Lessons in Education

My first three weeks are complete, and I've settled into my teaching assignment. I now have a regular schedule. I have gotten to know my students much better. I am accustomed to the teaching conditions and resources, so I am ready to proceed more confidently. This being said, I was not prepared for what took place on Tuesday this week past. My teaching partner, Denise, and I arrived to an unexpected turn of events at the school. Upon our arrival at the main gate we immediately recognized that there was something different occurring at our placement. The students were not attired in their regular school uniforms. The were wearing more casual clothing and standing in rows according to their class outside of their classroom. We both wondered what was happening. We filed over to the staffroom to find out what was happening without interrupting the proceedings.
In the staffroom we enquired about what was taking place after we shared morning greetings with the other staff members. We were informed that the day's classes were cancelled and that the students would be travelling to the school shamba or farm in order to harvest the crop of maize. We proceeded to follow the students for a short walk down the dirt road to the fields where students had been organized to begin the process of harvesting the crop by hand. Students were aligned in rows which followed the pattern of the planting, so each one could collect one row of maize at a time. As each stalk is pulled from the ground, and it is piled standing up in the shape of a tee pee. The more stalks which are pulled the greater the size of this tee pee. The students move on to a new section once a set of rows has been completely stacked.
The students spent the entire morning moving down row upon row, section through section, until the entire shamba had been harvested and prepared for the next stage.
They began at 8:15 a.m. and finished at approximately 5:00 p.m.. Denise and I participated in this process until shortly after 11:00 p.m. when we returned to the school for tea. The students had a tea break which is like recess, and a period for lunch. Actually, the teachers take tea, and the students can take a rest or get a drink. We hadn't been prepared for a morning of harvesting, but the students appreciated our participation in the process. I must admit it is tiring work.
The students and I talked throughout the entire time. They wanted to know if students did this at home. I informed them that farmers used combine harvesters to do this work. I explained that high school students complete a period of hours dedicated to community type service projects in order to graduate from high school, but that they didn't work on their own farms.
The students enjoyed the work. Some more than others. They enjoyed being away from their classrooms. They are very co-operative and helpful towards each other. I appreciated my time with them in this setting. What an experience. Tiring work, but filled with valuable lessons about life.
We returned the next two mornings in order to pick the maize off of the stalks, and then to peel the husks off each cob. The cobs were then placed in piles in order to be placed in bags ready for storage. Stalks and husks were discarded in piles some of which was to be used for feed for other livestock. The maize would then be treated and stored, so it would be ready at a later time to be used to make chipati which is a form of tortilla. The students would eat the chipati and other recipes as part of their diet.
We learned that students are responsible for preparing the field, planting the seeds, and cultivating the crop to ensure its readiness for harvest. The process starts in March or April and is completed during this time of year. What a lesson in education!