St Michaels Day

This is dedicated to all those who have attended an open day at a school either as a pupil or as a parent, so really most of you!

Every morning in term time we are greeted by well dressed young children walking to the private English medium pre primary school, St Michaels. ‘Good morning, how are you mother/father?’ ‘I am well ,thank you, and how are you?’ It is run by the nuns and they had their first open day on St Michaels day. Everyone was invited but many parents did not come (?knowing that it was to be a fund raising day). Those that did were of course dressed in their best clothes. The guest of honour was the local Member of Parliament, an elegant young woman.
Perched on chairs for children we had a delicious lunch eaten mainly in silence. The proceedings then began. On the top table were the Mother Superior of the convent Sr Adrophina, Matron Sr TheopistaJohn, Senior doctor Sr Pascasia, The MP, Administrator of the hospital Mr Josue, the Parish Priest and the Chairman of the Board of Governors, a man with an ample girth. Facing them were the children with the parents and staff scattered behind.

After preliminary speeches of welcome we got down to business – the raffle. As usual ordinary things like pineapples went for 3x the market rate. There were unusual offerings, like a chicken (live, gently clucking) and a huge bunch of bananas.

Bids were slow to start with but as the show went on the top table became more animated. The sisters combined to compete against the MP, egged on by Josue, for 6 pine saplings (6 inches high) usually sold for about Tsh 1000 each. Bidding went to 15,000, no to 20,000, no to 25,000 and eventually the MP bid about 35,000 (finally sum lost in the uproar and cheers from all assembled), added 10,000 and gave them to the school.

Then followed speeches and requests to the MP for support. She responded by offering 10,000 bricks for a new classroom. Seems she pays for this herself (is her brother a builder?) out of their extremely high salary something like £5000 per month. There are elections next year so this is a good time to invite MPs who show great largesse.

Then came the children’s singing. Of course there was one girl who shone above the rest, the only one with beads and a plastic flower in her hair, the one who greeted us outside with a direct gaze and cheeky smile, the one who was miffed when another girl got a bit of the limelight. Oh well, rivalry is alive and well in TZ.

Presentaion of cake was made to the top table (curious how the little boys are so inept and have to be shown what to do by their female classmates). Then came the finale dance with one mother not being able to resist making an exhibition of herself dancing with her son. Lambert, however , seems to have his eyes elsewhere.

We thought we would just pop in for an hour or so! We staggered out at 6 pm with full tummies, our pineapples and the school £100 richer.