Warwick In Africa

In the summer of 2018, I spent 6 weeks teaching in Morogoro as part of the Warwick in Africa volunteering project.

Blog posts: https://josh-rawcliffe.blogspot.com/search/label/Warwick%20In%20Africa

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZUxjDmCudd7gDkYj7

"The 'Warwick In Africa' experience for me was one of excitement, challenges and adventure. Getting stuck into and being open to new experiences was a fundamental part of the process but with this attitude, it offered an unforgettable 6 weeks.

Without doubt I've grown as a person from this experience. Having to stand in front of a class of lively 16 year olds and lead a lesson that's intriguing, engaging and mostly importantly education was a huge hurdle with such a mix of abilities in the classroom. At first, this did feel like a very daunting experience, especially for the first few lessons with the lower ability classes. Yet as days went on, my confidence grew and I began to felt at ease at the front of the class. Developing communication skills, resilience following lessons that didn't go as well as planned, open mindedness and also perseverance were without doubt the key skills I’ve gained from my summer in Morogoro.

I think I will take away memories forever from my Warwick in Africa experience, seeing a completely different style of life in Morogoro while also making true friendships with local teachers there. One teacher in particular, Yesaya, an Form 1 English teacher had a huge impact during our time there. He showed us his house, took us to the top of a 2000m mountain, directed through the fabric shops in town and even came with us to the waterfall, always offering a positive and enthusiastic attitude. The day we left was a very strange experience as I’d definitely felt quite adjusted to the lifestyle there. There’s something in the UK we can learn from the much more relaxed attitude over in Tanzania!

If I had to pinpoint one memory from my experience, it would be walking into classrooms when a teacher hadn’t turned up. They were so keen to show me songs, dances, stories and Swahili! At one point the classroom appeared to have turned into a musical stage with students showing off their talents to us all! Being that bridge between a teacher and a student was one which offer respect form the students but also a relaxed environment where they could be themselves and show us many different ideas.

I was surprised by the friendliness and how we were so welcomed in the schools from the first day to the last. So many of the teachers and students made an effort with us to show us their culture, history and traditions. Even on Nane Nane, a public holiday in Tanzania for agricultural workers, students from the school came to meet us and show us around the various stalls and markets specifically set up for the celebration.

Seeing the final test results was the moment I really felt that the 6 weeks was impactful. It was often the individual cases that caught my eye, seeing students increasing their score from 30 to 80%, 40 to 90%, as well as nearly all students increasing by at least 10%. It was great to see so many kids at least attempting questions and we really wanting to give it their all, compared to the first test when they lack total motivation to keep going. Being able to offer this inspiration and to encourage them to keep going even when the topics are tough was for me the best part of this experience.

The final day was truly one of mixed emotions, while I was in some way ready to go home, saying goodbye to the students and teachers was tough, especially as it had started to become routine! Without a doubt I hope to go to Tanzania again!"