Mo's African Adventure

After my amazing day at the school I headed home to Gecko Creek. Because the bridge is still flooded out, I headed out of town on the old, mountain road. Just beyond the town there was a cut-off to the left with a road sign indicating it went into the Cederberg. I remembered that Ingrid had pointed out a road near Algeria, on the other side of the mountain pass from Gecko, and said that it took you to Clanwilliam. I wondered if that was the same road and whether I should take it to find out.

The weather forecast had promised rain for today and the thought occurred to me that deep cloud cover would make the mountain pass back to Gecko impassable. I scanned the horizon and indeed the blue sky was overcast to the south with the cloud cover descending on the top of the mountains. Still, it looked as if the rain was still a ways off and I decided to chance it, hoping I could turn back if the conditions changed.

The road began as many of the other mountain roads do here, rather nondescript. A scar scraped into the side of the mountain with rocks, sand and scrub bush strewn around. Then, as it descended into the valley I began to sense that I was in for a treat. There ahead lay a ribbon of sandy, red soil, snaking along through the base of the valley, safely nestled deep between majestic peaks on both sides. I was happy to see that the road was indeed low in the valley so I continued on, secure in the knowledge that if the weather closed in I would be able to turn around and head back being safely beneath the cloud cover.

Once again I passed beautiful, well organized citrus farms, charming guest cottages and campgrounds and remote mountain dwellings as I travelled along. It was a serene feeling. The road snaked along between the mountains and took me deep along a trench within the mountain range.

I began to scan up ahead hoping to see familiar landmarks that would indicate I was headed in the right direction to Algeria but none were to be seen. The weather was deteriorating slightly but still not to the degree that I was overly concerned. Running into trouble on these remote mountain passes would not be good but I soldiered on.

Just about the time that I was beginning to wonder if I was even on the right road I suddenly crested a hill and intersected the road that runs from Algeria to Gecko. Smug as I was, I must admit to a slight feeling of relief that I was no longer wandering around aimlessly in the heart of the Cederberg.

The weather was still holding and the scenic drive over the mountain pass was uneventful. I was convinced that the most challenging part of my journey was behind me and I would soon be enjoying a cup of Rooibos Tea with Ingrid. But once again, things are seldom that easy in South Africa!

I descended the mountain pass and smiled as I turned into the lane to Gecko. The bottom gate is directly beside the road and encloses the lower pasture. There, standing on the other side of the gate were four cows. The big cows were busy foraging around and not paying much attention but the calf! He was bound, bent and determined that he was coming over to see what was going on.

Without thinking too much about it, I hopped out of the car to go over and open the gate. I stepped inside, and realizing that I would have to navigate the gate without allowing the cows to escape, I began to shoo the cows away. They slowly moved off a little piece and I turned and began to walk back to the gate. I was almost at the gate when I realized that the little calf was heading back to the gate too and I would need to shoo him off again. Once again he scampered away only to follow me back to the gate yet again. By now this game was getting old and I was really looking forward to that cup of tea with Ingrid so I gave it a really concerted effort, running down the lane (in the dress I had worn to visit the school) madly waving my arms above my head and screaming like a banshee.

This time the calf took off toward the group of cows. His speedy retreat raised the interest of one of the other animals and it turned to look at me with a rather intent gaze. Along about that time I began to question the wisdom of my actions. I had assumed that these would be like North American cows; rather benign blobs, easily managed but there was something in the way that brown one was looking at me that gave me pause for thought.

I looked at the group a little more closely and realized my mistake. What I had assumed were a group of three cows and a calf turned out to be two cows, a calf … AND A BLOODY BIG BULL. You can imagine who was doing the running now. Safely on the opposite side of the fence again I sat in the safety of my car and contemplated the situation. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the absurdity of it all but after a few minutes the group moved off, obviously having lost interest in the little game. I safely navigated the rest of the drive up the lane and I’m not sure when I have enjoyed a cup of tea more!

Today (Tuesday) is a day I have looked forward to with much anticipation. Today I visited the first of several schools in the area.

Sederberg Primer is a very large school within the town of Clanwilliam. It is what we would refer to as an elementary school, teaching Grades 1 – 9 and it is 100% coloured and black students. It was a fascinating day!

I arrived, as arranged, at 8:30 in the morning and met with the principal. He was an extremely interesting man, 41 years in the education system and passionate about raising the standards and opportunities for coloured and black children.

Before I go on I should say that the things that I will write about here are not to be construed in any way as judgements but rather observations of the similarities and differences between education in Canada and South Africa. These are amazing people who are doing excellent work within the system they are given.

Sederberg Primer is a “no fee” school. That means it is akin to our “Public” system schools. Anyone, black, coloured or white, are free to go there and receive free education. There is no charge for them to attend school. The reality, however, is that no whites attend this school, preferring instead to attend the user pay system of schools. (More about them later as tomorrow I will spend the day in one of them.)

The schools in South Africa are funded based on a five-tier rating of the socio-economic make up of their school population. Sederberg is a “Quintile 2” school which means that its school population is very poor. Almost all of the children there come from
single parent families with absentee fathers. Those fathers that are in the home are often extremely violent and abusive as alcoholism is a very big problem here. Almost all of their parents are unemployed and living on state subsidy. When asked if the social system caused problems in the school, the answer was vehemently “yes.” In South Africa family life is still hugely patriarchal. According to the principal, the absence of a father in the home leaves children without the father figure who is representative of discipline and respect. This, of course, carries over into the classoom.

Having said all of this, parents are very respectful of the education process itself. Parent involvement in education is generally supportive although the principal was quick to point out that he was born and raised in Clanwilliam, he is active in the community and is the church organist, and so personally is respected in the community which helps.

Because of their “low” rating, this school receives excellent funding by South African standards. All of the student’s books and supplies are supplied for them as well as them receiving two meals per day at the school. When asked if he felt the school was adequately funded, the principal responded that, yes, he felt they were very well funded indeed. It is interesting to note that they do not have a library but are very proud of the fact that they are in the process of establishing one. They have just ordered $10,000 worth of books and it is hoped that the library will be up and running by the beginning of the next school year. They do not have computer technology in the classrooms but they do have a computer lab and the children receive periods of instruction there.

The physical building, while aging, was extremely well kept. It was spotlessly clean … and I mean spotless! The floors were shining, there was fresh paint everywhere and obvious pride was evident in the care and upkeep of this building.

Over 1,100 students attend this school, which hardly seems big enough to accomodate nearly that many … and it isn’t. There are 34 teachers here. Do the math. Even if all teachers were in front of students 100% of the time, that means an average pupil to teacher ratio of 33:1. In the Grade 7 class there are 58 students; in the Grade 8 class, 60. That, coupled with the fact that the classrooms are extremely small (for you Blyth PS folks, about the size of our stage) means that they are packed in with barely enough room for the teacher to circulate throughout the class, let alone give them all individual attention.

A discussion of the teaching profession revealed that while teaching is somewhat respected as a profession, the principal felt that they are underpaid. He shared with me that a teacher here makes 14,000 rand ($2,000) per month. Not knowing the standard of living here I must defer to his experience in this matter and believe that it is not particularly high.

From what I could gather (remember that while English is spoken here, it is broken and heavily accented so subject to interpretation) I believe there is a common curriculum throughout South Africa and … there is standardized testing for Grades 3, 6 and 9. (Sound familiar.) Students attend school until grade 12 when they sit for their “Matric”, their High School Diploma.

I was then treated to a tour of the school by the principal. We visited several classrooms and after our discussions about the ramifications of social situations, discipline and lack of respect, I expected to see children behaving much as we would in Canada. Imagine my surprise when, as we entered the classroom, rows of meticulously groomed children, all dressed in school uniforms, sitting attentively in desks, all rose from their seats without direction and addressed the principal in unison with, “Goeie more, Meneer.” (Good morning, sir, with Meneer being a salutation of deep respect reserved for those men held in high regard.) After I was introduced to the class, each class without exception, greeted me with “Goeie more, teacher.” Clearly, their definition of lack of respect and discipline problems is much narrower than ours!

These children were absolutely enchanting! A little shy and reserved initially, the minute you interact with them they absolutely beamed. As soon as the first child receives some attention they all clamour round not wanting to be left out, but always with gentleness and respect. They are very physical children, wanting to touch you on the shoulder or arm, their eyes searching your face trying to see your inner person. I was totally enraptured with them and could easily have bundled them all up in my arms.

Unfortunately, the sad reality for many of these children is that they are doomed to repeat the cycle which they were born into. This is not unique to South Africa as we see the same thing with children in North America, but it is perhaps more poignant here as the standard of living on the social assistance programs is so unimaginably low. With rampant unemployment and little opportunity, it is hard to be hopeful for them. Nevertheless, the staff here are remarkably passionate. They are deeply committed people who genuinely care about these children and who are determined to make a difference in their lives.

Despite my reservations about their future, I am again deeply moved by the joy with which these people live their lives. They are wonderfully open, carefree and loving people who, through no fault of their own, have been born into an impoverished situation. It is truly heartbreaking. The more time one spends here the more one realizes what a complex problem this is. There is no easy fix, no one-size-fits-all solution. In fact, at first glance, I think this is the biggest obstacle they face. There are so many different people here, so many cultures, so many ways of life, so many languages. To bring them all together into a common system means overcoming huge obstacles but this is a remarkably resilient country and so I have to believe that they will figure it out as they go along.

Unfortunately, I would be remiss if I did not mention here that the area of South Africa that I am in is generally regarded as the safest and most tolerant. It is my understanding that the eastern parts of South Africa are very different, still struggling with violence, racism and intolerence. I am told the schools there face even greater challenges and it is easy to imagine why.

What an amazing day! I have a whole new appreciation for the state of privilege we enjoy in Canada and above all, the promise of a future that we are able to offer our children. Something far too easily taken for granted.

Monday was an absolutely spectacular day. The sun was shining and it was mid-20's. Perfect T-shirt weather. After the last several days of rain the river is running very high with the runoff from the higher altitudes. ... [Continue reading this entry]

Saturday gave me a taste of real winter weather here in South Africa. The rain lashed down accompanied by wild winds that bent over even the mature trees. It was wet and it was cold. In fact, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Friends of Ingrid's have arrived at Gecko Creek to spend the weekend with us, as has John's girlfrend Monica who lives in Cape Town. Such warm and wonderful people and such fun! After a lovely afternoon getting acquainted ... [Continue reading this entry]

On Friday morning, Ingrid and I again ventured over the mountains, through Uitkykpas and beyond to the amazing Cederberg Winery. The ingenuity of these people to think to start a winery high in the mountains in the middle of ... [Continue reading this entry]

Thursday morning, Ingrid and I set out to explore the spectacular mountain road into the Cederberg. This gravel road is an experience to say the least! (Lenore you will remember it.) The road is extremely narrow and the recent ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ingrid has just pointed out to me that I did the rand conversion the wrong way round when I was talking about the cost of hospitalization here. If that detail interests you, please feel free to go back and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well, I did it! I climbed Leopard Rock! And as high as I may have been on top of that rock formation, my spirits were soaring so much higher because of all that that symbolized for me. ... [Continue reading this entry]

After my great afternoon at the Clanwilliam Hospital I spent an hour or so in "downtown" Clanwilliam. I parked at one end of the town and wandered along the storefronts enjoying the sights, people watching for a little while, ... [Continue reading this entry]