School Programs

We walk to the school early each morning, carefully stepping around puddles and cow pies while dogging sheep as shepherd boys herd them up into the hills to graze. We are taking over the Nakaale School, so to speak, and we have been doing it all week. With so little teaching actually occurring in the Ugandan public school system, classes are easily disrupted and the teachers joyfully hand over their students to be taught by the missionaries for an hour or two each morning.

In America, one would call what we have been doing a VBS or Vacation Bible School. Here, we simply refer to it as a “program.” Bible stories, science lessons, health clinics and colouring sessions are all wrapped up in one morning’s worth of program.

I say “We” somewhat blushingly—Maria and I joined the crowd of teachers every day this week, but all we mostly helped with was crowd control and the passing out of crayons. Truthfully, it was the others—missionaries and visitors alike—who taught. Still, Maria and I went along, helping where we could, talking to the students and scolding the younger children when they misbehaved.

When we arrive, the children stand in lines, properly queued according to grade. One teacher shouts as they march in place, repeating phrases and shifting their feet like a proper military outfit. It is a performance for us; a small attempt to impress and make us think that the primary school is organized and efficient. But the assembly is mostly show, just like the pot of water boiling over the fire behind the school.

“It’s for morning porridge,” we are proudly told. The government gives food to every school so that the teachers can provide morning porridge (in addition to a midday meal) to all of the students. The children come, armed with their plastic bowls and buckets from home, ready to be fed. But rarely is porridge, or lunch, available. Most of the food portioned out for the children is sold by the teachers for a little extra cash and when visitors like us arrive in the morning, the porridge pot proudly boils. But its only ever water; a ruse.

This week, our five-day program is cut short. Though we arranged with the Headmistress to teach lessons Monday through Friday, they entire school shall be at a music complementation come Friday.

Next week there will be another week long School Program at the school of Alamacar. Hopefully, there shall be more students around all five days. Maria and I, however, shall be absent for the first three days. We are off to Jinja on a short family holiday.

Cheers.