Mwalimu (teacher) Evie at SEGA. Monday 26 September. Term 4 starts.

 7.05am...First day of term waiting at the end of my track on Dodoma Rd for Sablano and the Day girls to collect us.

To put some light on our story so far:

Poor Evie....she had really had the Tz experience everything done...even showering, by candles..no fridge so food spoiled... all so regular in Tz!!.....We couldn't restore the umeme until late on Sunday night....The fundis who had been working on my house before I had gone to Dar to meet Evie, 12 days prior, had blown a fuse and my house had not had electricity since then. We had checked fuses etc when the umeme failed to return after adding the new voucher... but needed to be restored by the umeme fundi. Lights on and a meal prepared by the illumination of electricity.....

15 minutes of umeme then Tanesco decided to take it away from us and put us back in the dark! 

Dinner by candlelight again! 

Just as well Evie loves candles!

 Mmmmmm....I knew we had left my place at 7am as the bus usually arrives 7.10am

At 7.30am, thinking that the bus must have had problems, I rang Sablano to be told...

"Oh Madam Fran we already nearly at school!!"

Sablano is the only Tz consistently early!

We had not only missed the bus but missed the ride with Peter, the school driver as he had a car full of teachers so I had to call taxi Moodie...again!

Hamna shida...no problem...we still arrived at school in time for assembly and to have the girls greet Evie with their warmly sung Welcome Visitors song. It always makes me smile!

  The ever thoughtful Happy Job with her welcome notice.

As it was the start of term the PreFormals were busily cleaning their environment before lessons could begin. I left Evie with them on tour of the school and their gardens and sharing their morning as I quickly opened Kelly and waded through the log of 'to dos'...

 Nasura, Sauda, Evie, Vaselista (front)

 Unbeknown to me, Evie was not joined by a Tz teacher for the whole 4 morning lessons. In true teacher form she jumped in and organised some productive activities using the reading books she had brought from Aus.She and her friends and some of our family had donated them to our library for which we are truly thankful....

ASANTE SANA rafiki zetu tamu.THANK YOU SO MUCH our dear friends.

 8am - 11.20am...Evie held the fort in the classroom then was relieved to be escorted the kitchen bundas to enjoy a Chai break of  Mkete, karunga siagi na chai tamu. Bread rolls, peanut butter and sweet tea.

The girls started to arrive at my outdoor office in the big bunda as we wound down our intense, but productive meeting between the English staff: myself, Maraji Magonja and Kennedy Wilson.

We were busily planning our Intensive English program using the Baseline curriculum originally developed by the Tz government together with VSO; and the SEGA Comprehensive English program....both which we have successfully implemented as the Pre Formal curriculum for this term. It was a rushed start and there are challenges we will iron out, but it is happening!! That is certainly a fantastic achievement and a real reflection on the willingness of our current staff to have a go at new things. Let's hope it keeps going well as our girls are so keen to master their English!

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Evie and I with my dear friend and dada Rehama Choga...She welcomed Elena, Camilla and I into Tz and taught us how to survive Tz style!

From Chai to observing classes then back for more food at lunch: Ugali, maharage na chungwa. Ugali and beans and an orange.

Enjoying the spontaneous Kiswahili/English lessons and seated with Suzana, on the way home.

Tume choka...We were tired!

 "Kwa Heri...Goodbye Madam Yvonne and Madam Fran...See you tomorrow, Have a good night...Usiku mwema.  Mungu ibariki sisi, God Bless you."

The girls always say this to me as I leave them but now they are practising English in every part of their day so it is always said in English. I get chastised if I use Kiswahili!