code blog

By: Sean Maddox - CODE Director of Development

November 27th; Dialogue with Teachers, Parents and Students at Schools in Ibeno

Today we headed to the schools to present our project to the teachers, students and community members and to find out more about the environment where the schools were based.  Our itinerary for the day was packed; 5 schools with a full agenda at each.  Each school was located in the Ibeno zone, but a great deal of traveling on rocky roads was required.  No time for meals or breaks, one school, then the next and so on until we had completed our mission for the day.

I have been traveling to schools in Africa for a long time, mostly to schools where CODE’s programs are active.  It is rare that visits are made to schools by a CODE staff member before the project has been running for some time.  The work we were about to do in Ibeno is usually conducted by CODE’s partners based in the countries. This was a real reality check.

The countryside was beautiful; rolling hills, forests, and flowing rivers.  We drove by fields of tea, maize, kale, fruit trees and of course the suicidal goats.  Many people were working to harvest maize and tea and tended to other work on their land or around their houses. We received curious looks as be passed since motor traffic in the area is seldom, and the vehicles that do pass re known to the people.

At our first stop, Kirwa Primary School, we were greeted by the Head Master Charles O. Ondara and his teachers.  They were all waiting for our arrival, which I must admit was delayed by about half an hour.  Charles gave us a tour of the school then we had the opportunity to speak to the students and parents.  They were all very pleased that we would be helping improve the teaching of reading and writing and providing books, including books in their mother tongue, Ekugusii. 

by Sean Maddox- CODE Director of Development

Kenya Nov 30, 2009

Two Degrees of Separation

Over the past 24 hours I found myself return to a district in South Western Kenya that I had worked in in 2004. Never had I thought that one day I would be returning to the district of Kisii to start another literacy project.  But here I am in this beautiful part of the country, surrounded by lush forests and farm lands.

After our six hour drive from Nairobi to Kisii -  a drive that took us from a busy capital city through the Great Rift Valley and finally climbing about 7000 feet - we reached the Egerton University branch campus on the edge of Kisii town.  This visit was a courtesy call since the University is a member of our new partner in Kenya, the National Book Development Council of Kenya (NBDCK).  We were welcomed by their representative on the council, Dr. Elkana Ong’esa and then by the principal of the University branch, Dr. John Akama.

Our delegation proceeded to explain the nature of our trip and the project we were initiating in Kisii -  a  project that will work to support the mother tongue in primary education, along with Kiswahili and English.  Dr. Akama was very excited as he is from the area and is on the Kisii Council of Elders, a group working to preserve their language and culture.

At a point in the meeting I noticed a carving that indicated that Dr. Akama had graduated from Ohio University, the same university I had attended for my Masters.  Well it isn’t often that alumni from Ohio University meet in Kisii.  This led to a lively conversation that excluded my delegation for a while.  Our connection became closer when we learned that not only did we share the same university, but the same Faculty Advisor for our Masters thesis.  I can’t wait to share this information with Dr. Bob Walter; I know this will have him laughing all day.

The next afternoon we were making another courtesy call to another member of the NBDCK.  Mr. Elkana Ong’esa lives about an hour away in a community called Tabaka.  Tabaka is world famous for its soapstone carvings.  Elkana has moved back to Tabaka to help the Kisii Soapstone Carvers Co-op Society (KISCOOP) recover from their market decline that was experienced after the post-election riots in 2007 that shook the country.  Due to the insecurity in the country at the time many clients of KISCCOP stopped procuring their products, then the global economic breakdown found Tabaca.

We were welcomed with open arms.  I was overwhelmed by Elkana’s affection for everyone he greeted and worked with.  Upon giving me a very warm hug (actually two) he said we have so much in common and it was just right that I had come to Tabaka.  When an informal meeting started – intended for his staff and my delegation to learn more about each other -  Elkana started by explaining our connections.  It turns out that he had been on a teacher trainer exchange to Montreal  several years before.  He spoke of his love for Canada and shared that as a sculptor he had been so interested in the work of the Inuit and the Inuktitut that he traveled to Inukshuk for three weeks.  According to his hosts they claimed he was the first African to ever visit them; we can be sure he was the first Kisii.  So coming from Canada is what connected us?

No.  He proceeded to tell me years before he had contacted CODE to help him provide books for the community library in Tabaka.  Through our partner at the time, CODE arrange for the library to receive 1,000 books that are still being used in the library today.

To celebrate my visit to Tabaka on behalf of CODE and as part of their cultural tradition, they asked if I would plant a tree for the community to remember this day.  Have you ever planted a tree with 20 people watching, people who grew up and in some cases still work the fields with their hands.  Yes, they had a couple good laughs.  Upon leaving I asked one of the Co-Op staff if she would take care of the tree so that the next time someone from CODE has the privilege to visit they can appreciate the tree that connects us all.

By Ingrid Ermanovics - CODE Development Officer - Ethiopia, Guyana and Liberia

November 24, 2009 – The Airport at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The flight arrived late and I was more than hazy from lack of sleep but I knew I was back in Africa when I saw a long line of young men waiting to get through passport control and they were each within 4 inches of each other.  I was 7 again waiting in line to get into class in Lobatse and then I was 25 again trying to get my Malawian students to spread out just a little please girls!!!  I smiled and took a deep breath, reminding myself wisely that I had a long way to go before getting through the many hurdles ahead I would have to straddle before entering the country.

But - then I got chatting with an American who is in town to design, with Ethiopians, training in various skin diseases.  Suddenly I was breezing through passport control like a hot knife through butter and my bags were right there waiting for me –both of them!  I might have been home free but had yet to clear my bags before leaving the terminal – not by showing the tags that proved they were mine – but by running them through an x-ray scanner.  For a while I thought I might be on candid camera as one bag would slide backwards while I tried to heave the next one on like some kind of Laurel and Hardy meets Sisyphus thing.  Anyhow, I finally made it through relatively unscathed and realized for the thousandth time that my expectations of ‘Africa’ were way off base.

Why is it that the more experience I get, the less I seem to know?  But what a timely reminder from mama Africa as I headed out into the crowd looking for Ato Tesfaye, CODE-Ethiopia’s Executive Director, who spotted me immediately and greeted me so warmly.  Tesfaye graciously got me to the hotel and I settled into what I expected to be a sleep second only to that kind of deep sleep you used to have after university and before kids.  I did I guess – but only for 3 hours.  So, from 1-5 am I kept myself busy with every sleeping trick in the book and finally fell asleep again for 3 more hours. 

I felt low when I woke up with the sun high but then I heard that Somali-Canadian hit blaring through my window by K’naan … “When I get older I will be stronger, they’ll call me freedom just like a waving flag …” and suddenly I felt better. 

The afternoon was spent at the office where I was warmly re-acquainted with Ato Esayas, a CODE-Ethiopia program manager, and had the pleasure to meet a man that many rave about, Ato Ephraim, a devoted worker at CODE-Ethiopia who could have retired many decades ago but continues to contribute there.  We agreed that the long afternoon had been a stimulating beginning to our work and our plans were set.

On the way home, Tesfaye took me through the street of gold and silver where I saw jewellery like I have never seen – some of it similar to lace, other pieces so grand they could perfectly adorn a bull.  Other pieces reminded me of something that Cleopatra might have worn across her chest and still other pieces were wrought by what I can only imagine was powerful religious inspiration.

I’m excited about this chance to meet the staff at CODE-Ethiopia that continues to support all the work CODE does - from the process associated with publishing books and establishing and monitoring the 20 newest reading rooms — to teacher and librarian training and the promotional events they support.

I’m also excited about visiting the reading rooms and speaking with the librarians themselves, committee members from the community that manage the reading rooms, and the people who use them.  I believe this trip will acquaint me with and connect me to the program here in a way that email and reports alone could never do.

I also hope that by the time I leave Ethiopia, I’ll have a clearer picture of how best to capture the impact of all of this work. I’ll also look at ways to continue refining and expanding CODE Ethiopia’s work as they move towards achieving the goals of their strategic plan during this second half of the five-year program.

By Sean Maddox - Director of Development at CODE

KENYA November 23, 2009: Do you remember your first day of grade 1? Perhaps taken to school by an older sibling or parent. Excited to finally be in grade 1, and to meet your teacher. Perhaps even have your best friend in class with you.

Now imagine that on your first day of grade one you found out you had 10 subjects, and in 3 different languages. The national curriculum is based on the Mother Tongue as a subject and medium of instruction up to grade three, English as a subject and Kiswahili as a subject. And we think bilingual education in Canada has challenges.

Now imagine you are the teacher looking at all of these scared, excited girls and boys, who all have parents expecting you to teach their children. Perhaps you are experienced, perhaps you are a new teacher, do you have the mastery of all languages you must use in your instruction. I would imagine your are as scared as many of your pupils.

This is the reality in schools across Kenya every January. Fresh into a new calendar year millions of students arrive to enter this daunting system. Teachers and students alike have few and unsatisfactory resources to meet the challenge of the national curriculum.

While the mother tongue is the medium of instruction, few publishers will produce books or learning materials since there is not sufficient demand backed by resources. As one publisher put it, we are a for profit industry and profit is in text books that are written in English and Kiswahili.

This is truly a daunting situation for the Kenya education system. A system that is grounded in international best practices as illustrated through their policies, curriculum, syllabus and to an extent, their teacher education. However, they admit they struggle to find practical solutions to benefit the child who enters the education system at the start of each year.

It is based on these challenges that CODE is initiating a new project in Kenya with the National Book Development of Kenya. The project will work to support the teaching or reading and writing and the transition to the medium of instruction in English in grade four. As the Kenya national anthem proclaims, “build this our nation together, and the glory of Kenya, the fruit of our labour, fill every heart with thanksgiving.” There is much going on and no lack of thanks here in Kenya for the support of CODE.

By Catherine Macnab, CODE Program Manager

After four days in the Mozambican capital of Maputo, discussing technical aspects of the program with Progresso staff, I looked forward to visiting my first rural school in the northern province of Niassa. 
After an hour or so driving along a dirt road, passing small villages, we arrived at Capunda.
As we met with the school director in his office, the recess bell sounded.  In no time, curious children, who saw the truck arriving with visitors, were jostling to peek in the office door.

Capunda Primary school made changes required by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) to divide the school day into only two sessions — lower grades in the morning and higher grades in the afternoon — instead of three sessions. This increased the number of hours of instruction provided to all children.
The problem at Capunda was that there were not enough school rooms to hold more classes simultaneously. The solution was to construct three ‘temporary’ classrooms in a thatched structure nestled under a number of large shady trees. 

After class resumed, we slipped into the back of the Grade One room to observe a math lesson. It was difficult… It was difficult for the children to keep their heads forward with such unusual visitors behind them. It was difficult for me to remain official, indicating for children to look forward and pay attention, when I wanted to make goofy faces and invite them to sit with me. Somehow we managed. Barely.
The classrooms are rudimentary. A straw wall on one side blocks most of the direct sunlight; school benches are made from suspended branches.  Children balance their books on their laps; the teacher has a chalkboard leaning on a straw wall. The straw wall provides a visual divider between classes, but no sound barrier. Teachers compete against classes reciting or singing next door.
From my view at the back, the classroom seemed normal in the given environment. Of course the benches are uncomfortable for the children to sit on for long stretches – I was given one of the few school chairs – and the books would fare better if the children put them on a table, instead of in the sand. But a refreshing breeze passed through the room, and I was delighted by the rustle of the trees overhead. After all, these children do not spend most of their time inside as most Canadians do, and although I haven’t been in a rural Mozambican home, I would expect to find a similar level of comfort.
 
Eventually we regrouped with the director and the teachers to discuss teaching methodologies.  As we finished, I reached into my bag to present some small gifts – sparkly pencils that will probably be used for prizes during reading competitions, and a couple other tools for reading and writing – pencil sharpeners and stencils. The gifts were received with such appreciation and honour.
Then they presented us with a box – it was filled with dozens of bananas from the school plantation. Most of them were green but a few ripe ones were presented to us for immediate consumption. With children and staff watching, I peeled mine, wondering how many of the children came to school without breakfast and needed the banana more than I. But I was an honoured guest — to refuse the gift would have been an insult. I set about the task with determination.
Then I bit into the banana…
I have lived in the tropics, how is it that I had never before eaten a tree-ripened banana!? Words cannot describe the immense pleasure that washed over me from the first taste of that unassuming piece of fruit. I may never again eat a banana that turns from green to speckled on my counter.
Then the school secretary reached behind the door and pulled out a live and loudly complaining chicken. Startled, I was grateful for companions who know how to hold chicken without cellophane.
As I joined my team for dinner that night, I gave quiet thanks for the insight my work provides into lives that are so different than mine. Then I rolled back my sleeves and used my hands to eat the best stewed green bananas and chicken ever prepared.

On Monday August 10th, we awarded the first winners of the Burt Award for African Literature during the opening gala of the Reading for All Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. All three shortlisted authors were present and the energy was high as story synopsis were read and the prizes were announced. Here are a few photos from the evening:

 From l to right:  Pilli Dumea, Eliesha Lema and Bill Burt.  As part of Bill Burt and family’s trip to Tanzania, they had an opportunity to meet with publishers, teachers, students, writers and others who are concerned about reading materials and their use in Tanzania.  Eliesha Lema, an experienced publisher of titles in English and Kiswahili, as well as a published writer, was one stakeholder that spent time with Mr. Burt.

 
From left to right - Bill, radio host from BBC and BBC technician. The event was covered by radio and television in Tanzania and Canada, including on As it Happens on Canada’s CBC
 

 
 
During the Burt Award gala celebration, Scott Walter, CODE’s Executive Director, addressed the attendees with the message that the Burt Award for African Literature will help support the development of a new body of literature for youth to support  their acquisiton and retention of English language skills and provide them inspiring and thought-provoking stories.  The Award builds on CODE’s commitment and contribution to the development of locally published and appropriate titles, both fictional and informative, to meet the needs and interest of Tanzanian children and youth.
 
 

Mr. L.D.T Minzi, Pilli Dumea, Scott and Bill. The Awards couldn’t have been possible without the contributions of various players - the jury, CBP, CODE and Bill Burt, represented here by these individuals.
 

 
The winning author Mkama Mwijarubi after the gala ceremony sharing a moment with Bill Burt.

 
Juror Dr. Lillian Osaki, who read the synopsis’ of the winning titles and announced the names of the winning authors, talking to second place winner, Asungushe B. Kayombo
 

 
First prize winner, Mkama Mwijarubi, speaking to Sam Landon representing the Canadain High Commision.
 

CBP’s booth at the Reading Conference.  Teaching and learning materials designed and produced at Mwendepole Primary School in Kibaha District were displayed, generating a lot of interest amongst conference delegates. 

When you hear about the Jane and Finch neighbourhood in Toronto, it’s not always positive news. Westview Centennial Secondary School changed all of my preconceived notions about the “rough area” when a student group called Build the Bridge registered for Project Love this year.

The group was headed by Pierre Yesaya in Grade 12 student who had arrived from Cameroon only 2 years ago. Of course, he could speak to his fellow students at school about the challenges of receiving an education in Africa. He was determined to contact CODE, get involved in Project Love and show the community and beyond that the school and the students were making a positive contribution to the world. Part of what Pierre wanted to do was change the image of Westview Centennial Secondary School – he and his classmates could, and would, make a real difference.

Pierre and about 20 other students developed a plan and took action with support from their social science teacher. They started collecting twoonies from fellow students for a two-week period to raise money to buy school materials for children in Tanzania, they developed a media plan, started a facebook group, wrote letters and distributed flyers. The school supplies would be assembled into kits and delivered to classrooms and libraries across Tanzania supported by CODE.

When I went to meet Pierre and visit Westview Centennial Secondary School I was surprised by the level of cooperation and respect I saw between students. The school was nothing like I’d been lead to believe. Along with a couple other students we visited classrooms, talked about the project, and were overwhelmed by donations – a student recently arrived from Mexico donated $20!

Most of the 1,300 students at Westview Centennial came very recently from a developing country. They and their parents know the benefits to an education in order to get a good job and to make their lives better in their new country. I was inspired by their determination and dedication – here, in what could be the unlikeliest of places, was a school filled with global citizens – young people interested and engaged in the world around them, young people taking action and making change.

Thanks to Pierre and his classmates school supplies were purchased for 560 Tanzanian children.

This story didn’t get the media attention I think it should have. Local high school does good! Unfortunately that kind of positive story doesn’t get media attention in Toronto. But it got CODE’s attention and we want to share that good news story with everyone.
 
Thanks Pierre and all your committee members for your participation in Project Love this year. You are truly an inspiration to others.

Garth Brooks, Senior Program Manager, Canadian Engagement, CODE

This summer CODE held its biannual all-partners workshop in Ottawa Ontario. The workshop was designed to gather all partners together to share their successes and lessons learned, and to share in dialogue about standardizing how we measure the results of our work as individual organizations and as a collective.

Below are some comments from participants:

The partner’s workshop has served two purposes to both my organization and me personally. The interaction with other partners has given us insights of a diversity of initiatives that others are doing in an effort to contribute to the improvement of literacy and quality education in our countries. Particularly, my organization was able to isolate certain areas from partner programs that we believe might compliment and strengthen our own program. The workshop specifically, emphasized on the need for partners to involve stakeholders at all levels such as planning, implementation and monitoring. PAMET has realized the need for this as one way of making sure that the program achieves its objectives.

Secondly, PAMET has learnt that standards are very useful as they can be used to design or re-design programs, monitor  program progress, to articulate roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, to measure individual performance and progress over time and how to use them in reporting. PAMET therefore intends to apply standards in all these areas. This will improve the performance of the program.

The workshop also assisted PAMET in knowing some vital areas that contribute to the success of programs such as a need for proper communication and good financial management. The workshop was worth while!

Moses Binali
Executive Director
Paper Making Education Trust, Malawi

L’atelier a commencé sur un ton exceptionnel marquant la présence des membres des conseils d’administration de l’ensemble des organismes partenaires et des responsables des organismes partenaires.

Après une soirée culturelle et d’information à la bibliothèque Nationale du Canada le début de la session proprement dite s’est focalisé sur le partage des expériences des partenaires dans les domaines divers avec des cheminements semblables en matière d’élaboration et d’application des normes dans les pays respectifs. Cependant, cette expérience démontre que les partenaires ne sont pas tous dans le même environnement institutionnel et ne sont pas au même niveau de compréhension et d’intégration des normes dans les programmes. Je constate toutes fois une évolution positive dans les présentations qui se rapprochent de plus en plus aux thèmes retrouvé.

M. Idrissa Samaké
Directeur exécutif
Association pour la lecture, l’éducation et le développement (ALED), Mali

CODE’s partner in Mozambique, Associação Progresso, has been recognized nationally and internationally for its work in nurturing the development of a literate environment in Cabo Delgado and Niassa – the country’s two Northern provinces.

In a recent trip to Maputo to discuss and develop the second phase of a six year bilateral project funded by CIDA, CODE’s Director of Development Sean Maddox and I had a chance to see the impressive results already achieved through the program, which supports 1,815 primary schools, some 508,600 students from Grade 1 to 7, and has facilitated in-service training for 7,000 primary teachers.

In developing an implementation plan for phase two CODE and Progresso wanted to meet with as many stakeholders as possible to increase the project’s relevance for the education system. We organized workshops in each province and invited provincial and district officers, teachers, and instructors from teacher training institutes to work with us to identify results and strategies to achieve them. These meetings allowed us to increase stakeholders understanding about the project and their commitment towards its implementation.

Continuing the process of consulting stakeholders, CODE and Progresso hired a team of Mozambican education experts to conduct a baseline study of teachers’ competencies in the teaching of reading and writing of Portuguese. This team interviewed a total of 62 stakeholders, from primary teachers to officers at the national, provincial and district level, and visited twelve schools. The results of this study informed the design of initiatives to support the improvement of teachers’ skills in the teaching of reading and writing of Portuguese.    

We were honoured to attend a presentation of the preliminary results from this baseline study on teachers’ competencies at the Ministry of Education and Culture in Maputo. The presentation was also attended by the Director of the National Direction of General Education, the Director of the Teacher Training Department, the MEC Minister’s Assistant, Danida, and CIDA among many other key supporters of education in Mozambique.  The presentation generated a good discussion and produced some good recommendations for our program and various education initiatives working within the broader system.

The implementation plan for the project’s second phase, developed with strong support and input of local stakeholders is now complete and continues in full motion.

Heloisa Modesto, Senior Program Manager, CODE

We describe Reading Liberia as a comprehensive readership program that aims to improve the quality of education in Liberia by sharing knowledge and building capacity through professional mentorship. But it’s so much more.

Only a few months in and we’re already seeing real impact…. It’s been a pleasure to work with such a talented team — and we mean the combined strengths of “those of us from afar” and the Liberian Teacher Leaders and the Liberian couple Michael and Yvonne Weah of the WE-CARE Library. 

It’s been a rich, rich time…and the Liberian Teacher Leader’s have just outdone themselves.  They offered and debriefed a coordinated demonstration lesson today that Wendy and I agreed was as good as anything we have ever seen.  Our Liberian Teacher Leaders were able to tie the strategies and ABC framework together, relate them to the Liberian curriculum and to the lesson planning model that the teachers here are required to use, in a way that clarified the process and raised the bar.

The realities are challenging…and the scope of the needs can/do feel daunting….but that is so quickly counter-balanced by the dedication and talent of those who are part of this project.  Anyone would be more than encouraged to hear the comments of the teachers, principals and authors/illustrators on the first morning about the difference that the project has already made: to their teaching; to their perception of their role as principals; and to the way they’re approaching writing/drawing for children. 

We’ve been trying to tease out just what it is that is making this project “work” –   and our experiences this trip have absolutely confirmed the ‘brilliance’ of the design and the wisdom of the up-front-and ongoing-investment-in shared planning.  The decision to position the Liberian Teacher Leaders in the foreground, both as presenters and facilitators during the workshops, and as individuals each connected to one of the pilot schools has made such a powerful difference to the capacity of the participants to access the concepts and strategies presented. 

It has been wonderful for everyone having the Canadian author Kathy Stinson with us — she gave a superb workshop to the entire group on the first day.  It’s clear that the writers are gaining a great deal from her insights and experience.   What is so special about this project is how the differing needs of those in different roles are acknowledged and professionally supported: writers, illustrators, teachers, principals; Liberian Teacher Leaders….but that there are all sorts of ways that we come together to build with our combined strengths. 

Alison Preece, CODE Volunteer Trainer, University of Victoria

Wendy Saul, CODE Volunteer Trainer, University of Missouri