Aang Serian Secondary Community School, May 2005

Mark announces Ashumu's placement change from Pre-Form I up to Form I to the rest of the student body, a great achievement!

It's not called a dungbeetle for nothing! This one has been rolling this ball o' dung to a safe place in which to place her babies.

Maasai warriors. Most wear three blue and red rubegas for their daily dress. However, blue is now the "in" color.

Haley blending in as a Maasai morani warrior. Nice stick!

Maasai mother with baby boy

The inside of a boma hut. There is always a fire burning and chai ready to drink with guests. Off to the sides are rooms with beds made on sticks and branches covered with a cow hide. Baby goats and cows also have a holding corral inside the house, so the saying that they literally sleep with their animals is correct.

Teachers Kaefus, L, and Jackson,R, work with the primary students in planting the school's own vegetable garden. Aang Serian is in the beginning stages of planting it's own garden as well with Kaefus' help. He also teaches our school's Environmental courses.

Saif helps Namelo with her drawings

Leboy concentrating on his sketch in art class

Ashley with Primary school students

5-lane highway, Eluwai-style

Eluwai greenery after the long rains

Kauka and Saif help dig the Land Cruiser out of the mud in Eluwai. Haley looks on.

This cutie has become our school dog. We named her "Tanga," which is short for tangawezi, the Kiswahili word for "ginger," because we think she's that sort of color.

This is a branch we pass on our walk to Monduli juu. We think of "him" as the Dreamworks boy you see fishing from the moon at the beginning of a film.

Maasai women in the area have a meeting at the school to discuss ways in which to make extra money for their families, either by making and selling charcoal, beaded jewelry or fruits and vegetables from their farms

Karibu!

Cows graze while students wait for class to begin after lunch break.

Mama ng'ombe and calf

Eluwai Primary school students walking through the secondary school grounds. Without fail, the students walk by and wave vigorously to the teachers every day....

Students Elias (L) and Miliary (R)

Activities for the month of May at Aang Serian Community School have been running very smoothly. In the beginning of May, the school staff was able to give Mark a proper farewell with dinner in Arusha and a night on the town. Saif also officially finished his time at Aang Serian in Mid-May. Since, we've acquired a new volunteer named Pete Louis from Fresno, California. After teaching beginning English for a year in Brazil and El Salvador, he's come to Aang Serian to teach for six months until December, the end of this school year. With a great "hands on" and activity focused approach, he brings a lot to the students every day, with a great sense of energy. One of the greatest events to happen to the school, and to Haley's coursework, was the obtaining of a complete Chemistry Set from donations in London!! (We get very excited over the little things out in the bush!) She says it can be quite difficult explaining certain chemical reactions and changes of states without the students being able to watch the actual reaction. First, the class had to review "Safety in the Laboratory." Unfortunately, we have not yet constructed a school science lab, we hope the Tanzania government will understand our lack of investment in such a project thus far!
Now, if you were to take the medical histories of both Ashley and Haley, who would you think has already contracted Malaria?? If you guessed Ashley, you would be correct. And it only took 4 months! After a wonderful sleepless night of GI issues (use your imagination) and tapika (throwing up) the blood test at the local Marie Stopes Clinic revealed a 2 parasite per 100 blood cell count in her blood. As if the "African Initiation" of the M-bug wasn't enough, Ashley's body also decided to develop a kidney infection, just for an added touch. Somehow, we were not convinced that the back and chest pain she developed was caused by pneumonia, as the "doctor" in Monduli suggested (as it gets really, really cold in the village), so Ashley boarded a bus to Dar to see some other doctors and have friend Penny take care of her. After 2 weeks of extra anti-malaria prophylactic, pain pills, anti-nausea meds and cypro, she was back to normal. Thank you to everyone for all the prayers for a quick recovery!!
On May 3rd, the boy's football (soccer to you Americans!) team played against a rivaling team from nearby Monduli juu. It was the social event of the term! All the students attended and cheered madly and rushed the field when student Paulo scored a goal in the first 5 minutes. Unfortunately, the other team scored in the second half, and sent a miraculous header into the upper-v in the last 3 minutes of the game, to end with a loss of 2-1. The students enjoyed the game, however, and we plan to have more games in the future to settle the score.
Aang Serian was lucky to employ the help of Megan Kennedy as well. On a Watson year, she has landed in Arusha and taught classes in Geography and Art in Saif's absence. All teacher's are preparing for preparing for terminal examinations the third week in June, so reviews in class have begun.

Sponsoring a Student

Aang Serian Secondary School is a non-profit organization and is fully run by means of donations, sponsorships and volunteers giving their time as teachers and administrators. Though the school has currently enrolled over 50 students, there are many students in Tanzania who are unable to acquire an education because their families are unable to afford school fees for their children. Though most schools charge more, students at Aang Serian can attend school for only $13 USD per month. That fee includes classes, food and boarding at the school dormatory. If interested in helping sponsor a student or contributing to the school, please contact Gemma Enolengila at enolengila@yahoo.co.uk or