Going to school

Life is the same. It’s
something we keep saying here and it’s true to some extent. No matter where you
are, you adapt to the surroundings and you live on. You realize you miss things
from your old life, like air-conditioning or couches for example but you adapt
none the less. Life is the same…on the surface.

This morning I went to
the local primary school with a girl (16 years). She needed to have a parent or
representative go with her so that she can request a transfer card to go to a
new school. Since she doesn’t have any parents I went with her.

In Swaziland you might
see more than a few “older” children at a primary (elementary) school. Unlike
in the States, it’s not always that they have failed grades, they may not have
started until they were 10, 15, 18 etc. There’s no such thing as a G.E.D. here.

This morning I sat
waiting for the headmaster (principal) for 45 minutes with Nogutula. As I
waited, I began to note the differences of my vague memories of elementary
school and what I saw before me. I watched little kids arriving to school on
public, not busses. Really this means that people have started a taxi business
with vans or kombis. Kids have to pay around 20 emalengeni (roughly $2.50) to
get to school and back if they don’t live close enough to walk.

The kids wait outside
in a big courtyard area and assemble to sing songs when called to do so. This
looks familiar to what I remember, except all around me I see maroon gingham
dresses and khaki shirts and trousers. Children playing with marbles on top of
heavy metal sewer system like lids. Others selling fat cakes or chips to earn
some money, not so that they can save up for the newest toy but so they can
eat. All are carrying sticks, most as long as they are tall. I looked toward what
I presume is the kitchen, saw a pile of sticks and realized they had probably
all been asked to bring firewood so that lunch can be fixed.

Then there are the
uniforms. Kids must have them to go to school. Usually they can only afford to
buy one uniform and the kids wear it all week and it is washed on the weekend.
This means that many uniforms have holes in them from being worn so many times
or they don’t fit properly because the children have grown since they were
bought.

And all of my
ramblings mean nothing when considering that these kids are the lucky ones.
They actually have someone that can pay the fees for them to go to school.