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| Parade going past our house this past weekend |
“I am only one man and someday I may leave.” I said. “I don’t want to see things stop when I leave. Other people, islanders, can teach the way I am teaching. I am even training some teachers now. Why don’t I do a class together with an island teacher? The students will see that the teacher is a good teacher. Then they can start teaching courses on their own and many more people will be learning English. That is my hope. That is my vision for English on Clove Islands. If it stays with me it will be small. But if others can teach, it will grow.”
My good friend shook his head. “You do not understand. Island teachers...they aren’t serious.”
“They can be serious,” I countered.
“But then the students—they will not want to come. They will not be serious. They don’t respect island teachers. Only mzungus (i.e. white foreigners).”
“But if an Islander taught the class well and was serious about it. Students would hear about it and it would grow. Slowly, but it would grow.” I pleaded. The sun dipped behind the horizon and the growing darkness surrounded us.
“No. It won’t work.” Sterehi replied again. “They have no respect for an island teacher.”
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| Megan and kids visiting a bride |
As a team we’ve been reading the book When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. It has been an excellent challenge to our understanding of how we go about helping the people of Clove Island. One of the best parts about being part of a team and reading things together is that many times we get to put into practice the things we are learning almost immediately. This week we were learning about the important role of the local people in any kind of development work.
The table below shows the different possible models of participation:
In our English teaching we strive for the last 3 models of participation. So who is right? Is my vision not right for the islands? Is it impossible? Is Sterehi defeatist? Can we find common ground? Is there another way? One thing is sure, until men like Sterehi believe islanders can teach English well, things will never really start to change.
This long slow process is repeated in so many scenarios. Our doctor and agricultural workers can relate to similar discussions in their fields. And it is especially poignant when we think of our greater hopes and dreams for these islands. Can leadership and teachers come from islanders themselves? Can they meet and talk and learn without the Mzungu organizing things? Who will take up the call? Who will catch the vision that we so desperately want to see caught? We can only wait patiently, come along side, cooperate, learn together, encourage and pray.
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| Kids outside bride's house |
We are thankful for all the things we are learning together as a team and the opportunities to put that learning into immediate practice. Pray that we can digest and understand what we are learning and make it applicable to our context. A worker from the smallest island came to visit this past week- it was encouraging to interact with him and have him meet our team.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for inspired vision from islanders themselves. Pray that we would know how to come along side and help. Pray for us as we try to do our best to help and neither hinder nor hurt. Keep praying for Ma Imani and her family. Things have settled down, but they are not truly reconciled. This coming week we have two of our old teammates from Volcano Island coming over to teach us and our team more about telling stories in the local language. Pray for their safe travel and for a good time learning together, especially as we try to include islanders in the things we are learning.
