Hello!

And I am well!

Corrupt

So the past couple of weeks I have been proctoring exams at the college. So for either 4, or 8 hours a day, 6 days a week for the past 2 weeks I have been meandering around a classroom, ensuring students finish their exams appropriately. Most interesting thing in regards to proctoring (besides the fact that rather than "proctor" they call it "invigilation") was seeing some of the exam questions. From Biology, to Chemistry practicals, to History, Geography and Development Studies, I was their to see them all. In Geography exam, the students were required to create a map of North America, outline the Cotton Belt, and explain the Cotton Belt's origins in regards to the slave trade and how things have changed since. In the Chemistry practicals, well let us just say wearing open-toed shoes and using one's mouth to pipette liquids is a common and recommended practice, because there are no other means to do certain experiments because of the lack of equipment and proper facilities. I felt as though my mind was wandering to an imaginary place as I was breathing in so many toxic fumes. Rat dissection in Biology Practical. Very interesting experience, and beneficial to see how exams were administered-in a very formal British-style (hmm...the educational foundation of Uganda is from who? the Brits). Anyways, sadly enough the students have all left now for School Practice-in essence student teaching-therefore the campus will be very quiet for quite some time. Typically the lecturers would all go out to a different distrcit and observe the students, and give them marks, but since I have a mandatory training for Peace Corps in the middle of July, this would cut in to my observing, therefore I will be given, or rather find my own work at the college over the next couple months. Fortunately there are a number of projects I can focus my efforts on. Still we are working with proposals to get internet at the college. The college has 10 relatively new Dell machines (though which is not nearly enough for the amount of students) but 99.9% of the staff and students lack proper instruction or knowledge in computers, therefore that is where I come in to develop a program. But in regards to internet we are working to get it but the school being so strapped for cash and in terrible debt, the money is not there therefore outside funding is key, but is very difficult to come by. Having internet would assist students in not only introducing the world wide web in general computer usage, but allowing students to search for modern information, etc. Also we are starting a Guidance and Counseling sector at the college, emphasising AIDS information and outreach, as werll as personal guidance. The school has never had any sort of sector, so myself as well as two of the other lecturers are developing this program, so I feel that within the next couple of months I will have many good opportunities to get this program rolling so by the time the students return in September or October, we can introduce it properly. Still of course looking to get newer books, etc over here and also, assuming that books will come some time, I will eventually begin looking for funding to renovate the library. One day I will get pictures for you all so that you can see the state and conditions of the college. In a nutshell, besides the whole of Uganda struggling in the education sector, this college specifically, NTC Kaliro is worse off than most. The Principal who currently is seated at the college has only been there for about 2 years, and the Principal prior was apparently one of the most corrupt people one could imagine (in regards to educational administrators in Uganda). During his decades of being Principal, he personally took many allocated funds to the college (helped by an insider high up in the Ministry of Education) and with that money built multiple houses and his own private secondary school in the city of Jinja, causing the school to fall in to the catastrophic state it currently sits in. From Academic factilities to the student/staff housing to the Admin Offices, these were all clearly top of the line facilities when they were constructed in the early 1970s by missionaries, but currently struggle to remain standing in a state reminiscent to a still-frame of a Hollywood-esque internment camp bmomb explosion. I hope that you can get the picture. Broken-glass scattered over walking paths and and plants growing out of cracks in the cement on the ceiling is not proper, nor is the economical battle that faces the whole of the Education sector here in Uganda.

Just for a taste of the lack of rationale in this country. Students every day get pousha (excuse my spelling, but essentially rather than mashed potatoes, dried and cooked corn flour in this state) and some beans for lunch and dinner, they also get tea during the day. Well due to the international food crisis the prices of foods have risen dramatically, especially for many of those living in the village, or those severely struggling to survive. The students at the college were told one day that their last weeks of classes/exams there would be no more sugar (for porridge and tea) and that the Ministry of Education has actually cut funding, therefore seeking added funding for food was necessary. HONESTLY?!@?!?! What is the sense, where there is already a food crisis, to LOWER funding?!!!! I just get speechless at the thought, and tehre is no rhyme or reason to act in this way...but it happens this way, and people live, and die this way, and I don't know. I don't know what is wrong. Why, on many other instances or occasions do the actions of others fall in such an analogous way to be so indecent to the rest of societies and others.