Pangas: Taking your work home

Dear Family and Friends,

No, we have not dropped off the edge of the World, or even the edge of Africa, but should find some opportunities in these next 2 weeks to send a few pictures and stories of recent weeks. In fact, better do so, or will have to tell you in person, as we leave in 2 weeks, almost to the hour.

Does not seem possible, and have quite a list of Mambo ya kufanya (To Do List, or List of Stuff to do) remaining to be addressed. Actually feeling very good as have completed quite a number of these lists, and the completion of those has allowed us to make more and try to address them also.

Will be interesting to see if can mesh our Team's list with the challenges of administrators and teachers getting 2nd term started at the secondary schools we hope to visit. If all were to go perfectly, we would visit each of the 5 schools which were represented in our first seminar. Since then we have compiled a binder of follow-up and follow-through materials and can now also give them the Sheltered Instruction books for on-site resources -- had to keep those at Mwangaza for a bit to have available for the second seminar.

Mary Jo Huelle, a '96 alum of Mwangaza teacher partnerships, and a 10-time (I think) returner, landed at the beginning of the second seminar week and joined in with presenting, wrap-ups of this year's seminars and looking forwards to the months and years to come. She is also the Chair of the Friends of Mwangaza Board, the Stateside support system of Mwangaza and its programs.

Meanwhile, almost every day brings a new opportunity to view life as we don't often see it on the streets in Illinois. This young man found the T-corner of Ilboru Road, just in front of the Mwangaza campus, a good place for his business. Here he is practicing his livelihood by sharpening a panga (short sword, almost a "corn knife" for us Midwestern farmers) by:

1. parking his mode of transportation,

2. putting the back wheel up on a stand,

3. raising the whet stone wheel to engage the 2nd chain,

4. flipping up the normal seat so he can turn about and sit on the temporary seat,

5. begin pedaling to turn the bike wheel and whet stone wheel,

and 6. sharpen the panga.

Pretty cool! Others, who heard and saw his work, brought their items, and queued (British English for lined) up with what they needed sharpening.

Did you notice that this panga was a bit longer than Andrea's? And curved at the end? It is a version made for cutting grass while bending at the waist, grass the length of that in our yards, cut to the length of a fairway of a golf course, and taken to feed the cattle or goats. MOST grass is cut this way, including school yards and other large areas.

OK, must move along this evening and write a couple of Reviews and Comments on lesson plans from seminar participants. Then will be able to check off some mambo!

Peace and Love,

Mike and Sharon