Monduli, Tanzania

I've made it to the Maasae Girls' Lutheran Secondary School in the village of Monduli, about 30 min. west of Arusha, last Saturday. It's a lovely setting with very green mountains on one side. It seems very green even though it is the dry season. Rain came all night last night, but the real rains will come in March.

It's a boarding school for 6 grades, like our junior high and high school. There are around 250 girls, 70 just started Form 1 in January. Exams are very difficult and as a result there are only 20 girls in Form 6. All instruction is in English since all the exams are also in English. Their English skills vary greatly. The girls all have sponsors in the US, and everything is provided. (Google Operation Bootstrap for more information.)

I live in a lovely guest house (on the right side, Martha) which is just outside the fenced-in campus. The guest house is spacious and very nice. I am perhaps the only one with running water all the time and even hot water. It's attractively furnished and the kitchen is good. The electricity tends to go off sometimes in the evening. Now I understand why I was told to keep my flashlight nearby at night.

I'm establishing a schedule and a routine now that I have been here 4 days. The girls start with devotions at 7:10, but I open the library at 8:30. Now that I am here the library is open during the day, otherwise it was only in the evenings. I shelve a few books, but mostly I'm helping girls with reading, writing, grammar, conversation and some of the other subjects if I can. They often have excellent notes, but are unsure of vocabulary. Whoever wants to, can come by to study in the library and to get help.

I have tea with milk (chai) with the other teachers at 11, then work until lunch at 2:45 which I also have with teachers. Lunch consists of ugali, which is stiff while cornmeal mush with beans and greens or cabbage, or rice and beans. After that I rush right home and have a piece of fruit. Then rest for awhile. A teacher is helping me with Swahili 3 times a week. Later I go for a long walk. Evenings I read or listen to my pod casts.

There is no Internet service at the school, but here at the teachers' college there is. The connection is slow, but it's cheap and it works. All for now. Do email!