I am trying to type up thoughts throughout the day as I have them. Here is a collection. Sorry about the formatting and grammar!

July 14 (Bastille Day :) )
I just got back from lunch with Jimmy Kandeh, my International Relations and Politics of Africa professor at the University of Richmond. He is Sierra Leonean and it was in his class when he described how when he went to school he got a very good education, but now when he goes, he sees students bringing their own benches to school. He has been back for the past 10 months on a Fulbright research grant looking at democratization and politicization. He leaves on Tuesday, so remarkable timing that I found him! He came to pick me up today but because of one way streets asked me to walk down to meet him down the road a block or two. So that was our reunion, me walking down Sanders Street in Freetown and seeing his face through the window of his silver 4 runner. I smiled at the contrast of meeting him in the context of upper middle class white University of Richmond. We enjoyed conversation over lunch downtown by the water, talking about politics, education, and Salone life. I love when life comes in circles. He does not have much confidence in the leadership of the country saying Koroma is running it based on patronage, with many Koromas in upper levels. He is going to wait to write up his book until he gets home, both because of convenience and during the last elections he published articles that against the candidates and they were not viewed favorably. Also, the men watching his car called him Spiderman because of the Richmond spider on the car.

In the afternoon, Mr. Karimu from the ministry of Education came by for Gwen, but I asked him reading/composition questions. These are my notes:
Mr. Karimu
Challenges of reading
• Too many students
• Not identified time within language arts on time table
• Should be practiced every day
• So many other programs—peace education, human rights
• Illiterate homes (home situation is not good—no light, dark)
• No books
• Foreign language

Initiatives
• Ministry of Ed talking of printing books
• Books from NGOs are from different cultures, even looking down on their own culture
• Books not in our own favor, not much motivation

Secondary school
• Taking a lot we cannot handle
• DSS 1- DSS 3 8 subjects not materials for subjects especially in indigenous languages
• When children fail, either drop out, private school,
• Students read to learn, not learning to read, from primary to University
• Only read to pass exams
• Teacher training colleges—no methods of teaching—how to teach reading, methods of writing
• 4 different methods of writing, print-script, cursive, joined script,
• how to prepare students for exams—in essay

Head Teachers,
• If Head teachers could bring together their teachers to take courses
• Expect more from teacher training candidates, disappointed
• First month every Saturday, one hour teach how to write-print, cursive,
• How to do reading

Last term Carimu lent out books so students can have free reading time. At the end of the day, they don’t have time to give that period as free reading time.
For them to go back and implement is very challenging.
Not with the salary the schools are giving.
Basic education certificate examination…middle period of Secondary school, between junior and senior secondary school
Mathematics, language, social studies, science focuses ministry of Ed
Felt so bad at the performance of the students
English language was the problem, cannot
2015 EFA every child should be able to read and write, but still have 300,000 children out of school

Child’s right—allow the child to decide (big problem because we have our own culture, black, keep to older, when teacher said this you have to stand by it,)
Teacher has to grade and send home assignments, if you do not do the work, then flogged
If you don’t know your times tables flogged.

Peace Edders: He feels that the requirement to have Peace Ed and Human Rights Ed in the curriculum leaves little time for reading and the basics. Can't wait to talk this out with you all (and me, honorarily).

July 15
I have been spending all late evening and early morning prepping the plans and handouts for the seminar and will spend most of today doing so, as well. Internet is working well today.

I am so grateful that the longer I am here, the more valid the work seems. From more and more people I hear the need for strong teachers and the need for people who can read and write and think as the foundation for which other things can be built. Mr. Karimu from the Ministry of Ed yesterday was talking about the lack of books and how the books provided by NGOs are not in Sierra Leone’s favor and are totally out of context for our students. This morning during prayer, I found myself praying that these teachers and students would be the next authors, creating meaningful texts and stories for their own country. I think framing the need for great readers and writers in that context will give added purpose to the seminar next week. These are our next authors who can fulfill the need now for texts but also later for great literature based in Sierra Leone.

Spiritually, it has been really good for me to be here. I want to expand more on it later.

For now, back to work, need to finish up the writing (Composition, "writing" is Handwriting) and reading plans!

p.s. Yesterday it was sunny all day until the rain came around 10 p.m. and it's sunny again this morning. Hurray!