I have finished at Umoja and it’s time to sum up and move on.
Friday was the last day of
my assignment. It was a big day to cap off a big year!
Friday was "Parents Day". At Umoja reports are handed out at Parents Day when each student has to invite along a parent, sibling, other relative or friend and the report is given them to read together. Then they discuss the result (a percentage score) and the comment with the teachers. It is an excellent system. I chatted to all the parents though I think their interviews with the local teachers would be more instructive
Friday was "Parents Day". At Umoja reports are handed out at Parents Day when each student has to invite along a parent, sibling, other relative or friend and the report is given them to read
I’ve done all the admin
& paper work – final report; exit interview; … and I’ve been farewelled by
staff and students with songs, poem and dancing
I’ve had a wonderful 12
months working at Umoja and have enjoyed all the side benefits of living in
East Africa. The only thing I would have like and couldn’t have was a trip to
Zanzibar – too dangerous in AVI Security’s assessment – but I have been there
so it’s not too grievous a loss.
Afternoon tea - I brought more food than they could eat! |
Many farewell speeches today - at assembly, Parents' Day and then the Official Farewell |
The students sang - "I am woman" , Celine Dion's "Goodbye's the hardest word" and the Tanzania National Parks song. |
Michael DJed the farewell and gave everyone an opportunity to speak |
The teachers danced too - the students always enjoy that! |
Michael wrote me a poem - Ombeni, Christina and Magreth read a verse each. |
They gave me many presents including a framed picture of me with the students |
Update on the vertical garden - over the holidays some of the seeds we planted germinated and we will have a crop of chinese cabbage and lettuce leaves to pick soon. We need to drill more holes in the guttering for drainage - the soil is saturated! Some of the best plants grew in the soil pile. The beans in the yoghurt pots have been transplanted from our "good soil" pile.
My final “tourist”
adventure was a trip to the northern crater region of Ngorongoro Conservation
Area to catch a glimpse of Ol Doinyo Lengai. It was a long day but we had excellent views. Two of the AVIs I was with intend to climb it before they return home.
Lake Empakaai
Ol Doinya Lengai
Next stop Namibia for 3
weeks of birding with Steve; then home to Hamilton to contemplate terms 3 and 4
at Baimbridge College. I’ll leave this for now and resume trying to cram all
the stuff I want to take home into one small suitcase with a 20kg weight limit!
* I've decided it can't be done. I now have a Hong Kong Shopper and extra kilos at Tsh10,500/= each.
* I've decided it can't be done. I now have a Hong Kong Shopper and extra kilos at Tsh10,500/= each.