Canon Apolo PTC

Canon Apolo PTC We have reached our final destination! Canon Apolo Primary Teacher’s College near Fort Portal. There were a few hairy moments on the journey but we had a very good driver who dodged the potholes wherever possible. And the scenery – wow! It is so beautiful. It’s a bit of a shock to be out here in the real world after being in the cocoon of Lewesa training centre with all the other volunteers – and I am only just beginning to get a grip of the situation here at the college. Everything is so so different to back home and I felt a little bit homesick at the weekend. There are around 450 students at the college who are aged between 18 and 25 and they are on the go from 7.30am when they attend morning prayers, right up until 10am when they go to bed at night. The students live in dormitories which and have very little personal space – although I am learning that privacy is something we take for granted in the UK and doesn’t have a big role to play in African life! Everyone is so welcoming and very excited to meet the new “muzungus” (white foreigners) – all the children come running up saying “muzungu!”, “muzungu!” – they are really friendly. The college is poorly equipped and I found just 4 books on Special Needs Education in the library. The students wear a uniform and are used to rote learning. The majority of assessment is done through exams rather than teaching practice. And when the students do go on teaching practice they live in the primary school that they are visiting and have to take with them a mattress and enough food and firewood to sustain them for 4 weeks.  

I am nervous about starting the teacher training classes – but luckily I have an overlap with a lovely VSO called Sasa who has been so helpful. Next week I begin teaching! I am also planning to attend “White Cane Day” – a national day for people who are visually impaired – hopefully as a first step towards doing a bit more outreach work.

UPDATE! Had my first lesson today - it was fine althought the students looked at me like I was from out of space when we played some games and did warm up exercises..!