School Closing for the Holidays

Joanne had been suffering for a few days with a sore throat and a temperature fluctuating between 90 and 101 degrees. She would not be present at the closing ceremony.

The morning of December 20th started with student assembly, at which time I gave prizes to 21 students who scored 90% or above on their Bible Knowledge final examination. From there, I went to teach Pre-Form English, who would not be participating in the closing of the school. After about an hour, I was called to the teachers’ meeting to organize the closing ceremony.

The students were assembled for 2½ hours in the intense heat for the closing farewells of teachers and instructions about their return in January for the 2014 school year. Finally, they were released to join their parents for the receipt of their academic reports and departure for the holidays.

parents receiving reports

“They distributed the academic report letters Tanzanian style,” I reported to Joanne, who had obviously not been present for the process. A teacher sitting with Joanne asked, “What’s the difference between Tanzanian and the Western way?” I explained that in Tanzania, the parents crowded around the teachers as they called out the students’ names, and if the parents could push their way forward and make themselves known, they will get the academic letter. Otherwise, others will call the oversight to the teacher’s attention and the teacher will search through the stack of papers and retrieve the letter. In Western culture, the names would be alphabetized and the parents would stand in a line to receive their letter in turn. Culturally, such structure is just not done in the village. You have to go to the bank in town to stand in a line. In the market, at church, in the transport trucks and buses, in the shops, and even watching the Jesus Film in our home, village life is one of crowding together and trying to get a front position. It’s part of what makes living here unique and precious. In Western culture, you have to be taking a group photo to get people to squeeze together.

Get close to someone, Tanzanian style, and share the love of Jesus.

In God’s grace and service,

Gary and Joanne Grenell