As chaotic and dissappointing as this time of year can be for a Namibian teacher, it can be equally entertaining and rewarding. Exam time is upon us, and our learners are experiencing their first real test as learners in their grade (okay, that’s not true because many are repeating). Anyway, my learners are always cracking me up, and exam time just gives them the opportunity to put down their hilarity on paper.
There are days that I lecture my kids, days that I yell at them, days I walk out on them for various reasons: there are 45 of them and I can’t get 20 of them to stop talking, not one did their homework, they are throwing objects across the room and beating each other up in class, my water is out again and I haven’t bathed or eaten in 24 hours, or usually a combination of these factors.
But even on those bad days, I can come always count on one or two learners changing my mind as I am about to call up Peace Corps and drop out because “these learners, tsk, they are just not serious. They are bewitched.”
One such bad day, with no water, a terrible stomach ache, and a virus on my hard drive that contained the exam I spent 3 days writing, I skipped school. It was my first time playing hookie as a teacher, but I felt at least 75% justified.
Anyway, that afternoon I walked into the 8A classroom for afternoon study to collect their work, and they had written “grammar quiz” on the board—an exercise I start them with every class. Underneath, they had written out an entire message in English, using Rukwangali pronunciation. My favourite was the signature—baibi tjokolat (baby chocolate, the name of a popular Afrikaans song that my learner Magdelena has adopted as her nickname).
My days are filled with youthful humour. My kids amaze me daily. Amidst the crap they deal with, they continue to find ways to entertain themselves, each other, and myself. Even at the ages of 16-25, they have this positive innocence that can only come from the total abandonment of stress and the adaptation to miserable conditions.
I share with you today some of that humour. On the exam, I included a poem by a South African poet about a grade school couple. At 18, the boy, Bennie, goes off to war, only to come home, find that his beloved Anna has taken a new boyfriend, and then much to the dismay of his mother, Ben promptly kills himself.
I gave the kids two options as writing prompts:
1. Pretend you are Ben Alberts. You have just left your hometown to join the army and fight in a war. Write a letter to Anna explaining what you have seen and telling her why she is important to you.
2. Pretend you are Anna. Ben has just left for war in another country and you have a new boyfriend. Write a letter to Ben explaining what happened and apologising for hurting him.
My favourites were generally when the boys wrote the second and vice-versa. Here are some excerpts:
Don’t feel bad my love. Just be free as I am because I am you wife you love.
But I want to tell you what I did wrong to you you know that it can hut you but don’t be sad or unhappy just be free....
Know I’m having a new boyfriend. But don’t feel bad. It doesn’t mean that I hate you or I break your hurt or our love is broke. No our love is steel there. You can look for a new women to merry.
Great all you friend nd you commander. be cool!!
Your girlfriend,
Anna
Dear My husbant,
I’m just tell you about what happen to me.
Nothing you can think about me again. I got another husband he’s rich not like you. You don’t have a car iven cattles you are not a men which I can think about it. I got a new one not like you which is giving money every day. You are expired I can’t think about you again.
The one which I has now is having every that you want bread, coffee, hungry Lion or bray pack every think that you want he can give you the way you want. Now he told me that hes going to buy for me a new WMB. And he going to buy a big house for us were we are going to sleep. Don’t think about me again think were are you going to get another women for you to get merieadge. If you going to come were I am you are going to see fire.
You friend
John K.
*I’m pretty sure WMB=BMW, although it could be confused with the local supermarket, whose initials are WMB...
*I’m pretty sure WMB=BMW, although it could be confused with the local supermarket, whose initials are WMB...
To kill a person is difficult. And to do this work you must be a real man who got good backbones... You took my one part heart and me also I got you pieces of broken hearts. And I love you 100% more than I love my car... I wish one day you will be my eva and I will be your Adam.
And me don’t play with me again I am talling you a truth me I get a new boyfriend and now I know want to talk with you even you are in the road or where ever you are wolking don’t greet me or touch me.
Dear: Ben Alberts
Hello! How are you? I want to tell you about our relationship is over now.
I want you to be my friend but is not my boyfriend because I am already get a new boyfriend because I am care about you you’we west my time to care about you you go long time ago you think I can wat you because you are my boyfriend you are not the only one boy in this world they lot of boys in this villages are think you’we already died on the war but if you are not died I cannot wat you because my parent told me that you can merry someone boy because you don’t think Ben is on earth you are already died because many people was died on war is that message that I want to told you to can know that are having another boy so that cannot think more thing about me don’t become sad like you’we here like someone died on your family bye see you.
Your lovely
Claudia
Ben me, I have a boyfriend here in our village not you I don’t loved you because you did not like this boy you have a bad behaviour.
Dear Ben Alberts.
hope and I with u are oky back to me am fine like water move in the river.
I want to tell you about why I can hurt you. I hurt you Because a get a new boy special boy who I can shos in my life not like u. The handsome boy who can I strust who can spoting me something that I want.
They buy for me clother, sock, and so on. not like you because you you do not give me money to buy my thing that I want. poor boy u don not give me an money. I hate that my friend.
Me a hate that boy who did not give money to they girlfriend. Some thing that make me to hate u.
You are so important to me because every day you use to make others laugh and you are my girl which I got rom god, and if you could be water I wold drink you every tim and wash my body.
Dear Ben Alberts,
How are you? I want to tell you that I have a new boyfriend because you live [leave] me alone. I want to tell you that I have a new boyfriend. you you old now I hate you because you did not come ealy when you will die for war when I hate this new boyfriend where can I get a boyfriend again feel bad in your heart and me also is the way a feel because you live me alone and so for war now you know I get a new boyfriend. When you come here when you are not die war you will find out another girlfriend, now you know you will lose a kiss for me and a huge [hug] you will huge another girl is not me again. Forget a kiss and a huge to me you will be alone now me I got a new lovely boy is not you again go away to another girls.
I will not live you for nothing because you are the only one to I die! I share all my life with you str yhr onlu one I build my home a lot of love I share from you. Sugar are sweet
me I love you like the way love myself
Ben I want to tell you bout my love this time me and you forget me because me I have another boy don’t like you me I have a beautiful boy don’t you. you are stupid boy. I have a good and arich this time don’t call me her was my lover not because you are priceding you in my life I don’t like you. every time we can try to call me. Me I am laugh you. but I know her was my first boy but I wanted to see you because you are having 3 girls plass me you are having 4 girl freand... I don’t want a stupid gus you are understand Ben.
Anna you are my truster where ever I go I never forgot you I trust you like the way I trust myself and my good shirt and my God....
Anna I trust you the way dog trust a bonth or meat.
It’s good to have a woman sometime she helps you. They can make you happy everythings to enjoy your lie.
The real important is you can formed anothers person/have a baby you don’t have any feelings that force you to rape some other girls. because you Are already have A girl friend or Love. It’s help you particular job It can cook for you She is Carry your babies It can help for different types of work you cannot suffer Again.
some people in this village they are lazzy bone. no one who can pay people who build the town. every person if they do some work they must pay that is some of disadvantage of Rupara cannot become a town.
On a more serious note, these tests and essays were very revealing of some of the serious social issues this region faces. Learners referenced sugar daddies—if she is seeing their friends are having cellphones she also go to that man who is having a cellphone and sleep with him. That is why the learners are pregnant. Some of the stigmas in their letters regarding teen pregnancy were dissappointing but unfortunately very real. Some of the girls were just dropping their best friends and writing to tell them how mad they were that their friend had a baby and she could therefore no longer remain friends.
More to come...
