Why?

Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The question most asked by friends about our SL adventure is, "Why are you going?" Often I answer jokingly, "Because we want to relive our Peace Corps experience of forty years ago."  There is more than a bit of truthfulness in that statement.

Ann and I met in September of 1975 when we both were serving as PCV's in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo).  I had been teaching high school math for one year in Popokabaka, a little village in southwestern Zaire right where the Angolan border takes a dip south along the Kwango River.  Ann came to my post as an English teacher when Larry, my fellow PCV, left for home after serving the regular two-year term of service.

Larry, Don, and guide on the Kwango

Larry had established our post the previous year, by arranging to live in a cinderblock house on the grounds of our school, Institut Tutondele, and hiring Muyombo to cook and clean for us.  Larry introduced me to the all the people and places that would enrich my life my first year in Popo, and I was going to have the pleasure of doing the same for Ann.  In a year's time it was my turn to leave as Ann welcomed two new teachers, Kathy and Mary, to the post.

There are lots of stories about the year Ann and I spent together in Zaire but that is another blog.  What I would like to reflect on here is how what we experienced in Zaire might compare to our situation in Sierra Leone.

Our work.  In Zaire we taught high school students who were motivated by the fact that getting admitted to a university by passing the state exams was the best route to success in a country where stark differences separate the upper and lower classes.  Becoming proficient in English in francophone Zaire might also lead to a good job with a company with international connections.  These students were often very close in age to us as the educational system in Zaire had been delayed for five years during a political upheaval in the 60's.

In SL we will be teaching university students majoring in elementary and secondary education.  As in Zaire, education in Sierra Leone was interrupted by a civil conflict, ten years in length, that ended in 2002.  The Ebola crisis two years ago further disrupted the country.  Certification requirements for SL students will probably not be as comprehensive as the state exams in Zaire.  These future teachers, however, will have to pass the West Africa Examination Council's exams used by English speaking countries of West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, the Gambia, Sierra Leone) as admittance tests to college.  Of course, we will be much older than our students this time around.

Our living situation.  In Sierra Leone we will be living in a major city, not a village.  Our little house in Popo had two bedrooms, a living/dining room, a bathroom, and a tiny kitchen area.  We collected rainwater in barrels and had plenty of water until the dry season arrived toward the end of the school year.  Then, we had to pay for water to be transported by barrels from nearby streams and the Kwango River. We know little about our housing in SL.  Water will continue to be a concern.  Sierra Leone, like Zaire, has plenty of water, but has had difficulty in constructing the infrastructure needed to bring it dependably to the general public.  In Popo, Ann and I enjoyed a few hours of electric light in the evening thanks to the generator installed my first year there.  In SL will our electricity be sporadic or dependable?

Grocery shopping. In Popo we were supported greatly by the Jesuits who had a mission up on the hill about a kilometer from our house.  They allowed us to buy meat, cheese, rice, and canned goods that were not available to the general populace.  We supplemented that with tropical fruits (papayas, mangos, pineapples, avocados, and bananas) purchased by Muyombo at the local open air market.  We never had to worry about getting enough food to feed ourselves.  In addition we had the use of the school's LandRover to transport goods.  In Sierra Leone, we are not allowed to drive, but will probably have bicycles.   It is possible that the food will come to us via street vendors, and hopefully the markets will supply us with healthy options.

Laundry.  Muyombo did a fine job with our clothes in Zaire, taking them down to the river to wash.  This was the only available way to do laundry.  We will probably hire someone to do our laundry in SL also.

Climate.  In Sierra Leone we will be within 10 degrees of latitude north of the equator.  In Zaire we were within 10 degrees south which means hot and humid weather.  Will the old folks adapt as well as their younger versions?  One thing for sure, we will be taking our customary siestas in the early afternoon when the heat becomes too unbearable for thinking.  That is something I have had plenty of practice with now that I have been retired for two years.