Bana ba Metsi

I remember being told at school that one should never begin a speech with an apology of any sort: I would like to apply the same principle to blogging, only I really have let it fall off the radar and have been sitting with this post in the Drafts folder for at least a week. Sorry!

Where were we? Holidays, and I believe I last wrote about Victoria Falls. After our Zambia trip, we spent the last week of our holiday in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana, visiting the two Project Trust volunteers at Bana ba Metsi school. I'm really hoping that I get this right - Bana ba Metsi is a school for boys from vulnerable backgrounds that aims to enable them to improve their prospects for the future. Many of the pupils are orphans, and some have never received a full, formal primary education; attending the school offers respite from very difficult circumstances and the opportunity to obtain their primary school qualifications. One of the most ingenious aspects of the school, however, is that alongside their education, the boys are also taught practical skills like joinery, carpentry and agriculture, and they use these to contribute towards the school community. While we were there, for example, the students were working on the plumbing for the new toilet block, and had already thatched the roof themselves. I dread to think what would happen if you let a power drill loose in one of our classes, but they were brilliant with it - by the end of the session, we left with all members of the group, all digits in tact and a decent start on the project.

It was fascinating to visit the school, and it is particularly interesting to see a country from the perspective of the volunteers: while most visitors to the Delta flew in expensive planes over our heads, we spent a day travelling on a bus,a  combi, a ferry and a truck with one loose door to find ourselves right in the middle of the bush and surrounded by the world's greatest inland delta. We did end up staying one more night than originally planned (perhaps a foolish decision given the 3 day trek back to Tses that was to follow), but it was certainly worth it. In the company of two more Scots and a German, all of whom are musically talented and have a small orchestra of instruments with them, we had a rather bizarre music evening after watching the sun set by the river and before a wonderful braai featuring fillet steak and...just fillet steak. A fantastic end to a truly wonderful holiday.

And now we're back in business here in Tses! Last week was nominally the first week of the new term, but it was a strange start: Monday was the first day for the staff; Tuesday was the first day for the few kids that turned up, only to be sent home at 9am; Wednesday was the first full day of school, but the kids had neither books nor pens; Thursday was our first real attempt at actually trying to do some schoolwork;and then on Friday, we had a condensed timetable to make way for an Africa Day celebration. School is also somewhat chaotic, as one teacher is on study leave for a month and so Caitlin and I are covering his classes as well as our own timetable. We are both exceptionally busy, and perhaps I am mad to say so, but I'm quite enjoying it. Most of my timetable is now consumed by his English classes, which I do like teaching, and I have only Grades 5 and 6 for that (sorry Grade 7, I'm assuming none of you have found this blog yet!). I'm still flying around at 100mph with a to-do list as long as my arm, and I can see that this term could become stressful in a way that Africa typically isn't, but I have never enjoyed a challenge more. More soon!