Back to Tamesna October 2015

I arrived at Tamesna School in the car with M. le maire (Mr. mayor) of Ingal known to us as Sidi. This car,(the one the government let’s him use) is a very nice new one—with televisions in the back of the headrests—that of course don’t work). It had a flat on its nice new tires about an hour into the trip. We, as is the norm in Africa, got a late start so it was after dark.   Sidi was in meetings all day, but about 5:30 we left Agadez.   It was in the region on Tiguirwit, where there is a lot of standing water. What does this mean? — not cool breezes, but voracious mosquitoes. Since there were no mosquitos in Agadez and never are at Tamesna, my repellent was buried deep in the dark pile of luggage removed from the car to find the tire. I bundled up in my turban, but a mosquito can always find its way in.  The mosquitos did not succeed in carrying me away, the driver got the tire changed and we proceeded on the spare at about 15 mph. We were almost to Mararraba, the last turn off to Tamesna, when the spare tire blew.  This one of course had no spare. Fortunately the telephone network was good and we were able to call our crew at Tamesna who had gone in advance. By the time they arrived and got me back to Tamesna, it was 10 pm, I was starving and grumpy, but delighted to arrive at my third home and a delicious veggie saute that Bahari had prepared.
The next day, the director of the school came by to say hello and give me a progress report on the school. He says the kids here are more focused than those in town so they learn faster and kids in second grade here are correcting those in sixth grade in Ingal and Agadez. Sidi says that he has discussed this with the inspector of schools and they are in agreement that at the end of this year, our top class skip a grade because they are so far ahead of the norm.

Mohamed Moussa, Almoustapha Moussa (brothers) and Mohamed Almoustapha listen to a lesson about time. As you can tell there are not too many name variations. One quarter of the class is named Mohamed.

Aghaichita Faretane reads about time.

The school director Assadek, gives the days’ lesson about time, so it was really appropriate that Benedicte Schoyen sent a gift of a calendar from her ballet students in Santa Monica. The calendar was made up of pictures she had taken of the school when she was here working on a film in 2013. (Plus a couple from California) I was delighted the class recognized both Benedicte and their good friend Linda Lamb, a volunteer and teacher from Camarillo, who has been here three times. Without prompting the class called out their names when their pictures appeared.

Mohamed Atchane and Ayouba Amoumene studying their lessons. It is fun to finally know the names of almost everyone.

Three of the girls in third grade: Zeinabou left is new this year, transferred from Ingal. Tefest Issouf and Aghaichita Faretane have been here since the beginninng of Tamesna school.

Almoustapha Moussa and Amoumoun Faretane.