School in Africa!

School in Africa

Teacher, hostel manager, cook, brother, butcher... that's what I've been in Sumbawanga for the past few weeks!

I started teaching at the 'St. Maurus' secondary school. I taught 'Form 1a, b, and c' (8th grade) English. Each class had about 55 students aged 13-22, which was quite a challenge at first! I tried to create a slightly different teaching environment because the local teaching style is 100% lecture-based... I encouraged independent thinking, imagination, creativity, and collaboration through different exercises and tasks. I also focused on speaking and communication because language is a living thing.

I could always hear my students screaming with excitement from afar, and they were always incredibly happy when I entered the classroom. A very nice feeling! But it was really not easy to teach such a large class where everyone had to actively participate. However, after just a few days, I saw progress and increased self-confidence in the students. They learned a lot from me during those weeks, not only about topics like 'Germany/Tanzania,' but also about how to speak in front of others, use their own imagination and ideas, learn from each other, and accomplish something together... something that is completely ignored in this school system.

After that, I taught 'Pre Form 1' for a week (the pre-school for the secondary school). It's a great project to prepare students for 'Form 1' and is led and organized by the brothers. It was a camp consisting of two very large tents, which were the classrooms. Luckily, I no longer had 50 students per class... Instead, now it was 120 per class! Unbelievable! But it was possible to have effective and good teaching, even without the cane that was offered to me right at the beginning... discipline!

Yes, besides the joy of learning and teaching and the fun with the students, there is also a completely different side of school life.

After lunch, I would go to the hostel (the school's dormitory) and help with various things until the evening. After a few days, I also became the hostel manager. I witnessed daily punishments with the cane or physical abuse right in front of my eyes. I also saw 13-year-olds engaging in prostitution and many other difficult problems. It was a very fun and exciting time, but also a damn tough and difficult time at the school and in the hostel.

Now I only eat with my hands, I have learned how to cook traditionally on a burning wood, how to slaughter chickens and cows, and how to buy and prepare 300 fish at the market. The real African life... The tall white guy in the middle of black Africa, but proving himself every day.

The life of the students is very, very simple, even though it is a private school and money is paid for the hostel. The circumstances are very challenging. Each student essentially only has a bed and a small metal box for their personal belongings. The daily meals consist of ugali (a maize porridge) and beans, and only if there is enough money, we buy 300 fish on the weekends to have something special to eat on Sundays. It's unimaginable. That's why I brought mangoes, bananas, or sweets for all the students almost every day... to bring them a little joy and variety in their lives.

Despite everything, the students are very funny and cheerful and constantly have sports tournaments or small celebrations, all with the simplest means.

At this point, I would like to thank everyone who has donated to my project. I was very happy when I saw the list of donations! I thank you not only on my own behalf, but also on behalf of all the brothers, teachers, doctors, and above all, all the students! Thank you very much! And the best part is that I can see exactly what the money is being used for. With the initial donations, we were able to complete the house for the X-ray machine. So your donations really arrive directly in western Tanzania!

For those who still want to donate or support my project during Christmas, you can do so here:

Tanzania Tumor Aid

Heidelberger Volksbank

IBAN DE06672900000000032000

BIC GENODE61HD1

With the subject line: Julius Kosarz Tanzania

Thank you very much and greetings from distant Africa to cold Germany,

Julius Kosarz