Robin Al-haddad
Volunteer: Robin Al-haddad
Bio:
My husband and I are Peace Corps volunteers currently serving in the Republic of South Africa in the Schools and Communities Resource Program. We teach in two Primary schools and one High School.
Contributions from Robin Al-haddad
-
The Pied Pipers
Soon after Woody and I first arrived to our permanent site, one day after school we had a gaggle of children follow us home like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Each one carrying a brick in their hands. When we stopped and asked why they were carrying bricks, they answered in unison “I don't know.” Well, it turned out that our principal arranged to have a shower drain and “septic” tank (really a French drain) installed at our house and he asked literally every child from the school to bring...
-
Today's Reader is Tomorrow's Leader
At one of our primary schools, the library has been up and running for a while thanks to the previous PCV. Therefore, I thought that it would be a good idea to start a Reading Rewards program there in order to rejuvenate the kids' interest in reading. At our schools at least, the kids all seem to love competitions. So, this new Reading Rewards program seems to be just the thing to get them excited about reading. I called the competition the “Big Five Readers” and made a chart for each grad...
-
Communication is Dead
"The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place." ~George Bernard Shaw A few weeks ago, Woody went to into our host mom's house to “top up” electricity on our meter box. The conversation that proceeded went a bit like the old vaudeville joke by Abbott and Costello “Who's on First?” Here is the conversation that occurred between Woody and our host mom: Host mom: Do you have film? “Ni vone kamareni” I saw it in the bedroom. Woody: “U lav...
-
How I Met My Host-Mother. . .
After having been at our site for nearly 6 months, our host-mother shows up one day completely unannounced out of the blue. After initially arriving at our permanent site, we were told by one of our Principals who arranged the housing for us, that our host-mother is not living on the property. She is a single woman who owns the property but she had recently moved to a bigger city and found a boyfriend. So instead, her nephew has been living in the main house in order to take care of the p...
-
Peanuts, Sugar Beans, and Fried Mopane Worms for Sale
Peanuts, sugar beans, and fried Mopane (Mopani) worms for sale at the monthly market in the village. Mopane worms are not actually worms at all, they're caterpillars. Mopane worms are a local delicacy and are sometimes fried and other times boiled. People eat them here like potato chips or popcorn.
-
A Bear of a Laundry Day
Our 6 year-old host brother's attempt at hanging out the laundry to dry...
-
Blue-headed Tree Agama
A Blue-headed Tree Agama hanging out on a tree in the courtyard of our primary school. Because they bob their head up and down, there is a myth among the villagers that they call down the lightning from the sky.
-
Bug on Our Windowsill
This strange bug landed on the latch of our window at home.
-
Falling Bridges...
Dumptruck full of sand fell through the bridge that divides the two sides of our village. Until the bridge could be repaired it made it quite difficult for Woody and I to get to two of our three schools.
-
Millipede...
Millipede I found on our walk in the village.
-
Spider Walking on Water
A small spider swimming around in our cats' water bowl.
-
Sunset over the Sand River
Sunset falls over the Sand river - the river that runs through our village. People use the river for washing clothes, bathing, swimming, fishing, drinking, and collecting water for house-hold use.
-
Sunset on the Railroad Tracks
Sunset falls upon us as we walk home along the railroad tracks in the village.
-
The Long Road...
Woody walking on the road to our school.
-
Dry Season in the Village
Dry season in the village - a view from a top a nearby mountain. From this distance, we could still hear the cowbells ringing below. Ding, ding, ding...
-
Broken Down Orange Truck
Once a month, our village holds a Pensioners' market. Here is a broken down orange truck at the market. Everything from house-hold goods, fruits and vegetables, live chickens, clothes, and plastic buckets are sold at the market.
-
Pots and Buckets for Sale at the Market
Once a month, our village holds a Pensioners' market. Here is a picture of cooking pots and plastic bathing buckets for sale at the market. Everything from house-hold goods, fruits and vegetables, live chickens, and clothes are sold at the market.
-
If you are what you eat, does that make me an arthropod?
I ate fried Mopane (Mopani) worms for the first time... Well, they are not actually worms, they're caterpillars. So, I guess you can say that I'm officially an insectivore now. They tasted smoky and were very crunchy. Mopani worms are a local delicacy especially for the Shangaan people. Sometimes they are fried and other times they are boiled. People eat them here like potato chips or popcorn. Eventually, if these creatures are allowed to grow, they will become a beautiful Emperor mo...
-
Chicken Truck
Chicken truck on market day... Once a month our village has a pensioners' market. Everything from house-hold goods, fruits and vegetables, live chickens, clothes, and plastic buckets are sold at the market.
-
Village Traditions
Traditional Shangaan Muchongolo dancing in the village. There is a local dance troupe who performs the Muchongolo dances each Sunday in a different village in our area. Woody and I were lucky enough to catch one of these performances. The Shangaan people originate from Mozambique and are known more for being agriculturalists than pastoralists and cattle herders. The Muchongolo dances traditionally celebrate the role of women in society, war victories, as well as ritual ceremonies.
-
Schools in Kruger National Park
A local game lodge that is part of the &Beyond Foundation and focuses on “ecotourism” invited representatives from all three of our schools to attend a conservation lesson and game drive. Several teachers, principals, and students attended the event. Even our local village Indhuna (Chief's Headman) got to come along. The purpose of this event was to teach kids about the environment and the animals in the park in order to inform them about the importance of wildlife conservation.
-
Kids in Kruger
A local game lodge that is part of the &Beyond Foundation and focuses on “ecotourism” invited representatives from all three of our schools to attend a conservation lesson and game drive. Several teachers, principals, and students attended the event. Even our local village Indhuna (Chief's Headman) got to come along. The purpose of this event was to teach kids about the environment and the animals in the park in order to inform them about the importance of wildlife conservation.
-
Kids in Kruger
A local game lodge that is part of the &Beyond Foundation and focuses on “ecotourism” invited representatives from all three of our schools to attend a conservation lesson and game drive. Several teachers, principals, and students attended the event. Even our local village Indhuna (Chief's Headman) got to come along. The purpose of this event was to teach kids about the environment and the animals in the park in order to inform them about the importance of wildlife conservation. This...
-
First Time With Computers
We received 29 computers from a donor in Australia for the computer lab at one of our primary schools. Woody got a few of them set up in time to have an “impromptu” opening of the new computer lab after school just to allow the kids to check out the computers. Unfortunately due to a wiring mismatch with the electrical sockets, we only had enough working outlets to be able to get two computers running. But, after letting a few kids into the lab to try out the computers, we soon realized t...
-
Too Many Marula, Not Enough Pineapples
It's marula fruit season in the village. These marula fruit are everywhere! Dropping off trees left and right. Villagers are collecting the local marula fruit from trees to be sold at market. We saw people lined up along the main road to sell their fruit to a commercial purchaser. In addition to marula, there are several other fruits that are in season at this time of the year including mangoes and guava. As a result, we've noticed an usually high number of kids in trees these days try...
-
Broken Bridges
Recent flooding from heavy rain washed away the bridge that connects the two sides of our village. Making it difficult for Woody and I to get to 2 of our 3 schools. We have to cross the river in order to get to two of our schools on the B-side of our village and our Principal says that there are crocs in the river.
-
Camping Along the Okavango Delta
Woody rides in a traditional Botswanan mokoro canoe filled with our camping gear.
-
The Computer Lesson
Kids watch intensely as Woody demonstrates the typing program during the opening of the new computer lab at one of our primary schools.
-
The Girls
Robin hanging out with the girls in the village
-
Practicing Reading
Kids in the library for the first time.
-
Learning to Cook Pap
Cooking pap with my host mom.
-
Geography Lesson in Progress
Geography lesson using the world map project.
-
Waka Waka South Africa
Dancing in the village
-
Reading Rewards Program
One of the "Top Five Readers" in the Reading Rewards program receiving her certificate.
-
Literacy classes in the new library.
Robin gives a lesson on the library rules in the new library.
-
The math lesson
Taking a break from sorting library books, Woody stops to give a math lesson. “A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.” ~Audrey Hepburn
-
First time on the computer
Impromptu opening of the new computer lab at one of our primary schools.
