I spoke with one of the women who takes care of the attendance books at school, who was sick with a cold. I mentioned that she should make sure she's drinking water and eating oranges (which are in season and cost about .10 each) and she said she couldn't afford to buy any. And she's not one to exaggerate these types of things.
That was yesterday. Today I went to the ATM at my bank, and as the machine was automatically dispensing 1 million Meticals (about $42), the polarity of these two situations was jarring.
Ellen sent me a great quote:
"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."
Thomas Edison
This has been highly motivating for me, mainly because it puts into words how I feel about what I can accomplish here in Mozambique. And it's really quite overwhelming what I can accomplish because of what I'm used to having to do to get anything done in the States. If you want to educate people on taking care of their personal health (e.g., HIV/AIDS) in the States, you have to convince them that they should be concerned about what you're presenting and also give them information they've never heard before. You have to vary the methods of presentation so you don't bore people. You can't give simple answers to complex problems without fully explaining yourself.
The fact that you CLAIM to have definitive information here and are willing to share it is enough to hold the attention of a fairly large crowd for a long time. All of a sudden, the obstacles you had in the States are gone and the smokescreen this rapid disintegration creates makes you believe it'll be REALLY EASY.
So you teach the material that you were prepared to sugarcoat, and feel great about the fact that the students are well-educated now.
But after a while, you realize they didn't really grasp what you had said. They know the words you said, but they don't understand how it's applied. They know condoms prevent the spread of HIV, but they don't understand that if you don't want to get infected, you have to use a condom.
It's this educator's plight - the gap between knowledge and understanding - that's so crucial to a school system or of any curriculum, be it HIV/AIDS or Biology. And if the educator doesn't see the difference, how will the students?
Unintentionally, this may be my biggest and quietest legacy here: changing the way a handful of students approach learning. Even though I'm making a concerted effort to have them understand instead of parrot, it's still the students who take it upon themselves to change their learning style or the students who have already developed this skill who will thrive in my classes.
And the teachers who try so hard but get stuck teaching the same old shit every year, because they know no other way, may in fact become infected by this same bug. If I can just "guest teach" one physics lesson, substitute an English class, watch a chemistry lesson and give constructive feedback afterwards, or just go over a lesson plan with another teacher, I know I can open a whole world of opportunity if they're ready and willing to see it. I can't cultivate the passion for this, but I can at least introduce them to another educational pathway.
And so, even in this established institution, there are a billion things I can do. Is it too overwhelming? Not yet. I know that every little bit helps, so even a half-assed effort is appreciated. Not that I would approach doing something half-assedly.
But really I know I'm capable of so much, so where do I begin?
Peace
John
