Outdoor Education with my Grade 5 Science class

My Grade 5 science class was able to have a once-in-a lifetime experience: for the past 3 days they lived and learned at SEEK (Suba Environmental Education for Kenya), where I am privileged to live. The instruction and various activities were focused on the environment, but were also integrated with related areas of science, and used English and math skills.  Morning devotions were done in Kiswahili, as well as some discussion of their science learning.  Translating what they learned into Kiswahili was not only a good language exercise, but it also made them think harder about what they had learned in science!

Our main teachers from SEEK: left to right: Maxwell (head gardener), Hezron (children's ministries and environmental clubs), David (environmental clubs in local schools), Don (the Pro... the one who, years ago, developed a cross-curricular educational program for 6th grade in South Africa, getting students out of the classroom and into God's Creation to learn and use all academic areas, and who co-founded SEEK and CGA with his wife, Nancy), Nick (office manager and 'go-to guy' for almost everyone who comes to SEEK).

 The next 3 photos show some 'group-building' games. Behind the students in the first 2 photos, is the camp's wonderful, giant sycamore fig tree, and the cabins for the students.
[Reminder: girls as well as boys are encouraged to keep their heads closely shaven; so, these are not all boys... there are 7 girls in the class!] 

The games move to the beach 

Now the work begins....

In small groups, students examine the animal life in a 10 cm x 10 cm square plot...  each group observing and recording their findings from a different part of the SEEK grounds. 

Don is teaching about habitats, and getting us ready to examine the array of plant and animal life in the micro-habitat of this giant sycamore fig tree.

Now on the beach, again in small groups, group members work together to investigate and record animal life in the sand and in the lake water. This engaging activity is a great reinforcement and review of our study of invertebrates and vertebrates... 

But:  With a school system focused on rote learning, on their all-important End-Term exams which begin tomorrow, will they be able to connect and use what they are learning in this fun activity when they take their Science Exam??

Julius and Stephen encourage another group's progress on the task.

Another review for our science exam...  examining the parts and functions of a plant, from the roots all the way up to the flower!

Nick led a valuable debriefing session before the children left yesterday.  He invited students to share their likes and dislikes about the camp.  I was not surprised at the results...  they had had 3 days in this beautiful environment, surrounded by adults who were interested in what they thought, eating generous quantities of delicious food! There was only 1 dislike: insect bites. Topping the list of 'likes' was 'meals'!  These contented, happy children continued volunteering their 'likes' : showers; games; experiments; comfortable cabins with electricity [solar power for 1 compact fluorescent bulb]; learning, including discussions and a video of "Planet Earth"; campfire Friday night; the breeze from the lake; watching the monkeys and other animals; the teachers; the environment; the absence of manual labor (i.e., the chores they do daily at home).  Yea for this last item; aren't kids honest? They really tell it like it is! 

[Note: my own children, as well as most Illinois students, very much enjoyed their 3-day Outdoor Education adventure 'roughing it', ie, getting out into nature and doing without the conveniences and ease of home. But for these students, this 'camping' experience and Outdoor Education was truly 'living in luxury', a wonderful treat away from the hardship and chores of their daily lives!!]

Ugandan Treat~~photos at bottom

I recently got to spend my 'birthday weekend' in Kampala, Uganda. What a fabulous treat that was: catching up with my long-time friend, Edward; and attending a Gukwa (Dowery) Ceremony with Edward's family.

It took me 12+ hours and 5 different kinds of vehicles to get from my home to Edward's: piki piki (motorcycle taxi), ferry, matatu (van), comfortable coach bus, and finally, a car. While I'd been able to meet Edward's 4 grown children last year when I was in Kampala, I hadn't seen Edward for 10 years, and I'd never meet Vasta, his wife.  So, (re-)connecting with them was so very special!
As many of you know, my interest in Africa began way back in 1963; so in January 1974 when Edward arrived at the windy, frozen Trinity Seminary campus to study, I enjoyed befriending this always-cold, charming student from a country of 'eternal spring' (his description of Uganda to me). I knew of Idi Amin's terrorizing rule of Uganda, and yet all   Edward said about Amin was that he was concerned about his family, because there would be long gaps between hearing any news from them.  
But now, 38 years later, in the comfort of his home, I was able to get the details...  to hear the news that he had been unable to utter back then! I learned that he had been smuggled out of Uganda in 1973 because he was one of the dissidents on Amin's 'hit list'. 'Earning' this designation started while he was a college student in Kampala: representing his university student group, with a few students from other Kampala universities,  they courageously met with Amin to respectfully protest his decision to evict Ugandans of Indian descent. Then, some years later, Edward had been forced to watch one of Amin's firing squads execute suspected rebels, one of whom was Edward's student at the time. This prompted Edward, a young deacon, to preach and sing songs of protest.  When his bishop learned that Edward's life was in danger, he arranged for Edward to flee, and to study in the US.  Once in the US, Edward needed to change his name, apply for refugee status, and not return home for 8 years. While using this time of exile, and getting his Masters and PhD degrees in the Chicago area I had no knowledge of the extent of his stress; for his own safety, Edward could not blow the cover that had been created. One small way I'm now able to appreciate what he went through at that time is that I can't imagine suddenly going 8 years with seeing my dear family and friends, and without eating any of the familiar and favorite foods from home!!! 

We spent much of one day at the Gukwa (Dowry, but read "bride-price") Ceremony of close family friends: Edward's daughter Tsimiine was an attendant for Grace, the bride. Both Edward's family and Grace's family are from tribes whose homes are in southwestern Uganda. All the African guests wore traditional dress, sewn in gorgeous fabrics!!  By the end of the day I'd learned to distinguish the Bafumbira (Grace's tribe, near the Rwandan border) style from the style worn by the Bakiga women (Edward's tribe).  After a feast of African foods, the modernized version of the Gukwa formalities began... with the 2 families sitting opposite each other across a wide lawn. Other guests were on the 2 remaining sides.  Speeches in the local tongues, and the presentations and acceptances of gifts were interspersed with very beautiful, colorful Bafumbira dancing, music and singing!! It was really fantastic!!!  Obushera (a fermented drink made from sorghum) was served in calabashes, then the couple cut and served the western-style wedding cake!  What an incredible privilege it was for me to be present at this ceremony!!

Edward and Vasta

Great drumming throughout!

The array of gorgeous dresses and fabrics begins...

Now for the Bafumbira dancing!

Bringing in the Gukwa gifts

The happy couple...  the Gukwa Ceremony is over; the wedding is in a week!