I am writing this as we are watching the final match of the World Cup. I am not sure who I am rooting for, but we do have at least one Dutch missionary friend here, but I personally believe Spain will prevail.
I am also hoping I do not run out of steam here. We had a fairly sleepless night last night as David had a fever. When we awoke I had to get ready to preach at Odifax's (one of our staff) church. The service began at 9 am and ended at 1:30 pm. Despite the length of time, and the fact that David's fever did spike again during the service, it went pretty well. I used the Ezekiel 37 passage, Valley of Dry Bones vision to talk about the importance not separating faith from action. That is, one cannot preach the Gospel without ministering the the physical needs of people, or addressing social injustice in a society. I warned of the dangers of an excessive focus on saving the soul at the expense of ministering to the body.
The extreme example of this I cited was based on my experience last year of visiting a Ghanian fort on the coast last year (in Ghana) where slaves were brought and held for shipment to Europe. Thousands of slaves passed through there. But what I said was most prominent in this fort was the very large Cathedral where the slavers went to pray and worship. "What" I asked does a slaver pray before he beats and loads people into ships?" "What passages in the Bible does he read?" I also asked what praise songs a Christian Genosider might have sung in Rwanda before he goes out to kill all night?
My point was, that if we separate our faith from our works we run the risk of being like those people. Christians on church on Sunday, but not living out our faith the rest of the week--confessing a Gospel that has no power to transform ourselves, and certainly not our communities or countries.
It was a pretty intense teaching, but well received. I also was able to do at least a few things in Kirundi including reading part of the passage. Rebecca watched the kids and was even able to make a doctor appointment for David, go to it, and come back long before the service ended. I had heard about super long services here but 4 hours is a first for me. It was a charismatic church so among the morning worship activities was a long session of singing and dancing, an excorcism, and 3 sermons.
I was surprisingly touched by a gesture at the end in which the pastor invited people up to make a love offering. This was basically a payment to me. What touched me is that they all knew that I was not poor, but a rich mzungu. Yet many of them gave something. I thought of the passage in the Bible where Jesus sees the widow giving at the temple and comments that her offering is the greatest there because others were giving out of their wealth, but she gave out of her poverty. I received about $ 10 and I am trying to think of what would be a good thing to do with it that would please God and represent an investment in the future of this country. (I will probably ask Jodi is there is a place they can use it at the Hope School for the Batwa.)
That brings me to the beginning of the week. We started the week with a trip upcountry--a night in Gitega then another in Burasera with Jodi. We were going to Gitega to meet with partners but also to take Yolanda (our SALTer) up to look at some potential houses for staying there next year. (Yolanda has decided to extend her term for 2 more years and will be working with a partner in Gitega.)
The day was productive although we did not make any decisions on a house. (She actually does not move up until September.) We stayed the night with a couple who we recently met who is doing pastoral training at a church in Gitega. It was nice to stay with someone and not at a guesthouse. As much as I try, I am not a big fan of the town of Gitega, although since it is in the hills it is considerably cooler than Bujumbura.
We headed out the next day (Tuesday) to Burasira. We had gone about 5 minutes down the dirt road when the battery light went on. We knew we had a 2 hour drive ahead of us where there would be absolutely no services, gas, etc. and did not want to get stuck. We turned around and went back to Gitega. Fortunately I called one of our partner's Innocent who told us where we could get a car fixed in Gitega.
There is no garage per se in Gitega. We pulled off on the side of a dirt road near some shops that sold various auto parts and met a mechanic who worked on the car outside. A mechanic here would rarely have a shop, or really many more tools than a se of wrenches. They are all 'shade tree' mechanics only without the shade tree. (They work right out in the hot sun.) The mechanic found the problem quickly, a broken alternator belt, and fixed it in just over an hour. I was thankful we did not try to make the drive to Burasira and back before solving this problem.
The drive on dirt was extremely dusty, but that is way it is everywhere right now in dry season. I swear at our house it feels like we are living in volcanic ash. Every 2 days every surface--floor, tables chairs, books, is covered with fine red dust. I will be happy when this season is over. Ironically it is cooler than other time of year, but so dry.
We got to Jodi's house quite covered in dirt. She had just finished teachng for the academic year and was full of stories about kids who had succeeded or failed their year. As a westerner it is quite frustrating for her to deal with the Burundian school system--a vestige of colonialism--that finds just about any reason to fail kids and keep from continuing their education. (It is the the diametric opposite of "no child left behind")
I think she stunned many of the teachers when she told her students at the beginning of the academic year in her English class that she would absolutely not let anyone fail their english class. Not because she was easy, but because she was committed to do extra tutorials etc. This is quite a contrast to other teachers who are basically trying to design tests that will trip up even the wisest students or give sufficient numbers of demerits for dress code, absences, etc. to warrant failure of the course. (This is how the teachers were educated so it is what they know.)
The most appalling rule, and this is Burundian law, is that if a student misses any final exam in any class for any reason whatsoever, they fail the entire academic year and must repeat it, EVEN if they are the first ranked student in the class. (Incidentally students are aware of their class ranking as early as preschool.) There is NO opportunity to take a make up exam! If you miss the day of the test for any reason you fail and repear the class and must repeat the entire academic year in every subject. That is the law!
Jodi had several heartbreaking stories about several very bright batwa kids who, due to malaria or typhoid, missed a single exam and failed their year. Two were at the top of the class and were already bored with the year. She doubts they will come back if they have to repeat the whole year.
By contrast she told us of a few kids who came to the exams and barely passed because they were almost too sick to stand up. One kid had an infected abssess that had to be drained by making a cut down his side from elbow down to his hip. Despite this he was in the class for his french exam barely able to sit in a seat.
It is sad that as a foreigner, it is easy to see so many ways in which this country is shooting itself in the foot. I know it is because in many ways it has inherited a legacy of failure and cruelty, but even 50 years after colonialism it is sad to see the education system has not significantly changed.
On Thursday we went to a farewell celebration for Brandon and Robyn with World Outreach Initiatives, our partner where they are secunded. It was a nice celebration remembering the year. The partners were effusive about how valuable their contribution was and how much they would be missed. There were many calls to have them stay another year. I sense that despite how singular this experience was for them, they will be happy to go back to the US. They have really been troopers, living with Burundian families, riding public transport and working in a very Burundian context.
The SALTers will leave Burundi on July 20th. We had a brunch with them and Jodi and Bridget and Zachee on Saturday morning.
Well the World Cup is over, Spain won and I need to get ready for work. Oren is going to get to go to summer school today so he is happy.
I am sorry about the lack of relevant pictures, I will probably go back midweek and post a few pix of the aforementioned events.
3 comments:
Amen regarding your thoughts letting faith influence actions.
Why do teachers want to fail students? What's the motivation/goal for keeping students from advancing?
Good question Barbara. As I tried to say, it has to do with the legacy they inherited. Teachers see themselves as gatekeepers, screening out the best of the best who can survive a rigorously hierarchical social system. So being able to jump through hoops of unwavering obedience is an important part of education. This is the way they were educated and this is the pedagogical education they received, so they are just doing what they know how to do, and continuing the tradition in which they were educated.
Jodi was put at the Hope School to demonstrate new pedagogical models. But sadly, things change very slowly with much resistance.
pdm
Ah. Sadly, that makes sense. We actually do some of that here still. I only know of similarly rigid mentality in higher ed (grad and professional school). I don't have much experience with children's ed here. How sad for the children there. It's one thing to force adults through rigid systems, but to do it to kids makes me...upset. It's the opposite of nurturing.
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