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Monthly Archive for July, 2009

Hands-on Resistors

Published

on July 2, 2009

in Zambia

. Comments

Tyhree teaches 2nd graders

Zambian students are required to pass a series of tests in order to continue education past the seventh grade. The science portion of the exam includes a significant section on electricity. However, the students in this area of Zambia live in homes and attend a school without electricity. Furthermore, the schools lack lab resources. As a result, students are expected to answer questions about a science concept with very limited first-hand knowledge. Teachers at the Malambo School asked us to create a set of lessons on electricity to help solve this problem. Before leaving for Zambia, Liza, Elizabeth, and I created a set of 5 science experiments to help students discover the key concepts.

Yecenia teaches about electricity

Yesterday, all students, grade 1 through grade 7, completed a series of hands-on electricity experiments. They were able to build actual circuits. Through these labs, students were able to experiment with the concepts of electricity, voltage, resistance, conductors, and insulators. It was an absolutely amazing experience. I worked with 2nd and 4th grade students. The language barrier prevented us from having any meaningful discussion about the material. Instead, all teaching and learning was entirely reliant upon experimentation and discovery (with the occasional translation). The students had the tools required to conduct their own science experiments. American students and teachers were in each group to help guide students as needed. Children are naturally inquisitive. The students were mesmerized by the bright light bulbs as they built their circuits. Through experimentation, students discovered that circuits must be closed, that increasing voltage would increase the brightness of a bulb, that a resistor would decrease the brightness of a bulb and that conductors and insulators can increase or decrease voltage.

Nina helps the students light a bulb

Students were so excited to discover something new and share their knowledge with their classmates, pointing and excitedly sharing their discovery with their peers. It was science at its best – learning by discovery. The students at Malambo (and the others schools we have visited) rarely get to learn this way. With a lack of lab resources, science has become a list of facts to be memorized. It was powerful that we were able to create a different type of learning experience for students. In addition, the teachers now all have the resources to continue to teach electricity as a laboratory based lesson.

Lauren, a teacher at The SEED Public Charter School

Environment, Poverty, and Hope

Published

on July 1, 2009

in Paraguay

. Comments

El barrio

Santa Ana is a “barrio” (neighborhood) that is built on top of a landfill. Walking through the community you can’t imagine the obvious environmental problems. There is trash on the streets and a drainage system is virtually non-existent. Working in the environmental group has allowed me to realize the relationship between poverty and environmental problems.

Houses in the barrio

In the US, while we are the most wasteful country in the world, we have access to recycling plants, environmental education, and government assistance. Moreso, we are fortunate enough to have lifestyles that allow us the opportunity to make the environment a priority. In areas marked by extreme poverty and destitution, environmental awareness is not a priority. It is apparent and in many ways understandable that in Paraguay there is not a focus on the environment. There is a lack of understanding and resources necessary for environmental education. In Santa Ana that pipes and sewage enter into the streets and ultimately flow into the river. Santa Ana is not recognized by the Paraguayan governtment so in order to get rid of trash it needs to be taken down, too. This is very difficult because most people in the community don’t own cars. In Carapeguá there is also no trash or recycling system, and the town is located two hours from the nearest recycling plant. As a result, trash is usually burned or dumped into the river.

After a hard days work in the park

Despite these obstacles, the communities of both Carapeguá and Santa Ana have been enthusiastic and determined to learn and work to change the way trash disposal and recycling are viewed. In Carapeguá we worked with multiple schools to create color-coded trash cans, to raise awareness about the effects of trash burning, and to brainstorm about ways to reuse everyday materials. In Santa Ana we have worked with the kids and completed the planting of 100 trees in the community. With the help of the kids at the community center, we have also recovered and beautified a park that was once entirely covered by sewage.

While there are many obstacles that are apparent in the community, the determined and excited attitude of the community members offers hope.

Grace, a student at Wilson High School

A Happy Birthday

Published

on July 1, 2009

in Paraguay

. Comments

View from the hotel

Today was my birthday and it was the first time I had ever celebrated it out of the country, let alone without my family. My host Didier woke me up at 7 in the morning to have breakfast and get dressed. I had breakfast and we made our way over to hotel Chaco where we would meet the rest of the group. We were late like usual. As the group piled into the bus, I received a number of birthday wishes from my peers. When we reached the Santa Anna center, I walked into the meeting room and immediately the room burst into singing “Happy Birthday.” From that moment I could tell my 17th birthday was going to be an interesting one.

Kids having a laugh

For helping in Santa Anna, I am in the group salud (health). Our main job is walking around to a number of houses and explaining to the occupants the importance of a good shelter, source of drinking water, and so on. I however do not speak the best Spanish but I try to do my best to explain, of course with help from the others. The poverty in this area is simply remarkable. As I walked by houses (or so they were called) made of scraps of metal and children covered in dirt it made me think about my life and how much I take the simple pleasures for granted such as hot water or even a shower. Unfortunately, it rained today for about 15 minutes, but by the time it was done I was soaked.

Happy birthday

We then separated for lunch and like everyday I was accompanied by Darío and Pedro for lunch. This time, the Peace Corps worker Giselle joined us for lunch. We had shell noodles with a ground beef meat sauce. It was delicious. We headed Back to the center to deliberate. This time I played soccer with the little kids in the school. Then it was time to celebrate my birthday. They have many different traditions for birthdays in Paraguay. For one it is a tradition to gang up on the birthday boy and slap him on his back and head. It was all in good fun, though. After that we handed out the cake and sang happy birthday in English and Spanish. I went home and got ready to go to my friend Tobias’ house where they were having a party to celebrate. After the night was over, it definitely was a good day celebrating my birthday in Paraguay.

Jason, a student at Bullis

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Published

on July 1, 2009

in Paraguay

. Comments

Pools in the barrio streets

Today was the first work in Santa Ana, The strangest part about the barrios (Santa Ana, San Blas, Santa Rose, and Divina Niño) are the streets. The river that borders Asunción flows over into creeks and marshy ponds and in many places into the streets themselves. They are riddled with full gutters and puddles that span the width of the road in some places. People drive their motorcycles or horse carts through, but the walkers (like us) have to pick a careful path along sidewalks and occasional stepping stones. Also, it is very common to run into animals along the street- usually chickens and dogs, but horses, pigs, and cows, too. In places, Santa Ana resebles a photo of an American town after a hurricane complete with debris, as the river carries the trash littering the streets to collect in gutters and streams.

Walking in the barrio

The houses are very different; some are bits of corregated tin and plywood held together tenuously. Others are slightly cramped sort of smallish houses mirroring Carapeguá, only a bit more squished. However, some houses are larger, fenced in with gardens and livestock and an air of sprawl.

A stream in the barrio

The health group hiked around Santa Rosa for awhile, visiting 2 of the 6 houses in the area to which we will return several times over the week. The first was empty and partially collapsed; in the second, we found the elderly man who lived there. He told us that he hadn’t eaten in almost a week. One of our group leaders, a girl who lived nearby, later told us she would bring him something at the end of the day.

Making friends

I ate lunch with a girl who lived in Santa Ana only a few blocks from the community center. The soup (soyo) was delicious, but I still felt my lack of Spanish skill as I tried to offer a little conversation. I was dreading awkwardness that would ensue when my Spanish ran out, when another girl from Santa Ana and her American LSP guest showed up. Lucia, my Santa Ana host, Cecilia, my hose sister from San José, Zoe, her Santa Ana hose, and I watched the first part of the movie Twighlight together. Zoe and I tried to piece together Spanish explanations of the movie and we compared our crushes to Edward Cullen, the movie’s star. The five of us, laughing the way we were, could have been on any couch in any living room in the United States. It was so universal, the girl talk, the laughter, and the movie, that our vastly different backgrounds just sort of didn’t matter.

Nicole, a student at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School

Malambo School

Published

on July 1, 2009

in Zambia

. Comments

Yesterday (June 30), LearnServe Zambia ‘09 left Lusaka to travel 3 hours south to Monze where the teachers and students will be staying on a community farm and working at the local rural school, The Malambo School… a school that is short on resources but eager to help raise its children out of poverty. For the first time in the history of the school, two graduates recently passed the national exam that will allow them to attend high school, something LearnServe Zambia plans to celebrate with the community. LearnServe Zambia will also be working with the local students and teachers in the classrooms.

Students at the Malambo School.

While during the drive to the Malambo School I had a lot of thoughts that were going through my head. The biggest thought was whether or not the kids here would have more enthusiasm than the children at Chikumbuso. Before I even arrived at the school, I got my answer and is was “yes”. The reason why I thought this was because to me all the children that we saw before we even got to the Malambo School were happy and eager to say hi just like they were at Chikumbuso. Though my mind was set for kids running all over the place having an amazing time, my thought was quickly erased as the children I saw at the school quickly hid or tried to quickly go into their classrooms. Although at first I thought it was because we were American, I realized that it was more because they were shy. As I got off the bus and got to the classroom I felt a little bit better as the students were eager to get to know my partners and I. While in the classroom as I was about to start our lesson dealing with electricity, the teacher, told me my dad, who is also on the trip with us, wanted me. I was somewhat mad because I really wanted to start this lesson and get to know the children. But, when I went and found my father, I realized that he was in front of the mural he had started last year when he was here. I realized that my name was underneath a quote that he had painted. Probably the best moment of the day was when my dad told the students and the headmaster of the school that the name underneath the quote was me. After that, everyone was eager to know me, which made me feel happy.

Ayinde, a student at School Without Walls

LearnServe International

Monthly Archive for July, 2009

Hands-on Resistors

Environment, Poverty, and Hope

A Happy Birthday

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

Malambo School

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