirror is one of the first things to get damaged.  And to only have one wing mirror is a disadvantage to say the least, particularly when passing goats and cows who suddenlt decide to change direction.  The cost of a wing mirror in Malawi is 30,000 Kwacha ( or so my guard told me – hmmmmm)  which is approximately £30, thats because you cant buy one.  Well not wishing to spend that I sourced some Malawian Super Glue which is said would hold 3 ton !  Should do the trick nicely, spending all evening gluing the mirror back on.  Success, in the morning I checked and it seemed to have done the trick. So Bike full of petrol, two wing mirrors  – sorted

After about 10 minutes the wing mirror falls off ! Clearly Malawian Super glue is not that super and may not even be glue ! The rest of the day is mono-mirror and to be honest the rest of my time in Malawi ! But it does make a great Helmet stand though

Then after a few minutes came across this scene which I have now learned to my cost that you take seriously.  What has happened is a bag of grain has fallen off either a wagon or a Njinga ( and you now know how to say it ) and spilt across the road.  The first time I saw it, I wasn’t sure what to do so just drove careful through it – followed by a crowd of irate Malawians chasing after me !   I thought that they would just dispose of it but of course they don’t  All the traffic stops and everyone lends a hand to sweep up the grain and re bag it – Nothing is ever thrown away in Malawi – the ultimate recycling – use and re-use and re-use and re-use.  What you dont do is drive through it   You just wait until every grain is swept up and I mean every grain !

So not the best start to my return, with baggage, no car, delay in arriving in Mangochi, no petrol,  no wing mirror and late ! but undeterred I carry on to visit my first school.  And that is actually, as the say,  where the day turns around.  I walk in though the door of the Learning Centre and see 30 Learners so intent on their work on their iPads that they dont look up, ( well a few might !) they just carry on with what they are doing.

 

The teacher just quietly walking amongst them, supporting here and there. A scene of absolute focussed on-task learning. Ofsted “Outstanding” !  Ouch did I really say that word!  You may ask what are the curtains for – i’s a school initiative and I’ll let you guess – tell you in the next blog – hehe

 

You may say well thats exactly how it should be, but this is a million miles away from a typical Malawian classroom of 250 Standard 2 Learners ( 7 year olds in general but some or even many are not !) with a teacher teaching at the front or even sitting at the front. And in many circumstances in their classroom which is a tree

 

 

 

And to cap the day off as I drive into my compound these three cheeky girls say the usual Malawian expression -“Hi How are you/ Very Well thank you ! ”  and

I nearly fall off my bike laughing

I have briefly mentioned in a previous blog the sort of things that I’m involved in while in Malawi, but I feel its worth a separate blog, Head Teacher training, Teacher training, setting up Learning Centres, Supporting the use of Learning Centres,  Inspector training and PEA training – what’s a PEA I hear you ask, well it doesn’t come in a pod ! .  And with less than 2 weeks before departing back to the UK and boring everyone with my exploits ( free bookings taken for schools of course ! – seriously) thats I challenge that I will accept

Driving, Drinking and Bollards

I’m still here !!!

How time flies !  Every morning when I get up I say I’m really going to write something, and every evening when I get home I think – definitely tomorrow – Procrastination love it !   Done it all my life why should I stop now ! The only trouble is it doesnt get things done ! So it was a toss up – should i stay in and write a blog piece or just go to the local bar and have a drink.  Well as you can see the blog won.  Now if the bar had have won let me try to explain what its like. Im not sure I have any photographs of it, so here goes.

First of all its on the main tarmac road of Mangochi. In the picture its just behind the tree, which I agree is a bit rubbish but its the only one I have, so hopefully you get the picture – (no pun intended but if you want it you can have it !)

It is just by 2 excessive speed bumps.  And when I say excessive I mean huge !

On all the roads there are speed bumps which are preceded by rumble strips, generally 3 sets  but occasionally 4 sets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The picture is a typical Trading Centre.  If you look carefully you can see the rumble strips. Trying to negotiate the “Rumbles’ at the same time as the people is not an easy task – and try doing it at night when there is no light whatsoever !

The cars, and they are mainly public transport mini buses or trucks laden with bags, sacks and people, slow down at these rubble strips at a quite ridiculous pace. They almost come to a halt, as you go over each rumble at slower than walking pace.  This results in you feeling every rumble as you go over each one.  Now my philosophy is if you go over them a little faster you could get the bump all at once. But I guess the Malawian mini buses know what they are doing as they look at me aghast as I take the whole set of strips at running pace !   These strips are before every town and trading centre, after every town and training centre , and in every town and trading centre – Get the gist – there are a lot of them, and when you go over them on the motor bike thats another story.

Then of course there are the Speed humps which really are vicious, and the good old Mini-bus drivers slow down even more, almost where the passengers have to get out and push the minibus over the hump.  But having said that I have met a few too many humps at probably a greater speed than I should and thought …….. Oh No ……… but its too late now as my front wheels take off and the contents of the car end up on the floor and again when on the motor bike its generally a shout of  “Geronimo !”

 

I digress ……….. as ever …….The bar  as I said is situated on the main tarmac road    Its called Sun City ‘ with Peace and Love Bottle store next door ……… 

Its a room that you never really go into. Well I have seen one or two disappear into there but you never see them come out again !   You sit outside on plastic chairs that have a tendency to have a broken leg so that when you sit on it the fourth leg tends to spray out and it feels like you are like a baby giraffe with its legs sprayed out .  To over come this the bar staff, who wait on outside and give you one of these seats to sit on, generally as soon as you sit down give you a second chair to place over the first chair to sit on which if you’re lucky has a different leg that is broken so that you can manage to sit without sloping too much.  In front of you is a bare wooden table that looks a bit like a trestle table from the local church.

The clientele is predominately male; sat around the tables in groups of 3 or 4 .  Now in between the bar and the Tarmac is what I would loosely call a car park, but there is no order to it at all, and the cars just park and in some cases drive in between the tables!   And no one bats an eyelid.

Normally when I go, which is usually about twice a month, when I’ve plucked up the courage to walk into this group of people on my own.  I get the usual inquisitive looks as I am the only ‘masungu’ there.  A member of the bar staff comes up gives me the obligatory 2 chairs next to a table which probably  has people already sitting there.  I order the customary “Green” which is a bottle of Carlsberg lager.  This is the main drink for everyone, or if you really want to live dangerously you have a “Special” which actually to me tastes exactly the same just costs 400 Kwacha more !

Most of the time the people on the table will engage you in conversation, curious about where you are from , what you are doing, where you live etc.  You can pretty much guarantee that you will get a conversation of sorts every time. However, I do on occasions seem to get targetted by two groups of people, and as long as you know that its fine.  The response to both these groups is pretty much the same.  There’s the gentleman who Im sure just waits for me to sit down before he pulls up his two chairs and says in a slightly slurred but extremely loud voice (which reminds me of the “Nutter on the bus” sketch where every looks and thinks Please dont let him sit next to me, Please dont and then thank goodness he’s not sat next to me ! ) ” Welcome to Kenya, Im from Nairobi !”  …….. well he sits next to me !

This is kind of strange as I’m in Mangochi in Malawi, but  if he thinks he’s in Kenya, who I am to worry.  He has now started to welcome me by shouting “Hello Scotty” because he thinks Im from Scotland.  I just merely agree with him and try to look away as he just talks non-stop telling me about Kenya slurring his words on a regular basis.   The other group are the ones who come up and because you stand out from everyone else come up and tell you their life history, quite soberly, but they do so just to practice their English.

And talking about practicing their English – there is another group that is really keen to do this but it’s not in the bars its out on the roads……… ….. and thats the Malawian Traffic Police.  Now I definitely don’t have a photo of this after my last little escapade with them but on all roads there are Police road blocks.

Actually I risked life and limb to day and sneaked one as the usual transportion laden with bags and people went through.

Sometimes there is a barrier which can be lifted or more commonly it consists of three oil drums, one  in the middle of the road, and another at either side of the road.  Across the two of the oil drums is a bar that pretty much remains static.  The bar just stretches across one side of the road.  On the other side is a traffic cone. By the side of the road are generally four or five Traffic police.  Some are in Uniform, others just dressed casually, not sure who they are but they all do a similar job.  One at least carries a gun. As you approach this road block, you come to a halt.  Very often you cant even see the police.  Sometimes they are in a small hut or generally just sitting on the ground.

At this point, they exert their authority !  They never ever rush. After what can seem like hours, they walk very very slowly towards the barrier.  At this point you are thinking, please, please……… go on walk to the cone and kick it to the side!.  If this happens they kick it 2 or 3 times to the side of the road and you are free to drive/ride on through, generally giving what is probably quite close to a salute as you go through.  However if you are unlucky, as I was last week the following happens ………….

 

Im happily going through a trading centre called Masuku,….. a route I take almost daily, but this time  there was a temporary Road Block.. True to form I stop and wait for the “kick”   I get the slow walk, but this time he walks to the car, ………  thoughts ” Really?     Just kick the cone twice !” but no he comes up to the window.  I wind it down.  First words after exchanging the only greeting I know – Muli bwanji  ( How are you – sort of !! ) Ndili bwino, Kai enu ?zikomo ( I am well, How are you?  thank you ) and then after that Im lost.  As in all foreign languages after the first few phrases Im generally lost, and just keep repeating yes in what ever country Im in – Oui, oui has got me through a lot of really complicated discussions in France – havent understood a word but Im the only one that knows that !  So in Malawi I’ve been saying “Ai”  which sounds similar to the Scottish Aye meaning yes.

Until only very recently I’ve discovered I’ve been saying ‘No” to everyone as “Ai” actually means “No” !   I mean who’d have thought it ! No wonder they look at me strangely !

Anyway, after exchanging the customary greetings, out come those famous Traffic Policeman’s words …………  “We’re thirsty”

Kind of stumps you – so you respond with – Oh dear or words to that effect. Then he repeats it several times.  I respond with “That’s a shame” Oh dear”  “So am I ”  “I havent got any drinks!” and so the conversation goes round in a circle, until eventually he gives up and kicks the cone not in frustration but thats what his left foot is for .

I carry on with my journey to the school.  On my return I stop at a Trading Centre and think Im sure they will still be there, so i buy 2 bottles of Fanta.  Now in Malawi you have to understand that Fanta is a generic term for any fizzy drink If it’s Sprite or Sobo or Coca cola – its all Fanta ! So I buy my 2 bottles of Fanta and set off.  And sure enough the temporary road block is still there.

I stop.  Wait the customary 3 minutes and along he walks a bit like an umpire when he goes to consult the other umpire in a game of cricket ( no idea where that simile  came from  …..must be my English heritage ) and up he comes to the window.  I wind it down feeling particularly pleased with myself and before he can Mulli my Bwanji I say Ive bought you 2 drinks !!! His immediate response ………………….   “There’s four of us !” ……… Damn I never thought to look !   Anyway I say something like I’ll remember next time and drive on. However, only yesterdayI was told that when they say they are thirsty, it actually means they would like some money !   No wonder he looked disappointed with 2 bottles of ‘Fanta”

I carry on my journey back home, only to be stopped again some 20 km further down the road ……. a police block with oil drums and cone!   And over walks a rather portly gentleman who I recognise from previous encounters, dressed in Traffic Policeman’s uniform. “Muli ……….” and “Indili …….” given.  He greeted me like a long lost friend.

“Where are you going?   I saw you going out this morning”

“Yes I saw you too.  Im going home to Mangochi” I replied

“Will you give me a lift to Idrusi as I’m in need of some chips?   I am hungry !”

Now did that mean he really was hungry or does he just need money for chips ? I decide on the latter, and reply in a most positive way …… “Of course I can give you a lift.”

“Thats great,. Can you give me a lift back as well?”

Well when a portly Malawian Officer of the Law asks a question its normally best to answer  “Of course I can …….No problem !” …. as he tucks his rifle under the car seat and off we go …..

It’s all in a days work !

And talking of a journey home just had to take these photos as an example of a journey home from work – beats the M6 at rush hour !

 

 

Next blog and definitely no procrastination  more about working with  and training Head Teachers and Teachers as part of the Project – fun times !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s spitting – everyone in …….. or out ?

When they describe this as the rainy season they are not joking. As I mentioned in the last blog the rainy season has begun. And when it rains ……… it rains. When I first arrived I was told by those who were far more knowledgeable than myself that some of my schools would be impossible to get to in the rainy season. Having no experience whatsoever of the rainy season in Malawi I could not see how on earth these dirt tracks could be impassable.

 

 

Certainly they were rocky and had loads of holes and ridges, and in places were very narrow but impassable ……. never !

 

 

How wrong was I ?? When it rains it really rains and this is very often in the night, or at least it has been with a few downpours during the day. This is torrential rain, the sort that wakes you up in the middle of the night with a few thoughts of “what on earth is that ?” descriptions such as “it’s coming down like stair rods ” (now they were an interesting piece of equipment that I remember from my Grandmas – do we still use them I ask myself ?),  ” raining cats and dogs!” “it’s p ………….ersistently raining” or expressions from around the world “It’s raining dung head-first.”, “It’s raining old women with clubs.” “It’s throwing cobblers’ knives.” and the good old favourite “Il pleut comme vache qui pisse”  Well all of these cannot describe what its like when it rains. But talk to a Malawian while I’m cowering under a shelter trying not to get wet and say ” The weather is horrible !” and they soon come back with “NO ! Not at all this is lovely weather !” after all its what they’ve been waiting for since last April. You never ever hear a Malawian complain about the rain. To quote “No Rain, No Life.”  To them its their livelihood and indeed the difference between life and death. They just walk out in it like it wasn’t there, through streams and puddles; i use the term puddle loosely because it’s not a ‘Christopher Robin puddle who goes splashing in his red wellies’, these are lakes that a small goat could drown in !

And yet they just go  about their lives as though it was a normal day – which I guess it is. But the effects of these “rains” is enormous and these effects happen literally over night.

The dirt tracks can become just torrents of water.  Add this to the fact that the dirt tracks are narrow anyway and dangerous at the best of times, and literally the car ( have graduated to a car now just for the rain !) just slides from one mud bank to another. The water just doesn’t seem to go into the ground at all. It just sits on the top or rushes down the trenches either side of the track. In fact at this time you see lots of people, can be up to 50 usually women, all out with their hoes clearing the trenches and throwing the soil/mud onto the road. I can only presume this is so the water runs off the track and into the trench. This work is paid for by the local communities.

Driving in these conditions is not the easiest thing to do. Some of you now will be saying – you big wuss – well wuss I am ! There are some bridges that don’t look strong enough in the dry but in the wet …… I rest my case ! 

The usual hazards of poor vision, skidding, getting stuck in the mud, literally no way round a large “lake” and impossible to turn round all apply on the journey and usually all happen at the same time. It’s at this point that I wished Id talked more photographs of my journeys, but at the time when you are trying desperately to keep all your senses active, the camera is the last thing to think of.  So you manage all the hazards and your wheels are still turning and your moving forward when you see ahead the flashing indicators of a truck stuck up a hill ! There are around 30 people all around the truck, many of whom would have been passengers. All of them offering advice, and as my granny used to say – “Giving it a good coat of Looking !”

You have two choices stop and just wait for what could be a considerable time or try to go past the narrowest gap, on an incline into the ditch of about 45 degrees and just hope you don’t get stuck. And remember it is pleurring comme vache qui pisse ! I took the cowards way out and stopped. Behind me another truck stopped and waited. We waited and watched. After a while, the driver of the truck behind came up to me and said with a huge smile on his face – I’m going to try it ! I replied that I would watch him to see what happened ! Well he went and I watched from a distance as he edged very slowly past the stuck truck ! Being Malawian, he of course knew exactly what to do and manoeuvred his vehicle past. To my surprise he went past and then stopped, got out of his cab and beckoned me forward. I had no choice but to try – the worst case scenario would be Id tip my car on to its side the best would be that I’d be so proud of myself for getting past ! Pride here I come ! As I edged past the truck, reving ferociously, playing the clutch, windscreen wipers on maximum speed, tilting at an angle of 45 degrees, and “It’s still  raining chair legs.” I guess at this point I closed my eyes and just drove feeling a bit like a motor cyclist on the wall of death ( do they still have those ?) Well suffice it to say I made it with out putting the car on its side. And as I passed the truck i opened one eye, and as far as I could see he was embedded in the muddy waters, I looked up at the driver, who had a big beaming smile on his face and he raised his thumb to say hi ! He wasn’t flustered at all, looking worried or anything – its just their way of life and they accept it. I have no idea how he got out and there is certainly no tow truck to help him, but he must have got out because on my return journey all that was left were very very large muddy ruts in water.

The photo is of another incident when I had the presence of mind to take a photo. But tis man was just unloading the truck laden with grain He is standing in a torrent of water which is rushing down both sides. He couldn’t understand why I wasn’t passing and of course eventually I just had to as it is an impossibility to turn round.  So every day is a journey where literally you never know what is going to happen

But because of the ‘Rains” other more dramatic things happen I mentioned before that people just came out appeared in the fields to dig with their hoes but the results cf this hoeing and seeding is amazing.  Literally within weeks the fields as far as the eye can see the fields changed from dust bowls to luscious green baize.

 

 

And not just the fields, every spare piece of land, in between huts, in front of huts anywhere have  been cultivated. I was told today that 3/4 of the Malawian population are farmers which is amazing if its true and even if its an exaggeration certainly the majority of Malawians ‘cultivate’ !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know this appears to be a mundane normal view in England but to see the land change in such a short space of time from brown to green without any mechanical means at all just by people using a hoe is amazing

 

 

The other effect is of course a huge drop in the school population.  A number of factors come in to play. Firstly many “Learners” are kept at home to go and work in the fields to sow and hoe the land. The other factor is of course with so many classrooms being ‘outdoors’ the rain of course completely wipes this classrooms out. “Learners’ know that of course so there is no need to go to school at all. Schools do look a sad site when it’s raining and many teachers also know there won’t be any learners there so they don’t go to school. I met one who was working on a stall and when I said why aren’t you in school teaching, he said “It’s raining there won’t be any learners and I wont have a classroom. ! ” Some classrooms may be a building but with only half a roof because of winds, again when it rains it can’t be used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Am currently undergoing training the teachers on Life skills and Child Friendly Schools, Id love to talk about their training and the differences on what our main foci is – I hadn’t realised quite how different the  issues were But suffice it to say Im working with Primary school teachers An absolutely fabulous group of people whose challenges we couldn’t even begin to understand I mean start with 150+ in your class and thats just for starters. Ive asked their permission and they said they didn’t mind me reproducing these 2 photos here to give some idea of our training

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when one of their tasks is to how to work with the “Learners” on Building Self-Esteem – you understand the enormity of their challenges:-

When it rains during the training, the teachers thoughts all go to – how am I going to get home, as their only modes of transport are , walk, push bike or if they are very lucky motor bike and some have distances of 20 – 30 km to travel. One gains extra ‘brownie points’ if you let them go an hour earlier ……… and to be truthful the room is so dark anyway you can’t see any charts or posters, let alone the thought in my head of – ………..”Will I get home ? ”

Class dismissed – whoosh —————

Rain and Locks aren’t a good combo

There’s something about “why put it off till tomorrow when you can put it off today” – or something like that ……. and Ive been meaning to write this blog for a while now but you know how it goes… You sit down then think I need a cup of coffee, a drink, a biscuit, a packet of crisps another drink, another cup of coffee and then above all else some inspiration.  So while Im waiting I thought I might as well sit down and write.

Being someone who forgets where I put things I put down about 5 minutes ago, my apologies if Ive already mentioned this but just in case I haven’t – Malawi has basically two seasons…….., forget Spring and Autumn- …….it’s either hot or its wet….. and some times both ! We are now coming into the rainy season, as opposed to the dry season. The first signs of this are even more prolonged blackouts which somehow manage to coincide with no water coming out of the taps.  This does seem a bit strange to me as when it starts to rain, there is less water coming out of the taps, but I’m sure there is a perfectly logical explanation.  Blackouts also get longer with sometimes up to 36 hours without any power.  This does make you more organised, but when you start at such a low base for organisation ……. well there’s a long way to go.

When the electricity does come on, and a little tip is to switch at least one light switch on when there is a blackout, because on several occasions I have found myself sitting in just candle light for hours  and looking up to see nearby houses with their lights on and they’ve been on for hours !!!! DOH!

When it does come on you rush round to plug in all your devices, starting with your mobile phone, followed by your laptop, power pack, iPads, watch, iPod for music, bluetooth speaker, rechargeable torch, wifi connector etc …… who says I’m dependent on technology !!!!!!! I know I should make do with a piece of paper and a ball point pen instead of “all these new fangled devices” but it’s still difficult to see your writing when there’s no lights, although my handwriting probably looks better when it’s viewed in the dark. I digress and I’d better get a move on before any more blackouts.

So the rainy season has just about started.  I’m told not in a big way but it seems pretty dramatic to me. The first rains have started.  They don’t just come with a few drops like an autumn shower, oh no they come with a strong wind, huge thunder claps and a sky that is lit up with sheet lightening. When all those things happen – you sort of think – it’s going to rain ! And it does – torrential downpours which last for anything up to 3 hours. At this point I did stand at my door and try to take a photograph.  ……. I failed abysmally  By the time my camera had realised that I had pressed the button and wanted a  photo and decided to go into action, the lightening had stopped so I now have something like 17 images of total blackness !

It rains so heavily that the once barren and very dry earth can’t seem to absorb the water.  So  very quickly large puddles, even mini lakes appear. On roads, tracks just everywhere. Not to be deterred by this the locals of course just take their shoes off and walk bare foot through the puddles as often there is no dry ground to walk around.  Having walked through the water to drier ground, they just simply slip their footwear back on and carry on with their journey.

Over the last 10 days I have noticed a huge transformation with the surrounding countryside.  What used to be literally just barren very very dry land, dust, rocks where you’d have thought nothing at all could grow., have suddenly been transformed. After literally the first rain, there were people in the fields, literally hundreds of them, just digging the ground with their hoes. Huge areas of countryside changed not by machines but by sheer handwork, men, women and children in the fields with their very basic hoes.  They just changed these dust bowls into a field which looked just ready for growing crops, mainly maize and irish potatoes  I think but obviously other vegetables as well. Even my own area within the compound that I live, the ground which was previously just dust, plants have started to grow as if from nowhere.

Many may well be weeds but to see the green shoots coming up so quickly and so wide spread is just an amazing thing to see. With just two weeks of rain, the land looks ready to grow crops.  I believe that there is only one harvest a year, no rotation or any other technical agricultural terms.  They just get one shot at it. Apparently they either plant at the very beginning of the rains, as this apparently is the most nutritious rain, or wait a while to ensure enough rain and not too much sun to dry up the crops. And when the whole of the years income depends on it – ……. a tough choice. At the risk of sounding a bit like Whatsit Titchmarsh I’ll move on

I haven’t really mentioned my house … Thought a brief glimpse in to where I live.  Apologies for disappointing a few but its certainly not a mud hut or even a thatched residence ….In fact its quite an up market dwelling and looking at the pictures I think Id make quite a good estate agent.

 

 

 

 

I don’t have much furniture so it sort of gets lost in the house !

It sits in its own compound, which basically means it has a 8 ft wall all the way around it. With a huge gate that slides very rustily along its runners.  This gate has a smaller walking in gate/door.  Both the large gate and the small door have padlocks,  Two on the large gate, one on the smaller gate. I don’t know what it is about padlocks out here but they never seem to work properly. Test them out in your hand indoors and they are fine. Lock, unlock, lock, unlock The minute you padlock the gates they appear to have a life of their own and only open when they want to. Try turning the key and nope it won’t go all the way.  Try taking the key out and it won’t budge !!  So far Ive had to climb over the wall to try to get a lock undone, On another occasion I’ve had to get someone to hacksaw a padlock off and once I was totally locked into the compound as I just couldn’t open two of the locks.  

It’s all great fun but does make you think before you go out…. do I really want to go out as opening and closing the gate takes 10 minutes and if I go on my bike thats another 10 minutes to sort out helmet, jacket, gloves and you just think – naaaaah I’ll stay in !!!   At this point you’re thinking what a ‘wuss’ but it is also in about 38 degrees heat as well. So by the time you’ve got all your motor bike gear on and managed to open the little door in the big gate and unpadlock the big gate , ride the bike out and relock all the gates, you’ve lost half a stone in weight, which for those who know me there aren’t many half a stones to loose.

But to make life a little easier I do have a guard between the hours of 6 in the evening and 6 in the morning. actually I have 2 guards who work it in shifts. But they are worth a whole blog to themselves!  Trying to explain to the guard who speaks very little English that the key is stuck but it did work when you tried it out in the house, but it doesn’t work now its’ actually on the gate, does bring out thoughts of the Basil Fawlty scene when he smashes the branch against the care for not starting – Ive been so close to that but with the gate locks – not a pretty sight I can assure you and one which is totally bewildering to a Malawian guard !

And just in case I forget what I’m out here for Ive been training my schools on a new app  (when I manage to get out of my compound !)  and again training of teachers in Malawi is a lot different to training back home – but again more of that later. Suffice it to say they are all very keen to learn and love working on the iPads – from the most junior teacher to the Head Teacher

Twitter, Schools and Sensitisation

About time for another few words of … well certainly not wisdom and possibly not even sense but just ramblings I guess.  When I go on Twitter to see whats happening with the educational twitterati (thats probably not the right word but hey ! I know what I mean which is what matters – actually it’s not but ……. ) I do envy the courses and conferences that I am missing.  Those that I went to last year and met such great folk – keeping in touch via Twitter and other social media outlets really does make a difference to being out here in Malawi. So thanks to all those who occasionally like my tweets ( although always feel I should do more !) and even better to those of you who actually comment in some way or other without you I things would be even more difficult.  Even got my name up in a staff room amongst all the extremely worthy people of Twitterdom – something that I’m very humbled by but what a great idea to get teachers into the world of Educational Twitter.  Only last night I tweeted for an answer to a problem that we had with the iPads and I have to say I was overwhelmed by the response – truly amazing – Thank you so much. 

Ive been visiting some of my schools in the Mangochi district, which is in common with most of Malawi fairly rural.  Strangely when you tell Malawians where you are living the response to

“i’m in Mangochi ”

 

is    “Oh never mind !”

haha

Most of my schools are on the Mozambique border.  I would have taken a photo of it but after my brush with the law on taking photos I decided not to – (wise move I think ) – Ooops just realised I did take one —not  good one but ………..!!!

 

You wouldn’t really notice the border as its just a barrier just off the main tarmac road in the middle of a Trading Centre. On either side of the barrier which is really just a very bent metal pole on two stands are lorries laden with goods, presumably both coming and going across from Malawi to Mozambique and vice-versa.  When going through this particular Trading Centre actually it’s really a small town called Chiponde, especially on Wednesdays ( Market Day ) you can’t in fact see the way ahead for stalls, people, animals, lorries, mini-buses, you name it – it’s in your way.  You just have to throttle down to walking pace and just hope that people get out of your way or there is enough space to get through. Many of the mini-buses which are the Malawian form of public transport just stop in the middle of the road or indicate left and turn right, reverse suddenly or just open their doors at the precise moment that you are overtaking them.  Absolutely a law unto themselves !

 

 

One of these days I will stop and take a photo, but I get enough stares and looks as I ride through on my bike so its just plucking up the courage ! haha

 

 

 

My schools are fairly well dispersed, Over 200 Km between the 2 extremes.  Apologies for ”km’ not miles’  but when in Rome … Im sure you can convert !  Most of the schools are down dirt tracks and certainly over very rickety bridges as I think Ive already said.  As you ride down the tracks you do get the obligatory stares and complete standstill as if someone has suddenly said “freeze – except for your head It doesn’t matter what you are doing, carrying buckets of water on your head, riding a bicycle, playing in the sand, or just walking – You all have to freeze as this strange person on a motor bike goes past ! ”  It really reminds me of the times when you walk in to a strange bar and the minute you open the door all heads just turn and look.  Almost saying “What are you doing in our bar and who are you?” Its just one of those things you get used to . 

Again the customary wave and the response is generally a smile back.  On my first occasions of not really knowing where I was going I stopped to ask those who stand watching – usually at the water pump which are situated within a group of houses, only to realise that the vast majority of people out in the countryside don’t speak English at all and they usually call for their children who quickly and thankfully translate.

 

There are no signs to follow but again thankfully, off any road or track, there is a stone plinth which says the school name.  Follow this and eventually you get to buildings which are always the same.  Usually buildings which comprise of two classrooms each building.   The buildings are usually in a square or just placed in rows, or to be honest any configuration that the contractors decided to build them in.  Consisting of general breeze block ( sort of ) for the windows and a door and 4 walls.

 

 

This is a Standard 1 classroom i.e. the first year in school

A blackboard inside and thats your average Malawian classroom

 

 

I recently held “Sensitisation” meetings in the schools where we are constructing new Learning Centres.  When I say I held what I mean is I was there and was introduced to the school community to explain who I was – but as the whole meeting is conducted in Chichewa – this is These are meetings that are held to inform the Community of what is happening in the school and telling them all about the project.  The main groups invited are The Senior Management Council  who kind of oversee the activities at the school – bit like Governors I guess but not – doesn’t make sense I know but its the closest I could find ! , the PTAs which is a group of parents obviously and every school has one, and the Mothers Group who are obviously a collection of ladies from the village who also are an important factor the school and again all schools have them, the local Headmen of the tribes and the rest of the community.  

 

 

 

 

We held 5 of these meetings in total and an amazing number people turned out, almost 1,000.

 

 

It means such a lot to these communities and as well as a number of very lengthy speeches, there were so happy that very often they broke out into song and some even danced.

 

 

Just thought Id mention Copley School on Yorkshire who are the first school to take up my offer and have sent me some great questions from their Eco Group.  Thought Id just copy some of their questions and my answers

How many classes are there in a school? 

“This varies but an average schol has about 1200 Learners going up to 3, 000 and there are usually  2 or 3 classes in each Standard.  We don’t have Year groups we have Standard 1, Standard 2 up to Standard 8 in all the Primary schools.  The biggest classes are in Standard 1 and each Standard reduces in number as you get up to Standard 8 who may only have 40 Learners.  This is because unlike English schools the Learners don’t automatically go up to the next Standard each year. Learners start at the age of 6 in Standard 1 but as many are kept back until they reach a certain level they are a mix of ages anywhere from 6 to 11  This means huge class sizes in Standards 1 and Standrad 2 & 3 Many Learners just drop out of school and don’t attend which is why the numbers drastically reduce as you go up the school”

Do the children have play times and if so, where do they play/what does their playground look like? 

“They do have playtimes However, throughout the day you see lots of children out of their classrooms.  This is usually because their teacher is doing something else or is on a course or is absent because they are poorly and the Learners are outside. They don’t have any one to look after them.  Sometimes when I arrive in a school I ride up on my motorbike right up to the classrooms .  I am surrounded by 50 – 100 children because they want to just see the bike and to see me.  They want to talk but their English isn’t very good. Generally the teachers chase them off.

Their playground is just the land around the classrooms. They don’t have walls or fences like you do.  The whole school area is just open.  Usually it is in a small village and the school is part of the village. Some teachers have  brick built houses next to the school.  If the teachers are unlucky they have to live in the village which usually means no water or electricity and sometimes a long walk to school

School starts at 7:30 and finishes at 12:30 for Standard 1 & 2 The rest finish at 2:30

 How do the children learn and the teachers teach without interactive whiteboards? (The children really could not get their heads around having no technology whatsoever!) 

“The teacher stands at the front of the classroom and writes on the blackboard – which can take a long time.  The Learners sit and wait.  The teacher then explains to all the learners. The usual lesson consist of a the Learners sat on the floor and the teacher stands in front teaching.  

In many schools they don’t have enough rooms for the classes so a classroom is literally the shade under a tree and a blackboard and easel  is placed there for the teacher

            This is one reason why the schools like the iPads.  It has even brought Learners back to school who had not turned up for a long time, just to go on the iPads.”

If theres any other school or organisation who wants to get in touch please do so

Again apologies for an uninspiring blog – next time what you do when the electricity goes off regularly for long periods of time, there is no water coming through the taps and you can’t unlock your security gate because the lock has jammed !!! – Happy Days !

 

Educational Technology might just be part of the answer

Thought it was about time that I went into a bit more detail ( not too much tho ‘cos I already know that some of you have already dropped off/logged off !!) about what it is that I’m doing out here. Promise it won’t be a long one  ( another sigh of relief!) but just some background and some events.   To be honest there are times when I have said – “What am I doing out here?” Maybe if I read my own blog its might give me the answer – or is that just too weird !   And I’m going to try and not mention any of the Donors ( they’re the international organisations which give money for the projects ) or Organsations/Companies in case I put something that they don’t particularly like.  I haven’t written it yet but just in case !!!  As ever all views expressed here are purely my own views and not those of the organisations that I’m working for.

Before I start as well –  just to say a shout out to all those teachers out there who are just about to start back at school – when you get to the Bank Holiday you always think “that’s it summer hols over for another year – if you are anything like me – thinking,  can I do this for another year or will someone twig on that Ive been fooling people for all these years !!!! Good luck to you all and it’s not long till half-term.  There may be some compensation in the fact that you only have about 30 children in your class – I can hear you shout – “ONLY !!!!!! ” but read on and hopefully by the end you may be thinking well actually I am quite lucky – ( you probably won’t but it’s a thought !)

 

Basically I’m out in Malawi , one of the poorest countries in the world, to work on behalf of VSO (I’m allowed that one ) with primary schools. to try and raise standards in Maths and Literacy. Actually it’s Maths and Chichewa ( the Malawian Language ) but you get the idea .  Not single handily of course but with a number of other volunteers.   Before I go into the how maybe start off by describing a typical Primary classroom in a Malawian school.

 

 

The average primary school can have upwards of 2,000+ children  The classrooms are generally buildings scattered very often in a random order around a bare patch of ground, very dusty/sandy open space with a few trees which give some shade – but not much. The classroom has bare walls and no furniture.  The children sit on the floor.  There are little to no teaching resources in the room with just a very old blackboard at one end.  There is no electricity, no light and no running water.   The openings for the windows in general have no glass, and very often the doorway into the classroom has no door.  The schools often don’t actually have enough rooms for all the children so classes can take place outside in the open, usually in the shade if possible.
Add into this room one teacher and wait for it – to all of you who have 30 in your class —–  an average of 150+ children at least and sometimes as many as 250 and the problems start to develop. The challenges to teach such large class sizes with few resources are enormous. However, the children in these classrooms are amazing considering the cramped conditions and the difficulties of trying to engage in some degree of learning. The children sit beautifully, well behaved and eager to learn.

On arrival at a school you are literally greeted by hundreds of smiling faces who throng around you as you walk up to the buildings. They all want to say hello and just generally be with you as a huge escort.

So what exactly am I and my colleagues doing within this situation, I hear you ask – well you  may not be asking but let’s pretend for the sake of argument that you are …….

 

The aim is to build a room – poshly called a ‘Learning Centre’ with a solar-powered panel on the roof.  Into this ‘Learning Centre’ is placed a large cabinet.  This cabinet holds 2 large batteries, various wires and boxes ( which I won’t go into for the sake of those of you who are still reading) and a server with an SD card and Sim card exactly like a mobile phone. And this is where the interesting bit comes -( mildly!!) there are also 30 iPads with a purpose built Maths and Chichewa ( those of you who have been paying attention will know what that is !) App specifically designed for the Malawian Curriculum.   The solar panel charges the batteries which in turn charge the iPads. No lack of sunshine in Malawi of course means that they are charged all the time.

The children come into the room, sit perfectly on the floor , put their headphones on and work individually at their own pace  for half-an-hour. Each child logs onto the App by recognising their face and name. Every time they go on the iPad it starts off from where they left off, and reinforces or enhances their previous activities. Throughout the day there is a steady stream of children so that by the end of the day, up to 300 children could have had the chance to work on the iPad every day. The teacher of course monitors and supports the activities as the children work.

 

It is my job alongside my fellow volunteers to train the teachers and support them in using these devices.  The children during their sessions are absolutely totally absorbed in their learning and thus it creates the extremely rare opportunity of 1:1 learning for the child. Not only the children and the teachers but whole communities are excited by the Learning Centres and the learning that is taking place.

 

 

 

Alongside this project I am also currently working with a colleague  on developing a solar powered Data Projector which is easily portable, connects to an iPad and could be used to project images and activities.  I think that if it happens it could be a real game-changer ( whatever that means ) But maybe more on that later!

 

At this point I will say that I tweeted a similar picture recently and in the main fellow  ‘tweeters’ were very interested and made very favourable tweets about it indeed, from all over the world I might add.  That’s one of the reasons why I have focussed on it this time in my blog.  However, there were a few from a certain European country  who were appalled by the fact that we would use technology in a classroom and quite openly stated that this was not education at all and hoped that it would never happen – well if they do by chance read this I will repeat it again – Technology in the hands of a good teacher can result in outstanding Learning – let’s hope so anyway  for the sake of the children of Malawi and certainly we need to do something if we are going to tackle these huge class sizes.

 

 

Add into all this, escapades on dirt tracks on my motor bike to visit the schools, visits to idyllic lodges on beaches at the Lake, and getting locked out of your room    ( several times) ( thats another story !) and life out here is never dull.

 

And talking of dull……. apologies for uninspired blog as felt I was writing an educational document ! so kept slipping at times  into an old mode !!

One week in ……… well almost!

Well, been in Malawi now for almost 1 week – only another 51 weeks to go – doesn’t time fly when you’re enjoying yourself!  That sounds negative and I don’t mean it to be at all but actually when you say you’re going somewhere for a year it sounds a very long time but with only 51 weeks to go somehow it seems different.

This week has been all about ‘In-country orientation’ to use the correct terminology ( actually it’s probably not but I’ve lost count of the number of new phrases I’ve had to learn – and that’s just in English – Liquidation  – basically when you ask for money that you may need or alternatively claim money back, or hand in receipts for food bought, but you need a pritt stick (forgot to pack mine !)  and a piece of paper and an amazing capacity to keep every single receipt – simples ! So in the midst of trying to learnEnglish I’ve also had to begin ( and the emphasis is on begin !) to  learn Chichewa – Zikomo (thank you) and Moni (Hello) and Muli Bwanji? ( How are you?) Trouble is with the last one they tend to reply with something that I haven’t got a clue.  So I fall back on my usual Language trick of nodding and smiling and uttering the occasional sound which agrees with what they say.  Well it always worked for me in France that is except when we got a plate of uncooked meats and cheeses and I thought I’d ordered 5 omelettes ! So meal times are still interesting.

The staple diet is either chicken (in all forms) and Nsima.   This is cooked, ground white maize flour that is used as the stodge ( and I mean that in the nicest way) for the majority of malawian meals.  Eaten with your fingers this was my introduction to Malawian food. But to eat it you have to wash your hands first.  I walked over to the sink and turned the tap on but no water.  Fortunately my ‘minder’ while I’m country orientating was with me and asked them to turn on the water. Apparently it is turned off to save for when there is a problem with water supply.  As I don’t have a big appetite I only managed one Nsima. As people had previously told me it has no taste at all but is very filling. So filling that I haven’t eaten another one – yet !

My home for the next few days is  the Country Office in the guest house. I’m staying here until accommodation can be found for me in Mangochi.  I guess at the moment I’m very lucky as I do have a fairly secure wifi access something I won’t have when I go ‘into the country .  We  have guards on the gates and it does take some getting used to them letting you out and then knocking on the

gate when you come back, even when you’ve just popped

out for a yoghurt ! ( not that I used to eat yoghurt but you get the gist  …………..and I do now! ……..)

You do feel like saying ‘ it’s ok I’m only popping out for a few minutes, just going round the corner I won’t be long – leave it open !!! but of course you can’t and on return – knock 3 times ( another cue for a song !) and the guard opens the gate – as I walk past the guard  ‘Zikomo’

( see even you’ve learnt the language now ! )

As well as meetings on Finance, I have meetings on Safety and security, naturally,  which was really helpful – what to do if …………… ( I just hope I can remember it when “if ‘ does happen or even if  ‘if’  happens – what?)

For my VSO Card I had to go and have a passport photo taken – No sitting in a booth, feeding your money into a machine and click its done – in Malawi you get the personal touch.  A lovely photo shop with a pulled curtain and a chair at the far end of the room.  A gentleman with a camera appears and takes your photo – telling me head to the left, no thats too much, not enough – ( I really couldn’t do a photo shoot. ) And then hey presto in a few minutes you’re given your 2 Passport photos.

 

 

Visiting the market in the city was a fantastic experience.  Although as in many markets around the world the sellers really want to sell you their goods, and when I say they want to sell you their goods – they really want to sell you there goods, a simple no thank you is all that is needed and you move on to the next person who wants to see you their produce. Really lovely people . The vegetables and fruits, looked truly amazing and again everyone was extremely polite

 

As I travelled to my next part of the induction, I travel along a route off the tarmac road and into other parts.  The roads are a kind of sandy grit have a number of holes and bumps all along the route, where occasionally the bottom of the car does meet the road surface.  The shops and houses along these paths/roads are very different to the area where the Country office is , where local people and businesses are selling their wares in what we would call very impoverished conditions. It does make you stop and think very hard about people and hardships. Just driving though these areas and I’m sure there are many around the world very similar and even worse but when you think of what ‘we’ have it does make you think ! I know I’ve repeated myself but it’s worth the repetition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My journey was of course to the land of the cones ! which if you’ve read previous blogs you will know that this is devised by people who just want to create patterns with cones and make you drive around them on a two wheeled vehicle that was never made to go round cones spaced only a few metres apart.  So here we go again and according to local legend (or so I am told) if I’m ok on the bike then I will only need 5 days of training to be ready for the Malawian roads and if  I hit the cones or don’t manoeuvre in a figure of 8,  6 times successfully I’ll need 15 days !!!!!!!!!! I can’t wait ! As I write this I am awaiting to hear the full verdict and the sentence !

Just as a useless piece of information do you know if you look up to translate English into a language for Malawi it doesn’t exist !

Killed my first mosquito tonight withe ‘Executioner” – zzzzttt there it was gone – great feeling of triumph but still trying to suss out how to get into bed once the mosquito net is tucked in.

VSO Training -Indoors and “Outdoors”

My last post was the best post I’ve ever written. !  Sadly it was in my head and not actually on the blog.

Had a great few days training with other Volunteers at the VSO offices in Richmond. What an amazing group of people with so many different skills. Running through role play and facilitation methods was never my most favourite part of training but I have to say that this was some of the best training I have ever had. My thanks to the trainers, VSO staff, and volunteers – You were brilliant – (I really should do my feedback -sorry )

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The opportunity to discuss with other volunteers, hopes, fears, medical needs, areas of expertise, need for reassurance on how many clothes to take, size of bags,  and crucial tips on Mosquito nets, Executioner rackets for mosquitoes, Malarial tablets,  and how to eat a whole mouse (?) – don’t ask ! all made a great few days. A great social mix of people made the event even better.

 

Then we come to the Comfort zone……….. well actually not the comfort zone at all.  As far removed from the comfort zone that you can get!    Two days after the VSO  training – oh by the way we’ve booked you on some motor bike training days and it’s in 3 days time  !

I arrived in plenty of time ( unusual I know !- No need for comment thank you) and pulled up alongside what I would describe as a medium sized playground with comes placed in some sort of pr-arranged pattern, clearly designed by people who sat down in a pub one day and just had far too much alcohol and decided to just have the most fun they could with 45 cones placed randomly around a playground. I walked in and was told to go up stairs, get the kit on and they’d be starting soon, just waiting for a few others.  I climbed up the outside stairs of a builders hut and entered a foreign land – rows of white and black and red helmets, all shapes and sizes, some pointed, some open faced, some with visors down , visors up. – I had no idea !   Next to the racks of helmets were hung a collection of very heavy looking ‘gladiatorial jackets’ again all shapes and sizes.  Underneath we’re 3 boxes of large gloves, that had been thrown into the box with no order what so ever. It reminded me of the PE cupboard back at school !  I decided to take the cowards way out, and just sit down, like a child waiting outside the headmasters office, and wait to be told what to do whilst a collection of other riders came in and donned the gear.  Clearly they all had experience of riding and being there before, as these largish gentlemen ( well larger than me – not difficult I know) many bearded, put their armour on ready to do battle in the gladiator ring known as the ‘The Conned Playground’

After having the safety talk I was taken down to the bikes, sat astride, ( I shall avoid the obvious comment !) started it, and then began what I can only describe as ‘total and abject failure’   Steering around a figure of 8 whilst trying to manoeuvre a piece of heavy metal and not falling off is almost impossible – well it was for me …………. too slow and you fall off, too fast and you just head towards the fence, too tight and you send the cones flying, too wide and you just ride in a circle.  Suffice it to say at the end of a day where the sweat was pouring down, my very patient instructor said  ” I don’t think we’re quite ready for the road yet- are we ? ” ……………….. “We …….. are not !” Was the reply

On the second day after another intense few hours – “I think we are ready for the road now – what do you think ?” Well, never one to shirk a challenge – “Why not!” So the streets of Blackburn and Chorley were my home for the next few rides !! After many reminders to ‘Observe, indicate, observe again, manoeuvre , life saving observation, ( which is always a bit scary sounding) turn, one more life saving observation and I was awarded my permit to ride on the roads – Malawi dirt tracks here I come !!!! Don’t use your front brake on dirt tracks apparently ! Time will tell

All I have to do now is pack !!!! Oh and by the way you need a motor bike helmet which needs to go in your bag, and is part of your weight allowance !!!   That’s going to take a whole post on the next blog !!!!