School Visit

Yesterday I had the unique opportunity to get out of the office and visit to different high schools. I was tagging along as the youth officer and the communications officer put on some educational outreach activities to advertise for youth day, being held next week. The theme of youth day this year is youth migration and the IOM was there to present, as were a couple of local reproductive health groups. It was such an interesting day for me, because of the presentations, but more because of my glimpse into education in Tanzania.

The first school we went to was one of the best in the country, the building was built by USAID in the 1990s and while it was a bit worn down, it was huge and in fair condition. The kids there had a computer lab and a United Nations Club, complete with their own Facebook page. And they tweet. Can you imagine?

Sawiche, our communications director, speaking at the first school

At the second school, we drove literally 5 minutes, right across the road, to a government school. And it was like night and day in comparison. The building was in terrible condition, chickens running around and some of the nastiest latrines I’ve seen (and that is saying something). When we drove in, in our big white shiny UN vehicle, all of the students were being made to lay flat on their stomachs in the sand in the hot sun, punishment for some transgression. One teacher drank his tea with one hand and carried a stick with another as he walked around to dole out discipline. While the rest of the teachers, six or so at a time, sat inside the office talking, or one was grading papers. It was the middle of the day on a Tuesday, around 11 and no one was being taught a thing that I could see. They kept us waiting for about 30 minutes, with us standing, staring at the teachers, and them completely unapologetically continued about their nothingness. I couldn’t believe that they weren’t at least ashamed by their behavior, but they weren’t in the least bit embarrassed.  Finally about 30 students were released from punishment or otherwise gathered up from somewhere and told to sit under a tree and listen to us. It was just appalling. Tanzania boasts high school enrollment but the reality of the schools means very little learning is actually happening. People from our group half joked that we should send the photos we took to UNICEF and I might just do that. 

UNFPA Youth Council leader directing an ice-breaker

Meanwhile the presentation our team put on was well received by both groups, but perhaps more so by the second, who seemed desperate for engagement, in my humble opinion. We had one very colorful presenter who was trying to get across the point that there is nothing shameful in talking about your anatomy and about sexual reproductive health. At one point he had the students play an icebreaker whereby they grabbed their favorite part of their body and then explained to the person sitting next to them, why they liked it. I heard answers such as “I like my belly button because I feel it there when I have to go to the bathroom, and after I go, I am relieved,” and “I like my teeth because without them I couldn’t eat meat or sugar cane.” Despite myself, I was already feeling slightly awkward at this part of the activity. And then the presenter asks the children to grab their favorite genitalia. Well I had thought that I was past feeling uncomfortable talking about adolescent sexual health, but I’m not.  Our staff was a bit taken aback, and I (the official photographer) was told to put my camera away before we had to explain to the New York office what we were doing to these children. But all in all the children seemed to take something away from the day, and there was an impressive back and forth conversation about myths/fact of masturbation that I think was enlightening (no, it won’t fall off.. and no, you won’t get cholera).  Youth day was supposed to be celebrated next Saturday, but now with everyone waiting for when Eid will fall (based on the timing of the moon) everything is a bit up in the air. But whenever it happens I’m sure it will be an interesting day!