Spare the Child

I kind of had a rough day today.

Last week, we held a “Safe School Environment” workshop for our Senior Men and Senior Women Teachers.  We spent three days informing these teachers about the importance and necessity of safe schools, as well as training them on the procedures and strategies to ensure safety.  The topics were wide and varied: midday lunches, reporting techniques, sexual harassment, corporal punishment, child labor, guidance and counseling, child abuse, etc.  My session was about corporal punishment.

For those that don’t know, corporal punishment is any type of punishment which inflicts pain, however light; this includes hitting, slapping, smacking, kicking, punching, beating, etc. with a hand or implement, such as a whip, cane, stick, wooden spoon, etc.  Obviously, corporal punishment is illegal in America.  If a teacher so much lays a hand on a child, they are instantly reported to the police where they may incur imprisonment or a fine and will most definitely suffering revocation of their teaching license.  In Uganda, as of 2006, corporal punishment was banned and made punishable by the law; however, nearly all officials and head teachers turn a blind eye to this legislature.  Corporal punishment is rampant in all schools, private or government, for all ages and sexes.  Most often, it takes form of caning, but it extends to slapping, pinching, hitting, etc.

Anytime I have discussed corporal punishment with a Ugandan, the conversation has always followed the same course.  I start by telling a teacher that caning is unacceptable, that corporal punishment is ineffective, that beating only creates a vicious cycle of violence, but their responses are either:

“Spare the rod, spoil the child.”  Unfortunately this proverb comes from the Bible, and it can be difficult to refute.

“An African child only hears from behind.”  As an American, they essentially shut me down immediately by refusing to believe that American and African children could learn or behave the same way.

To open my session, I reminded my teachers that although I am American, I have stayed with them for over one year.  I understand that their classrooms are overcrowded and classroom management can be difficult.  I asked them to please have an open attitude and mind about my session.  I asserted that I was not judging them, and I would not come to their schools on Monday morning with a police officer to arrest everyone with a cane in their hand.  I only begged that they would consider alternative discipline.

Corporal punishment has four major consequences:

1.    Physical: A light beating may not leave any physical evidence, but some will leave bruises or cuts on the child.  We are unable to know the history of every child; therefore, we may not know if beating a child will be harmful to their health.  For example, a teacher caned a young pupil “lightly,” but this child suffered from sickle cell anemia.  As result, this child was hospitalized for a few days.  I think it’s relatively self-evident how corporal punishment has physical consequences.

2.    Psychological/Emotional: As I have said before, we have no way of knowing the child’s history.  This child may suffer an unfortunate family life, and school may be the only place this children could possibly feel safe.  Corporal punishment robs children of a safe and nurturing environment, where they can properly learn.  Most teachers will argue that caning forces a child to learn; however, psychology tells us that is not the case.  I will try not to go into too much detail, but let me explain.  We have three parts to our brain, which function like building blocks.  The lowest section controls our bodily functions that we don’t even think about, such as breathing, blood flow, reflexes, digestion, etc.  The midsection controls our emotions and hormones.  The largest and top section is our forebrain, which handles the higher level of thinking that makes us human, such as language, critical thinking and decision-making.  If our lowest section is having problems, it shuts down the top two.  Therefore, if a child feels fear or anxiety in the classroom, which would automatically initiate a “fight-or-flight response” and a release of stress hormones, his mid-brain has just hijacked his brain.  No higher learning can be executed.  The child may be able to memorize answers as a means of survival, but he will not have a deep understanding of the material.  Furthermore, corporal punishment does not even teach the child what was wrong with their behavior, help them understand more appropriate behavior or give them methods for changing their behavior.

3.    Behavioral: When a child gets caned for misbehavior, he is registering two things: my teacher is angry or upset with me, my teacher is using violence as a means of expressing his disapproval.  Corporal punishment teaches children that violence is an appropriate means of conflict resolution.  As children, they will use violence to solve problems and to express their emotions.  As adults, this will contribute to domestic violence.  Men have learned that lashing out at their wives is acceptable, while women have learned that being beaten is also acceptable, which is called learned helplessness.  I gave the example of an experiment done to dogs where they were forced to stand on a pad that delivered them shocks.  In the beginning, they were restrained, and they would thrash about trying to avoid the shocks, but there was nothing they could do.  Later on in the study, the dogs’ restraints were removed, and they were free to jump off the platform.  Sadly, the dogs wouldn’t leave the platform.  They had accepted the abuse as normal and would just lie on the mat and whimper.

4.    Developmental: Most children that are beaten have some developmental issues, whether with maturity levels, sociability or learning difficulties.

If Peace Corps has taught me anything, it’s that development is painfully slow.  Change cannot happen over night.  I asked my teachers to please, try, and slowly slowly stop using corporal punishment, especially for minor offenses, such as wrong answers, late-coming, speaking Lunyole, etc.  I closed my session by asking how many teachers were caned in school for coming late.  Every teacher raised their hand.  And what time did we have start the workshop?  11 am, because everyone was so late.  So, does corporal punishment work?  I think not.  At least everyone laughed.

So why am I so bummed today?  I arrived at my center school to teach, but all the classes were in the middle of lessons, so I sat down to journal while I waited.  Out of the corner of my eye, I realized that P5 was causing some serious commotion with children pouring out of the doors and crowding around the windows.  As I approached, no teachers were in sight.  Children were fighting, beating each other and climbing all over the desks.  It wasn’t just two kids- it was the whole class.  I entered the class and gave P5 a stern lecture about appropriate behavior for big girls and boys.  I told them that if I found them fighting again today, there would be a punishment for the whole class, not just one or two children.  Within five minutes, I saw a boy rush outside to grab a stick and run back in to lash his classmates.  I couldn’t believe it!  So, the whole P5 class was punished by having to clean the school during their break in the afternoon.  I made sure they understood why they were being punished.  As I was finishing with them, one of their teachers finally comes waltzing in.  I explain the situation to him while trying to include the class.  I’m sure they were tired of hearing me talk, and I noticed some pupils were playing with their books or whatever.  I walked around the class picking up books and telling children to listen properly when a teacher is speaking.  What does my P5 teacher do in order to help me?  Smack a kid in the face with a stick.  Great.  I’m trying to tell them that beating is not an appropriate behavior.

As I left school feeling discouraged, I found a P6 boy beating a P1 girl.  That’s a 13-year-old boy beating a 6-year-old gisl.  Again, I couldn’t believe it.  The boy insisted that it was his sister, like that would make it any better.  Fortunately, I knew how to ask the little girl in Lunyole if that was true.  Nope.  This boy was beating a little girl, plain and simple.  I made him apologize, but I couldn’t dole out any more positive discipline.  I just wanted to go home.

Last Friday, I had considered attempting to tackle the problem of corporal punishment at my center school during my last year of service.  Today, I’m worried that not only will I be just a broken record to the teachers, but that I’ll lose motivation for everything.  It’s horrifying to face the daily child abuse and violence that occurs in schools.  If I don’t loose steam, I’m hoping to bring this amazing Tanzanian-based organization, Raising Voices, to my school for a more comprehensive training in positive discipline.  It would be amazing if my center school could be the model school for alternative punishment.  Sigh.  It will just be exhausting and disheartening to have corporal punishment constantly on my radar.

Happy Birthday Stache

I hope everyone remembers this lovely face; if not, let me remind you.  Before I left the states for my Peace Corps service, my younger brother, Grant, vowed to maintain a mustache for as long as I was in Uganda.  As of Saturday, Grant's mustache celebrated its one year birthday, which means I've officially been in Uganda for one year.  Earlier in the year, I got a phone call from Grant and asked him for an update on his 'stache.  "Well, when I tell people that I'm growing my mustache for two year, people say 'Man, that's so gnarly.'  Chels, I always tell them, 'No, what my sister doing is gnarly.'"  As one of my Peace Corps goals of service, I'm expected to teach (or at least raise awareness to) Americans about Uganda, and I think Grant's mustache has been one of the most unique ways to do that!  One of my favorite stories about his mustache: some girl asked Grant about his mustache.  Upon hearing Uganda, the girl exclaimed that she had toured through Uganda, and insisted that I must be living in the most beautiful country.  (Yes, Uganda is beautiful, but I'm not living at the Bujagali Falls Resort.)  Grant tried to argue with her that while it may be beautiful, I was living the village life, but the girl refused to believe that I could be even mildly uncomfortable.  Finally, Grant ended the conversation by saying "My sister lives in a concrete box!"  Thanks for standing up for my Peace Corps service, Grant!  Fetching water ain't no vacation.  Throughout the year, I've been amazed by and so grateful for the support I get from home: the costly skype phone calls, the awesome care packages, the emails, the blog views and comments, everything.  Peace Corps is all about challenging your expectations.  I certainly never expected to be supported by a mustache and to be so appreciative of one!

In a lot of ways, the last year has completely flown by.  In a lot of the ways, the year has completely dragged on.  In training, a volunteer told us, "The days go by so slow, but the months go by fast."  It didn't make any sense at the time, but it's totally true.  I've had so many days that seem to last forever, and I'm just waiting for the sun to set so I can go home; but I still can't believe it's already February.  By this time next year, I'll know the exact date of my return to America, which will most likely be in March or April.

Although I would love to say that I'm completely adjusted and that I never freak out, it would be a lie.  Just the other night, I had to abruptly end a phone call with my mom because I was convinced that there was a rat trying to snuggle up with me in bed and I couldn't find my flashlight.  Thankfully, I didn't have any snuggle buddies that night, but I was still tripping out.  I don't scream when I see a cockroach, but I'm not pleased when one scampers across my feet.  In fact, I think I've become more sensitive to certain things.  I have gotten in heated arguments with taxi conductors trying to rip me off because I am a foreigner.  I've lived here for a year- I know the prices!  If I'm in my village, I have little patience for the "Mzungu Mzungu" song that every Ugandan child seems to know.  I have even less patience for adults addressing me as mzungu.  Despite these small challenges, I have managed to create a mostly comfortable lifestyle in my village where most people know my name- Negesa!

When most people think of Peace Corps, they think that volunteers must be selfless people.  In practice, a selfless volunteer usually ends up becoming an unhappy volunteer.  Over the last year, I've learned that it's impossible to completely put your needs or wants aside for Peace Corps.  Of course you can't be needing hot showers every day, but there are certain things volunteer must do for themselves to remain, well, sane.  A volunteer that doesn't take care of themselves, physically and emotionally, won't be able to accomplish very much.  And usually isn't very fun to be around for anyone!  It took me a while to figure out how to make me happy and healthy, but I think I've found a good balance between Chelsea and Negesa.  Chelsea needs oatmeal with Jif peanut butter in the mornings, exercise in the evenings, keeping up with her journal, talking to PCVs and people from home, watching the occasional (or many) Friends episodes, reading books, wearing trousers outside the village, traveling on some weekends and her iPod on the taxis.  I still have good days and bad days, but at least now I know how to manage my bad days with some TV, hot cocoa or a phone call.  And that I always have the freedom to claim a mental health day.

I have a pretty good idea of what the next year will bring, but I am sure I will have to remain flexible because Peace Corps has taught me not to rely too heavily on any expectation.  Still, I hopefully will accomplish a number of programs that I feel really strongly about and get to enjoy all the friends I've made in the last year.

Thanks for all the support I've had from you all at home!

Meetings of Endurance

Meetings in Uganda tend to be a feat of endurance, while meetings in America are more likely to resemble a sprint.  Even after spending one year in Uganda, I still struggle with the cultural differences with respects to meetings, which is unfortunately because I go to many.

Generally speaking, meetings usually start on “African Time.”  To put this in perspective, if an American scheduled a meeting for 9 am, you would get there by 8:55 am just in case, right?  You don’t want to be that person that tries to sneak in quietly at 9:05 only to scrape your chair against the floor as you take a seat, and the whole room turns to judge you.  In Uganda, if a meeting is supposed to start at 9 am, you’ll be lucky if it starts by 11 am.  Even though I am well aware of this cultural norm, I still manage to be the first one to most meetings.  I try to set a good example, but I’m also eternally optimistic that we’ll start only an hour behind!

Every meeting needs to have an agenda, which is either posted in the room or written on the blackboard.  Usually, they look something like this:

1.     National Anthem

2.     Prayer

3.     Introductions

4.     Communication from the chairman

5.     Speech by:

6.     Reactions and remarks

7.     A Way Forward

8.     Closing

Agendas such as this are common even for meetings of five people!  Usually, they are closely followed, unless a “big person” drops in.  When I say “big people,” I don’t mean physically big people!  Anyone that holds an important role, such as the District Education Officer or a local council member, is considered to be “big people.”  When they happen to drop by, whether they are on the agenda or not, the attending members are expected to rise and welcome them.  The big person will be given the best seat, an introduction from the chairperson and unlimited talk time, even if we started two hours behind.

Regardless of location, a prayer is said at every meeting, including schools.  It used to make me feel really uncomfortable to be standing in a classroom with my head bowed as someone prayed over us.  After 12 years in a public school, it ironically seemed like a sin to pray out loud at school.  Ugandans are equally shocked that we don’t teach religion in school, which is a testable subject here.

If you want good attendance and a happy audience, it’s very important to provide food.  In college, we used food to attract people to events and information sessions, but I would never expect a school to cater a PTA meeting.  Shorter meetings just serve a soda as a treat; however, day-long meetings are expected to serve “lunch.”  More often than not, I do not consider it lunch, but an early dinner.  The meal is not served until the meeting is over; otherwise, people would leave once they were fed.  I am not exaggerating when I say that multiple times, I’ve left my house for a meeting at 9:30 am and was not served “lunch” until 5 pm.  The rice and meat always tastes so good!  Some meetings will serve tea around midday.  Even if I don’t like the snack, I force it down with expectations to be starved later.

Most meetings I attend are with teachers, head teachers or college tutors, so language usually is not a problem.  I have attended four meetings that are General Parents Meetings.  Many parents do not understand English very well, so the meeting is conducted exclusively in Lunyole.  During these meetings, I can understand about 10-25% of the content.  I tend to drift in and out of concentration, despite my best efforts to appear focused.

Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be to have your cell phone ring in America during a meeting?  Again, people would be turning to shoot you disapproving and censorious (GRE WORD!) looks.   In Uganda, it is common for cell phones to ring every 15 minutes, which phases no one.  Furthermore, it is completely appropriate to either A) leave the meeting, even if you were one speaking, B) try to bend over in your chair and quietly answer it.  I believe this is acceptable because in Uganda, you spend airtime to call someone, but not to answer.  So, if you do the American polite thing and silence the call, you’re costing yourself money because you’ll have to call that person back!

Meetings will always be a source of annoyance for me, but I have learned a number of ways to maintain my sanity.  (NOTE: I only do these things when the meeting is not applicable to my position or me!  Of course, I pay attention when I should.)

1.     I do not allow myself to open any notebooks for the first hour.  During the first hour, I can usually pay attention without wanting to melt down.  After that, I can spend time planning for the next week, writing to do lists, writing new English stories for my classes and doodling.

2.     If I’m given a “working soda,” I try to make it last as long as possible, even if I just want to gulp it down.

3.     I quiz myself on the people in the meeting: their names, the schools they work at, etc.

4.     As you noticed above, I’m trying to study GRE vocabulary.  I’ve started to carry my flashcards with me everywhere.  I think they are more discreet than blatantly reading a book, although some PCVs do.

5.     Sudoku.

6.     Daydreaming.  Common topics: American food, my next vacation, my last vacation, my life after Peace Corps, American food.

7.     Although I don’t do this as much anymore, I used to spend a lot of time counting the number of days, weeks or months I’ve been in service and tried to determine how much time remained.

I admit that I’m looking forward to attending American meetings again, but I am concerned that it will take a while for me to readjust.  In the first few months, I may show up hours late, answer my cell phone mid-meeting and demand lunch.  Mostly, I’m worried that I will be unable to control my ability to zone out for hours at a time.  Thankfully, I don’t have to put that handy skill on my résumé.  Otherwise, I may never get hired.