Thursday, 28 June 2012

Day 3: It takes time


I actually managed to see Mt. Meru today, the stately lady who looms large over Arusha. The clouds are a bit of a shroud but there are a few holes. This volcano (which last erupted in 1910 according to the ever helpful Wikipedia) sits as a centrepiece in Arusha National Park and can be seen from Kilimanjaro on a clear day. It adds to the beauty of the town. The sunshine also helps. 

A humorous moment earlier. Two representatives of PWC were talking about one of their trips to the field last week in Ngorongoro District, which, of course includes the great Serengeti. Apparently they were tootling along quite happily when they came face to face with 9 lions in the road. Unable to go around them they had to wait for them to decide to move on. I find I have this problem with busses sometimes; but the story doesn’t have quite the same impact at parties. 

It was the second day of training with PWC and CASEC – ‘training the trainers’ - and we looked at the ethical student-teacher relationship. It is a sad fact that a proportion of the abuse – sexual or otherwise – suffered by girls takes place in school. Melau, a Lawyer and Selina, a project officer, who work at PWC told the story of an 11 year old girl experiencing sexual abuse at the hands of her teacher who she went to for ‘extra tuition’. In order to try to catch him and prove that the girl was with him, they went, with a District Education Officer to his house; only to find that he had been warned that they were on their way. The teacher was transferred away from the district. 

Conversation today showed that there are many people complicit in this systematic abuse- as Melau said “for some, it is a business”. Bribes are given to police, to the victim, even within education itself.  But it also showed the passion of those combating it, and the difference which grassroots community based organisations such as our partners can make. Together we discussed different approaches which could be used; and the power of training students, teachers and head teachers together, making sure that every group has a voice.

There are existing structures for student leadership in the Tanzanian school system – clubs, and school councils. 10 schools CASEC works with have already agreed to invite students onto leadership teams to include them, and listen to their needs in school development and improvement. Together they can build relationships of trust, take ownership of their education and create a safe learning and teaching environment for everyone. Alfred Sakafu, Director of CASEC knows that it will take time “It’s a process. We are trying to mould good people, good citizens. When the students are adults – perhaps teachers – themselves; then we will see the benefits.”

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